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What Is the Biggest Shower Pan You Can Buy from Ella's Bubbles?

The biggest shower pan you can buy from Ella's Bubbles is a custom rectangular acrylic base measuring 44 inches wide by 80 inches long, made to your exact length and width with the drain placed left, right or center. The biggest pan in the standard lineup is the 36 by 60 inch roll-in base, so any shower longer than 60 inches or wider than 36 inches is a custom order rather than a stock size. Can shower pans be cut to size or ordered custom? explains why an Ella pan is ordered to size instead of trimmed, and this page stays at the large end of that range: how big a pan can go, which layouts have a lower ceiling, and how to plan a large shower around those limits.

The Two Biggest Sizes: Standard and Custom

There are two honest answers to this question, depending on whether you want a pan from the standard lineup or one made to order. Ella's wheelchair accessible roll-in shower base comes in three standard sizes: 30 by 60, 32 by 60 and 36 by 60 inches. All three share the 60 inch length and differ only in width, so the 36 by 60 inch base is the largest stock pan. Each is an ADA curb-less roll-in pan that a wheelchair can roll straight into, each is available with a left or right drain in a set position for that size, and roll-in and barrier-free bases ship with a self-adhesive collapsible rubber dam.

When the opening is bigger than any stock pan, Ella makes a rectangular acrylic base to your length and width, up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long, with a left, right or center drain. That is the true maximum. A 38 by 80 inch base with a left drain sits comfortably within the limits and uses the full 80 inch length. A request larger than the maximum, such as 53 by 76 inches, cannot be produced, because the width is beyond the 44 inch ceiling even though the length is not. Custom bases are made in the same finished acrylic as the standard pans, so a large custom base is ready to use once it is installed and does not need to be tiled over.

Two more families round out the picture. Complete multi-piece shower kits use their own pans, such as the 60 by 33 inch three-piece low-threshold kit with a molded seat, and a kit is sized as a whole unit rather than pan by pan. Ella also offers cultured marble shower bases in three sizes, molded solid cultured marble with a glossy gel coat finish and an ADA compliant slip resistant textured floor. If you are searching for stainless steel pans, note that Ella's bases are finished acrylic or molded cultured marble.

Large Pan Options Side by Side

OptionSizeDrain positionBest for
Standard roll-in base, widest36 inches wide, 60 inches longLeft or right, set positionThe widest stock alcove; the biggest pan with a fixed drain position
Standard roll-in base32 inches wide, 60 inches longLeft or right, set positionA slightly wider 60 inch alcove
Standard roll-in base, narrowest30 inches wide, 60 inches longLeft or right, set positionThe narrowest stock alcove
Custom three-wall alcove base, largest44 inches wide by 80 inches longLeft, right or center, at least 9 inches from each wallThe biggest pan Ella makes, for a long or wide alcove no stock size fits
Custom corner base, largest42 by 60 inchesLeft, right or center, at least 9 inches from each wallThe biggest pan for a shower set into a two-wall corner
Custom base that has been produced38 by 80 inchesLeftA full 80 inch alcove narrower than the maximum width
Request beyond the limit53 by 76 inchesnot listedCannot be produced; the width exceeds 44 inches
Three-piece low-threshold shower kit60 by 33 inchesnot listedA complete shower with a molded seat, sized as one unit

What the table means in practice: if your finished opening is 60 inches long and no more than 36 inches wide, a standard roll-in base is the simplest choice because its drain sits in a set position. The moment the opening runs longer than 60 inches, or wider than 36 inches, you are ordering a custom base, and that base can grow to 44 by 80 inches as long as the shower sits in a three-wall alcove. A two-wall corner layout has a lower ceiling at 42 by 60 inches. Beyond 44 inches of width or 80 inches of length, Ella has no pan to offer, and a shower that size would need to be planned a different way with your contractor.

What Sets the Ceiling on a Custom Pan

Three rules shape every large custom order. First, only rectangular sizes are made. Bases with angled or curved edges are not offered, so an oversized neo-angle or curved footprint is outside the range no matter how it is measured. Second, the drain can be placed left, right or center, but it must sit at least 9 inches from each wall. A drain only 7 inches from the threshold edge is not possible, even on a custom base, so a big pan whose existing drain line sits close to a wall may need that line moved by your plumber. Third, the layout matters. 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. The alcove layout reaches 44 by 80 inches, while the corner layout tops out at 42 by 60 inches.

Threshold height is the other figure to settle before ordering a large pan. A custom shower base typically has a threshold of about 3 inches. For a barrier free entry, zero threshold bases sit flush with the surrounding floor instead of that step, which can make entry easier with a wheelchair or walker. Who Makes Custom Shower Pans and Bases for Accessible Showers? covers these rules from the accessibility side, and the small end of the same range is covered in What Is the Smallest Shower Pan Size You Can Buy?, where the 30 by 30 inch minimum applies.

Planning a Big Shower Around the Pan

Because the length, width and drain position are all fixed when the pan is made, the practical rule for a remodel is to measure the finished opening, not the framing, order the pan in that size, and let any on-site fitting happen in the walls above the pan. The component that is trimmed on site is the wall surround. Ella's cultured marble travertine wall panels have factory finished edges for seamless joining that can be trimmed and cut for a custom fit, they come as eight, six or four panel surrounds, and they glue over drywall, plaster, painted walls, cement board or existing tile. Ella's acrylic wall panels come 98 inches high in a plain white finish. A wall system is sized to the base, so a 44 by 80 inch pan is paired with walls ordered for that footprint rather than cut down from a stock kit.

The installation video on this page shows how an installer approaches a large shower. The pan and panels are dry assembled in a clean open space before the old tub comes out, to confirm the panels and drain location are correct, the parts are free of damage and everything aligns. The framing pocket is then checked against the dimensions on the framing diagram, and checked for square, plumb and level, with shims or a notched stud correcting a back wall that is out of plumb. The narrator's advice is to delay demolition until you are confident the new unit is the correct size and condition, so no one is left without a working bathroom. Weight matters on a large pan too. Cultured marble bases are heavy and need at least two people to install, so tell your contractor which material you ordered before delivery day.

Where to Buy the Biggest Pan and What to Have Ready

Ella manufactures its own shower bases, and you order one through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850. Shower products are sold per item rather than as a bundle, so a complete large shower is put together from the base in your size and drain position, a wall system sized to the base, and accessories such as grab bars or a shower door. Pricing is not published in this knowledge base. For current pricing and availability, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 with the finished length and width of the opening, whether it is a three-wall alcove or a corner, the drain position you need and its distance from each wall, the threshold you want, and any walls or accessories. Where Can I Buy a Shower Base for a Bathroom Remodel? lists what a kit leaves out, and Where can I buy accessible shower pans and bases? covers the dealer program for contractors who expect to order regularly.

Video

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

Common Questions

Can Ella make a shower pan bigger than 44 by 80 inches?
No. The largest custom base Ella's Bubbles makes is 44 inches wide by 80 inches long, and a request beyond that, such as 53 by 76 inches, cannot be produced. Only rectangular sizes are made, so the limit cannot be stretched with an angled or curved edge either.
Is the 36 by 60 inch base the biggest standard shower pan?
Yes. The three standard roll-in sizes are 30 by 60, 32 by 60 and 36 by 60 inches, and all three share the 60 inch length. Anything longer than 60 inches or wider than 36 inches is a custom order.
Can the biggest custom shower pan have a center drain?
Yes. A custom base can have its drain placed left, right or center, but the drain must sit at least 9 inches from each wall. A drain only 7 inches from the threshold edge is not possible, even on a custom base.
How big can a corner shower base be?
A custom corner base goes up to 42 by 60 inches, which is smaller than the 44 by 80 inch maximum for a three-wall alcove. Tell the team which layout you have so the drain and edges are placed correctly.
Does the biggest shower pan need to be tiled over?
No. Ella shower bases, standard or custom, are finished acrylic and are ready to use once installed. Your contractor sets the base, connects the drain and finishes the walls around it.
What material is the biggest Ella shower pan made from?
The largest custom base is finished acrylic, the same material as the standard roll-in pans. Ella also offers cultured marble bases in three sizes, which are heavy and need at least two people to install.

About this guide. Answers in the Ella’s Bubbles Support Center are compiled from real conversations with tub owners, our technicians’ notes and the product documentation, then reviewed by our team. Tub models and options have evolved over the years, so a detail here may differ slightly from your exact tub. If something looks different on yours, send us your serial number and a specialist will confirm it for your model.

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