How to Attach a Bathtub

Install the bathtub’s drainpipes before setting the tub in place. Connect a drain tee to the pipe in the floor and then connect the drain shoe to the horizontal connection on the tee. Thread the overflow tube onto the top of the pipe tee.

Lower the bathtub into place and set a level on the tub. If the tub does not sit level, remove it from the installation area and attach shims to the tub’s legs using thumbtacks. Replace the tub and check that it's level, repeating the process until it sits level in every direction.

Drill pilot holes where the mounting holes on the tub’s upper flange sit over wall studs. Drive screws through the mounting holes in the tub and into the studs, stopping once the screw heads touch the tub’s flange.

Spread silicone caulk on the underside of the tub’s main drain assembly, then thread the assembly into the drain opening in the bottom of the tub. Expand a drain key in the drain assembly and use a pipe wrench to turn the assembly clockwise until it's tight.

Set the cover in place atop the overflow drain opening in the tub. Drive the screws through the drain cover and into the screw holes on the overflow tube’s opening.