What are the most common shower pan sizes for a remodel?

The most common shower pan sizes are 60 inches long in one of three widths: 30 by 60, 32 by 60 and 36 by 60 inches. Those are the three standard sizes Ella's Bubbles manufactures in acrylic, each with a left or right drain, and they are the first thing to check against your alcove before you consider anything made to order. The complete lineup, including the made-to-order range, is laid out in What Sizes Do Ella Shower Bases and Shower Pans Come In?, and this page explains why those three sizes cover most bathrooms and how to tell which one is yours.

Why One Length and Three Widths Cover Most Bathrooms

Shower tray, shower pan and shower base are three names for the same part: the floor piece of the shower that catches the water and carries it to the drain. Ella's three standard bases all share the 60 inch length and differ only in width, at 30, 32 or 36 inches. In practice that means the length of the alcove is rarely what decides the size. The width of the opening between the walls is what tells you which standard base fits, and if one of them does fit, it is the simplest choice, because the drain sits in a set position for that size and the base arrives as finished acrylic that is ready to use once installed. Your contractor sets the base, connects the drain and finishes the walls around it.

The same three footprints are offered as wheelchair accessible curb-less roll-in pans that a wheelchair can roll straight into, with the drain position specified at the time of order. Roll-in and barrier-free bases ship with a self-adhesive collapsible rubber dam that keeps water in the shower while a wheelchair rolls over it. So the common-size question has the same answer whether you are planning a step-in shower or an accessible one. The three widths do not change, only the threshold style does.

Standard Sizes, Kits and Custom Pans Compared

What the differences mean for your bathroom: the three standard acrylic bases step up by 2 inches and then 4 inches of width, so a quick width check of your opening usually settles the choice. The step-in and roll-in versions change how you enter the shower, not the footprint. The three-piece kit uses its own 60 by 33 inch pan, so if you want the molded seat you take that pan size with it. The cultured marble bases are heavy and take at least two people to install, which matters for who is on site that day. The custom base exists for the rooms the standard sizes cannot serve, and it comes with drain and shape rules of its own, covered below.

How to Tell Which Standard Width Is Yours

• Measure the width of the opening. All three standard bases are 60 inches long, so the width between the walls is the figure that picks the size: 30, 32 or 36 inches.
• Find your drain line. Each standard size comes with a left or right drain. Tell the team where your existing drain line sits in the floor and it confirms which drain position matches your size.
• Decide the threshold style. The standard sizes are curb-less roll-in pans with no threshold to step or roll over. A 3 inch step-in threshold base is offered for those who prefer a slightly raised edge, and zero threshold bases sit flush with the surrounding floor for a barrier-free entry.
• Plan the walls to match. Shower products are sold per item, so the base is paired with a wall system sized to it and with accessories such as grab bars or a shower door. Ella's wall panels are manufactured 98 inches high, with side panels measuring 40 inches and the back wall panel measuring 60 inches, in plain white, a CNC routed design with light gray grout lines, or a digital print option.

Whatever size you land on, the acrylic base is the finished floor. Its slope, threshold and drain are molded in, so it is not tiled over, as Can You Tile Over an Ella Acrylic Shower Base? explains. If you want a tiled look in the room, plan it for the walls above the base.

When None of the Common Sizes Fit

A rectangular base can be made to order from a 30 by 30 inch minimum up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long, with the drain placed left, right or center. The team has produced pans shorter than the standard 60 inch length, including a 58 by 30 inch base with a center drain, and a 36 by 36 inch corner base. A 38 by 80 inch base with a left drain is within the limits, while a 53 by 76 inch request cannot be produced. Can You Get a Custom Size Shower Tray or Shower Base? covers what can and cannot be made.

Two rules apply to every custom pan. The drain must sit at least 9 inches from each wall, so a drain only 7 inches from the threshold edge is not possible. And only rectangles are made. Bases with angled or curved edges are not offered, so a neo-angle corner or a curved front is not a fit for an Ella base. Custom bases are made for three-wall alcoves and for corner installations, and the team asks which layout you have so the drain and edges are placed correctly, as described in Who makes custom shower pans for odd bathroom layouts?. The accessible roll-in versions and what ships with them are covered in Who Makes Custom Shower Pans and Bases for Accessible Showers?.

Confirm the Size Before the Old Tub Comes Out

The installation video on this page shows the step that saves the most trouble on a remodel. Before anything is demolished, the shower is dry assembled in any clean, dry, open space to confirm that the correct panels and the correct drain location arrived, that the pan and panels are free from damage and defect, and that the pieces align properly when assembled. The installer then checks the framing pocket against the dimensions on the framing diagram page of the installation instructions and checks it for square, plumb and level, since adjustments are more common than not. The video's advice is to delay demolition of the existing bathtub area until you are confident the new unit is the correct size and condition, so nobody is left without a working bathroom while a replacement is sorted out. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can confirm the size, drain position and threshold style before you order.

Watch: Step-by-Step Low-Threshold Shower Installation for Remodeling | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• What is the largest custom shower base Ella makes, and which threshold heights?
• Shower Base Sizes and Thresholds Compared: AcrylX Barrier-Free, SMC Linear-Drain, Molded-Seat and Cultured Marble Bases
• Installing Ella Shower Bases, the Flexible Shower Dam, and Shower Walls

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