What Should a Walk in Tub Cost?

Step in Tub Pricing

There are so many different prices on step in tubs, walk in tubs, or therapy tubs that it is beginning to become confusing. Should you purchase the top of the line? Should you purchase the lowest cost? What really is the difference?

These are only a few of the many questions you are likely having as you research the therapeutic tub product. This article is designed to help you sort through the myriad of price choices you are finding as you research. You have heard the old saying, "you get what you pay for"? It is no different with therapeutic walk in tubs. Let's start with the three ways you can get a tub installed.

(1) Install it yourself - This would be the most inexpensive way to get your therapeutic tub done. Just find the unit with the features you want, order it, and do the installation yourself.

(2) Hire an Installer - This is your next least expensive method. Purchase the tub you want and hire a plumber, electrician, and carpenter to perform the work.

(3) Hire a professional tub company to furnish and install the tub of your choice.
This is the more expensive method. But, keep in mind it could be the least expensive in the long run.

Let's face reality. There are a lot of trades involved in getting your walk in tub installed. In addition to the plumber, electrician, and carpenter you might need, painters, tile workers, demo experts, etc. If you do this work yourself and do not properly address issues to building code, you might be setting yourself up for greater costs in the future.

As for pricing, let's take a look at the range of possibilities. One can purchase a soaker tub that is only a shell ranging from $1,500 - $2,500 and have it shipped to your home. Then you will need to obtain any plumbing and fixtures as well as equipment like pumps and jets. Pricing for the pump and jet equipment can run $3,000 to $5,000 or more. You can also purchase a complete step in tub with fixtures pumps and jets which range from $2,500.00 to $10,000. For a complete walk in tub installation you will be looking at $7,000 - $25,000! What is the difference? It can be much. Keep in mind the old adage you get what you pay for. Do not be duped into believing someone is just trying to give you a good deal when you get a low price. There is a reason for that low price and it has everything to do with quality and source.

There are a lot of imported (from China) therapeutic safety tubs on the market. Any lower priced tub you purchase is going to be one of these. You just cannot build a quality tub in the USA and compete with a cheaper made tub from overseas. So if you want to support foreign workers who might be using materials we don't allow in our products here in the USA (think about lead), then purchase the cheap tub. Likewise, you have some companies selling extremely overpriced step in tubs with high pressure sales tactics and even some of these are imports (tubs from England for example). Then you have the honest hard working American companies who are marketing American Made walk in therapeutic safety tubs in the $10,000 - $16,000 range. This is the realistic market for a quality product installed by quality workmanship. A soaker tub installed for $10,000 would be a fair and realistic price point and by the time you add water jets, hydro therapy air jets, heaters, auto purge, anti scald, and quality fixtures along with journeyman electricians and plumbers or licensed tradesmen, you are now approaching the $16,000+ range. These prices will vary by area and service level, not to mention the associated work involved in getting the tub installed. Do doors need to be widened? Does electric need to be moved? Does tile work need to be done? Will finish work be required? Drywall repair? Surround Wall Systems installed? New flooring? Do commodes or vanities need to removed and replaced to facilitate moving the old tub out and the new tub in? There are many considerations that can affect the price. Becasue of economies and location, a safety tub in New York City is most likely going to cost more than a tub installed in Black Hills, South Dakota, for example.

Hopefully this will give you some guidelines on what to expect when pricing out walk in tubs, step in tubs, and safety and therapeutic tubs. Just like most items, you get what you pay for. If you don't mind taking a big risk on quality of product workmanship and tradesmen craftsmanship, go cheap! If you want no hassles and are just interested in getting everything completed without worry, be willing to pay top dollar. If you are like me, go with the guys in between because they are trying to earn an honest living and feed their families just like you!