Can I Buy an Extension or Side Panel Separately, and How Wide Is It?

Yes. Both the extension panel and the end panel, which is what most people mean by a side panel, can be bought on their own through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, and both are cut for a specific model and door side, so a request needs your model, serial number and which side the door is on. Before you buy, check what already came with the tub: every Ella walk-in tub ships with one reversible end panel, and any Ella tub shorter than 60 inches also ships with an extension panel that closes the gap in a standard 60 inch alcove. No width is published for either panel, and the ordering steps for a panel bought later are in How to Add a Second End Panel to Your Walk-In Tub Order or Buy One Later.

Side Panel or Extension Panel: Which One Are You Asking About?

The two panels sit at the same end of the tub and are often confused, but they do different jobs. The end panel, sometimes called a side panel or finishing panel, is a finished cover for the exposed short end of the tub. It hides the shell edge, the plumbing and the frame, it is reversible so the same part fits either end, and it attaches with two white screws without adding any length to the tub. What Is an End Panel on a Walk-In Tub? covers it in detail.

The extension panel, which Ella also calls a fill kit, is the part that makes a shorter tub fit a standard 60 inch alcove. It is placed on the right side or the left side of the tub, between the tub and the alcove wall, and it can be trimmed if the alcove is out of square or an unusual size. The extension panel also becomes a shelf for towels, shampoos, soaps and other bathing items, and it comes with integrated stainless steel shelf support brackets that are fully adjustable and part of the tub frame. The first video on this page shows the extension panel in place and the brackets that carry it.

What the table means for you is simple. If a short end of your tub shows and nothing covers it, you need an end panel. If there is a gap between the tub and the alcove wall, you need an extension panel. If both short ends show, you need a second end panel, and the two end panels are the same reversible part. The front apron is always included and is never the piece you buy to finish an end.

What Your Tub Already Includes

• One reversible end panel ships with every Ella walk-in tub, from the compact Mobile to the two seat tubs, including outward swing models such as the Monaco and the Capri and stainless door models such as the Elite. What Does Free End Panel Mean, and Is One Included With Every Tub? walks through the corner example.
• An extension panel ships with any Ella walk-in tub that is less than 60 inches long, so the tub you choose fits a standard 60 inch tub alcove. A tub that already fills the alcove has no gap to close.
• The Front Entry includes two side end panels because its door is at the end of the tub. Wider models such as the ShaK include one end panel for the 36 inch side, and an additional panel can be added if the other end will be exposed.
• If your layout does not need the extra end panel or the extension panel, you can opt out of receiving one or the other to reduce plastic waste. Tell your Ella dealer or the team at order time.

Before ordering a replacement, look for the panel you think is missing. Every small item is individually wrapped and boxed inside the tub before the tub is wrapped and crated, and the two white end-panel screws are often taped to the back of the panel or tucked in the parts box inside the tub.

How Wide Is the Extension Panel?

Ella's panel guides and videos do not list a single width for the extension panel or for the end panel, so this page does not quote one. What they do describe is the job the panel is built for: a tub shorter than 60 inches arrives with an extension panel so the finished assembly fills a standard 60 inch alcove, and the panel can be trimmed on site so the tub fits seamlessly when the alcove is out of square or an unusual size. The adjustable stainless steel brackets let your installer set the shelf where it needs to be. In practice the gap to be closed depends on your tub length and on your alcove measurement, so measure the opening, note your model and door side, and ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 to confirm the panel for your tub before anything is cut. The end panel is a different case: it adds no length to the tub at all, so it never changes whether the tub fits the room.

Buying a Panel Separately, Step by Step

1. Confirm which panel you need: an end panel for an exposed short end, or an extension panel for a gap at the alcove wall.
2. Have your model, serial number and door side ready. The serial number is on the label behind the magnetic access panel next to the door, and door side is always described as you face the tub.
3. For an end panel, note which end of the tub is exposed and take a photo of it. Panels are cut for a specific model and end, so those details matter.
4. Contact your Ella dealer, where you purchased the tub, or the team at (800) 480-6850, or open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support. Dealers can place the order on a customer's behalf.
5. An invoice is emailed for approval. Payment is by card, either a new card or one already on file for a dealer account.
6. Once the panel ships you receive a receipt with the tracking number.

If you are still placing your tub order and both ends will be exposed, ask for the second end panel as a separate line on the order and confirm it appears on your paperwork before the tub is built. Small trim pieces such as the white screw caps are handled the same way, as Where Do I Get the White Screw Caps and Trim for the Front Panel? describes.

When the Panel Arrives and How It Goes on

Inspect the panel as soon as it is delivered and keep all packaging. A panel that arrives cracked is freight damage, and any shipping damage, including concealed damage found after the driver leaves, must be reported within 48 hours of receipt so a claim can be filed. If the mounting brackets and clips on a new panel look rotated or crooked, that is how they are turned for shipping and not a defect.

All removable panels, including the front apron with its access panels, the end panel and the extension panel, must come off before the tub is moved into the house and into the bathroom, and the tub is lifted only by its frame. The end panel goes on after the tub is in place, leveled and water tested, using its two white screws, and How Do I Install a Second End Panel on a Freestanding Ella Tub? walks through that fitting. The second video on this page shows the reversible end panel being placed on either end of the tub and explains when a second one is needed.

Related Guides

• What Is an Extension Panel (Filler Kit) on a Walk-In Tub?
• Will it fit my alcove? Extension panels, end panels, and 60 inch spaces
• Can an Ella End Panel or Extension Panel Be Trimmed to Fit?

Common Questions