Can I Buy Just the Walk-In Tub and Use My Own Contractor?

Yes. An Ella walk-in tub is ordered through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, and who installs it is a separate decision that belongs to you, so you can buy the tub on its own and hand the work to any licensed plumber, electrician or remodeling contractor you trust. Ella's Bubbles manufactures the tub and has no installation crews or service technicians, which is the same reason Can I buy a walk-in tub and install it myself? says yes to owners who do the work with their own hands. Certification by Ella is not required, and free lifetime technical support is open to your contractor exactly as it is to you.

Why Buying and Installing Are Two Separate Decisions

Ella's Bubbles builds the tub, ships it and supports it for life. Connecting it in your bathroom is a different job, and every owner decides who does it: a remodeling contractor, a plumber you already know, or you. Any licensed installer is acceptable, and there is no approved list you have to choose from. Ella always recommends licensed professional plumbers and electricians so that all local codes are followed, and that recommendation is the only condition attached to the choice.

Because Ella does not send technicians, the labor is arranged directly between you and the company you hire, from removing the old tub to the final trim. If you would rather not search for someone yourself, share your installation address and the model you are considering with the team at (800) 480-6850 and they can refer an installer from Ella's nationwide network. The referral is a convenience, not a requirement, and you remain free to use the contractor you already have.

What Your Own Contractor Changes About the Warranty, and What It Does Not

The Lifetime Limited Warranty is a parts warranty no matter who installs the tub, and using your own contractor does not reduce it. The shell, frame, door, door seal, finish and supporting equipment are covered for life, with the exceptions listed in Warranty Exceptions: The TCV One-Year Warranty, Non-Ella Faucets, and Water-Quality Damage: the thermostatic control valve carries a one year limited warranty, water quality damage to its cartridge is never covered, and a faucet not made by Ella is covered by its own manufacturer.

What the warranty never covers is labor, installation or removal. When a part is verified as defective, Ella ships the replacement to the original customer's address at no charge, and a local licensed plumber or electrician fits it. The labor on the original installation is warranted by the contractor who did the work, not by Ella's Bubbles, and Ella is not bound by warranty promises made by dealers, retailers, distributors or contractors. Before the tub goes in, ask your contractor to put their own labor terms in writing, including whether they will come back to fit a part Ella ships under the warranty.

Your contractor also has a role on the warranty activation form, which is what puts the warranty in force. The two page form is completed and signed by both the customer and the installer and returned to Ella's Bubbles, online at ellasbubbles.com/warranty-activation/. The installer section asks for the installer's license and insurance information and has a 16 item checklist to initial, including a level installation with every leveling leg touching the floor, a dedicated GFCI breaker, a 20 minute fill test of the door seal, and running the hydro and air pumps. If you split the work, say a licensed electrician for the circuit and yourself for the rest, I Installed the Tub Myself. Who Signs the Installer Part of the Warranty Form? explains whose details go where.

What to Hand Your Contractor Before the Tub Arrives

A good installer asks for the spec sheet and installation documents before delivery so the rough-in is ready when the tub arrives, and the team can send the documents for your model when you give the model name. Three things are worth settling with your contractor before the order is placed rather than on installation day.

• Door side and drain side. On every Ella walk-in tub the door and the drains are on opposite sides: a right-side door tub has its drains on the left, and a left-side door tub has its drains on the right, with sides taken as you face the tub. The plumbing location in your bathroom decides the door side, and the door side is set when the tub is built, so your contractor should look at the drain before you order.
• The electrical plan. The video on this page explains the requirements your contractor connects to: dedicated GFCI protected outlets, a circuit the tub does not share with any other appliance, GFCI protected breakers in the panel, and an amperage value set by the number and type of components in your tub. The more pumps and accessories the tub has, the more dedicated lines it needs. The electrical connection is the one step that is never done by an unlicensed hand: a licensed electrician installs and tests it, including the ground.
• Who calls with questions. Have your contractor call (800) 480-6850 during the job with any question rather than guessing. Support is available to them by phone and email, with manuals and live video help, whether or not you are on the line.

Ordering the Extras Your Contractor Will Install

Everything that goes in alongside the tub comes through the same route as the tub itself. Can I Buy an Ella Accessory on Its Own Without Buying a Tub? lists what is available separately, such as the Fast-Fill faucet sets and the four-fold shower screen, but one item is best planned with the tub order: the shower column kit is installed prior to the final installation of the tub. Tell your contractor what is on the order so the rough-in accounts for it, and confirm the faucet finish before it is fitted, because a faucet that has already been installed cannot be returned for credit.

Watch: Ella's Bubbles: Proper Electrical Installation For Your Walk-In Tub with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Who Installs My Walk-in Tub? Hiring a Licensed Contractor and How Ella Supports Them
• Installation Documents for Your Contractor: Spec Sheets, Electrical Diagrams, Manuals and the Live Video Session
• Before Your Installer Leaves: The 16 Checks Explained in Plain Language and Why Each One Protects Your Warranty

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