Bathtub Refinishing for Landlords and Property Managers
Turn units faster for less: a refinished tub, sink or tile surround for a few hundred dollars, done in one day and back in service after the cure — not after a two-week remodel.
Bathtub refinishing for landlords and property managers
Refinishing a rental bathtub costs $350–$500, takes one day on site and puts the bathroom back in service after a 48-hour cure — against $5,100–$9,900 or more and one to three weeks offline to replace it.
Bathtub refinishing, also called reglazing or resurfacing, is one job under three names: the existing tub is cleaned, acid-etched, repaired, primed and sprayed with a new commercial-grade coating that cures hard and glossy. For a landlord it solves a specific problem: a stained, chipped or dated tub holds up a turnover and lowers the rent you can ask, and tearing it out is the most expensive, disruptive job in the unit. Refinishing gets the bathroom rent-ready in a day for a fraction of that cost, and works just as well on sinks, tile surrounds, vanity tops and kitchen counters.
Below is what rental owners across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties in the Bay Area, ask before their first job. Every figure is the one published on our bathtub refinishing cost guide and bathtub reglazing service page. Managing larger buildings? See the companion guide for apartment communities.
The turnover economics: refinish vs. replace
A vacant unit costs you every day it sits empty, so the time column below matters as much as the price column. Replacement is never just a new tub: demolition, plumbing rough-in, waterproofing and installation each become their own line item, each with the risk of finding something behind the wall. Refinishing keeps the tub, tile and plumbing exactly where they are.
| Factor | Refinishing | Replacement |
|---|---|---|
| Cost, standard tub | $350 – $500 | $5,100 – $9,900+ |
| Crew on site | One day (a few hours) | 3 – 7 working days |
| Bathroom out of service | Ready in about 24 hours; dry for the 48-hour cure | 1 – 3 weeks end to end |
| Demolition and disposal | None | Tub out, tile broken, debris hauled |
| Plumbing | Untouched; hardware stays in place on about 99% of jobs | Rough-in and reconnection |
| Other trades | None | Plumber, tile setter, installer |
| Warranty | Written 2-year limited warranty | Varies by contractor and manufacturer |
Ranges from our refinishing cost guide and bathtub replacement cost guide; replacement assumes a like-for-like alcove tub with no tile change and no surprises behind the wall.
Put the columns against your own numbers: divide the monthly rent by thirty for the daily cost of vacancy, then multiply by the gap between two days and one to three weeks. For most rentals the time saved is worth more than the refinish itself, before counting the thousands not spent on a replacement.
Savings of up to 75% is the figure we advertise, and it is conservative; see the full math on the cost guide.
What a rental bathroom refresh costs, line by line
Most turnovers involve more than the tub: the surround is the same age, the vanity sink is chipped, a kitchen counter is worn through. Each is a surface we refinish at its published range, cheaper on one visit than on separate appointments. Add the lines that apply to your unit:
| Surface in the unit | Refinish | Replace |
|---|---|---|
| Bathtub (standard alcove) | $350 – $500 | $5,100 – $9,900+ |
| Tile surround / full shower | $400 – $900 | $6,000 – $12,000+ |
| Bathroom or vanity sink | $250 – $500 | $400 – $800+ installed |
| Vanity top or countertop | $350 – $800 | $2,500 – $6,000+ |
| Kitchen sink | $250 – $500 | $400 – $800+ installed |
| Color change (almond, pink, blue or green to white) | No extra charge | n/a |
Ranges from our bathtub, shower, sink, countertop and kitchen sink pages; all done in the same visit. Heavier damage than the photos show carries a $35–$175 repair surcharge, quoted before work starts. Full list on surfaces we refinish.
Why it fits rentals
- Done in hours, so units turn faster between tenants.
- A fraction of the cost of replacing tubs, sinks and counters.
- Bright white finishes photograph well for listings.
- No demolition, no plumber, no other trades to schedule.
Scheduling multiple units and matching finishes across them
Batching units
The process is identical in every bathroom, a few hours per tub, with no other trades. When several units in one building need work, send the list with two or three photos of each bathroom and we quote the batch as one job, ordered around your move-out dates so each unit is refinished after the tenant leaves and before the make-ready cleaning.
Standardizing on one finish
Portfolios accumulate colors: almond in one building, pink in another. A color change is priced like a standard reglaze, so bringing every fixture to bright white costs nothing extra and gives you one look across every unit. Custom-matched colors are quoted on request; pick one and use it everywhere.
One caution: where only part of a surface is repaired, we cannot guarantee an exact match in color, sheen or texture with the surrounding finish. Refinishing the whole fixture is what produces a uniform surface.
Hardware and doors
On about 99% of jobs the drain and faucet hardware stay in place and are masked; removing hardware is a plumber’s job, since we are not a licensed plumber. Removing a sliding tub door is a separate charge, and in 99% of cases the frame bends during removal, so decide in advance whether the door is coming back.
Tenant damage: repair, refinish or both
Move-out inspections turn up the same damage again and again: chips at the drain, a cracked fiberglass floor, rust rings, dye stains, a sink worn through. Almost all of it is fixable without replacing the fixture.
- Chips, cracks and worn spots are filled as part of every standard reglaze. More damage than the photos showed — multiple chips, holes, spreading rust or an old coating that must be stripped — carries a repair surcharge of $35–$175, quoted before we begin. See bathtub repair for what can be fixed on its own.
- A cracked or soft fiberglass floor needs more than a coating. Our cracked tub and inlay repair stabilizes the base, fuses a solid inlay over the floor and refinishes over it, quoted separately after we see the tub.
- Rust is treated on a best-effort basis and carries no warranty; rust rising from deteriorating cast iron underneath can return.
- A tub we refinished that a tenant has since damaged can be repaired or refinished again. Impacts, abrasive cleaners, mats left in the tub and adhesive strips are outside the warranty, but the fix is the same few hundred dollars, not a remodel.
One habit reduces damage at the next move-out: give the incoming tenant the aftercare instructions that come with every job. No abrasive cleansers or scrub pads, no mats left in the tub between uses, nothing stuck to the surface.
Repair pages
- Bathtub repair — chips, cracks and worn spots
- Cracked tub & inlay repair — flexing fiberglass floors
- Porcelain sink repair — chips at the drain and rim
- Slip-resistant treatment — an alternative to mats
Invoicing, insurance paperwork and the warranty
How we fit a management company’s accounts-payable process, per our published service terms and policies.
- Quotes are free and firm. Two or three photos per bathroom get a price, usually the same day, confirmed against the real fixture when the crew arrives; any surcharge is disclosed before work starts.
- Payment is due on completion by cash, check or major credit card. Full payment is a condition of the warranty.
- Vendor paperwork. If your company needs a certificate of insurance, a W-9 or a PO number on the invoice before paying a vendor, say so when you request the quote so it is in place before the first appointment.
- Licensed and insured. Simply Reglaze is a licensed contractor for refinishing and reglazing (CA License # 1141472), not a licensed plumber.
- Rescheduling needs at least 24 hours’ notice. Move-outs slip; tell us as soon as one does.
The warranty on rental property
- Two years on bathtubs, showers and shower pans, tile walls, countertops and bathroom or vanity sinks; six months on kitchen sinks.
- The same coverage applies to rental and multi-unit properties as to private homes.
- Covers peeling, blistering, flaking or coating separation from workmanship defects; report within 15 days of noticing.
- Extended to the owner or entity that contracted and paid; it does not transfer to a tenant or a later buyer.
- Standing water, mats left in the tub, adhesive strips, abrasive cleaners and normal wear are not covered.
- Full terms: limited warranty.
What the unit needs before the crew arrives
Most friction on rental jobs comes from a unit that is not quite ready. This list follows the before your appointment section of our terms.
- Clear the bathroom. Our technicians are not permitted to move personal belongings, so an uncleared bathroom means the appointment cannot proceed.
- Water and power on, safe access arranged, and a working drain for the water used during the process.
- No leaks. The new surface has to stay dry for 48 hours; a drip during that window can damage the finish and void the warranty on that area.
- Pets off the premises, and no one using the bathroom until the cure is complete.
- Ventilation. The coating’s odor usually dissipates within a few hours and at worst lingers up to 24 hours; leave a window open or the fan running. Our safety article covers fumes and curing.
- Sequence the turnover: refinish after the unit is empty and before the final cleaning, and tell cleaners abrasive products must never touch the new surface.
If you are searching for bathtub refinishing near me for a rental in Los Angeles, Orange County, the Inland Empire or the Bay Area, these are the ranges you will be quoted; well outside those metro areas a long-distance travel fee of up to $125 may apply, disclosed before booking. Check your city on our service areas page, read our reviews, browse all services, or contact us to set up an account. Selling a rental instead? Our guide for home sellers and realtors explains how the warranty treats properties listed for sale.
Rental property refinishing questions
$350–$500 for a standard tub, finished in one day; a bathroom sink is $250–$500, a tile surround or shower $400–$900, a vanity top or countertop $350–$800. Replacing the tub runs $5,100–$9,900+ and takes one to three weeks.
The crew is on site for one day. The surface is ready in about 24 hours and must stay completely dry for the full 48-hour cure, so plan on the bathroom being back in service two days after the appointment; the rest of the make-ready can continue in the meantime.
Yes. Send the unit list with a few photos of each bathroom and we quote the batch as one job, scheduled around your move-out dates. Doing the tub, surround and sink in one visit is cheaper than separate appointments.
Yes, if you standardize on one color. Bright white is the most popular, and a color change is priced like a standard reglaze, so almond, pink, blue and green fixtures can all be brought to the same white at no extra cost.
It can be repaired or refinished again. Chips, cracks and worn spots are included in a standard reglaze; heavier damage carries a repair surcharge of $35–$175, quoted before work starts. Damage from impacts, abrasive cleaners, mats left in the tub or adhesive strips is not a workmanship defect and is outside the warranty.
Yes. The written limited warranty is two years on bathtubs, showers, tile walls, countertops and bathroom or vanity sinks and six months on kitchen sinks, with the same coverage on rental and multi-unit properties as on private homes. It is extended to the entity that contracted and paid for the work and does not transfer to a tenant or later owner.
Payment is due on completion by cash, check or major credit card. If your company needs a certificate of insurance, a W-9 or a PO number on the invoice before paying a vendor, tell us when you request the quote so it is handled before the first appointment.
The bathroom cleared of belongings, pets off the premises, safe access, running water and power, and no leaking faucets, because the new surface must stay dry for 48 hours. If the crew arrives and cannot start, the appointment cannot proceed and a cancellation fee may apply as set out in our terms.
More questions? Our FAQ page covers safety, cure times and cleaning, and the cost guide explains every price factor.
Send us the unit list and a few photos
One unit or a whole building: text or upload two or three photos per bathroom and we’ll reply with a firm price, usually the same day. Serving Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties and the Bay Area from San Francisco and Marin to Santa Clara.
Mon–Fri 7AM–5PM · Sat 8AM–12PM · Licensed & insured · Written 2-year warranty