Who installs a walk-in tub, and how do I find one?

Ella's Bubbles manufactures walk-in tubs and does not install them, send technicians, or charge for installation. A local licensed plumber and electrician, often coordinated by a general contractor or the remodeler handling the bathroom, set the tub, connect the water and drain, and wire the pumps, and the same rule applies to every later job on the tub, from mounting the spout described in There Is an Open Hole in the Deck of My New Tub: That Is Where the Spout Installs to swapping a door. To find an installer, ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, which can check its nationwide installer network for a professional near you, or hire any licensed, experienced local contractor of your own.

Who Does the Work on an Ella Walk-In Tub

Ella's Bubbles is the manufacturer. Every tub is assembled and tested to order, ships by freight to the address you provide, and is then handed over to the trades. Ella does not perform installations and does not employ traveling technicians, so nobody from the factory arrives with the crate. The people who install a walk-in tub are the same trades who install any bathtub:

• A licensed plumber sets the tub, connects the hot and cold supply lines, mounts the spout and faucet set in the deck openings, and ties the drain and overflow into the house drain line.
• A licensed electrician runs the dedicated circuit the therapy pumps need and connects the pumps, heater and controls under the tub. Heated seat and back pads are wired to a control box under the tub, so pad work is electrician work as well.
• A general contractor or remodeler often coordinates both trades, handles the alcove, the surround and any doorway or floor changes, and acts as the single point of contact for the homeowner.

No special certification from Ella's Bubbles is required. Any licensed installer with bathroom experience can set the tub, and Ella does not require you to use a dealer's crew or an installer from its network. What Ella asks is that the work be done properly by a licensed trade, because the published warranty excludes damage caused by improper or negligent installation.

How to Find a Licensed Installer

You have three good paths, and many customers use more than one.

1. Ask where you purchased. Your Ella dealer often works with local installers who have set Ella tubs before and knows who covers your area.
2. Ask the team to check the installer network. Call (800) 480-6850 or open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support. Ella's Bubbles maintains a nationwide network of installers and can refer a professional near you. The referral is a starting point rather than a requirement, and the contract, schedule and labor charges are between you and the installer.
3. Hire your own. A licensed plumber and electrician you already trust are a fine choice. Look for a contractor who is licensed and experienced with bathroom remodels, and share the tub's documentation with them before the crate arrives so they know what is coming.

It helps to have the installer lined up before the tub ships. The freight delivery, the loose parts in the crate and any later parts shipments are all easiest to coordinate when one person owns the job, and Ella can ship parts directly to an installer's address when a dealer or contractor is managing the work.

Before the Installer Opens the Crate

Two things are worth doing on delivery day, whether you or your installer receives the shipment. First, inspect the tub for freight damage, including concealed damage, and report anything you find through ellasbubbles.com/support or (800) 480-6850 within 48 hours of receipt. Keep all of the packaging material until the tub has been checked over. Second, unpack every loose component that ships with the tub and lay the parts out where you can see them. Ella ships the tub with the water spout uninstalled, so the open hole in the deck is not a missing part. The spout, the supply lines and the other faucet pieces travel loose in the shipment, and the 2-piece and 5-piece fast-fill sets include different numbers of parts, so match what you find against the faucet set on your order before anyone reports something missing.

What Ella's Bubbles Gives Your Installer

Although Ella does not do the labor, it does not leave your installer alone with the crate either. Free lifetime technical support is available to you and to your installer by phone, email and video, and the manuals and installation documents for each model are published for the trades to work from. If a question comes up during the install, the installer can call (800) 480-6850 or open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support from your bathroom, and the support team answers the same kinds of hookup questions after the install for spout fitting, shower column kits and replacement parts.

A few examples from the support desk show how the division of labor works in practice:

• The tub ships with the spout uninstalled, so the installer fits it into the deck opening during the faucet hookup.
• A shower column kit ships from Ella, and a homeowner or a local licensed plumber attaches it to the diverter on the fast-fill faucet, as described in Can you take a shower in a walk-in tub?.
• A replacement heated seat or back pad ships by parcel carrier and is fitted by your installer or a licensed electrician, as explained in How Do I Get a Replacement Heated Seat or Back Pad for My Walk-In Tub?. The pad can go to the tub's address or directly to the installer.
• A complete replacement door bolts to the existing hinges with an Allen wrench, a short job for the installer who set the tub, any local licensed contractor or handyman, or a handy family member, as covered in Ordering a Complete Replacement Door: What It Includes, What the Team Needs, and How It Installs.

Warranty, Labor and the Activation Form

The lifetime limited warranty covers parts only. When a covered part is verified, Ella's Bubbles ships the replacement to the original customer at no charge, but the labor to remove and refit it is not covered, and Ella is not liable for incidental expenses or material charges connected with removal or replacement of the product or parts. Workmanship is warranted by the installer who did the work, so ask your contractor what labor guarantee they provide before the job starts. The published warranty also excludes modifications or repairs made by anyone other than Ella's Bubbles, and Ella is not bound by warranty promises made by dealers, retailers, distributors or contractors. If you have a question about whether a specific situation is covered, the support team makes that determination, not the installer.

Your installer also has a role in putting the warranty in force. The two-page warranty activation form must be completed and signed by both you and the installer and returned to Ella's Bubbles, which can be done online at ellasbubbles.com/warranty-activation/. Have the installer fill in their portion on installation day while the details are fresh, and note your serial number from the label behind the magnetic access panel next to the door, since the support team asks for it on every later request.

Related Guides

• What Installation Involves, How Long It Takes, and What Drives the Cost
• Before Your Installer Leaves: The 16 Checks Explained in Plain Language and Why Each One Protects Your Warranty
• Installation choices that affect your warranty and how to keep coverage intact

Related Videos

Common Questions