Does the walk-in tub arrive fully assembled or do I put it together?

An Ella walk-in tub arrives fully assembled and tested, not as a kit. Each tub is built to the order at the factory in Chicago with the shell, door frame, latch mechanism, jets and wiring already in place, so the door is hung and working when the crate is opened. What remains for your installer is placement and connection, which is why Can You Build Your Own Walk-In Tub, and How Is One Built to Order? describes the work left for your home as connection, not construction.

What Is Finished Before the Tub Leaves Chicago

Ella's Bubbles tubs are assembled in America at the company's facility in Chicago, and every one is assembled and tested before it ships, whether it is picked up at the facility or sent out by freight. The factory's part is everything behind the apron.

• The shell, the door frame and the latch mechanism are complete, and the door family and swing direction are built into the shell itself.
• The air and water lines run under the deck with the tubes bundled together, the glue joints neat, and grounding straps fitted so that everything is grounded.
• The electrical lines are labeled at the production facility for easy identification, and the pumps, heaters and other components are clearly marked and easy to reach behind the access panels.
• The stainless steel frame is under the tub with its leveling legs. The video on this page shows that frame, which is made entirely of stainless steel and polished even though it is covered once the tub is installed.
• The whole unit is filled and run on the test bench before it is packed on a custom skid inside a crate or reinforced box.

With that much plumbing and wiring fitted and labeled before the tub ships, there is nothing for you to assemble in the bathroom. Ella's published guides do not describe making a walk-in tub from scratch at home, and the online builder tool is about choosing options, not building hardware.

What Your Installer Still Does on Site

Fully assembled does not mean ready to bathe in the moment the truck leaves. A few steps belong to the installer, and they are placement steps rather than assembly.

1. Getting it off the truck. Tubs travel as LTL freight on a pallet inside a crate. The carrier calls ahead to schedule a window, and the truck's liftgate lowers the crate to the curb or driveway. Drivers do not enter the home, unpack the tub or carry it inside, so moving the crate indoors and up to the bathroom is the customer's or installer's job. This is the main reason to have your installer lined up before the delivery date.
2. Carrying it in by the frame. Your installer may take the access and end panels off so the tub can be carried by its frame rather than by the acrylic.
3. Leveling. Before anything is connected, the tub is leveled so every leg sits solidly on the floor.
4. Connecting it. A licensed local plumber and electrician connect the finished tub to water, drain and power. Ella manufactures the tub and does not perform installations.

Because each tub is assembled and tested to order, total time from paid invoice to delivery varies by model, options and stock, and the team confirms current timing for your specific order rather than quoting a date. The confirmation invoice is paid in full before the tub is scheduled for assembly, as explained in Deposits and Partial Payments on a Walk-In Tub Order.

What the Door Looks Like When It Arrives

The door is part of the shell when the tub arrives. The door family and its swing direction are built in at the factory, and the left-hand or right-hand door is chosen when you order, so there is no door to hang or adjust on delivery day. The door and the drains sit on opposite sides of the tub: a right-side door tub has its drains on the left, and a left-side door tub has its drains on the right, as you face the tub. What the door looks like depends on the model.

The practical difference is where the door needs room. An inward-swing S-shape door swings into the tub, so it needs nothing in front of it. An outward-swing U-shape door opens into the bathroom and swings clear of the entry, which is what makes a seated transfer possible on the Transfer26, and it needs that clear space in front of the tub. Either way the latch mechanism and seal are factory fitted and tested with water in the tub before the crate is closed. If you are deciding between models, your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can go through the door choice for the specific tub you are weighing, and the installation gallery on the main site shows the doors in real bathrooms.

Choices That Are Locked in at the Factory

Because the tub is built to the order, several decisions cannot be changed once it is assembled, and they are the ones to settle first: the model, the door family and swing, the left or right hand, and the options. The shipping quote depends on the same details, since crate size and shipping weight vary by model and therapy package. Your Ella dealer or the team quotes shipping once they have the model, the options, the left-hand or right-hand door and drain side, and your address, as explained in How Shipping Is Quoted: Weight, Distance, Liftgate Delivery, and Accessory Shipping. Small parts and accessories travel separately by parcel service.

Picking It Up Instead

If you are near Chicago, the fully assembled tub can be picked up directly from the manufacturing facility at 2700 West Roosevelt Road rather than shipped by freight. Tell your Ella dealer or the team ahead of time so the tub is ready when you arrive, and remember that it is still a crated, fully built unit that needs a vehicle and hands to match. Shipping, Sales Tax, and Pickup for Your Walk-In Tub Order covers pickup and the rest of the order details, and Ella's Bubbles Walk-In Tubs: A General Overview explains where the tubs are made and that they ship nationwide.

Watch: Walk-In Tub With Rustproof Frame for Extended Lifespan, Voted Best/Safest 2020 | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

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