Who Installs a Bathtub or Walk-In Tub in Your Home?

A walk-in tub is installed by local licensed tradespeople, normally a plumber and an electrician, often working with a carpenter or general contractor who prepares the space. Ella's Bubbles builds and tests each tub but does not send technicians and does not perform installations, so the work is done by a contractor you choose or by a dealer crew that offers installation. The path from order to installation is laid out in Where can I buy an Ella walk-in tub near me?, and this page explains who does which part of the job.

The Trades Behind a Tub Installation

Replacing a bathtub is a small remodel rather than a single task, and that is why more than one trade is usually involved. The usual sequence looks like this: a carpenter comes in first and demos the space, the plumber and the electrician come in for the water, drain and power, the tub is set in place, and then the trades come back to trim out the bathtub. Surround materials and floor materials are part of the same project, so someone also has to supply and finish those.

There are two common ways to organize that work:

• You act as the general contractor. You assemble your own team of a carpenter, a plumber and an electrician, gather the surround and floor materials, and schedule each visit. Each tradesperson works independently and is finished when their part is done.
• A dealer that offers installation does it all. Some authorized Ella dealers run crews whose everyday work is installing walk-in bathtubs. A crew like that takes the old unit out, hauls everything away, installs and tests the new tub, and leaves you with one number to call if you ever need follow-up service.

Both routes end with a properly installed tub. The practical difference is who coordinates the trades on the day and who you call later if something needs attention, so it is worth deciding that before the tub arrives. Ask your Ella dealer whether installation is part of what they offer.

What Ella's Bubbles Does and What It Leaves to Your Installer

Ella's Bubbles is the manufacturer. Each tub is assembled in Chicago and built and tested to your configuration once the model, door side, therapy package, faucet and accessories are confirmed. The installation itself is always local. Any licensed local plumber and electrician can install the tub using the owner's manual, and certification by Ella is not required.

Your installer is not left alone with the manual. Ella provides free technical support by phone and email, and your installer can call (800) 480-6850 during the job. If you do not have a contractor yet, the team can help you get in touch with installers in your area. In Canada, Ella has no installers of its own, so a local licensed contractor does the work there as well.

What Each Trade Handles on an Ella Tub

• The plumber connects the drains and the faucet. Ella walk-in tubs drain by gravity through 2-inch drains, so the tub needs to be connected to a proper 2-inch drain line. The faucet hookup includes the water spout, which ships uninstalled on purpose, as explained in There Is an Open Hole in the Deck of My New Tub: That Is Where the Spout Installs.
• The electrician makes the electrical connections for the tub's powered features and is the right trade for later electrical service, such as fitting a replacement heated seat or back pad that is wired to the heater control box under the tub.
• The carpenter or general contractor removes the old fixture, prepares the space, and finishes the surround and the floor around the new tub.
• For a walk-in shower, a contractor visits your home to measure the space in person and finalize the installation details. An Ella shower kit does not include a mixing valve or valve trim, and the wall arrives without a valve cutout, so your plumber selects the valve and cuts the openings. The details are in Where Can I Buy an Ella Walk-In Tub or Shower?.

A few add-ons are simple enough that a handy homeowner sometimes fits them. The shower column kit is one example: Ella ships the kit, and a homeowner or a local licensed plumber fits it, as described in Can you take a shower in a walk-in tub?. Because the kit needs access to the back side of the tub, it is installed prior to the final installation of the tub, so tell your installer about it early.

How to Prepare so Installation Day Goes Smoothly

1. Share the documents early. Give your installer the spec sheet and the manual before delivery so the rough-in is ready when the tub arrives.
2. Settle the accessories when you order. Anything that has to go on before the tub is pushed into its final position, such as the shower column kit, should be planned at the time of your order.
3. Unpack everything. Open all packaging and lay out every loose component so your plumber can see the spout and the other faucet parts before starting the hookup.
4. Keep the packaging. Hold on to all packaging material until you have confirmed nothing is damaged or missing.
5. Keep the support number handy. Your installer can reach technical support at (800) 480-6850 while the work is underway.

Who Is Responsible After the Tub Is in

It helps to know how responsibility is divided before you choose an installer. The Ella Lifetime Limited Warranty covers parts for the original purchaser at the original installation address. It does not cover labor, installation, or the plumbing and electrical connections, and problems caused by improper installation are excluded. The labor is warranted by the independent contractor or installer who did the work.

Your installer also has a role in putting the warranty in force. The warranty activation form is completed and signed by both the customer and the installer and then returned to Ella's Bubbles, so plan to complete it together before your installer leaves.

If a part ever needs replacing, a verified part ships under the warranty and a local licensed plumber or electrician does the labor. The part can go to the tub's address or directly to the installer who will do the work, which is common when a dealer or contractor manages the repair. How Do I Get a Replacement Heated Seat or Back Pad for My Walk-In Tub? shows how that works for one common part. For that reason, an installer you can easily call back is a real advantage.

Related Guides

• What Installation Involves, How Long It Takes, and What Drives the Cost
• Electrical requirements by model: dedicated GFCI circuits for your walk-in tub
• What Size Water Heater Do I Need for My Walk-in Tub?

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