Colette, absolutely in a perfect world, replacing the bathtub is what we all would choose.. Unfortunately, it's not quite that easy. The mess, time, the hassle to rip out the bathtub to replace because of a chip may not be worth it; Hire a Professional company. Check how long have they been in business, what is the warranty, etc.. We have completed thousands of small chip repairs(small to us, large to you), like yours, for over 40 yrs... Yes, it can be repaired to unnoticeable and can last the life of the bathtub...