A bathtub installation typically takes one to two days. A straight swap of a standard tub into an existing alcove can finish in a day; anything involving tile removal, drain relocation, or a change in tub type runs longer — and surround work adds days on top of the plumbing.
What the Job Involves
- Protect floors and the path from the door to the bathroom
- Shut off water and disconnect the supply and waste
- Remove the old tub, which often means cutting surrounding tile or surround material
- Inspect the subfloor and framing — this is where surprises live
- Set and level the new tub, and secure it properly
- Connect the drain and overflow assembly, and the tub valve and spout
- Test for leaks under a full fill before anything gets closed up
What Adds Time
- Water damage in the subfloor or framing. Common when the old tub or its drain has been leaking, and it has to be repaired before the new tub goes in. This is the most frequent reason a one-day job becomes two.
- Drain relocation if the new tub’s drain does not align with the existing waste.
- Changing tub type — alcove to freestanding, or standard to soaking — which usually means new supply and drain routing.
- Valve replacement. Modern code requires pressure-balancing or thermostatic valves, and older installations often do not have one.
- Tile and surround work, which is typically a separate trade and adds days.
- Access. Getting an old cast iron tub out of a second-floor bathroom is genuinely difficult.
Worth Doing While It Is Open
Replace supply lines and shutoff valves, address any aging galvanized pipe serving the bathroom, and confirm proper waterproofing behind the surround. These are cheap now and expensive after tile goes back up.
The Detail That Prevents Callbacks
Testing under a full fill before closing anything up. A drain or overflow that seeps only under load will not show itself on a quick run, and finding it later means opening finished work.
Contact B. Carlson about tubs and showers in Albuquerque.
