Who Installs an Ella Shower Pan or Shower Base?

A local licensed contractor installs an Ella shower pan or base. Ella's Bubbles molds the base to size and ships it as a finished acrylic or cultured marble piece, and it does not send technicians or perform installations, so your contractor sets the base on the floor, connects it to the drain line and finishes the walls around it, as How do you build a custom shower pan or base? explains. Ella's part is to build the base to your dimensions and to give your contractor free technical support by phone and email.

What the Installer Actually Does

Because every Ella base comes out of a mold, nothing is formed, lined, tiled or grouted in the bathroom. The pan carries the drain and the threshold, and on some shower models a molded seat, so the contractor's work is limited to preparing the floor and the plumbing and then setting the finished piece.

1. Prepare the floor and confirm the drain line lands where the drain is placed on the base you ordered.
2. Set the base. Acrylic bases are finished and ready to use once installed. Cultured marble bases are heavy and require at least two people to set them. The video on this page shows those bases, molded solid cultured marble with a glossy gel coat finish and an ADA compliant slip resistant textured floor.
3. Connect the drain.
4. On a roll-in or barrier-free base, fit the self-adhesive collapsible rubber dam that ships with it, which keeps water in while a wheelchair rolls over it.
5. Finish the walls above the pan with the wall system sized to the base.

Decisions to Settle Before the Floor Is Cut

The installer can only set what was ordered, and the size, the drain position and the threshold are fixed when the pan is molded. Settle these points first and pass them to your contractor in writing.

• Size. Standard acrylic bases are 30 by 60, 32 by 60 and 36 by 60 inches, each with a left or right drain, and the same three footprints are offered as wheelchair accessible curb-less roll-in pans with the drain position specified at order. A custom base is a rectangle only, up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long, and angled or curved edges are not offered. What Is the Largest Custom Shower Base Ella's Bubbles Can Make? lists the limits.
• Layout. Custom bases are made for three-wall alcoves and for corner installations, and the team asks which you have so the drain and edges are placed correctly.
• Drain. The drain can be placed left, right or center, but it must sit at least 9 inches from each wall. A drain only 7 inches from the threshold edge is not possible, even on a custom base, so check the existing line against that rule before ordering.
• Threshold. A custom base typically has a threshold of about 3 inches. Zero threshold bases sit flush with the surrounding floor for a barrier free entry.
• Measurement. Measure the finished opening, not the framing, so the base arrives ready to set.

If the installation is on a concrete slab with no access from below, or the existing drain is in an unusual spot, 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 team confirms whether a base can be made to match and what drain hardware ships with it. Custom sizes have not always been offered and the maximum size has been corrected in the past, so confirm the current limits before your contractor cuts the floor. Who makes custom shower pans for odd bathroom layouts? covers the layouts a rectangle can and cannot solve.

Finding a Contractor and Getting Them Support

Any licensed local plumber or contractor can install an Ella base, and certification by Ella is not required. If you do not have one, the team can help you get in touch with installers in your area, so call (800) 480-6850 with your city and ask for referrals. Ella's technical support then guides your contractor for free with manuals and live phone, email and video help. Give the contractor the base size, drain position and threshold style before delivery so the rough-in is ready, and have the contractor call (800) 480-6850 with any questions during the install. Two things stay separate. Ella's Bubbles provides the lifetime parts warranty, and if a part is ever defective the replacement ships under the warranty while a local licensed plumber does the labor. The installation work itself is warranted by the contractor who did it, and installation, plumbing and electrical connections and water damage to the home are not covered by the product warranty.

Ordering Everything the Installer Needs

Shower products are sold per item rather than as a single bundle, so a complete roll-in shower is put together from the roll-in base in your size and drain position, a wall system sized to the base, such as the plain white acrylic three-piece panel kit, a CNC engraved pattern in acrylic or a marble-look three-piece panel kit, and accessories such as grab bars or a shower door. Wheelchair Accessible Shower Base Sizes, Drain Positions, and What Is Sold Separately lists what ships with the base and what is separate. Order all of it through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 with the base size, drain position and any walls or accessories wanted, so the whole shower is on site on the contractor's first day. Contractors and remodelers who expect to install Ella showers regularly can apply for the dealer program and look up shower products in the dealer portal, and Who Makes Custom Shower Pans and Bases for Accessible Showers? explains how the bases are sold.

Related Guides

• Who Installs My Walk-in Tub? Hiring a Licensed Contractor and How Ella Supports Them
• What Installation Involves, How Long It Takes, and What Drives the Cost

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