What are the standard sizes for shower pans and bases?

Ella's Bubbles makes its own acrylic shower bases in three standard sizes, 30 by 60, 32 by 60 and 36 by 60 inches, each with the drain position specified when you order. Those same three footprints are the wheelchair accessible roll-in pans, which are curb-less so a chair rolls straight in, and any footprint outside the three is made to order as a rectangle up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long. What Sizes Do Ella Shower Bases and Shower Pans Come In? is the full sizing reference. This page sets the standard sizes beside the custom, corner, kit and cultured marble options in one table, and explains what a roll-in shower is and how it looks once installed.

The Standard Sizes Side by Side

All three standard bases share a 60 inch length and differ only in width, so the width of your alcove usually decides which one fits. The bases are finished acrylic with the slope, threshold and drain molded in, which is why they are ready to use once set and must not be tiled over. The drain sits in a set position for each size, and that is the main reason a standard base is the simplest choice when one fits: the rough-in question is answered before the pan is made.

What the differences mean in practice: a standard base answers the drain question for you, a custom rectangle answers an awkward room but needs the drain placed at least 9 inches from each wall, and a corner base trades the three-wall layout for a smaller maximum footprint. Complete multi-piece kits use their own pans, so the kit pan is sized to its enclosure rather than to the standard walls, and the cultured marble base is a different material in three sizes of its own, so ask which sizes are current. Measure the finished opening, not the framing, before you choose, so the base arrives ready to set.

What a Roll-In Shower Is and What It Looks Like

A roll-in shower is a shower with no curb at the entry. Ella's wheelchair accessible roll-in base comes in the same three standard sizes, 30 by 60, 32 by 60 and 36 by 60 inches, and all three are ADA curb-less pans that a wheelchair can roll straight into, with the drain position specified at the time of order. Left-hand and center-drain bases are among those the team has supplied, so tell the team where your existing drain line sits in the floor and it confirms which drain position matches your size.

What keeps the water in without a curb is a dam. Roll-in and barrier-free bases ship with a self-adhesive collapsible rubber dam, and the first video shows it in use: the flexible, compressible, waterproof dam sits along the entry, the wheels simply roll over it entering and leaving, and it returns to its original shape so the water stays in the stall. The video also shows how it is installed. Measure precisely, clean all surfaces with denatured alcohol, lay a tape line as a guide, mark and cut the dam to length, insert the end caps, pull back the tape covering and press the dam snugly against the wall and floor, then run a thin bead of silicone along the lower edge on both sides and over both end caps. The result is a low, soft threshold that contains the spray yet gives way under a chair.

Threshold styles go beyond roll-in. A 3 inch step-in threshold base is offered for those who prefer a slightly raised edge, a custom base typically has a threshold of about 3 inches, and zero threshold bases sit flush with the surrounding floor for a barrier-free entry. The roll-in sizes and what ships with them are detailed in Wheelchair Accessible Shower Base Sizes, Drain Positions, and What Is Sold Separately.

When a Standard Size Will Not Fit

A custom base is a rectangle made to your length and width for a three-wall alcove or a corner installation. The smallest is 30 by 30 inches, the largest is 44 inches wide by 80 inches long with the threshold on the longer side, and corner bases top out at 42 by 60 inches. Pans shorter than 60 inches are routine: a 58 by 30 inch base with a center drain and a 36 by 36 inch corner base have both been produced, and sizes such as 46 by 46, 50 by 30 and 36 by 44 inches have been handled as custom builds. A 38 by 80 inch base with a left drain is within the limits, while a request such as 53 by 76 inches cannot be produced.

Two rules shape every custom order. Only rectangles are made, so bases with angled or curved edges are not offered, and a neo-angle corner or a curved front is not a fit for an Ella base. And the drain can be placed left, right or center but must sit at least 9 inches from each wall, so a drain only 7 inches from the threshold edge is not possible even on a custom pan. The team asks whether your layout is a three-wall alcove or a corner so the drain and edges are placed correctly. Who makes custom shower pans for odd bathroom layouts? works through the layouts a rectangle can and cannot solve, and What sizes do shower pans come in, from smallest to largest? ranks every option by footprint.

Cultured Marble Bases and What Ships with Any Base

Ella also offers cultured marble shower bases in three sizes. The second video shows them: molded solid cultured marble with a glossy gel coat finish and an ADA compliant slip resistant textured floor, built to be sturdy, durable and easy to maintain. They are heavy and need at least two people to install, so tell your contractor which material you ordered before delivery day.

Whichever base you choose, it is sold on its own. Shower products are sold per item rather than as a single bundle, so a complete shower is put together from the base in your size and drain position, a wall system sized to the base, such as the plain white acrylic three-piece panel kit, a CNC engraved pattern in acrylic, or a marble-look three-piece panel kit, and accessories such as grab bars or a shower door. Your contractor sets the base, connects the drain and finishes the walls around it. To order, or to confirm which size and drain position match your rough-in, contact your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, or open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with the base size, the drain position and any walls or accessories wanted. Contractors and remodelers who expect to buy regularly can apply for the dealer program.

Watch: Cultured Marble Reversible Shower Base with Low Threshold for Safer Bathing | 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 I Measure for a New or Replacement Shower Pan or Base?
• Shower Base Sizes and Thresholds Compared: AcrylX Barrier-Free, SMC Linear-Drain, Molded-Seat and Cultured Marble Bases

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