Bathtub Replacement in Lexington, KY

Should you replace your bathtub or refinish it?

Reglazing puts a new coating on the tub you already have. It is cheaper, and for a solid tub with a worn finish it can be a fair choice. It does nothing for a tub that is failing structurally, though. Replacement is the better call when:

• The floor of the tub moves when you stand in it. Fiberglass tubs set without a mortar bed tend to flex, then crack. We see this a lot in 1990s and 2000s homes in Hamburg, Masterson Station and Beaumont.
• Water is getting out. A brown ring on the ceiling below, a loose floor tile beside the tub or a musty smell usually points to a failed drain gasket or a crack.
• It was reglazed once already. A second coat rarely bonds well to the first, and peeling comes back quickly.
• The tub is the wrong tub. Too shallow to soak in, too tall to step over comfortably, or simply the wrong size for the room.

If the tub is sound and money is tight, our budget remodeling guide explains where refinishing makes sense.

How much does bathtub replacement cost in Lexington?

Most Lexington tub replacements come in between $3,500 and $9,000. Here is roughly where different jobs fall:

Three things push a job up the table. The first is the walls: the lowest row of tile laps over the tub's flange, so the old surround almost always comes off with the tub. The second is plumbing. Keeping the drain where it is costs the least, while a new valve or a moved drain adds labor. The third is hidden damage, usually a patch of soft subfloor from a slow leak, which we price on its own line before fixing it.

Thinking about dropping the tub for a shower instead? Compare the numbers in our tub-to-shower conversion cost guide or see tub-to-shower conversions.

What do we find under old tubs in Lexington homes?

The answer depends a lot on when your house was built.

Chevy Chase, Ashland Park, Bell Court and Kenwick. Many of these 1920s to 1940s homes still have their original cast-iron tub, cast-iron drain and galvanized supply lines inside plaster walls. The tub often weighs a few hundred pounds, so we break it up in place rather than drag it down the stairs. Galvanized pipe tends to rust shut from the inside, so replacing the stretch we can reach while the wall is open costs little and heads off low water pressure later.

Southland, Gardenside, Cardinal Valley and Tates Creek. Postwar ranches and split-levels usually have a steel tub with 1960s to 1980s tile around it, sometimes over a mortar bed that is thicker than you would expect. Demo takes a little longer, and we often find the tile backer has softened at the bottom.

Hamburg, Masterson Station, Palomar and Andover Forest. Newer homes usually have a one-piece fiberglass tub-shower and plastic drains. These come out quickly, but the unit may have to be cut to get it out of the room.

Which type of bathtub fits your bathroom?

• Acrylic alcove tub. Light, warm to the touch, reasonably priced and repairable. The right fit for most hall baths.
• Enameled steel tub. The lowest price, but louder underfoot and prone to chips if something heavy drops.
• Cast iron tub. Holds heat and lasts a very long time. It is heavy, so we check the floor framing first, especially in older Lexington homes on a crawlspace.
• Deep soaking tub. More water for a real soak. Make sure your water heater can keep up before you commit.
• Freestanding tub. A strong look for a larger primary bath, but it needs floor-mounted plumbing and space on all sides.

Central Kentucky water is hard, so whatever tub you pick, chrome or brushed fixtures with simple shapes are easier to wipe free of mineral spots than heavily textured ones. If the tub is in your only full bath, we usually suggest keeping one. Walk-in shower vs. bathtub walks through that choice.

Do you need a permit to replace a bathtub in Lexington?

Plumbing permits in Kentucky come from the state, through the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (Division of Plumbing), not from the city. Under state rules, moving or adding a fixture, drain or waste opening needs a plumbing permit. A new tub set in the same spot on the same drain usually doesn't. If the job also involves moving a wall or adding a window, that is a building permit from the LFUCG Division of Building Inspection. We confirm which applies to your job and pull what's needed. Details are in our Lexington permit guide.