How long does it take from ordering a walk-in tub to finished installation?

There is no single published figure for how long it takes to go from ordering an Ella walk-in tub to a finished installation, because the job has two separate parts and both of them vary. Every tub is assembled and tested to order, so delivery timing depends on the model, the options you choose and current stock, and the team confirms the timing for your specific order. The installation itself is done by an independent licensed contractor on that contractor's schedule, as Does the installer also build the surround and widen the doorway? explains, so the second half of the calendar belongs to the business you hire.

Part One: The Tub Is Built and Tested to Order

Ella walk-in tubs are not pulled from a warehouse shelf. Each one is assembled and tested to order, and the door side, the options you choose and the panels you keep or opt out of all go into that build. That is why the time between a paid invoice and delivery is not a fixed number. It changes with the model, with the options and with what is in stock when you order, and the team confirms current timing for each specific order. The most reliable answer comes from your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 once they can see your order, not from a general estimate.

A few decisions are locked in once the tub is drilled at the factory, so they are settled before the order rather than after delivery:

• Which side the door is on, and which side the drains fall on.
• Whether the end panel and extension panel ship with the tub. Every Ella tub includes one reversible end panel, tubs under 60 inches also include an extension panel for a standard 60 inch alcove, and you can opt out of either when ordering to reduce plastic waste.
• The options on your order, since the tub is built and tested around them.

Part Two: An Independent Licensed Contractor Sets the Tub

Ella's Bubbles builds the walk-in tub, and installation is not included with it. Ella has no installation crews and does not send technicians to your home. A local licensed plumber and electrician remove the old tub, make the plumbing and electrical connections and set the new tub. Ella's side of the job is the tub itself, the specification sheets, the electrical diagrams for the therapies you chose, and free lifetime technical support by phone and email for whoever does the work, including live video help on request.

Two kinds of trade partner can fill the role. Partner installers in Ella's network are third party contractors, not Ella employees, and the network reaches most areas. Ella dealers sell Ella tubs in their territory and often install them as well. You are also welcome to hire any local licensed plumber and electrician you trust, and certification by Ella is not required. Whichever route you take, plan on both trades. Once an introduction is made, you coordinate scheduling, materials and timelines with that business directly. The contractor visits your home and gives you a written estimate, and installation pricing is set by the contractor, never by Ella.

What Changes the Installation Side of the Calendar

How long the work takes depends on your site, and that is why nobody can quote one number for every bathroom. A condo is a good example. Wires may have to be pulled through finished walls and inside existing conduits, and your contractor also has to coordinate with building management before the work begins. Several other pieces of the job are decided room by room:

• Electrical work. The electrical requirements video on this page shows what the contractor has to provide: the pumps, heaters and other components plug into dedicated GFCI protected outlets, the tub cannot share a circuit with any other appliance, the breaker box must use GFCI protected breakers, and the amperage depends on the number and type of components in your tub. New circuits are part of the contractor's scope.
• The surround and the doorway. If the walls around the tub need to be finished, or the entry path has to change before the tub can come in, that work sits on the installer's side of the line, and you settle its scope with the contractor when they write the estimate.
• Alcove finishing. In a three wall alcove the walls above the deck are finished with tile or a surround over an aftermarket tile flange so water runs back into the tub. Most 52 and 55 inch tubs fill the remaining space with an extension panel, but a few models such as the Front Entry and Mobile have no extension panel, so the installer frames and finishes any remaining space instead. What Is an Alcove Installation for a Walk-In Tub? covers that layout.
• Service access. Ask the installer to add a wall access panel behind the plumbing end so pumps and drain connections can be reached without disturbing tile, and never let the space around the tub be packed with insulation.
• The drain connection. The tub drain does not have to sit directly over the drain already in your floor. The drain body hangs below the tub floor and can be connected from the left, the right or the center, and the tub can be shifted sideways while your plumber runs PVC beneath it to the existing trap, as Can a Walk-In Tub Use the Center Floor Drain From a Freestanding Tub? describes.

Getting the Tub into the Room

Every Ella tub ships in one piece with removable aprons and panels. All removable panels, including the front apron, the end panel and the extension panel, must be taken off before the tub is moved into the house and the bathroom, which is how the tub passes through ordinary doorways. Because panels are cut for a specific model and a specific end, keep them safe during the move. End Panels, Extension Panels, and Aprons: Getting the Right Replacement Panel shows each panel and the removal step on video.

Settle These Before You Order

1. The finished size of the opening, measured wall to wall at the back and at the front once the walls are finished. Plan around the actual size on the spec sheet rather than the nominal name. The 60 inch models are all at least 59.5 inches long, with the Ultimate and Zen60 at 59.5 inches, the LayDown60 at 59 3/4 inches and the Standard60 at 59.84 inches, so an opening a little under 60 inches needs one of the shorter tubs with an extension panel. Common Fit Questions works through the usual openings.
2. The delivery path from the curb to the bathroom, with the panels off.
3. Which side the door and the drains fall on, since this is drilled at the factory.
4. Who will do the work, with both a licensed plumber and an electrician lined up.
5. The existing drain line. Have your plumber measure it before you order, and give your Ella dealer or the team the model name so they can confirm the drain position for that model.

How to Get a Real Date for Your Own Order

Give your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 the model and the options you want, and ask them to confirm current timing for that order. Then ask the contractor for a written estimate that includes their schedule, and tell them about anything the building requires, such as management approval in a condo. If you want the team to check your measurements or the delivery path first, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with the model name, the wall to wall width at the back and front, and photos of the opening and the entry route.

Watch: Ella's Bubbles: Proper Electrical Requirements For Installation with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Video Tour: How Your Tub Is Assembled, Tested, Packed and Shipped From Chicago
• Your walk-in tub has arrived, how to inspect the delivery before signing
• Before Your Installer Leaves: The 16 Checks Explained in Plain Language and Why Each One Protects Your Warranty

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