How to Install a Freestanding Tub Faucet

The short answer: a freestanding tub faucet (also called a floor-mount tub filler, or freestanding bath taps) is installed in two stages. First, before the floor is finished, the hot and cold water lines are brought up through the floor at the exact spot where the faucet will stand. Then, after the floor is done, the faucet is bolted to the floor, connected to those lines, and the tub is set in place. The hard part is the first stage: once the floor is finished, the faucet's spot is fixed, so the tub and the faucet need to be chosen and placed before any plumbing goes in.

The product details in this guide come from the 21 floor-mounted freestanding tub faucets we list from Anzzi, Lexora, Magnus and Vinnova, read on October 22, 2026. Every faucet is a little different, so always follow the installation manual for the faucet you buy.

Before you start: what you need

• The tub and the faucet, chosen together. The faucet's height and spout reach have to suit the tub's rim height and shape. Have both spec sheets and both installation manuals in hand before any plumbing goes in.
• Access under the floor. On a wood subfloor the lines run between the joists from below. On a concrete slab the lines have to come up through the slab, so plan this early with your plumber.
• A plumber for the rough-in. The under-floor part is plumbing work, and your area may need a permit. Mounting the faucet afterward is a simpler job.
• Whatever your faucet's manual lists as not included. For example, Magnus lists the backflow preventer for the hand shower as sold separately on most of its freestanding faucets, and Vinnova notes the Delara does not include a pop-up drain.

Where to place a freestanding tub faucet

There is no single distance that fits every tub. Where the faucet goes depends on three things you can read from the two spec sheets:

1. Spout reach. This is how far the spout sticks out from the faucet's column. The column has to stand close enough to the tub that the water lands inside the tub, past the rim. On our listings, spout reach runs from 6.3 in. (Anzzi Tugela) to 11 1/4 in. (Magnus Mia). Makers measure reach in slightly different ways (Magnus gives the Emery's as 9 in. from the center of the column), so check how your faucet's spec sheet measures it.
2. Height to the spout. The spout has to sit above the tub's rim. On our listings, height to the spout runs from 31 3/4 in. (Magnus Nisshin) to 42.72 in. (Lexora Lago, to the spout outlet). Compare it with your tub's height.
3. Which end or side of the tub. Pick a spot that stays out of the way when you step in and out. Leave room to reach the handles from outside the tub and to clean between the faucet and the tub.

A simple way to check the spot: set the tub (or a cardboard outline of it) where it will go, stand the faucet's spec drawing next to it, and mark the center of the faucet's base on the subfloor.

How to install a freestanding tub faucet, step by step

1. Mark the tub's final position and the faucet spot

Mark the outline of the tub, its drain location and the center of the faucet's base on the subfloor. Every measurement after this depends on these marks.

2. Rough in the water lines under the floor

Run the hot and cold supply lines to the marked spot, ending in the rough-in valve or connections your faucet's manual calls for. Every listing on our site that gives a size has a 1/2 in. connection under the floor, but the thread type is not always the same: Magnus lists the Silerton as 1/2 in. NPT and Lexora lists G1/2 in. for its faucets. Check the manual so the plumber roughs in the right fitting. Two of our listings, the Magnus Nagoya and Nisshin, include an under-floor rough-in valve in the box. The others list flexible supplies or supply lines and mounting hardware, so read the manual for what has to be in place under the floor.

Many floor-mounted faucets bolt to the floor through a base plate. Ask your plumber or installer whether the floor needs extra wood blocking underneath so the faucet stands firm.

3. Test the rough-in for leaks

Have the new lines tested for leaks while the floor is still open. A leak is far easier to fix now than after tile is down.

4. Finish the floor

Lay the finished floor around the rough-in, keeping the connections capped and protected. Several Magnus listings say their faucets mount to wood and tile floors.

5. Mount the faucet

Follow the manual to fasten the base plate to the floor, connect the supply lines to the faucet, stand the column on the base and secure it. Seal around the base the way the manual says.

6. Connect the hand shower

All 21 faucets on our listings come with a hand shower. Attach the hose and hand shower, and add a backflow preventer if your faucet calls for one or your local code needs one.

7. Set the tub and test everything

Move the tub into place, connect the tub's drain following the tub's own install guide, then turn the water on. Run both the spout and the hand shower, and check every connection for drips. Fill the tub once to confirm the spout lands where you planned.

Freestanding tub faucets we carry: the numbers that matter for installation

Prices are the lowest price on each page on October 22, 2026, and can change. "Not listed" means the listing does not give that number, so check the spec sheet.

* Includes an under-floor rough-in valve, according to the listing.

About flow rate: a higher GPM fills the tub faster. For a rough fill time, divide the tub's capacity in gallons by the faucet's GPM; your real flow depends on your water pressure. Magnus rates the Nagoya and Nisshin at 10 GPM at 50 PSI, so if you choose a high-flow filler, ask your plumber whether your supply lines and water heater can keep up.

See the Anzzi models together in Anzzi Freestanding Bathtub Faucets, and compare finishes in A Guide to Bathroom Faucet Finishes.

Floor-mounted, wall-mounted or tub-mounted?

• Floor-mounted (this guide): the usual choice when the tub stands away from the wall. The water lines come up through the floor.
• Wall-mounted: works when the tub sits against a wall. The valve goes inside the wall instead of under the floor.
• Tub-mounted (deck or rim mount): only for a tub that has faucet holes drilled in it. Many freestanding tubs have no faucet holes; our Japanese soaking tubs, for example, need a separate tub filler. Check the tub's listing before you buy a faucet.

Frequently asked questions

How far from the tub should a freestanding tub faucet be?

Close enough that the spout's reach puts the water inside the tub, past the rim. Because spout reach runs from 6.3 in. to 11 1/4 in. on our listings, there is no single number. Use your faucet's spec sheet and your tub's drawing, and mark the spot before the plumbing goes in.

How high should a freestanding tub filler be?

The spout has to sit above the tub's rim. On our listings, height to the spout runs from 31 3/4 in. to 42.72 in. Compare that number with the height of your tub.

Does a freestanding tub faucet need a rough-in valve?

The water lines have to be brought up through the floor before the floor is finished, ending in whatever valve or fittings the faucet's manual calls for. Of our 21 listings, the Magnus Nagoya and Nisshin include an under-floor rough-in valve. For the others, check the manual for what to rough in.

Can I install a freestanding tub faucet myself?

Mounting the faucet on a finished floor is a manageable job if the rough-in is already done. Running new water lines under the floor is plumbing work; most people hire a plumber, and your area may need a permit.

Can you put a freestanding tub faucet on a concrete floor?

Yes, but the water lines have to come up through the slab at the faucet spot, so plan the location with your plumber before the floor is finished.

Can I install the faucet after the floor is finished?

Only if water lines are already under that spot or can be reached from below, for example from a basement or crawl space. Otherwise the floor has to be opened.

What size water connection do freestanding tub faucets use?

Every one of our listings that gives a size lists a 1/2 in. connection under the floor. The thread type can differ, so check the manual.

Still choosing the tub?

Pick the tub first, then the faucet. See Freestanding Tub Sizes for lengths and weights, Acrylic vs. Stone Resin vs. Clawfoot Tubs to choose a material, or browse acrylic freestanding tubs, clawfoot tubs and all bathtubs. Questions about a specific faucet? Call us at (855) 640-BATH or (323) 810-7474, or use the chat on any page.