Where can I get a custom size shower base for my space?

A custom size shower base for a space that no standard footprint fits comes from Ella's Bubbles itself, ordered through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850. Ella makes its bases to order in rectangular sizes up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long, with the drain placed left, right or center at least 9 inches from each wall, and the limits are set out in What Is the Largest Custom Shower Base Ella's Bubbles Can Make?. This page explains how to tell whether you need a custom base at all, what can and cannot be made, and exactly what to send so the base arrives ready to set.

Check the Standard Sizes First

Ella manufactures its own acrylic shower bases in standard sizes of 30x60, 32x60 and 36x60 inches, each with a left or right drain, and all three are ADA curb-less roll-in pans a wheelchair can roll straight into. The 32 by 60 inch barrier-free roll-in base in left and right configurations is ready to ship, and a 3-inch step-in threshold base is offered for anyone who prefers a slightly raised edge. Seat shower bases are offered alongside the roll-in style. If one of these fits your opening, it is the simplest choice, because the drain sits in a set position for that size and the pieces around it are already sized to match. A custom base is for the space a standard size will not fit, or for a drain line that none of the standard positions can reach.

The differences come down to two things: whether your opening is one of the three 60 inch widths, and where your drain line sits. Standard pans give you a fixed drain for the size, so the drain-location check described in Can I Choose a Left, Right, or Center Drain on an Ella Shower? decides whether one will work. A custom pan frees both the footprint and the drain, within the 9 inch rule, and it is made for either a three-wall alcove or a corner, so the team asks which layout you have before the edges and drain are placed.

What a Custom Base Cannot Be

• Larger than 44 by 80 inches. A request such as 53 by 76 inches cannot be produced.
• Anything but a rectangle. Bases with angled or curved edges are not offered, so a space that needs a non-rectangular pan is not a fit for an Ella base.
• A drain closer than 9 inches to a wall. A drain only 7 inches from the threshold edge is not possible, even on a custom base.
• A pan to tile over. Ella pans, standard or custom, are finished acrylic and are ready to use once installed.

The front threshold of a custom base can be either 2 inches or 4 inches, and the choice changes the basin: a 4-inch threshold gives an inside basin depth of approximately 2 inches, and a 2-inch threshold gives approximately 0.25 inch. For a barrier free entry, zero threshold bases sit flush with the surrounding floor instead. Your Ella dealer or the team confirms which threshold style suits your bathroom and your plumbing rough-in. Custom sizes have not always been offered and the maximum size has been corrected in the past, so treat figures from older pages as superseded and confirm before your contractor cuts the floor.

What to Send When You Ask for One

1. Decide whether you need a roll-in base or a seat base.
2. Measure the finished opening, not the framing, and note the width and the length you want. Walk-In Tub and Shower Base Sizes and How to Measure for Fit covers how to measure.
3. Measure the center of your existing drain from the back wall and from each side wall, and say whether the room is a three-wall alcove or a corner.
4. Choose a 2-inch or 4-inch front threshold, or ask about zero threshold.
5. Choose acrylic wall panels, or plan for tile on the walls, since a custom base has a tile flange made for that.
6. Share all of it with your Ella dealer or call (800) 480-6850, or open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with a simple drawing of the space showing the walls, the size you want and where the existing drain is.

The drawing matters most when the installation is on a concrete slab with no access from below, because the drain cannot be moved later. The team confirms whether a base can be made to match and what drain hardware ships with it. Because the drain-placement tool can round measurements up to the nearest inch, confirm your exact drain location with the team before the base is built.

Walls, Finishing and Who Installs It

The base is sold on its own, and shower products are sold per item, so a complete shower is put together from the base, a wall system sized to it, and accessories such as grab bars or a door. Because a custom base has a tile flange, it works well where the walls will be tiled; acrylic wall systems are the alternative, and shower wall sample binders show the color choices. The base itself is never tiled over. The roll-in family and what ships separately are described in Wheelchair Accessible Shower Base Sizes, Drain Positions, and What Is Sold Separately, and the general base and wall options in Shower Bases and Walls. Ella does not send technicians: your local licensed plumber sets the base and makes the drain connection, and your contractor finishes the walls around it. Contractors and remodelers who expect to buy regularly can apply for the dealer program.

Related Guides

• How Close to the Wall Can the Drain Be on a Custom Shower Base, and Can It Be Centered?
• How long does a custom Ella shower pan take to build and ship?
• How Do You Measure a Shower Base, Including a Corner Base?

Common Questions