Who Installs a Shower Pan or Shower Base in My Bathroom?

A local licensed contractor installs an Ella shower pan or base. Ella's Bubbles manufactures the base and ships it as a finished piece, and your contractor sets it on the floor, connects it to the drain line and finishes the walls around it. Ella does not perform installations or send technicians, so the person to line up before the base arrives is a plumber or remodeling contractor licensed in your area, as How do you build a custom shower pan or base? explains.

What the Installer Does, and What They Do Not

Because the base arrives finished, the job on site is smaller than a traditional built-up pan. Ella pans, standard or custom, are finished acrylic and do not need to be tiled over. The base carries the drain and the threshold, and on some shower models a molded seat, so nothing is formed, lined or grouted in your bathroom. The size of the rectangle, where the drain sits and how tall the threshold is are all decided before the base is molded. Your contractor's work is therefore:

• Preparing the floor and the plumbing so the base lands on the rough-in.
• Setting the finished base in place.
• Connecting the base's drain to the house drain line.
• Finishing the walls around it, with an Ella wall system or another wall covering.

Ella's technical support guides your contractor for free with manuals and live video help, so questions that come up during the job go to your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850. Labor is arranged and paid for between you and the contractor.

Decide These Things Before the Contractor Cuts the Floor

The base is ordered to size rather than cut, so the measurements have to be right before anything is opened up.

1. Standard or custom size. Standard acrylic bases come in 30x60, 32x60 and 36x60 inches, each with a left or right drain, and the same three footprints are offered as wheelchair accessible curb-less roll-in pans. Custom rectangular bases run up to 44 inches wide by 80 inches long, with a minimum of 30 by 30 inches for either layout. Only rectangles are made; bases with angled or curved edges are not offered.
2. Drain position. Left, right or center, and on a custom base at least 9 inches from each wall. A drain only 7 inches from the threshold edge is not possible, even on a custom base. Tell the team where the existing drain line sits in the floor so it can confirm which drain position matches your size.
3. 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.
4. Threshold. A custom base typically has a threshold of about 3 inches. For a barrier free entry, zero threshold bases sit flush with the surrounding floor instead, and roll-in and barrier-free bases ship with a self-adhesive collapsible rubber dam.
5. The opening itself. Measure the finished opening, not the framing, before requesting a custom size.

Custom sizes have not always been offered and the maximum size has been corrected in the past, so confirm the current limits in What Is the Largest Custom Shower Base Ella's Bubbles Can Make? before your contractor cuts. The roll-in sizes and their drain options are in Wheelchair Accessible Shower Base Sizes, Drain Positions, and What Is Sold Separately.

Tell the Contractor Which Material Is Coming

Ella makes two kinds of base, and the difference changes the crew your contractor brings. Acrylic bases, standard or custom, are finished acrylic ready to use once installed. Cultured marble bases come in three sizes and are shown in the video on this page: molded solid cultured marble with a glossy gel coat finish and an ADA compliant slip resistant textured floor, built to be sturdy, durable and easy to maintain. They are heavy and need at least two people to set, which is worth telling your contractor before delivery day.

The walls are the part of the job that is trimmed on site, not the base. Ella's cultured marble travertine wall panels are made from natural quartz and granite composite with a gel coat surface, come as eight, six or four panel surrounds, can be carried and installed by one person, glue over drywall, plaster, painted walls, cement board or existing tile, and have factory finished edges that can be trimmed and cut for a custom fit. Ella also makes acrylic shower wall panels 98 inches high in a plain white finish. Where Can I Buy a Shower Base for a Bathroom Remodel? covers how the base and walls are ordered together.

Unusual Floors and Slab Installations

If your existing drain is in an unusual spot, or the installation is on a concrete slab with no access from below, 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, so your contractor knows what is arriving before the floor is touched.

Contractors Who Install Showers Regularly

Shower products are sold per item rather than as a single bundle, so a complete roll-in shower is put together from the base in your size and drain position, a wall system sized to the base, and accessories such as grab bars or a shower door. Contractors and remodelers who expect to buy regularly can apply for the dealer program and look up shower products in the dealer portal. Who Makes Custom Shower Pans and Bases for Accessible Showers? describes the full range a contractor can specify.

Watch: Cultured Marble Reversible Shower Base with Low Threshold for Safer Bathing | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Common Installation Questions: Tile Order, Leveling Legs, Subfloor, Panels, Drain Size and the Outdoor Test
• How do I find a reputable walk-in tub installation company?
• What Questions Should I Ask a Contractor Before Hiring Them to Install My Tub?

Common Questions