BestBath vs. Bath Fitter vs. Tile: Which Shower Is Right for You?

These are the three options most Pocono homeowners weigh. We install BestBath shower systems, so read this knowing that. We'll still tell you where the others win.

The quick version

Bath Fitter: custom acrylic liners installed over your existing tub or shower. Fast, with no major demolition.
BestBath (our showers): full tear-out, then a new base and grout-free wall system (gelcoat over a laminated wood core). Usually done in about a day.
Tile: fully custom, and it takes the longest. You also have grout to maintain.

Walk-in shower with subway-tile-look walls and fold-down seat — A few of our finished showers. Tile-look and stone-look walls, no grout lines.

Marble-look shower walls with glass door — A few of our finished showers. Tile-look and stone-look walls, no grout lines.

Tear-out or cover-up

Bath Fitter is built around fitting a liner over what you have, so the old tub and walls stay in place. That's the main reason it's quick. With our showers, everything comes out down to the studs. Tile is a full tear-out too.

Why it matters: in about 1 in 4 older tub and shower tear-outs, we find water damage behind the walls. Mold and rotted subfloor don't fix themselves under a liner.

Vintage tub with surrounding walls torn out during a shower replacement — This is what a tear-out looks like. A liner would have gone over all of it.

Maintenance

Both Bath Fitter and our showers have no grout lines, so cleanup is a wipe-down. Tile needs grout cleaning and periodic resealing, or it stains and leaks over time.

Install time

Bath Fitter: as little as one day.
Our showers: as little as one day. It can take two or three if we find damage or move plumbing. Most systems are made to order and take a few weeks to arrive, but Need It Now and Quick Ship barrier-free packages ship within days in common sizes.
Tile: usually one to three weeks, with the bathroom out of service the whole time.

Design freedom

Tile wins, with any shape, any stone and any pattern. Our systems come in many sizes, thresholds and finishes, including tile-look and stone-look walls, but within set shapes. A liner has to fit over your existing footprint.

Accessibility

We offer low-threshold and true curbless bases with molded or fold-down seats. Grab bars are installed with proper backing. Tile can do curbless too, at a higher cost and with a longer timeline.

Cost

A liner is usually the least expensive, because nothing is removed. Our projects start at $12,500, and most land between $12,000 and $25,000. Custom tile varies the most, since it depends on the tile and the labor. See what a new shower really costs.

Warranty

Bath Fitter advertises a lifetime warranty for as long as you live in the home. The BestBath manufacturer warranty is currently 30 years, and our workmanship warranty on the system matches it. That warranty doesn't transfer to a new owner. Tile warranties depend entirely on the installer.

Which one should you pick?

Pick a liner if your tub and walls are sound, budget is the priority and you're fine not seeing behind the wall.
Pick BestBath if you want the old wet area out, grout-free walls, accessibility options and a fast install.
Pick tile if you want a one-of-a-kind shower and can live without it for a few weeks.

Questions? Text 570-216-8231 or book a free in-home visit.