Bath & Bathroom Repair in Manchester and the North West
Most bathroom repairs, like chipped, scratched or cracked baths, do not need replacing. The damage sits in the surface layer, which means it can be filled, colour matched and polished in place, usually in a single visit.
MCR Repairs is a bathroom surface repair company covering Manchester and the North West, repairing baths, sinks, shower trays, tiles and vanity units for homeowners, landlords and letting agents.
We work across acrylic, enamel, ceramic, composite and natural stone. Checkatrade estimates the average cost to supply and fit a replacement bath to be $850. Ultimately, repair is almost always the cheaper starting point.
Send us a photo for a free, no-obligation quote.
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What kind of bathroom damage can be repaired?
Almost all common bathroom surface damage can be repaired on site without removing the fixture. The list below covers the jobs we are called out for most often:
- Chipped baths, caused by dropped shampoo bottles, tools or shower fittings
- Scratched baths and sinks from abrasive cleaning products or daily use
- Cracked surfaces on baths, sinks and shower trays
- Damaged shower trays, including chips and hairline cracks
- Chipped or cracked bathroom tiles
- Chipped stone baths and stone resin surfaces
- Worn or damaged vanity units
Damage does not have to be superficial to be repairable. We recently restored a fifteen-year-old bathroom sink with a hairline crack and a one-centimetre hole running all the way through it, back to a finish the owner described as like new. If the fixture is structurally sound, the hole itself is rarely the deciding factor.
Surface damage is still worth acting on early, because a chip that breaks the sealed layer lets moisture into the material underneath and widens the job.
We will tell you honestly when repair is not the right call. A small chip does not need a big solution, and a second opinion before committing to a replacement takes a few minutes.
See our full bath and sink repair service for details on how we approach acrylic, enamel, ceramic and composite surfaces.
Repair Samples
Can a chipped bath be repaired?
Yes. A chipped bath can be repaired in place by filling the damaged area, shaping it to match the original profile, and hand-colouring the finish to match the surrounding surface. Once cured, the repair should be difficult to pick out.
Chips are the most common bathroom repair we do. They typically happen when something heavy is dropped into the bath or from years of contact around the edges, base, plug hole and taps.
Replacing a bath because of a chip is rarely the sensible first option. It means removing tiling, sealant and sometimes flooring, then waiting for a new bath to be fitted. A repair usually takes a fraction of the time.
Stone bath chipped surfaces need a slightly different approach. Stone and stone resin baths take real skill to colour match, since the finish and texture vary more than standard acrylic. It's a job worth leaving to someone experienced with the material, and it's one we carry out regularly.
Chips around plug holes and taps are also common, since these areas are subject to the most contact from cleaning and daily use. They're usually straightforward to repair, provided the surrounding material is still sound.
Book a bath chip repair and see how far a small fix can go.
Can scratches be removed from a bath?
Light and medium scratches can usually be polished out of a bath, and deeper scratches can be filled and refinished so the surface reads as consistent again. Scratch repair restores the surface layer rather than replacing the fixture.
Scratches build up gradually from abrasive cleaning products, jewellery and general wear around the base and sides. Most are cosmetic and do not affect how the bath performs, but a bath covered in fine scratches makes an entire bathroom look dated.
It's worth having scratches looked at before they get worse. Fine scratches can trap dirt and staining over time, which makes the bath harder to keep clean and can make the damage look more obvious than it needs to.
Can a cracked or holed sink be repaired?
Yes, and often in cases that look beyond saving. A cracked ceramic sink, including one with a hole punched clean through the basin, can usually be filled, reinforced, colour-matched and refinished in place rather than replaced.
Sinks take more direct impact than baths because of what gets stored above them. Dropped perfume bottles, tins and taps account for a large share of the sink damage we are often called out to handle, and the damage often starts as a hairline crack that only becomes a hole later.
Age is not usually a barrier either. A sink that has been in place for over a decade can still be repaired, provided the material around the damage is sound and repairing it avoids the matching problem that comes with replacing one item in an older suite.
See our sink repair and restoration service for more on how we handle ceramic, composite and stone basins.
Is it cheaper to repair a bath or replace it?
Repair is substantially cheaper. Checkatrade estimates chip and minor crack repair at £80 to £120 and full bath re-enamelling at around £450, against roughly £850 to supply and install a replacement bath and around £4,500 for a full bathroom refit if the damage triggers a wider job.
Replacement also costs time. Removing the old unit, disposing of it, fitting the new one and resealing everything around it can leave a bathroom out of use for days. A repair is usually finished in one visit, with no plumber, tiler or skip required.
Matching is the other problem replacement creates. Swapping out one part of a bathroom suite means finding an exact match to the existing sink, tiles or shower tray, which is rarely possible on a suite that has been in place for years. Repairing what is already there avoids the mismatch entirely.
For landlords and letting agents, downtime is the real cost. A bathroom repair can usually be scheduled and completed at short notice, keeping a property lettable rather than sitting empty. We typically attend landlord jobs within days.
Repair is also the lower-waste option. Checkatrade estimates a properly resurfaced bath lasts 10 to 15 years, which is a long second life for a fixture that would otherwise have gone to landfill over a single chip.
Ask about repair before committing to a full replacement.
Awarded Sustainable product of the year 2020 And best hard surfaces restoration & repair service 2022
What happens during a bath repair? Our Process
A bathroom repair with MCR Repairs runs through six stages and is normally completed in one visit:
- Inspection: we assess the damage from photos or in person.
- Assessment: we confirm whether repair is the right option and explain the work involved.
- Colour matching: here, we match the repair by hand to your existing bath, sink, tray or tile.
- Repair: we carry out the work on site with minimal mess.
- Finishing: next, we blend and smooth the repair into the surrounding surface.
- Quality check: finally, we check the finished repair before leaving.
Most bathroom repairs are completed in one visit, so there's no need to plan around several days of work.
We also keep the area clean and tidy throughout and clear away any mess before we leave. You should be able to use the bathroom again as soon as the repair has fully cured.
Why Choose MCR Repairs?
We have been repairing damaged surfaces for over ten years and has completed thousands of repairs for homeowners, landlords, letting agents, developers, student housing providers, hospitality operators and large construction firms.
Most of that work comes through word of mouth and repeat business rather than advertising, which is the clearest indication that repairs hold up after the technician leaves.
- Fully trained and fully insured technicians; see our accreditations
- Over ten years of specialist surface repair experience
- Fast response to enquiries, including evenings and weekends
- Honest advice, including telling you when a repair is not the right fix
- Clean, tidy work that respects your home
- Technicians who confirm timings on the day rather than leaving you waiting
- Trusted by everyday households and national contractors alike
Our fast response time is what many of our clients appreciate about working with us. One homeowner submitted an enquiry at 10pm on a Saturday and had a reply by 4am on the Sunday from a technician who was on holiday at the time. Here are the client’s exact words:
David Pearn - Contacted MCR using the contact form at 10pm on Saturday night. Received a response at 4am Sunday. The technician was on holidays but still responded.
Very easy then to book an appointment to suit us to repair a bathroom sink. The repair is fantastic, the sink which is 15 yrs old had a hairline crack and after a perfume bottle had been dropped into it, a 1cm hole all the way through. The sink now looks like new. The price was extremely reasonable, in fact I’d go as far as to say too reasonable!
Highly recommended to anyone with a broken sink, etc. A pleasure to deal with all at MCR Repairs.
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Testimonials
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Repaired bath really well but then damaged bath panel and bodged the silicone.
Jack Ambler
Rhys came to repair 3 dints in my breakfast bar. Other companies said it could not be repaired but he did a superb job. You could hardly see where it... read more
Delia Cardwell
Had my bath resurfaced. Great job. No problems when asked to return for small imperfection in finish. Would defiantly use them again.
Graeme Steel
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Have used MCR on 2 seperate occasions and they have been brilliant both times. Professional and excellent quality work. As someone else has said - nothing seems too much trouble... read more
R Chris
Great speedy service fixing damage to a shower tray. Like new. Recommended
Marc Duschenes
Friendly service, fair prices and nothing ever seems too much trouble for them
Oliver Rayner
