Is $5,000 per unit a fair price for a tub and surround swap?

The $1,200 price point for the enclosure alone tells me your contractor is likely sourcing a **commercial-grade acrylic** or high-end fiberglass unit from a plumbing supply house rather than the thin-gauge polystyrene kits you see at big box stores. Those $500 units at Menards are notoriously flimsy; they flex when you step in them, the flanges tend to crack during installation, and they don't hold up to the abuse of a rental environment. A professional plumber isn't going to risk their reputation or a callback on a kit that feels like a soda bottle.

A $5,000 total for a full tear-out, valve replacement, and install is actually a very solid deal. Most people don't realize how much labor goes into the 'unseen' parts of a bathroom flip. Removing an old cast iron or steel tub is back-breaking work that often involves cutting it into pieces. Then you have the plumbing side: cutting out the old galvanized or copper lines, sweating in a new pressure-balanced mixing valve, and ensuring the drain and overflow align perfectly with the new tub footprint. That's easily a full day of work for a two-man crew just to get to the point where they can even think about setting the new unit.

You also have to account for the risk factor. When a pro pulls a tub in an old property, they almost always find rotted subfloors or moldy studs that need sistering before the new enclosure can be leveled. If he's swallowing those minor repairs within that $5k price point, you're doing great. If you tried to go with a 'one-day' bath remodel company, they would easily quote you $12k to $15k for the exact same scope of work.

I'd stick with this guy. Reliability is the rarest commodity in the trades right now, especially for property managers. If the installs look clean and the tenants aren't complaining about leaks or 'bouncy' tub floors, the extra $600 in material costs is paying for itself in longevity. You'll be replacing those cheap $500 kits in three years when a tenant drops a heavy shampoo bottle and cracks the floor, whereas the supply-house units are built to last twenty.

While the previous poster correctly identified material quality, people often overlook the critical importance of the mortar bed installation beneath the tub basin, as those inexpensive big-box kits rarely provide the structural rigidity required to prevent the fiberglass from flexing and eventually shearing at the drain assembly connection. I have personally observed numerous instances where a contractor saved $600 on the unit only to have the pan fail within eighteen months due to point-loading stress, so ensure your proffesional is acutally using a high-density mortar or non-expanding foam to fully support the floor of that $1,200 unit. If he is alredy performing a proper valve replacement with copper or PEX-A and verifying the trap depth, that $5,000 figure is actually quite reasonable for avoiding future structural rot.

He’s doing you a favor at five grand. Back in the 70s, we’d spend two days just lugging out a cast iron monster and lead-and-oakum joints before we coud even talk about a new basin. If he’s installing a real supply-house unit, it’s actualy going to stay level. Those big box store specials are thin as a postage stamp; I’ve seen guys put thier knee right trough them just trying to set the surround. Plus, if he’s getting a pro-grade valve in the wall, you won't be dealing with a 'no hot water' call in six months. Keep the guy, buy him a coffee, and stop looking at the shelf prices at Home Depot.

I’ll tell you right now, I tried those $600 big box kits in two of my units and I’m still kicking myself. Within six months, I had a tenant call beacuse the wall panel pulled away from the studs and water was getting back there. The material was so thin it warped from the hot steam. Switched to the supply-house units like your guy is using and haven't had a single callback in four years. Paying that $1,200 up front saves you from tearing the whole thing out again when the cheap plastic cracks. $5k is a steal to not have to deal with that headache yourself.

Update: Thanks for the insights. I actually checked the specs on those $600 kits and you guys are right—they feel like plastic toys. My guy confirmed he’s doing a full mortar bed for the base, which explains the price. Quick question: since he isn't doing the drywall finishing, do you usually hire a seprate pro for that or just let your regular maintenance guys handle the patching?