The bathroom is one of the riskiest rooms in the house as we get older. Wet floors, a slippery tub, a high step over the edge, and nothing solid to grab during a stumble. This guide is for adult children helping a parent stay at home, and for anyone planning ahead for their own house. Everything below is part of my home safety work.
Where should grab bars go?
Put grab bars where the body changes position: sitting down, standing up, stepping in and stepping out. In most bathrooms that means these spots.
- Beside the toilet, on the side wall, for sitting down and standing up.
- At the tub or shower entry, often a vertical bar, for the step over the edge or the curb.
- Along the long wall of the tub or shower, for steadying while you wash.
- Near a shower seat, if one is used, for getting on and off it.
Height and angle depend on the person using the bar, so I set them with that person in the room when I can. Moen's grab bar instructions tell users to consult a healthcare professional for advice specific to their needs. If an occupational therapist has already assessed the bathroom, send me their notes and I will follow them.
Every job I take gets a written scope before I start, so the price is agreed in advance and the list stays the list.
Want me to take this one on? My page on grab bar installation covers what the visit includes, what I hand off, and how I price it.
How are grab bars anchored?
A grab bar is only as strong as what holds it to the wall. A bar screwed into drywall alone is decoration and should never be trusted with a person's weight. There are three proper ways to hold one.
- Into studs. Moen's instructions say both ends of its grab bars must sit over a wood stud unless its SecureMount anchors are used. I find the studs, confirm them with a small pilot hole, and drive every screw the flange takes.
- Into blocking. When the studs are in the wrong place, solid wood blocking between them gives the bar something to bite. That means opening the wall, so it is easiest during a renovation or when the wall is open anyway.
- Into a hollow-wall anchor rated for grab bars. Moen's SecureMount anchor, for example, is made for drywall, drywall with tile or marble, and fibreglass tub surrounds, and it needs a 3 1/2 inch space behind the wall. It also carries a weight limit for the person using the bar, which I check against the household before I use one.
Tile takes more care. I drill tile with the right bit and seal every hole so water cannot get behind it. Fibreglass surrounds have their own rules, covered in installing grab bars in a fibreglass shower. Moen also says to check a grab bar now and then after it goes in, so give each bar a firm tug every few months.
A non-slip tub or shower floor
A non-slip mat or textured strips give a wet tub or shower floor more grip. It is a small change that takes away one of the most common bathroom slips.
A taller toilet
A taller toilet is much easier on knees and hips. Makers sell them as chair height or comfort height. Kohler describes chair-height toilets as 17 inches or more, about 2 inches taller than a standard bowl. If a new toilet is not in the plan, a raised seat that clamps onto the existing bowl is a quicker fix. Pair either one with the grab bar beside the toilet.
Better lighting
Many bathrooms rely on one ceiling light that throws shadows in the worst places. Add a second light above the mirror and a small night light near the floor for trips in the middle of the night. Dimmable LED bulbs let each person pick a comfortable level.
Lever-style faucet handles
Round knob faucets are hard to turn with sore or weak hands. Lever handles work with a push of the wrist, and older bathrooms often still have knobs worth swapping.
What drives grab bar installation cost?
I only publish one number, the $200 minimum per job, and it covers the visit, so several bars and safety items can share it. These are the things that move the rest of the price.
- How many bars, and how long they are.
- The wall. Drywall is quickest. Tile, stone and fibreglass surrounds need more care to drill and seal.
- Where the studs fall. Bars that land on studs go up fastest. Rated anchors add parts and time.
- Whether blocking is needed, which means opening and patching the wall.
- Who supplies the bars and anchors.
- The other items on the same visit: a raised seat or new toilet, lighting, faucet handles, a non-slip floor.
If someone in the house has a permanent disability or loss of ability and income is limited, the BC RAHA rebate for grab bars and handrails may pay back part of the cost. BC Housing has to approve it in writing before the work starts.
I install grab bars across the Fraser Valley. See grab bar installation in White Rock, grab bar installation in Langley or grab bar installation in Surrey for how the work runs in each town. If the house is new to you, what to fix first in a new home puts safety items in order with the rest.
