How to Move a Cast Iron Bathtub with 2 People Upstairs in 3 Easy Steps without hurting yourself!

Sharing all our tips & tricks for how to move a cast iron bathtub from a driveway to the 2nd floor in less than an hour without hurting yourself with step by step instructions & pictures!

How to Move a Cast Iron Bathtub

*this post was sponsored by Kohler & contains affiliate links. However, all my opinions about cast iron bathtubs & how much I love them are completely my own. For more info check out my disclosure page here*

I chose a beautiful & classic white cast iron bathtub for our boys bathroom remodel. 

The only thing I didn’t realize going in was how HEAVY a cast iron tub was & how I was actually going to move a cast iron bathtub to our boys bathroom.

I also had not thought about how the heck we were going to move a cast iron bathtub from our garage upstairs to the 2nd floor of our farmhouse.  🙂

From the moment I found out from a neighbor that our farmhouse originally had a cast iron clawfoot bathtub I knew that we had to add back a cast iron tub when we renovated our boys bathroom. 

Supplies & Tools Needed to Move a Cast Iron Bathtub

• Kohler Bellwether Cast Iron Bathtub or any cast iron bathtub
• hand cart or dolly strong enough to carry a HEAVY cast iron bathtub
• 2 sets of ratchet tie down straps
• 1 Ton cable Puller
• scrap wood if making ramps for exterior stairs

Removing & Moving the Old Bathtub Out

The current plastic/ fiberglass bathtub we had in our sad bathroom has been leaking since we moved in & it was definitely time to replace it. 

Jason broke up the old bathtub in pieces with a sledgehammer.

Demoing the old tub & surround went very smoothly. 

We were able to get it out of the bathroom & in the trash very quickly.

Expensive Cost of Paying Someone to Move a Cast Iron Bathtub

Soon after our beautiful cast iron bathtub was delivered we realized there was NO way we could move a cast iron bathtub on our own.

If you are thinking about how to move a cast iron bathtub with movers… know that  it can be really EXPENSIVE.

After calling a few moving companies, one turning down the job for $250 & another wanting to charge almost $800 (um…no!) for the job we knew we were on our own. 

Step by Step Instructions for How to Move a Cast Iron Bathtub

Step ONE – Using a Hand Cart for the Cast Iron Tub & Making a Ramp to get it into the Farmhouse

First we strapped the cast iron bathtub to our hand cart & with the help of some hand made ramps we were able to move a cast iron bathtub into our farmhouse.

This method of moving a cast iron bathtub went quickly & was fairly easy. 

It took us less than an hour to get the cast iron bathtub in the house even with making the ramps.

Step TWO – Creating a Pulley System to Get the Cast Iron Tub up the Farmhouse Stairs

We thought about trying the hand cart method up our stairs but were nervous that we might not be strong enough to get it up step by step and there would be no way we could take breaks. 

So we bought a power puller with a hand pulley certified up to 2000lbs & strapped the cast iron tub to it & cranked it up our narrow farmhouse steps.

This is the same pulley we used to move out very HEAVY hot tub (read about it here)

Step THREE – Bringing the Cast Iron Bathtub into the Bathroom

Once we were able to get the cast iron bathtub upstairs, we used the hand cart & muscle to move a cast iron bathtub into place in our bathroom.

I am going to be honest,  I was very nervous as to how this process would work but in the end we were able to move a cast iron bathtub into the bathroom fairly easily & more importantly without hurting ourselves. 

And it is beautiful!!!! 

Adding Cement Board around the Cast Iron Tub

Next up, we added cement board to protect the studs from moisture.

Adding Subway Tile to the Cast Iron Bathtub Surround

We chose simple white subway tile at 22 cents each to add to the tub surround.  

White subway tile is so classic & you can’t beat the price!!! 

I am not gonna lie, it took us FOREVER to finish tiling the surround of our cast iron bathtub. 

I feel a little bad that I promised Jason I would not pick this tile again after the master bathroom in our last home but it’s so pretty & farmhousey 🙂

We still have to add grout but we can’t decide whether to go white or grey & we are also still trying to decide on floor tiles. 

Kohler Bellwether Cast Iron Bathtub & a Review 5 years Later

Almost 5 years later & we LOVE the cast iron bathtub we chose for our farmhouse boys bathtub.

The low height of the apron on this cast iron bathtub is incredibly easy to clean & has made it easy for our kids & guests to get in & out of the cast iron bathtub.

To follow along with our boys bathroom renovation from the beginning, you can check that out here….

Thanks so much to Linda from Calling it Home for hosting this challenge & for Kohler for sponsoring our boys bathroom remodel. 

I hope this post answers ALL your questions about how to move a cast iron bathtub upstairs & inspires you to try moving a cast iron bathtub by yourself!

by Tara Lehman

Since writing this post, we finished our boys farmhouse bathroom!!! You can read ALL about it HERE…

Don’t Forget to Save How to Move a Cast Iron Bathtub to your FAVORITE Bathroom Pinterest Board!

Some more DIY Projects you might enjoy

How to Move a Hot Tub with Just 2 People

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Farmhouse Kitchen Renovation Reveal

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