Reglazing: the cheapest fix, if the tub is sound
Reglazing, sometimes called refinishing, averages 484 dollars, inside a 337 to 631 dollar range.[1]
The job itself is mostly a topcoat step, a few hours of work followed by a curing period, and a finish done this way can last 10 years or more before it needs attention again.[1]
Liners: fast, but not permanent
A bathtub liner averages in the 2,700 to 10,200 dollar range.[1]
A liner typically needs replacing again in 3 to 5 years, which makes its real cost over time higher than the sticker price on any single install suggests at first glance.[1]
Full replacement: the highest cost, the longest reset
Replacing a tub outright averages around 5,700 dollars and can run as high as 14,700 dollars, depending mostly on the material chosen and how involved the install turns out to be.[1]
It is the only one of the three options that lets you change the material or the tub's shape entirely, not just its surface.
When reglazing makes sense
A tub that is structurally sound, no cracks, no soft spots, and just worn or dated on the surface is the best candidate for reglazing, since you are paying for a new finish, not a new tub.[1]
When it is time to actually replace it
A tub that is cracked, chronically slow to drain because of old hardware, or simply the wrong material or shape for what you want now is past the point where a liner or a new coat of finish solves the problem.
Our materials guide above covers what you would be replacing it with.
The math over five years
A reglaze at 484 dollars, holding for 10 years or more, costs less over a decade than a single liner at the low end of its 2,700-to-10,200-dollar range, before counting that the liner may need a second install inside that same window.[1]
Full replacement is the most expensive single event, but it is also the only option here that resets the clock on the tub itself, not just its surface.[1]
What none of the three fix
All three options assume the drain, overflow and supply lines behind the tub are sound. If those are failing, that is plumbing work on top of whichever surface option you choose, not a substitute for it.
A refinish or a liner installed over a hidden leak just hides the problem behind a new surface for a few more years, at which point the surrounding floor or subfloor may turn into the more expensive repair of the two.