Marble Bathtub — Solid Stone, Carved From One Block

A marble bathtub carved from a single block is the ultimate statement in stone — a multi-ton monolith hollowed by hand into a freestanding tub. Marbly Design produces solid marble and travertine bathtubs to order and manages insured, white-glove worldwide delivery with all duties paid.

Each of ours begins as a 5–10 ton block; months of cutting, hollowing and polishing later, it leaves the atelier as a single seamless vessel. That mass is also why stone holds bath temperature far longer than a thin acrylic shell — a carved marble tub carries hundreds of kilos of thermal mass around the water. The stone itself is held to ASTM C503/C503M, the specification for marble dimension stone, which sets a maximum water absorption of 0.20% by weight, a minimum compressive strength of 7,500 psi (52 MPa) and a minimum modulus of rupture of 1,000 psi (6.9 MPa) — the margins that make a hollowed monolith safe to stand on a floor and fill with 200+ litres of water.

For budget context, the 2026 Houzz & Home Renovation Trends Study found 23% of renovating homeowners tackled their primary bathroom in 2025, at a median spend of $15,000, with upper-tier projects on bathrooms over 100 square feet reaching $75,000. A carved stone tub sits at the top of that range and is usually the piece the rest of the room is designed around.

Demand for the room that holds one is moving the same way. The NKBA | KBIS 2026 Bath Trends Report (published November 2025, 688 respondents) found 72% expecting the overall bath footprint to grow and 77% expecting hospitality-inspired design to be popular, while 65% named organic/natural as a leading style for the next three years. The same report is candid about the trade-off: 55% say a larger shower matters more than a bathtub, which is precisely why the tub that survives that cut tends to be the one the room is built around.

“Bath design is becoming deeply personal. Beyond considerations like resale value, designers are focusing on how spaces support a homeowner’s individual rituals, preferences and self-care routines.”

— Bill Darcy, Global President & CEO, NKBA | KBIS, on the 2026 Bath Trends Report

Bathtub projects are custom by nature: dimensions, stone, interior profile and drain position are engineered around your bathroom, and we coordinate crating, freight and placement guidance with your contractor.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a solid marble bathtub cost?

Solid stone tubs are project pieces — typically from around $8,000 depending on stone and size, with crating and insured freight quoted for your address.

How heavy is a stone bathtub and can my floor take it?

Finished tubs weigh 400–1,200+ kg, and the answer is arithmetic rather than reassurance. IRC Table R301.5 sets the minimum uniformly distributed live load for residential floors at 40 psf in rooms other than sleeping rooms (30 psf in sleeping rooms). A 1,200 kg tub holding 230 litres of water with one bather in it totals roughly 1,510 kg (3,330 lb), carried on a 75 × 32 in. footprint of about 16.7 ft² — an average near 200 psf over that area. That is several times the uniform design live load, concentrated in one place, so an upper-floor installation is a structural review by an engineer rather than a judgement call. Ground slabs are rarely an issue. We issue the exact finished weight and footprint in writing before production so the check is done on real numbers.

How long does a custom bathtub take?

Plan 6–10 weeks of carving plus freight — we confirm a precise schedule with your quote and drawing.

Does a marble bathtub need sealing?

Yes, and periodically. Marble covered by ASTM C503 absorbs up to 0.20% of its weight in water, so an impregnating sealer keeps oils, bath products and pigmented liquids from staining the surface. It does not stop acid etching from citrus or vinegar-based cleaners — use a pH-neutral stone cleaner instead.

What drain and overflow does a stone bathtub need?

A larger outlet than a basin. Plumbing codes set the bathtub waste at a minimum of 1½ in. (40 mm) in diameter — the Chicago Plumbing Code states it plainly at §18-29-407: “Bathtubs shall have waste outlets a minimum of 1 1/2 inches (40 mm) in diameter.” Unlike a carved basin, a tub is normally specified with an overflow, bored during carving and tied into the waste above the trap; we fix its height and the drain position on the drawing before the block is opened. The reasoning behind basins going the other way is in our note on why most stone basins have no overflow.