How much bathroom space and plumbing does the Ella Monaco need?

The Ella Monaco fits a 52 inch alcove, needs every doorway on the delivery path to be wider than its 32 inch exterior, needs about 21 inches of clear floor in front of the tub for its outward-swinging door, and needs the house drain on the side opposite the door. Those four checks come from the Monaco technical drawing and the family fit rules, and the walk-in tub dimensions by model table lists the Monaco at 32 inches wide, 52 inches long and 39 1/4 inches high with a 23 inch seat. This page works through each check in turn so you can hand your installer firm numbers before you order.

The Monaco Figures That Decide Fit

The Monaco spec sheet drawing prints the outside dimensions, the door opening and the door swing. The table gathers the figures that matter for the bathroom, with the drawing value shown first where it differs slightly from the rounded listed size.

Taken together, these figures say that length is rarely the Monaco's problem. At 52 inches it is one of the shorter Ella tubs to place, but at 32 inches it is among the widest of the 52 inch models, and its door adds a swing envelope in front of the tub that the inward-swing models do not have. Width on the delivery route and floor space in front of the door are the two checks that most often decide whether the Monaco is the right choice for a given room.

The Alcove: Measure Finished Wall to Finished Wall

Measure the opening between the finished surfaces, tile to tile, not the framing behind them. Stud to stud is the rough opening before drywall and tile go on, and the finished opening is always smaller. In one common case a bathroom framed for a standard tub measures only 58 1/4 inches tile to tile, which is why a nominal 60 inch tub is a tight fit in that room and why a 52 inch Monaco usually has room to spare in the same opening. The guide on whether a 60 inch tub fits a 60 inch alcove explains both measurements in detail.

When the tub is shorter than the opening, an extension panel fills the gap so the tub still meets the wall, and your contractor finishes the wall down to it. Before you order:

1. Measure the finished opening from wall to wall and write down the exact figure rather than a rounded one.
2. Note where the existing house drain sits in the alcove, because that decides the door side.
3. Share both figures with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 along with the model you have in mind.

Door Side, Drain Side and the 165 Degree Swing

The door and the drains sit on opposite sides of every Ella walk-in tub. Stand where you will face the tub, note which side your house drain is on, and the door goes on the opposite side: a right-side door puts the drains on the left, and a left-side door puts the drains on the right. One line in the older choosing video says the reverse, and that line is superseded; the rule above is the one to plan by. Confirm the hand with your installer before you order, because the Monaco is built with the door on the side you order. The article on left or right door side and drain location walks through the same decision with pictures.

Once the side is settled, check the floor in front of it. The Monaco's U-shape door swings outward through 165 degrees and needs about 21 inches of clear floor in front of the tub. A toilet, vanity or bathroom door inside that arc has to be relocated, or the model has to change. If the clear floor in front of the door side is under 21 inches, an inward-swing tub is the safer fit, and the Royal is the Monaco's inward counterpart at the same size. The door styles video on this page shows the three Ella door types side by side and states the 21 inch clearance for the U-shape outward door.

Getting the Tub to the Bathroom

Ella walk-in tubs are delivered fully assembled as one unit, so the tub, and on delivery day its shipping crate, has to travel from your entrance all the way to the bathroom. The doorway measurement guide gives the full checklist; the short version for the Monaco is:

• Sketch the path from the front or garage entrance to the bathroom.
• Measure the clear width of every door opening on that path at its narrowest point, including the front door, hall doors and the bathroom door.
• Measure hallway widths and every corner where the tub must pivot.
• Measure the bathroom itself and mark the toilet, sink and door positions on your sketch.

Compare those figures with the Monaco's actual width of 32 inches, or 31 3/4 inches on the drawing, and with its shipping size. The crate dimensions are not printed in the sources for this page, so pull them from the Downloads tab on the Monaco product page or ask the team. Do not round in your favor: a 32 inch doorway is not wider than a 32 inch tub, and the crate is wider still.

Water Supply, Drains and Leveling

The Monaco's plumbing asks are the same as the rest of the family. The choosing guide recommends the maximum capacity water heater available for your house, with anything under 75 gallons not recommended, plus 3/4 inch supply lines with accessible shut-off valves. The guide to choosing between the tub families covers those supply requirements alongside the body measurements to take before you settle on a model. The tub drains connect on the side opposite the door, so the house drain location and the door hand are one decision, not two. The Monaco stands on a stainless frame with adjustable leveling legs, and it is leveled at the legs once it is set in place. A local licensed plumber makes the water and drain connections; Ella supports that installer by phone and email but does not send technicians.

Watch: Walk-in Tubs With Stylish, High Quality Doors for Easy Access | Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Monaco vs. Capri: What Actually Differs Between Ella's Two Outward-Swing 52-Inch Tubs
• Installing the U-Shape Outward-Swing Family, Part 1: Delivery, Door Clearance, Water Test and Leveling (Capri, Monaco, Front Entry, Mobile, Lounger, Shak, Big4One)
• What Size Water Heater Do I Need for My Walk-in Tub?

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