Bathtub Reglazing in New York City

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Cast Iron Tub Refinishing in NYC

Cast iron · NYC

Most cast-iron bathtubs in NYC apartments were installed between 1900 and 1970, and most are still in use today. The iron body is essentially indestructible on the timescale of a building — what wears out is the porcelain enamel that gives the tub its smooth white surface. Refinishing restores that surface without touching the iron underneath.

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Replacing a cast-iron tub is rarely worth it once you understand the logistics. A standard 5-foot tub weighs 250–400 pounds, and the original installation was usually done before the bathroom walls and tile were finished — so the only way to remove it now is to cut it into pieces inside the bathroom. Refinishing takes one visit and preserves a fixture that, in most cases, will outlast the rest of the apartment.

Material check

How to tell if you have a cast iron tub

Cast iron isn’t the only material bathtubs are made from, and people often aren’t sure what they have. These are the most common types in a NYC apartment.

Cast iron (enameled)

Heaviest by far. Made until roughly the 1970s in standard residential. Tap the side — you’ll hear a dull, dense thud, not a hollow ring.

Porcelain-on-steel (enameled)

Most common in apartments built or renovated after 1960. Lighter than cast iron — you can usually lift one corner with one hand. Tapping gives a metallic ring.

Acrylic

The lightest. Has a slight flex if you push on the side, and feels warmer to the touch.

Not sure? A magnet sticks to both cast iron and porcelain-on-steel (both are iron-based), but only cast iron has the dense weight and dull sound. We can tell the moment we walk in — but you can check yourself by lifting one corner. If it doesn’t budge, it’s cast iron.

What wears out

Why we refinish only the bathing surface

The enamel is what wears out

The cast iron body of a tub from 1925 is, almost without exception, still structurally sound today. What wears out is the porcelain enamel — the white surface fired onto the iron at the factory at very high temperatures. Original factory enamel was thinner than people think (typically 30–50 mils) and chips, cracks, or stains over decades of daily use.

The most common failure point we see is around the drain, where dropped bottles and cleaning tools wear through the enamel over time. From there, water reaches the iron and rust begins to spread sideways under the surrounding enamel, lifting it.

Most of these tubs have been refinished before

A cast iron tub in a NYC apartment has often been refinished at least once already — sometimes two or three times. The first thing we do on any job is figure out what’s on the surface: original enamel, a spray-on coating from ten years ago, or several layers stacked on each other. That decision shapes the rest of the work.

When previous coatings are failing — peeling, flaking, or lifting from underneath — we strip them to bare metal, neutralize any surface rust, and apply a fresh pour-on coat. A new coat bonds to clean, prepared metal far better than to a layer of failing material.

The case against replacement

A new cast iron tub from a major manufacturer (Kohler, American Standard) runs $1,500–$3,000 before installation. Installing it in an existing apartment adds another $2,000–$5,000, largely because removing the old tub usually means cutting it apart inside the bathroom — these tubs were set in place before the tile and walls went up.

A full replacement usually takes a week or more and shuts down the bathroom the whole time. Refinishing takes one visit, costs a fraction of a replacement, and doesn’t touch the tile, plumbing, or walls.

The only time replacement is the right call is when the iron itself has rusted through from the back (rare, usually from a chronic leak underneath) or when the tub has a structural crack deeper than the enamel. We’ll tell you straight if that’s what’s going on — we don’t take work that’s going to fail.

Meet Your Cast Iron Tub Refinishing Expert

Hi, I'm Artem.

When you book with New York Tubs, you aren't getting a random sub-contractor. You're getting a master refinisher with over a decade of experience.

For over a decade I've worked in tub refinishing, and I've personally refinished hundreds of tubs — every job done by me, start to finish. My reputation is built on durable, long-lasting results, a clean process with no solvent fumes, and full respect for your home.

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10+ Years of Professional Experience
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Fully Licensed & Insured
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Backed by a 5-Year Warranty

Founder & Lead Technician

Professional Reglazing Services & Pricing

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Our Signature Service

Bathtub Reglazing

Pour-On Method
Ready in 24 hours
Odorless

Starting at:

$435

*tax included

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Additional Services

Caulking

Free with bathtub service

Distance surcharge

Travel fee $25–$60 for some areas — free in Brooklyn

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Why the Pour-On Method Wins — Every Time

Criteria	Traditional Spray-On Method	OUR METHOD Pour-On Application
Typical lifespan	1-3 years	10-15 years
On-Site Work Time	~5 hours	3-4 hours
Coat thickness	10 mils	60–100 mils (up to 10× thicker)
Odor during work	Strong solvent smell, lingers	No solvent smell
VOC content	High	Low
Safe to stay home	No — residents usually vacate	Yes
Ready to Use	~48 Hours	24 hours
Long-Term Value	Spray-on has a lower up-front cost, but the coating usually needs to be redone every couple of years.	A pour-on coat lasts long enough that most clients replace or sell the tub before the finish needs to be redone.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

My cast iron tub has a chip near the drain. Do I need a full refinishing or just a chip repair?

Depends on the size and how much surrounding enamel is compromised. A clean chip the size of a coin with sound enamel around it can be repaired in place — see our chip repair page. Multiple chips, spreading chips, or chips that have started to rust at the bottom usually mean it’s time for a full refinish, since the underlying issue (worn-out enamel) is going to keep producing new chips.

My tub is rusting around the drain. Can it still be saved?

Usually yes. Surface rust comes from water reaching the iron through cracks in the enamel — but the rust is usually shallow and doesn’t compromise the structural metal. We sand back to bare iron, neutralize the rust, and apply a fresh coat. The only time this doesn’t work is when the iron itself has rusted all the way through (you’d see this as actual holes or visible deformation), which is very rare.

How much does cast iron tub refinishing cost in NYC?

Starting at $435 for a standard 5-foot built-in tub. Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island jobs include a travel fee of $25–$60. Brooklyn jobs are at the standard rate. Full pricing details on our pricing page.

Will the new coat be as durable as the original factory enamel?

Different durability profiles. Factory enamel is harder but more brittle — it’s why drops chip it. A pour-on coat is softer but more flexible, so it absorbs impact better. In practical terms, a properly applied pour-on coating lasts 10–15 years before showing wear, which is comparable to how long original enamel typically goes without major damage. We back it with a 5-year warranty.

How long does cast iron tub refinishing take?

Three to four hours on site. The coating then needs 24 hours to cure before the tub can be used.

Can my tub be refinished if it's been refinished before?

Yes, this is common. We see two scenarios. (1) The previous coat is still bonded but worn — we can prep over it and apply a new coat. (2) The previous coat is peeling or lifting — we strip it down to bare metal first, then apply the new coat. Both scenarios are routine work for us.

DIY vs pro

Should I DIY this?

People do try. The materials are available online, and the process looks straightforward on YouTube. In practice it almost always goes wrong — we get called to strip and redo failed DIY jobs more often than to refinish a tub that’s never been touched.

Three things make this hard to DIY

The prep is the whole job. About 80% of a good result is in the sanding, cleaning, and degreasing. Skip a step or do it wrong and the new coat won’t bond — it looks fine for a few months, then starts peeling.
The material has a working time. Once mixed, pour-on coating has about 60 minutes before it sets. If you’re not ready to apply when the timer starts, you’ve wasted a $200 kit.
Dust and ventilation matter more than people think. Any airborne contamination during the cure shows up as visible defects in the finish that can’t be fixed without stripping and starting over.

If you’ve never done it before, the realistic outcome is a tub that looks OK for a few months and then visibly fails — at which point you’ll need a professional to strip it before any second attempt. The professional cost ends up being the same or higher than just doing it right the first time.

In short