How long does a custom Ella shower pan take to build and ship?

Ella's Bubbles builds custom shower bases to order, and the published Ella material states no production or delivery timeframe for them, so there is no standard lead time to quote. Timing depends on your specific base, and the team at (800) 480-6850 confirms current timing for your order once the size, layout and drain position are settled. What you can control is how quickly the build can start and how your project waits for it, and Can I Get a Custom Size Shower Base Made for My Space? explains what makes a base custom in the first place.

Why a Custom Base Has No Fixed Timetable

Ella manufactures its own acrylic shower bases. Three standard sizes exist, 30 by 60, 32 by 60 and 36 by 60 inches, each with a left or right drain that sits in a set position for that size. A custom base is different: it is a rectangle made to your length and width for a three-wall alcove or a corner installation, with the drain placed left, right or center to your order. Because every custom base is built to one bathroom's numbers, the factory does not publish a single timeframe that would apply to all of them, and this knowledge base never promises a date for any order.

That is why the useful question is not "what is the lead time" but "what does the team need so the build can start." A request that arrives complete can be confirmed and built. A request that is missing a measurement, or that asks for something the factory cannot make, has to go back and forth before anything happens, and that exchange is the part of the wait you can shorten.

What the Team Needs Before the Build Can Start

• Length and width in inches. Three-wall alcove bases run from a 30 by 30 inch minimum up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long, with the threshold on the longer side. Corner bases top out at 42 by 60 inches.
• Alcove or corner. The team asks which layout you have so the drain and the edges are placed correctly.
• Drain position. Left, right or center, and it must sit at least 9 inches from each wall. Tell the team where the existing drain line sits in the floor so the base is built to meet it.
• Threshold style. A custom base typically has a threshold of about 3 inches. Zero threshold bases sit flush with the surrounding floor for a barrier-free entry, and roll-in bases ship with a self-adhesive collapsible rubber dam that keeps water in while a wheelchair rolls over it.

Some requests cannot be produced at all, and discovering that after you have planned the bathroom around them is the slowest outcome of all. Only rectangular sizes are made, and bases with angled or curved edges are not offered. A 53 by 76 inch base exceeds the maximum, and a drain only 7 inches from the threshold edge is not possible even on a custom pan. The examples of what fits and what does not are collected in Who makes custom shower pans for odd bathroom layouts?. On the other side, pans shorter than 60 inches are routine: a 58 by 30 inch base with a center drain has been produced, and sizes such as 46 by 46, 50 by 30 and 36 by 44 inches have all been handled as custom builds, so a short or square footprint is a normal request rather than a special project.

Is a Standard Size the Simpler Route?

If your alcove is 60 inches long and between 30 and 36 inches wide, a standard base is the simplest choice because the drain already sits in a set position for that size and there is nothing to specify beyond left or right. The same three footprints are offered as wheelchair accessible curb-less roll-in pans with the drain position specified at the time of order. Ella also presents cultured marble shower bases in three sizes; its video describes them as molded solid bases with a glossy gelcoat finish that are heavy and need at least two people to install, which is worth knowing before delivery day. The complete run of sizes from smallest to largest is in What sizes do shower pans come in, from smallest to largest?.

Planning the Bathroom Around a Date You Do Not Have yet

Ella's installation video for its low-threshold three-piece shower makes a point that applies to every custom base: delay demolition of the existing bathtub area until you are confident the new unit is the correct size and condition, because nobody wants to be without a working bathroom while waiting for a replacement. The video sums it up as "slow is fast," and it shows the dry assembly it recommends before anything is moved into the bathroom.

1. Place the order with the measurements above and ask the team to confirm timing for your specific base.
2. Keep the existing tub or shower in service until the base has actually been delivered.
3. On delivery, dry-assemble the base and any panels in a clean, dry, open space. Confirm you received the correct drain location, that the pan is free from damage and defect, and that the panels align properly. Take a picture of the assembled unit.
4. Check the framing pocket against the framing diagrams in the installation instructions, then check it for square, plumb and level. The video notes that adjustments are more common than not, and it shows hanging a plumb bob from the framing at the back wall to find out.
5. Only then demolish the old fixture and set the base.

Ella pans, standard or custom, are finished acrylic and do not need to be tiled over. Your contractor sets the base, connects the drain and finishes the walls around it, and the wall panel options that pair with a base are covered in Shower Bases and Wall Panels. Ella does not send technicians or perform installations, so the order sequence above is the practical way to keep the bathroom usable no matter when the base arrives.

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

Related Guides

• Custom-Size Shower Bases: Size Ranges, Threshold Options, Drain Placement Rules, Construction, and How to Request One
• How do you build a custom shower pan or base?
• Who Makes Custom Shower Pans and Bases for Accessible Showers?

Common Questions