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Choosing a Shower Valve and Cutting the Valve and Shower-Head Openings

Updated September 2026

▶Glossary8
  1. Choosing a Valve
  2. Where the Valve Goes
  3. Cutting the Openings
  4. Height Guidance
  5. Related Guides
  6. Related Videos
  7. Common Questions
  8. Still Need Help?

Ella does not supply or recommend a shower valve for its shower kits. You choose the valve, the trim and the shower head from the plumbing brand you prefer, your plumber roughs in the valve, and the openings for the valve and the shower-head arm are cut into the wall panel at the height you want during installation. The panels do not come pre-cut for a valve, so the layout is decided on site with your installer.

Choosing a Valve

Because Ella does not make or specify the valve, you are free to source a standard residential shower valve from where you purchased the shower or from any plumbing supplier. Many local codes call for an anti-scald valve, so confirm the requirement with your plumber and local inspector before buying. Pick the valve, its matching trim kit and the shower head or hand shower as a set from the same manufacturer so the rough-in body and the trim fit together. For a seated bather, a hand shower within reach of the seat is worth considering. Ella walk-in tubs are different: they use Ella's own deck-mounted fast-fill faucets, which are not used on showers.

Where the Valve Goes

Ella does not set a required location for the valve. The height, and the wall it sits on, are your choice, so decide with your installer based on where the supply lines run, which hand the bather favors, and whether a caregiver needs to reach the controls from outside the enclosure. Placing the valve near the entry lets you turn the water on before stepping in. Placing it near the seat lets a seated bather adjust it without standing.

Cutting the Openings

  1. Rough in the valve body and the shower-arm fitting behind the panel, at the heights you have chosen, before the wall panel is installed.
  2. Dry-fit the panel and transfer the center of the valve and the center of the shower arm to the panel face.
  3. Cut each opening to the size the valve manufacturer specifies so the trim plate fully covers the hole.
  4. Install the panel, fit the trim and the shower arm, and seal around each opening so water cannot get behind the panel.

Height Guidance

There is no Ella-required height for the valve or the shower head. Common practice puts the valve where both a standing and a seated user can reach it, and the shower head high enough for the tallest user in the household. Measure from the finished shower floor, not the subfloor, and use the seat height on your Specification drawing to check reach from a seated position. A hand shower on a slide bar gives flexibility if several people with different needs will use the shower.

Video
Chapters in this video
  1. 0:00 Receiving and Inspecting Your Shower The video provides visual guidance for installing a barrier-free five-piece shower, emphasizing the importance of inspecting the unit upon arrival and noting any damage.
  2. 1:32 Dry Assembling Your Modular Shower The installer dry assembles the modular shower in an open space to ensure correct panels, drain location, and proper alignment before moving it to the bathroom.
  3. 3:04 Preparing the Framing Pocket and Subfloor The installer checks the framing pocket for proper sizing, squareness, plumb, and level, making necessary adjustments and inspecting the subfloor for integrity.
  4. 4:05 Installing the Shower Pan and Drain The installer cleans the pocket, dry fits and levels the pan, installs the drain body, and adheres the pan to the subfloor using silicone adhesive and bracing.
  5. 7:40 Assembling and Securing Shower Panels The installer places protection on the floor, caulks the pan ledge, and installs the lower and upper back panels, securing them to the studs.
  6. 8:31 Installing the Valve Wall and Plumbing The installer caulks the pan ledge and vertical back wall seam, sets the panel, drills holes for the valve and supply outlet, and connects the PEX supply lines.
  7. 11:05 Adding Accessories and Finishing Touches The installer marks, drills, and caulks around pilot holes for accessories, then caulks all seams and the front edge of the threshold, recommending a water retainer and shower curtain.
Video
Chapters in this video
  1. 0:00 Receiving and Inspecting Your Shower This chapter explains how to receive and inspect your shower unit upon arrival, including what to do if there is damage.
  2. 1:17 Dry Assembling Your Shower This chapter demonstrates how to dry assemble your modular shower to ensure all panels and the drain are correct and undamaged.
  3. 2:49 Preparing the Framing Pocket This chapter shows how to check and adjust the framing pocket for proper sizing, squareness, plumb, and level.
  4. 5:02 Installing the Drain Body This chapter guides you through installing the drain body and preparing the drain to meet local plumbing codes.
  5. 5:44 Permanently Installing the Base This chapter details how to permanently install the shower base, ensuring it is level and properly supported.
  6. 8:12 Installing the Wall Panels This chapter demonstrates installing the wall panels using the pin and slot system, starting with the wall opposite the valve.
  7. 9:13 Installing the Valve and Wall This chapter shows how to install the valve and then the valve wall panel, including connecting the water supply lines.
  8. 11:13 Finishing and Sealing the Shower This chapter covers installing surface mount accessories, caulking all seams, and the option of adding a flange trim molding kit.

Common Questions

Does the Ella shower kit include a shower valve?
No. Ella does not supply a valve, trim or shower head with its shower kits, and it does not recommend a particular brand. You purchase these separately and your plumber installs them.
Which shower valve is compatible with an Ella shower?
Ella does not specify a valve, so a standard residential shower valve from where you purchased the shower or from a plumbing supplier can be used. Choose an anti-scald type that meets your local code and buy the trim from the same maker.
Are the holes for the valve and shower head pre-cut?
No. The wall panels are not pre-cut. Your installer cuts the valve and shower-head openings at the height you choose, then seals around them.
Can the valve go on either side wall?
Ella does not set a required side or height for the valve. Decide with your installer based on where the supply lines run, which hand the bather uses and whether a caregiver needs access from outside.
How high should the shower head and valve be installed?
Ella does not set a required height. Measure from the finished shower floor, place the valve where a seated and a standing user can both reach it, and set the head for the tallest user. A hand shower on a slide bar covers a range of heights.

Still Need Help?

Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and have your model and serial number ready.

About this guide. Answers in the Ella’s Bubbles Support Center are compiled from real conversations with tub owners, our technicians’ notes and the product documentation, then reviewed by our team. Tub models and options have evolved over the years, so a detail here may differ slightly from your exact tub. If something looks different on yours, send us your serial number and a specialist will confirm it for your model.

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