If you’re considering a tub liner or bathfitters, you’re probably wondering what that looks like exactly for your bathtub refinishing project. Who installs it? How long does it take? Is it worth the time and price? And, perhaps most importantly, how much do a bath fitter tubs cost?
On average, a bath fitter bathtub liner alone will cost between $600 to $1,500. Professional bath fitter tubs with installation cost between $3,500 to $7,500. Alternative acrylic bathtub materials and DIY solutions do exist, but they aren’t worth it in the end.
Scroll down, and follow along, to learn all about how much a bath fitter tub costs, what the installation process looks like, and everything else you need to know about these fantastic bathtub liners.
What Is a Bath Fitter or Bathtub Liner?
To start off, let’s tackle the basics.
- What is a bath fitter?
- What is a bath liner?
- Are they the same thing?
I’m going to answer all of these questions right now, plus some other concerns you might have.
What is a bath fitter?
A bath fitter is a brand new, gorgeous acrylic liner that fits into your own existing bathtub (or shower). You do not need to replace the whole bathtub or shower surround, which is one of the beauties of going with a Bath Fitter.
Every Bath Fitter is made to seamlessly match the look and feel of your bathtub and shower wall system. They attach snugly to your existing bathroom features, soap dishes, and fixtures, giving you a fantastic new look. (Without all the fuss or expense of a complete remodel.)
Here are some features of bath fitters:
- Highly durable over years and decades
- Truly made to last a lifetime
- Slip-resistant surface (great for people with disabilities or older homeowners)
- High-gloss finish looks great in any bathroom
- Scratch-resistant materials used so that your bathtub refinishing always shines
- Compatible with lots of great and useful shower and bathtub accessories
What is a bath liner?
This is a question a lot of people have. Simply put, people want to know, “Is a bath fitter and a bath liner the same thing?”
Yes, a bath fitter and a bath liner are usually referring to the same thing. In some cases, a “bath liner” might just refer to a mat placed inside the shower, but that is a completely different product.
As far as this article is concerned, a bath liner and a bath fitter are identical. Bath fitter, bath liner, same thing!
What are bath fitters made of?
Perhaps the other most important question is, “What is a bath fitter made of?” A relation question is, “Are all bath fitters the same?” Here are the answers to both of these great questions.
All Bath Fitter tubs and shower surround wall systems are custom made from high quality, ¼-inch, non-porous acrylic. This means that your bath liner will be able to both keep away mildew and mold for the life of the product.
What’s more, the use of acrylic means that every bath fitter is incredibly strong and durable. The Bath Fitter brand is known for its durability and even offers a lifetime warranty for as long as you own your home. That’s how strong bath fitter acrylics are.
Check out these great acrylic bath fitter features:
- Strong and durable, unlike some other materials
- Non-porous, so you won’t get leaks
- Able to prevent mold, mildew, and more
- Lifetime warranty guarantees a lasting product
- 100% Acrylic is the best material to use
Now, you might be wondering if there are alternatives to acrylic bath fitters. Yes, they do exist, but you probably don’t want to use them. Here’s why…
Some companies choose to make their bath liners out of PVC vinyl. While this can often be less expensive than other materials like acrylic, it doesn’t tend to look nearly as good or last quite as long.
On top of all that, there are very good reasons to go with a Bath Fitter bathtub over other traditional materials as well.
- Tile — contains grout lines that are porous; easily causes moisture build-up; mold and mildew can occur
- Fiberglass — porous; easily loses color due to stains; fiberglass tubs often chip and crack over time
- Cast iron (and enameled steel) — wears down over time; gets porous; discolors easily; can get ugly chips, cracks, dents, and scratches
With all of that in mind, it’s far better to choose acrylic bath fitters every time. Save yourself the headache, and go with the best option from the start.
How are Bath Fitters installed?
Before we look at the actual prices, it’s important to understand one huge aspect of bath fitters: installation.
There are plenty of options out there for people that want to DIY their home bathroom. However, Do It Yourself is not the best option for installing bath liners. Here’s why it’s so important to let a professional install your bath fitter at home.
Why You Shouldn’t Try to Install Your Own Bath Fitter
While you might be tempted to install your own bath fitter at home, I highly recommend you consider hiring an expert instead.
When installed perfectly, it only takes about one day to perform a bath liner installation — for a professional.
If you attempt to install it yourself, even a very experienced DIY homeowner can run into a ton of problems. In addition to a huge pain, these issues can also cost time, money, and, well, even more time and money.
The #1 problem that an unprofessional bath fitter installation can lead to…is leaks.
If your bath liner doesn’t fit perfectly snug against your existing tub or shower surround, water can easily leak right in, leading to a host of awful problems.
Some of these bath fitter installation issues include:
- Mold
- Mildew
- Bacteria
- Fungus growth
It doesn’t take a scientist to recognize that you don’t want these problems in your own home bathroom!
Choose Professional Bath Fitter Installation
The other option is easily the best choice. A professional bath fitter installer and installation team can get the job done quickly, correctly, and efficiently.
You might wonder what all a professional bath fitter installer can do to make sure everything goes according to plan.
Here are just a few of the benefits of bath liner professional installation:
- Pre-installation free in-home estimate (lasts a year, no obligation to make a purchase)
- Exact measurements are made for your bathroom
- Everything is custom made to fit your existing bathtub/shower unit
- All options are available, because they know what they’re doing
- Cleaning and repairing of your current bathtub surfaces is included before installation
Those are just some of the great benefits of choosing to let the pros do the hard work.
As Bath Fitter writes on their website, “Since we are able to control all aspects of the production and installation process, we can ensure the highest quality for our products and workmanship, and are proud to guarantee our work with our lifetime warranty.”
That’s as good as it gets. And it’s a whole lot better than risking the installation yourself, if you ask me!
What is the Average Price of a Bath Fitter Tub?
Let’s review what we’ve covered:
- What a bath fitter tub actually is — An affordable bathtub refresh.
- The difference between bath fitters and bath liners — There’s not one!
- Materials used for bath fitters — True Bath Fitters are 100% acrylic.
- Which materials to avoid — PVC Vinyl
- Installation options — DIY or Professional (always go with the pros)
Now, with all that information in mind, we can look at the actual exact cost of a bath fitter tub for you and your own home bathroom.
Here is the breakdown for every part of the bath fitter tub cost.
How much do Bath Fitter tub materials cost?
In general, you can expect a range of pricing for Bath Fitters and bath liners for your home bathtub refinishing project.
Here are the prices for bath liners:
- Average materials cost: $600 – $1500
How much does Bath Fitter tub installation cost?
Again, you will be looking at a range of prices here.
If you try to do it yourself, you could save a lot of money on the front-end. But, as we talked about earlier, you could also hurt your bathroom in the long run. This could cost you even more money.
Here’s the average price range for professional one day bath fitter tub installation:
- Average installation cost: $3,500 – $7,500
Note: Keep in mind that installation costs available online typically include the price of the materials as well.
Bath Fitter Bathtub Average Costs Summary
Here’s a quick summary of everything we’ve covered so far regarding how much a bath fitter tub costs.
- A bath fitter tub (or bathtub liner) can run anywhere from roughly $600 to $1,500.
- Professional bath fitter tubs and tub liners usually end up in the range of $3,500 to $7,500.
- Alternative materials (such as PVC Vinyl) exist, but they aren’t high quality.
- DIY installation is possible, but it’s not recommended (unless you are a general contractor).
At the end of the day (literally one day for installation!), a bath fitter tub can replace your current bathtub and bathroom look easily, safely, effectively, and quickly. Out with the old tub and in with the shiny brand new tub!
You can save tons of money over traditional home remodeling and get the exact look you want for your new bathtub in a fraction of the time.
