Bathtub cracks and needs repair

[Jenny Nguyen]

Hi everyone,
My rental property got a water leak on the ceiling. The plumber found out that the fiberglass bath tub upstairs has 4 cracks and had been cover by glue and was done professionally. He guess it might be done by the builder 8 year ago.
I have two option, replace with the new tub or hire a professional to seal the cracks.
Do you know how much does it cost to replace it? How much is the labor cost?
The second option might be cheaper but I am not sure how long it will last? If it lasts 8 years as my guess, it's not bad.
Thanks for reading.

[Steve Babiak]

Getting the repair "right" is the challenge; the weight of people and water on the tub bottom can cause the repaired crack to re-develop - just like what you are going through now. Some links:

http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/84/topics/18189-hole-in-fiberglass-shower

http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/84/topics/63187-fixing-fiberglass-bathtub-crack

http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/84/topics/13560-cracked-bathtub

http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/24/topics/78393-replacing-a-fiberglass-tub-and-surround

http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/67/topics/75541-remodeling-upgrading-tips-for-old-house-kitchen-and-bath