Bathing units can be showers, bathtubs, or whirlpool tubs. Getting one-piece units into an existing home can be extremely difficult, if not impractical (Figure 5.9). Never fear, manufacturers offer many sectional units to overcome this problem. Standard bathtubs fit into a space that is 5 feet in length. Watch out for customers who spec out a 6 foot tub when you only have 5 feet to work with. This happens, so don't get taken by surprise if a customer chooses a model number that won't fit the available space.

Figure 5.9: One-piece showers and tub-shower combinations.

If you need a sectional bathing unit, and you will for most jobs, there are plenty to choose from (Figure 5.10). Manufacturers make them in a number of ways. Most of them are a four-piece arrangement. Some of them come in just two pieces. There is no shortage of design styles or quality. I will tell you this: I have installed hundreds of sectional tub surrounds and you cannot afford to use a cheap one. Believe me on this. Pay what you have to pay to get the highest quality you can.

Figure 5.10: Sectional tub surrounds.

Custom-made showers are not very common in modern construction, but they are an option that you can offer your customers. These are showers where a plumber forms a base within the framing that your carpenters build. The base has a raised drain in it. Concrete, or a similar filler, is poured into the watertight base...