Does Ella deliver a walk-in tub inside an apartment or curbside only?

Every Ella walk-in tub reaches its address by curbside delivery with liftgate. The truck's liftgate lowers the crate to street level, the driver brings it to the curb, driveway or loading area, and the carrier's job ends there, whether the address is a house, an apartment or a condominium tower with its own service dock. Drivers do not enter the building, unpack the tub or carry it up to your unit, and What Is Curbside Delivery with Liftgate for a Walk-In Tub? describes that standard handoff in detail. This page covers what it means when your bathroom is on an upper floor of a multi-unit building.

How the Carrier Classifies an Apartment or Condo Building

Less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers classify a delivery by the physical delivery point and how their truck can reach and unload there, not by the name on the building or who placed the order. A commercial delivery is one where the truck can unload at a business location, typically with a loading dock or a forklift, so that no liftgate is needed. A delivery point inside a residential area, or one the carrier flags as limited access, falls under the residential classification. That is why a condominium tower with a service dock can still be booked as a residential stop: the carrier sees an apartment building in a neighborhood and books curbside delivery with liftgate, even when a dock exists.

Ella's Bubbles books the shipment at the service level the carrier assigns and cannot reclassify a site the carrier considers residential. When an order is marked commercial and the carrier's system flags the address as residential, the team asks you to confirm the delivery type before the shipment is booked, and may ask whether you need liftgate service, whether the address is a business or a residence, and whether you would rather pick up at the terminal. Can my walk-in tub be delivered to a condo loading dock instead? walks through that conversation. The short version is to give your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 the exact address and the dock details before the order is finalized, so the delivery type is settled before the tub is on a truck.

Curbside, Dock, Inside Delivery and Pickup Compared

The table lists the delivery types that appear in Ella's published delivery articles, with what each one needs at the site and where the crate ends up. No delivery type puts the tub inside your unit.

What the differences mean: for almost every apartment or condo order the first row is the one that applies, because the carrier reads a residential neighborhood as a residential stop. The rows below it only come into play if the carrier classifies the building as commercial, if you arrange inside delivery before shipment, or if the truck cannot reach the site at all. In every case the climb from the drop point to your unit is yours to arrange, not the carrier's and not Ella's.

What Inside Delivery Adds, and What It Does Not

Ella's Bubbles does not offer white glove delivery, which generally means a crew unpacks the product, places it in the room and removes the packaging. Inside delivery is narrower: the carrier moves the crate from the truck to an agreed spot on your property, such as inside a garage, and it does not include placing the tub in the bathroom or any installation work. It is not available from every carrier or at every address. The team confirms the carrier's charge for your specific delivery and adds it to the order only after you, or the dealer who placed your order, approve it. White Glove and Inside Delivery Options for a Walk-In Tub Order explains how to ask.

• Ask before the tub ships, at the latest before you authorize shipment. Once the tub is on the truck, adding services is far harder.
• Describe the route in detail: gates, side entrances, distance from the truck, steps and their height, stairs, and the surfaces the crate will cross.
• Name an on-site contact with a phone number, often your contractor, and include gate instructions for a gated community.
• Approve the charge, then tell the team to release the tub.

For an apartment, be realistic about what the carrier will agree to. A spot at ground level that the crate can roll into is the kind of inside delivery the service describes. Your installer still handles moving the tub to the bathroom and setting it.

What to Arrange with Your Building Before the Truck Comes

• Certificate of insurance. If your building requires one from the delivery carrier, contact support as soon as you know. Support passes the request to the freight provider, who requests the certificate from the carrier and forwards it to you or your management office. The certificate comes from the carrier, not from Ella, so it takes time. My Building Requires a Certificate of Insurance for the Tub Delivery lists what to send.
• Elevator reservation and dock rules. Ask your management office at the same time you ask about the certificate, and measure the elevator door at its clear width and the inside of the car as you would any corner the tub must pivot through.
• Helpers. Line up your installer or two or more able helpers before delivery day. A crated tub is heavy and awkward for one person, and the crate needs to come off the curb the day it arrives.
• The delivery window. The carrier calls ahead to schedule it, so someone who can receive and inspect the shipment must be present.
• Truck access. A narrow street or a site the carrier flags as limited access changes what it will book, and What Happens If the Freight Truck Cannot Reach My Driveway or Road? covers the terminal and Chicago pickup alternatives.

On Delivery Day

Inspect the crate for visible damage with the driver present and photograph anything that looks off before you sign. If you cannot make a qualified inspection at the time of delivery, write Concealed Damage Possible on the bill of lading, then date and sign it. Keep all packaging material until the installation is complete, inspect the tub visually and operationally once it is unpacked, and report any concealed damage within 48 hours of receipt. If you need to open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support about the delivery, have your order number and the delivery date ready.

Common Questions