How do I find a reputable walk-in tub installation company?

Ella's Bubbles assembles and tests walk-in tubs in Chicago and ships them nationwide, but it does not install them and does not send technicians, so the installation company you hire is a local licensed contractor. That can be an Ella dealer that installs in its territory, an independent installer referred through Ella's installer network, or a licensed plumber and electrician you choose yourself; any licensed installer is acceptable and certification by Ella is not required. The clearest mark of a reputable installer is willingness to complete and sign the installer section of the warranty activation form, the process laid out in Dealers and Installers: How to Activate the Warranty in Your Customer's Name.

Who Installs an Ella Walk-In Tub

Ella's Bubbles is a manufacturer. Its tubs are assembled at the company's Chicago facility and shipped across the country, as Ella's Bubbles Walk-In Tubs: A General Overview describes, but Ella never performs or charges for installation. The work belongs to a licensed, experienced local contractor, normally a plumber for the water supply and drain connections and an electrician for the dedicated circuit. Ella supports that contractor at no charge with manuals and live phone, email and video technical help, and if a part is ever needed under the lifetime parts warranty, Ella ships the part and a local plumber or electrician does the labor.

Three kinds of trade partners work with Ella, described in Becoming an Ella Dealer, Joining the Installer Network, and Contractor Pricing: dealers who sell and often install Ella tubs in their territory, independent installers who receive customer referrals from Ella's network, and contractors who buy tubs for their own clients' projects. Each applies through a form on ellasbubbles.com and the partnership team follows up, so an installer who says they are part of the Ella network has been through that application.

Three Places to Look

1. Your Ella dealer. A dealer re-sells Ella products in a territory and often installs what it sells. If you are buying through a dealer, ask whether the dealer installs or which installer it works with, because that company will already know the product and the warranty paperwork.
2. Ella's installer network. Independent installers in the network receive customer referrals from Ella. Call the team at (800) 480-6850 or open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your location, and the team can refer an installer from its nationwide network, which includes installers listed through Angi Pro.
3. A licensed contractor of your own. You are free to hire any licensed plumber or electrician. Ella does not require its own certification, and the same free technical support is available to whoever does the work.

What a Reputable Installer Will Do

• Hold a license. Ella's guidance is a licensed, experienced local contractor. The plumbing and electrical connections are excluded from Ella's warranty, so they rest entirely on the quality of the contractor's work.
• Sign the installer section of the warranty activation form. The form has an owner part and an installer part. The installer part asks for the installing company's details and a sign-off on the installation checkpoints, and it carries its own signature line. The activation is complete only once both parts are filled in and signed and a copy of the sales receipt is included, and the warranty is in force only after activation. A reputable installer knows this and signs before leaving.
• Warrant their own labor. Ella's warranty covers parts and never labor, removal or replacement. Labor is warranted by the installer who did the work, so ask what labor warranty the company offers and get it in writing.
• Work from Ella's manuals and use Ella's support. The published installation documents and the free technical support exist for your contractor. A company that is willing to call in with a question during the installation is a good sign.
• Avoid promising warranty terms on Ella's behalf. Ella is not bound by warranty promises made by dealers, retailers, distributors or contractors. If an installer offers a labor guarantee, that guarantee is the installer's own.

Why the Choice Affects Your Warranty

Ella's published FAQ notes that your installer selection affects the depth of your warranty. Read together with the warranty terms, that means improper or negligent installation and modifications by anyone other than Ella's Bubbles are excluded from coverage, installation and plumbing and electrical connections are excluded, and water damage to the home is excluded. The warranty belongs to the first purchaser at the original installation address, so the activation form must carry your name and the address where the tub was installed, never the installer's shop address. An installer who understands these terms will not modify the tub, will complete the checkpoint sign-off, and will make sure the form is submitted. For a question about whether a specific change would affect coverage, the answer comes from support at ellasbubbles.com/support, not from the installer.

Questions to Ask Before You Hire

• Are you licensed for the plumbing and electrical work in my area, or will you bring a licensed electrician for the dedicated circuit?
• Will you complete and sign the installer section of the Ella warranty activation form before you leave?
• What warranty do you provide on your labor, and is it in writing?
• Will you work from Ella's installation manual and contact Ella's technical support if a question comes up?
• Are you an Ella dealer or part of Ella's installer network?

What to Expect on Installation Day

The tub arrives already assembled, jetted and wired to your order. Before it left Chicago, quality control filled it and ran the motors for several hours, then completed mechanical, electrical and water tests, as Where Are Ella Tubs Made? Chicago Assembly, Testing, and Company Background describes. The installer's job is to set the tub, make the connections and confirm it works in place. The serial number is printed on the label behind the magnetic access panel next to the door; the installer needs it for the activation form, along with the model. If the installer leaves without signing, the activation article explains how to complete the paperwork afterward. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can answer any question that comes up before or after the install.

Related Guides

• Before Your Installer Leaves: The 16 Checks Explained in Plain Language and Why Each One Protects Your Warranty
• Installation choices that affect your warranty and how to keep coverage intact

Common Questions