How tall is an Ella walk-in tub from floor to rim?

Most Ella walk-in tubs stand 35 inches from the floor to the top of the rim, which is the published height of the Ella Elite and the Ella Petite, and across the whole line the heights run from 21 inches on the reclining LayDown to 40 inches on the Lounger. Height is the third of the three outside dimensions printed on every Ella spec drawing, after width and length, and the actual inch figure on the current drawing is always the one to measure against. What are the standard dimensions of a walk-in tub? lists all three dimensions for every model, and this page concentrates on the height alone: which models are lowest and tallest, how overall height differs from seat height and soaking depth, and what the number means for the wall above the tub and for the estimate your installer prepares.

Published Heights by Model

Ella builds around a set of standard footprints rather than custom shells, and the height travels with the footprint. The table pulls the verified height figures from the current spec drawings and the model guides. Where a height has not been published in those sources the cell says not listed, and the spec sheet for that model is the place to confirm it.

The spread matters more than any single figure. A 35 inch seated tub stands well above a conventional bathtub, so the wall finish, any window above the deck and the reach to anything mounted on the wall all start higher than they did before. The LayDown at 21 inches sits closest to the height of the tub most people are replacing, while the Lounger at 40 inches is the one to plan around most carefully, because its rim will be the highest surface in the room apart from the walls. If your model is not in the table, ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 for the current spec drawing and read the height straight from it rather than estimating from a similar model.

Overall Height, Seat Height and Soaking Depth Are Three Different Numbers

Three figures get confused when people ask how tall a walk-in tub is, and they describe different things. Overall height is the outside measurement from the floor to the rim, and it is the figure in the table above. Seat height is inside the tub: nearly every Ella walk-in tub is built around a molded seat at chair height, about 17 inches high on most models, with a footwell in front of it. Soaking depth describes how deep the water can be once you are in, and it is not the same as either of the other two. The LayDown 30x60 shows the difference clearly. It stands 21 inches high overall and has a 15 inch soaking depth, while a standard bathtub offers about 11 inches, which is why the LayDown is described as deeper and roomier than an average tub even though it sits only 21 inches high. The tubs with no seat at all, and the side figures published for them, are compared in Which Ella Walk-In Tubs Have No Seat, and How High Are the Sides?

The short video on this page shows how soaking depth is worked out on a seated tub. Three factors set it: the interior length of the tub, the length of the seat, and the depth from the top of the seat to the center of the overflow drains. The bather's own size then decides how deep the water actually feels, so two people in the same tub can experience a different soaking depth. When you compare models, keep the three figures separate: overall height for the room, seat height for getting in and out, and soaking depth for the bath itself.

Nominal Names and the Figure on the Drawing

The size in a model's name is a rounded nominal figure, and the same rounding applies to every dimension on the sheet. A tub sold as 28 inches can measure 27.5 inches on the drawing, and a tub described as a 5 foot tub can measure 59.5 inches long. Those half-inch differences are normal rounding in the product name, not an error in the drawing, and the actual inch figure on the current specification drawing is the one to measure against. When a metric figure printed beside an inch figure disagrees with it, the inch figure is the correct one. Height is printed on the drawing in the same way, so if you are checking whether a tub clears a window sill or a fixed shelf, use the inch height from the current drawing and nothing else.

What the Height Means for the Wall Above the Tub

Once the tub is in place, the space from the rim up to the ceiling is what you finish with tile or wall panels, and that distance changes with the tub height. Ella's wall kits are published with their own heights: the Acrylic 6-Piece Kit in Carrara White measures 36 inches deep by 60 inches wide by 92 inches tall, the Acrylic Solid White Glossy 3-Piece Surround measures 40 inches deep by 60 inches wide by 97 inches tall, and the SMC subway-look panels come as a 6-piece or 12-piece kit at 36 inches deep by 60 inches wide by 96 inches tall. Because the 3-piece surround is deeper and taller than the 6-piece kit, confirm your ceiling height and alcove depth before choosing it. Measure your alcove width, depth and the height from the tub rim to the ceiling before choosing any kit, and if your alcove is larger or smaller than the kit footprint, give the team those measurements so they can advise on fit. The kits and how they differ are laid out in Acrylic 6-Piece Wall Panel Kit: Size, Shelves, Thickness and How It Compares to the 3-Piece Surround and SMC Panels.

Getting the Height, and an Estimate, Without a Home Visit

You do not need anyone to visit to learn how tall the tub is. The height is a published specification, and your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 can send the current spec drawing for the model you are considering. Ella's Bubbles does not send anyone to your home to measure the bathroom, inspect the plumbing or write up an estimate. The right model is chosen during a phone conversation, and a written proposal covering the tub, its specifications and delivery to your address is prepared from that call, as Will Someone Come to My Home for an Estimate? explains. For that call, have the interior width of the bathroom door and any hallway doors on the route in, the length and width of the space where the tub will go, and which side the existing drain is on. Photos of the room are welcome.

The installation estimate is a different document, and it comes from the installer, not from Ella. Measuring the space and confirming that your existing plumbing and electrical service will work is the job of the licensed contractor who installs the tub, and many installers offer an in-home visit of their own. If you do not have an installer yet, Ella can send your contact information, the tub specifications and the electrical diagrams for your model to a recommended contractor in your area. That installer then contacts you directly, visits your home to take measurements of the installation space, and provides you with an estimate for the installation work. The referral steps are in Getting Installer Referrals and Leads for Your Walk-In Tub. Because the installer already has the spec sheet in hand before the visit, the tub height is never the open question on that day; the visit is about your room, your plumbing and your electrical panel.

Watch: How to Measure the Soaking Depth of Your Walk-In Tub | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• How many gallons of water does a walk-in tub hold?
• Interior Length, Seat-to-Overflow and Seat-to-Footwell by Model: The Soaking Depth Table
• Step-In Threshold Heights by Model and How Low It Can Go

Common Questions