Will a walk-in tub fit in the space where my garden tub was?

In most cases, yes. Ella's Bubbles does not make a garden tub shape, but every Ella walk-in tub is a rectangle built on a standard size, and the lineup runs from the compact Mobile at 26 inches wide by 45 inches long up to the bariatric ShaK at 36 inches wide by 72 inches long, so the footprint a garden tub leaves behind almost always has room for one. The new tub sits against the walls that framed the old one, the factory apron and the included reversible end panel finish the exposed sides, and your installer frames and finishes whatever part of the old footprint the tub does not fill. If your garden tub was a triangular corner unit, Can a walk-in tub replace a triangular corner garden tub and fill the space? walks through that specific swap. This page covers the measurements to take for any garden tub footprint, which models use a large space well, and how the finished sides and the plumbing side are planned.

Measure the Footprint the Garden Tub Left Behind

A garden tub usually leaves a larger opening than a standard tub, so the question is rarely whether an Ella tub fits and more often how much of the old footprint it fills. Take these measurements in inches before you compare models.

1. Measure the length of the wall or opening where the tub will go, wall to wall at the back and again at the front, because older openings are often out of square.
2. Measure the depth from the back wall to the open edge of the space.
3. Measure the height of any window sill, shelf or fixture above the planned tub location. Ella tubs stand from 21 inches tall on the LayDown models up to 40 inches on several seated models, so a low window that cleared a garden tub may not clear a walk-in tub.
4. Measure every doorway, hallway and turn on the route from the curb to the bathroom. Use the actual exterior width on the current spec sheet, not the nominal marketing size. The Elite is 30 inches wide and the Petite is 27.5 inches wide even though it is sold as a 28 inch tub.

The route matters as much as the footprint. The frame and shell are one piece and cannot be split, but the apron, access panels, end panel and extension panel all come off so the tub travels at its smallest size, and at a tight corner the tub can be stood on end with the seat end, where the pumps are, facing down. Can I Stand the Tub on End to Get It Through the Door? covers the move step by step.

Models That Use a Garden Tub Footprint Well

Every Ella tub fits in a space that held a garden tub, but a small tub in a big opening leaves a lot of framing for your installer. The models below are the larger footprints in the lineup, with the actual factory sizes from Walk-in tub dimensions by model: exterior sizes, seat widths, and door types. The Mobile is included as the smallest tub for comparison.

What the differences mean: a 60 inch model such as the Standard60 or Ultimate fills a standard alcove length with no filler, the Tub4Two adds a second seat in the same 60 inch length, and the Big4One and ShaK stretch to 66 and 72 inches for bathers who want the roominess a garden tub offered. The LayDown models, offered in 30x60 and 32x72 inch sizes, trade the upright seat for a stretched-out soak and stand only 21 inches tall, which Laid-Down Walk-In Tub Dimensions and Fit explains. Depth from the back wall is the other axis to watch: the ShaK needs 36 inches, the Tub4Two and LayDown 32x72 need 32 inches, and most seated models need roughly 30 inches.

How the Finished Sides Work in a Garden Tub Space

Think of an Ella walk-in tub as having four sides, two of which come finished from the factory.

• The front apron, with its removable access panels, finishes the side you face.
• One reversible end panel ships with every tub and fits either end, so it finishes whichever end is exposed.
• The long back side has no cover on any model. It must face a wall or a knee wall your contractor builds.
• A second end panel can be purchased if the tub stands against the back wall with both ends open.
• Any tub shorter than 60 inches ships with an extension panel so it fits a standard 60 inch alcove, and the panel goes on the right or the left of the tub. If you do not need the extra end panel or the extension panel, you can opt out of either one to reduce plastic waste.

In a garden tub space, the two walls that met behind the old tub become the back wall and one end wall of the new tub, the apron faces the room, and the end panel finishes the open end. Any leftover footprint beyond the tub is framed and finished by your installer, so the finished look is decided as much by that framing as by the tub you choose.

Corner, Alcove or Open Wall

Garden tubs sit in several kinds of spaces, and the finishing details change with each.

• Corner. A triangular corner space measuring roughly 62 by 83 inches wall to wall has room for any Ella model. The tub sits along the two walls, the apron faces the room and the reversible end panel finishes the open end. A corner install usually needs only the end panel, not the extension panel.
• Three-wall alcove. If the garden tub sat in an alcove, a 60 inch tub fills it on its own. The Ultimate is actually 59.5 inches long, which is why it needs no extension panel, while most 52 and 55 inch models use the extension panel to close the gap. What Is an Alcove Installation for a Walk-In Tub? covers that layout.
• Against one wall. When the tub's back sits against a single wall with both ends open, the included end panel covers one end and a second end panel is purchased for the other.

Whichever layout you use, plan service access. Alcove placement puts the plumbing end against a wall, so ask your installer to add a wall access panel behind that end so the pumps and drain connections can be reached without disturbing tile. The space around the tub must never be packed with insulation.

Door Side, Drain Side and the Plumbing Wall

The door and the drains are on opposite sides of an Ella walk-in tub: a right-side door tub has its drains on the left, and a left-side door tub has its drains on the right, as you face the tub. If your garden tub's supply and drain lines come up on one wall and will stay there, choose the door side that puts the drains toward that wall. Door types also differ by model. The Standard, Standard60, Zen, Zen60 and Flow use an inward-swing acrylic S-shape door, the Elite, Petite, Royal, Deluxe and Ultimate use an inward-swing stainless steel and glass door, and the Capri, Monaco, Lounger, ShaK, Big4One and Tub4Two use an outward-swing U-shape door. The Zen spec sheets print a U-shape wording that is a misprint; the Zen door is the same S-shape door as the Standard. Confirm the door side and the model with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before the tub is built, because the door, drain and extension panel sides are set at order time. If you open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support about fit, include the wall-to-wall measurements at the back and front of the space, the depth, the height of anything above the tub, and the model you are considering.

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• Will it fit my alcove? Extension panels, end panels, and 60 inch spaces
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