Bathtub Refinishing Verses Replacing A Bathtub Bathtubs over time wear down and can even become cracked and damaged. Over time the original finish will also become dull which lead to it being very hard to have a clean look! There are two options when it come to a damaged or worn out finish on a tub. Replace them or repair and refinish them. When you consider replacing a fiber glass tub... ...you have to also consider the costs and time of disconnecting the plumbing, tearing out the old tub, the purchase of a new tub and the cost of a plumber to install and re-plumb the new tub. Total cost could exceed $1500 and up and could take 3 days or more. When a new tub reaches the 10-12 year mark, depending on how much they are used and how well they are cleaned, the tub will start to dull, become hard to clean and even could start to crack and become damaged beyond use. When you talk about a porcelain coated cast iron tub more than likely it will have to be busted up into smaller p...