If you are upgrading your bathroom, you might want to change the bathtub to suit the new style of bathroom you are going for, e.g.; changing from a Victorian feel to a modern sleek look. Most often changing a bathtub is part of this bathroom renovation but if your bath has been well used, it may be showing signs of age, discolouration or having tiny chips and cracks that will eventually turn into larger cracks. Replacing the bathtub can be more complex than switching out an old tub for a new tub, especially if your old tub was a corner bath and now being replaced for a freestanding bath, so be sure to always get in touch with a professional plumber to ensure no water leaks and that the bath is correctly installed.

How much will it cost to upgrade my bath?

Upgrading your bath will involve removing the old one and disposing of it, and then connecting the water and waste pipes to the new bath. You will need to decide what style of bath you will be buying for the plumber to install. Baths come in an array of choices; corner baths, shower baths, freestanding baths and come made in different materials like acrylic, steel or cast iron. Once you know which bath to buy and where in the bathroom you would like it fitted, measure the area to determine whether this is possible with enough space and then decide on whether you will be replacing the bath taps and if you need to purchase any bath panels. This will all add to the cost of upgrading the bath due to the cost of the materials as well as the labour involved.

How much labour costs to upgrade a bath	Per	Average cost
Replace a bath, like for like (one days work)	Per day	£250
Removing the old bath and replacing with a different style bath (one - two days work)	Per day	£240
Removing the old bath and fitting a bath in a new area of the bathroom	Per day	£300
Repairing the bath	Per hour	£100

Do I need special plumbing to replace my shower tray with a bathtub?

If you have a large shower, or a shower with some space next to it, it may be worth switching the shower for a bath and shower combination. This will increase your property value due to the convenience of now having a bath and shower option. Baths come in half sizes, so if you cannot fit in a standard tub, do not despair, consider having a half tub fitted.

For the conversion to work, you will need to have a water supply which the plumber will use which was once feeding the shower as well as a bath waste with overflow to drain out the bath water and again the shower drain should work for the bath. 

Re-doing my bathroom, can I move my bath to a different position?

Yes, if the current position of the bath does not make best use of the space in the bathroom, when you redo your bathroom and renovate in there, consider repositioning the bathtub. If this move is a short distance from the original position, you might be able to extend the existing plumbing to the new location.

If it is more than 3 feet from the current location, the bath might require the pipework to be re-installed tapping in and extending to the new location. Check with the plumber that the water pipes and waste pipes will be able to be hidden from sight and if this means more of your bath will be exposed do check that you can get a bath panel to match the side of the bath you need to cover.

Walk-in bath costs

If you or a family member are struggling with mobility, it could be worth installing a walk-in bath. Walk-in baths have a door on the side so you can open it and get in rather than having to climb over the edge.

Walk-in baths also often come with an integrated seat to allow you to sit down comfortably, and some may have power seating to carefully lower you into the bath. You can also get walk-in baths with add-ons such as heated seats, colour-changing lights and spa jets.

Expect to pay at least £1,500 for a standard walk-in bath, and up to £5,000 for one with special add-ons, plus installation.

Disabled facilities grant

If you’re disabled, you may be eligible for a disabled facilities grant to cover some of the costs of a walk-in bath. The grants are designed to help you with the costs of making changes to your home due to your disability. How much you’ll get depends on your household income and how much you have in savings, but you can apply for up to £30,000 in England.

How much will it cost to resilicone around my bath or give it a fresh new look?

For discolouration of the bath, you might be able to buy some cleaning products to do it yourself and tackle overall discolouration or a permanent ring around the bath like an enamel bath cleaner. For a chip on the bath, look at products such as Ronseal Kitchen & Bathroom Touch Up Enamel. Ronseal also does a grout pen, which you could give the grout around the bath a fresh new look whether changing the colour or just hiding mouldy spots. For anything more complicated, like reapplying the silicone around the bath, or replacing a faulty tap, this might just cost an hour's labour from the plumber.

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