Caulking & Grout Repair in NYC
Black, cracked, peeling caulk around your tub? Full strip and re-caulk from $120 flat — old gunk out, mold-resistant silicone in, mess gone.
· same week · exact quote from a photo, before the visit · minimum $90
A caulking service in NYC shouldn’t be a mystery bill: my bathtub re-caulk starts at $120 flat — complete removal of the old caulk, mold treatment, and a fresh bead of mold-resistant silicone, cleanup included. Text me a photo of your tub or shower and I’ll confirm the flat price before the visit. Evenings and Sundays work too.
Caulk is a small thing that quietly protects a big thing: the wall behind your tile and the ceiling of whoever lives below you. In an apartment building, failed caulk isn’t cosmetic — it’s how leak disputes with downstairs neighbors start.
What’s Included in a Re-Caulk Visit
The $120 tub re-caulk is the whole job, not the teaser version:
- Full removal of the old caulk — cut out, scraped, and the residue cleaned off. No caulking over caulk. Ever.
- Mold and mildew treatment on the joint and surrounding tile edges
- Proper drying of the joint before anything new goes down
- Fresh 100% silicone, mold-resistant, tooled into a clean, even bead
- Cleanup — scrapings bagged, tub wiped, bathroom left better than I found it
Beyond the tub, I also handle:
- Shower stall and shower door caulking
- Kitchen counter-to-backsplash and sink-rim caulking
- Grout repair — cracked lines, crumbling corners, small regrouting jobs
- Window and baseboard caulking where drafts sneak in
The visit itself is quick — most tub re-caulks take about an hour to ninety minutes. The one non-negotiable: 24 hours of no water on the fresh silicone. I’ll book the slot so that’s painless, which is exactly what Sunday evening appointments are for.
Why NYC Bathrooms Eat Caulk for Breakfast
New York bathrooms are a perfect storm for moldy, failing caulk:
- Humidity with nowhere to go. Lots of prewar and walk-up bathrooms have a tiny window or an exhaust fan that’s more of a rumor. Moisture lingers; mold moves in.
- Old buildings shift. Brownstones and prewar walk-ups settle and flex. Rigid, aged caulk cracks; a proper silicone joint flexes with the building.
- Tile on real walls. Older buildings often have tile over mortar or plaster rather than modern backer board. Good news: it’s solid. It also means a clean, well-tooled caulk joint matters more, because water that gets behind old tile is hard to chase.
- Somebody lives below you. In a co-op or condo, water migrating past a failed tub joint becomes your problem and your neighbor’s ceiling. A $120 re-caulk is the cheapest leak dispute you’ll never have.
Renters: this is prime deposit-protection territory. A re-caulk is cheap, completely landlord-friendly, and makes a bathroom look years younger. Landlords with turnover units, this pairs well with touch-up painting between tenants — see what I do for landlords.
Honest Talk: When Caulk Won’t Save You
Caulk and grout fix a lot, but not everything, and I’d rather lose a $120 job than sell you a cosmetic patch over a real problem. Signs you’re past caulking:
- Loose or hollow-sounding tiles. The bond behind them is gone. That’s a tiling repair, not a grout line.
- Soft, bulging, or stained walls near the tub. Water’s already behind there. Caulk on top just hides it while it gets worse.
- Leaks appearing on the ceiling below. Could be the caulk joint — but it could be the drain, the trap, or supply lines, which is minor plumbing territory or, if pipes need moving, a licensed plumber’s.
- Grout failing across the whole enclosure, not just spots. Full regrout or retile beats endless patching.
If I show up and see any of this, I’ll tell you straight, show you what I’m seeing, and point you to the right kind of pro. No invented urgency, no “while I’m here” upsells.
Caulking & Grout Prices
Flat “from” prices, materials extra. Full menu on the pricing page.
| Job | From |
|---|---|
| Tub re-caulk (full strip + silicone) | $120 |
| Small caulk/grout repairs | $90 minimum visit |
| Hourly for bigger regrouting | $75–95/hr |
Bundling helps: while I’m in your bathroom, a drywall patch or a fixture swap folds into the same visit at one fair price.
One Handyman, Not a Roulette Wheel
Book caulking through a platform and you might get someone with a caulk gun and optimism. With me, the person who quoted your photo is the person kneeling at your tub — flat price honored, a 30-day written warranty on the labor, and reachable at the same number if you have questions after. I answer my own texts, including Sunday. Send a photo of the ugly caulk and I’ll send back a number — get in touch.
Letters to the desk — answered
How much does bathtub caulking cost in NYC?
My tub re-caulk starts at $120 flat — that includes removing all the old caulk, treating any surface mold, and laying fresh mold-resistant silicone. Materials are extra but a tube of good silicone isn't going to shock you.
How long before I can shower after re-caulking?
Give the silicone 24 hours to cure before running water on it. I'll schedule the visit so the downtime lands when it hurts least — that's part of why I offer evenings and Sundays.
Can you just caulk over the old caulk?
No, and be suspicious of anyone who offers. Caulk over caulk fails fast and traps mold underneath. I strip everything down to clean tile and tub, treat, dry, then re-caulk. It's the only version that lasts.
The caulk keeps getting moldy no matter what. Why?
Usually a mix of NYC bathroom humidity, weak ventilation, and old caulk that was never fully removed. Fresh mold-resistant silicone on a properly cleaned joint, plus running the exhaust fan or cracking the window after showers, changes the game.
Can you fix cracked or missing grout too?
Yes — small grout repairs, regrouting problem areas, and color-matching as close as the grout gods allow. If tiles are loose or water damage runs behind the wall, I'll tell you honestly that it's a tiling job, not a grout patch.