When will I receive shipping details for my walk-in tub order?

Shipping details for an Ella walk-in tub order arrive in stages rather than in one message. The invoice comes first and confirms the ship-to address, the order is released to production once payment and those details are confirmed, and the tracking information is emailed only after the freight carrier has actually picked the tub up. Who Ships Your Walk-In Tub, Tracking, and Getting It Into Your Home explains the carrier and liftgate side of delivery, and this page lays out the order in which each piece of information reaches you and what to do with it when it does.

The Order in Which Your Shipping Information Arrives

Every Ella walk-in tub is assembled and tested to order, so the paperwork follows the build rather than arriving all at once. Here is the sequence most orders follow.

1. The invoice. This is the first document you receive, and it does more than total the order. It confirms the ship-to address, whether that is your home, your installer's business or a freight terminal, along with every line item, including any accessory such as a shower screen. The tub is released only after you confirm those details, so read the address line as carefully as the model line.
2. Payment and release to production. Ella releases an order to production only after it is paid. Until then nothing is scheduled, which is why a prompt review and payment of the invoice is the single best way to keep your order moving.
3. Assembly, testing and packing. Walk-in tubs are assembled and tested in Chicago. Once the tub is built it is tested and inspected to make sure it is leak free and every pump and motor runs properly, then it is cleaned. Small items such as drains and handles are individually wrapped, boxed and placed in the tub or under the frame, the tub is wrapped in plastic and bubble wrap, and the invoice and bill of lading are double checked before the tub goes into a wooden crate or a reinforced cardboard container. The first video on this page follows this whole process from purchase to the truck.
4. Tracking by email. Tracking information is sent to you once the shipping company has picked the tub up. It is not sent when the order is placed or when the tub is finished, because there is nothing to track until the freight carrier has the crate.
5. The carrier's scheduling call. Once the tub is in the freight network, the carrier calls the phone number on the shipping paperwork to arrange the delivery. Residential delivery includes liftgate service, so the driver lowers the crate to the ground at the curb.

Why the Invoice Does Not Show a Delivery Date

Owners often expect a delivery date to appear on the invoice or the order confirmation, and it does not. Because each tub is built and tested for the order it belongs to, total time from a paid invoice to delivery depends on the model, the options chosen and current stock, and no fixed timeline is published. That is deliberate. A printed date that slipped would be worse than an honest answer, so the practical route is to ask where you purchased, your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, and they confirm the current timing for your specific order. A freight forwarder chooses the shipping company for you based on what is most affordable, so there is nothing to book on your side. Your part is to confirm the invoice promptly and keep the delivery phone number reachable.

Getting the Ship-To Address and Phone Number Right

Because the tub ships to the address on the invoice, the two details that decide how smoothly delivery goes are the address and the phone number. The address can be your home, but it does not have to be. If a curbside freight delivery is not practical, because your community restricts truck deliveries or nobody can be home for a delivery window, the tub can go to your plumber's or installer's shop instead. Shipping Your Tub to Your Plumber or Installer Instead of Your Home covers what the team needs for that: the full street address, a contact name, a phone number the carrier can call, and whether the shop needs a liftgate truck.

• Give a phone number that will be answered. The carrier uses it to schedule the delivery, and a number nobody picks up is the surest way to delay a crate that is otherwise ready to roll.
• Check whether the destination is residential or commercial. The team confirms this whenever the address changes, because it affects how the delivery is handled at the other end.
• Make changes early. You can redirect an order as long as the tub has not shipped, by confirming the new address and contact details in writing and asking for an updated invoice showing the change. Once the carrier has the crate, the address on the paperwork is the one it travels to.

If You Bought Through a Dealer or Retailer

When the order was placed through a dealer or retailer, that seller holds your order and its delivery details, so your first stop for status and tracking is where you purchased. Dealers have their own paperwork flow with Ella. The order desk replies to a dealer's purchase order with the option to use Ella's shipping or the dealer's own carrier, and a dealer who chooses their own carrier sends Ella a bill of lading and receives the pick-up location, the crated shipping dimensions, the shipping weight and the freight class. Dealer Orders: Using Your Own Freight Carrier and Bill of Lading walks through that process, including the point at which Ella confirms the scheduled ship or pick-up window. If your dealer is handling freight this way, the tracking you receive comes from the dealer's carrier rather than from Ella, which is another reason to start with the seller.

Payment works the same way for every order, by ACH, wire transfer or credit card, and Payment Options and Shipping Costs for Your Walk-In Tub Order explains how to set each one up and why shipping appears as its own line on the invoice. One useful detail from that page: if a shower screen is back-ordered, the tub does not wait for it. The tub ships first and the screen follows later.

What to Have Ready When the Tracking Email Lands

The tracking email is your cue to prepare for delivery day. Standard delivery is curbside with a liftgate, so the crate comes off the truck and no further, and a walk-in tub is awkward enough to handle that Ella recommends a contractor with two or three people to bring it into the home. When the truck arrives, look over the shipping container before you sign. Light scuffs and scrapes on the crate are normal, because the container is designed to absorb damage and protect the tub, but photograph them on your phone and note them on the delivery paperwork anyway. If the crate is severely damaged and you suspect the tub inside is damaged, you can reject the delivery, and the team at (800) 480-6850 will ask for copies of the bill of lading, the invoice and photos documenting the damage. If the packaging shows only light damage, uncrate the tub and inspect the surfaces and all connections before the installer begins. The second video shows the thick corrugated five-piece box or half-inch plywood crate the tub travels in, with the skid wrapped in plywood to protect it from forklifts at the terminals, and why that packaging matters on a freight trip.

Related Guides

• How do I check the status of my Ella order or shipment?
• How your walk-in tub ships and how to prepare for delivery day

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