Bath fitters can be essential parts of remodeling your home. While you’ll likely have to ask a professional for help installing it, you are still responsible for some things. Knowing how much do bath fitters cost is one of them.
So, what are the pricing trends, and how much budget you need?
To fully understand the expenses you’ll have, you have to look at the bigger picture.
We will also provide you with some general information about bath fitters to explain the reasons behind the pricing. Let’s get started.
What Is a Bath Fitter?
Before you learn how much do bath fitters cost, you need to know what these items are. Bath fitters are relatively modern residential and commercial bathtub solutions manufactured by a company of the same name.
They are a new addition to the already vast range of bathroom products. To make a more detailed explanation, bath fitters are an updated version of traditional bathtubs.
They are bathtubs made easier to use and more time-effective. The most common solution Bath Fitter produces are usually bathtub liners.
Both homeowners and commercial customers have many kinds of bathtub liners to choose from nowadays.
This includes tub and shower doors, seamless acrylic walls, domed ceilings, wainscoting, and various accessories.
Also, some Bath Fitters’ products have freestanding bathtub and shower bases, as well as acrylic bathtubs and shower liners.
Still, people commonly use tub liners for residential bathrooms. First, professionals will take out the faucets from your tub.
Then, if you’ve chosen the Bath Fitter wall panels, they’ll set them up over the existing tub. Usually, they’ll also put up some wall protection.
This way, everything will look great, and it’ll be safe at the same time. Finally, they’ll install the tub liner itself.
If you require any additional accessories, they’ll put them up next. The last step is cleaning, and your bathroom will end up looking brand new!
With all those various types of products currently available, you can fully remodel your bathroom. Bath Fitters enable you to design a bathroom that suits your needs and preferences.
Keep in mind, though, that this won’t get you a new bathtub.
You’ll only change the looks of the existing elements. If your bathtub won’t hold water or if it was damaged, you should buy a new one instead.
How Much Does a Bath Fitter Franchise Cost
Now, to start realizing how much do bath fitters cost, we have to start from the beginning.
According to most resources, if you want to invest in a Bath Fitter franchise, you’ll need to invest about $150,000!
This sounds like a tremendous amount of money. However, this includes all start-up expenses and the franchise fee for people who want to start a freestanding business.
To get the full price, you also need to add insurance expenses, as well as costs of marketing and staff.
Still, all these prices are nothing if you compare getting a bath fitter vs remodel. Most homeowners don’t face high expenses when choosing tub liners instead of extensive bathroom remodeling.
Bath fitters, especially tub liners, fit over enclosures and bathtubs that already exist. This makes them a quick fix and a straightforward solution to everyone wanting to update their bathrooms.
At the same time, they don’t cost as much as modifying your entire bathroom would.
For anyone who wants to get into the remodeling bath and kitchens business, bath fitting is a great profession.
This way, they can expand their trade and their client base. Bath fitters are a great way to help people who aren’t that financially stable to enjoy updated bathrooms.
Franchises have training that usually lasts for three to ten days. Then, the applicants undergo more training on-site.
As the training is costly, it’s easy to see why people working with bath fitters charge specific high prices.
What Affects How Much Do Bath Fitters Cost?
Many things are affecting the cost of bath fitters. This includes features such as the expenses during the manufacturing process, marketing, administration, sales, as well as installation.
All of these could make a bath fitter cost more than average. However, what affects the cost is usually the material tub liners are made from. Two commonly used materials are:
- Acrylic
- PVC vinyl
Most professionals use 100% acrylic bath fitters. While this is an attractive material, it can break easily.
The only way to ensure you won’t see cracks is to find a tub liner that perfectly suits your existing bathroom.
Also, you shouldn’t install them by yourself. Always call a professional to help you with this task.
PVC tub liners are more affordable compared to acrylic ones. At the same time, they are much easier to install, so people commonly set them up by themselves.
However, they aren’t really attractive. Also, most reviews for tub liners made from PVC report that they aren’t durable once installed.
In other words, while they won’t easily crack during the installation, they won’t last for very long. Because of this, most customers prefer acrylic liners.
How Much Do Bath Fitters Cost on Average?
It’s hard to determine an overall average price of a tub liner. The main reason behind this is because the fee covers only the tub or the product itself.
If you only want an acrylic tub liner, this will likely cost you $1000 or less. However, if you want wall panels that match shelves, built-in soap dishes, or similar, it will cost you extra.
The more additional accessories you include, the higher the expenses.
Keep in mind that any pricing we mention is just approximations.
They are general estimations of tub liner prices, and the prices may vary. It all depends on the brand you choose, as well as the model you desire.
Before making a definite decision on buying them, always contact the company directly. This is the safest way to know the price of your entire project.
Bath Fitter, and many other companies, even offer free consultations. If you opt for one, they’ll come to your place and help you determine the full price.
This can also help you estimate the entire scope of your project. Typically, it is impossible to know the total cost of such a project without proper installation.
When professionals come to your place, they’ll know exactly what the installation needs are.
Statistics from HomeAdvisor show that approximate expenses needed for a regular tub liner vary between $700 and $1400.
This is the price without a professional installation or wall panels. If you include them, the cost can be anywhere between $3000 and $7000.
To round it up, you can say that:
- The average price of professional installment of tub liners and surrounding elements is $5000.
- The average price of installing a tub liner only is around $3000.
So, How Much Do Bath Fitters Cost?
As we’ve already mentioned, choosing PVC liners will ensure your expenses are low. The liner itself can be as cheap as $200 or $300.
This is quite affordable; however, keep in mind that PVC will never look as good as acrylic. If you save money, you’re sacrificing the overall appearance of your bathroom.
On the other hand, acrylic liners usually cost between $700 and $1400. The price depends on the size and state of your bathroom and what kind of liner you want.
Wall panels will cost additionaly, as well as installation. For example, if you want Bath Liner’s team of professionals to install everything, you’re looking at at least $4000.
The prices can even go as high as $8000 if you want a luxury service!
Where Can You Get Bath Fitters?
When you want to know how much do bath fitters cost, it’s essential to know where you can get them. This way, youćll know who to ask for exact information.
Some of the companies that offer tub liners are:
- Bath Fitter:The original tub liners manufacturer. They offer 100% acrylic tub liners, as well as wall panels. They have their own certified experts and are rather precise. However, they are somewhat slow.
- Bath Planet:They offer 100% acrylic tub liners and offer various consultation methods. In fact, consultation is necessary so they can know how much time and materials they’ll need. They offer a one-day service if your bathtub and required liner match stock measurements. However, other services take longer.
- Bath Wrap:They offer 100% acrylic tub liners and additional accessories, as well. They even have a one-day service for specific applications.
- Custom Bath Liners:Next to offering 100% acrylic liners, they offer a one-day liner and wall panels installation. You can find the complete service from $3000 and up.
- Home Depot Liners:The most basic of services, but they can accomplish most of your requests. They will take a few days to complete the service.
Is It Better To Install Bath Fitters Or To Replace The Entire Tub?
This depends mostly on the state of your bathroom. If your bathtub is cracked, you shouldn’t even consider getting tub liners.
It won’t pay off, and you’ll have to replace everything quickly.
On the other hand, new bathtubs cost on average $500 to $900. Installation, however, costs anywhere between a few hundred bucks and $9000.
This mostly depends on the tub’s type and the number of modifications. So, in many cases, installing tub liners is both the cheaper and the faster way to change your bathroom’s appearance.
Things to Consider before Purchasing Bath Fitters:
- Tub lining is a straightforward way to change the appearance of your bathroom. You can change the color of your tiles or your bathtub or shower. However, liners won’t fix more severe issues such as mildew, mold, or cracked ceramics. Because of this, they aren’t the best choice for many bathrooms. You can’t install them on most claw-foot or jetted tubs. Also, most professionals won’t install them if you have fiberglass bathtubs. The risk of results not being good enough is too high for most.
- Ensure you keep yourself protected by asking at least three companies about the price of your project. Some companies won’t have any issues with charging you more than they should. If you get three opinions, you can have a better picture of the estimated cost.
- Most importantly, look for company’s and professional’s references. Also, review any licenses, insurance, and any other paperwork your contractor provided. Insist on having a written contract, and ask if you can pay by check. This way, you won’t have to worry about requesting refunds in case anything goes awry.
Bottom Line
Bath fitters are a quick way to give a new look to the old bathroom. They are quick to install, and they are usually more affordable than getting a whole new tub.
We hope now you have a good idea of how much do bath fitters cost. To know the actual expenses, the best option would be to contact the manufacturers themselves.
Michael Davis is a heating & plumbing expert who currently works as independent contractor in SC. He also writes for Plumbertip.
For almost 10 years he worked on various plumbing tasks across South Carolina.
