Stepping over the tub wall takes more concentration than it used to, the towel bar gets used as a handhold, and the toilet feels lower than it once did. You don’t need a hospital-style room to fix that. A bathroom planned for aging in place looks like any well-designed bathroom, with a few decisions made on purpose.

How to use this checklist

Use this checklist with everyone who uses the room. The dimensions below reference the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, which apply to public facilities rather than private homes but make a useful yardstick. The right numbers for your home depend on the people living in it.

Getting in and moving around

• Door width. The ADA standards call for a clear opening of at least 32 inches. Older bathroom doors are often narrower, so measure yours.

• Door swing. A door that swings out or slides can’t be blocked by someone or something on the bathroom floor.

• Turning room. The ADA reference for turning a wheelchair is a 60-inch circle. Even without a wheelchair, open floor space makes room for a walker or a helping hand.

• Thresholds. Keep the transition from the hallway flush or nearly flush.

• Hardware. Lever handles and rocker switches work with a closed hand or an elbow. The ADA standards describe controls that work with one hand and without tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist.

The shower

• Low or no threshold. A curbless or low-threshold shower removes the step entirely. Our comparison of curbless and standard showers covers what each type involves. Some curbless designs require lowering the floor, which can involve structural changes that need engineering and are evaluated during the in-home consultation.

• Replacing the tub. If the tub is the obstacle, a tub-to-shower conversion is often the core of the project.

• A seat. A built-in bench or a fold-down seat lets you sit while bathing. The ADA reference puts shower seats 17 to 19 inches above the floor.

• Handheld shower. A handheld head on a slide bar works seated or standing. The ADA standards call for a hose at least 59 inches long.

• Controls. Place the valve where you can reach it from the seat and from outside the spray, and choose a pressure-balancing or thermostatic valve to limit sudden temperature swings.

• Entry. A wide opening and a glass door that swings out, or a fixed panel with no door, keeps the way in clear.

Grab bars and the blocking behind them

Grab bars only work if they’re anchored to something solid. The ADA standards require grab bars and their mounting to withstand 250 pounds of force, which usually means solid blocking or framing behind the wall rather than ordinary drywall anchors. A remodel is the right time to add wood blocking in every spot a bar might go, even if you install only one or two bars now.

Common locations are beside and behind the toilet, on the shower’s back and side walls, and next to a tub. The ADA reference places horizontal bars 33 to 36 inches above the floor, with 1½ inches between the bar and the wall. Even the ADA standards accept wall reinforcement in place of installed tub grab bars in residential units, so the bars can be added when they’re needed.

Towel bars are not grab bars and aren’t built to hold body weight. If you want a cleaner look, some grab bars are designed to double as towel holders.

Toilet, vanity, and storage

• Toilet height. The ADA reference puts the seat 17 to 19 inches above the floor, a range often sold as chair height. Standard-height toilets sit lower.

• Space beside the toilet. Leave room for a grab bar or support rail, with blocking in that wall.

• Bidet seat. If you want one, plan the outlet now. A new outlet may involve licensed electrical trades and is evaluated during the in-home consultation.

• Vanity. A wall-hung or open-bottom vanity can leave knee space for sitting, and rounded counter corners are kinder to anyone who bumps into them.

• Faucet. A single lever or a touchless faucet is easier to use than two small knobs.

• Mirror. Mount it low enough to use while seated. The ADA reference keeps the bottom of the reflecting surface no higher than 40 inches above the floor over a sink.

• Storage. Drawers and pull-outs are easier to reach into than deep cabinets with fixed shelves, and everyday items belong between hip and shoulder height.

Floors and lighting

• Slip resistance. Ask about each tile’s wet slip-resistance rating and favor matte or textured floor finishes. Small mosaic tiles on a shower floor add grout lines that give feet more grip.

• One floor level. Avoid steps and raised platforms inside the room.

• Contrast. A floor color that contrasts with the tub, toilet, and walls makes edges easier to see.

• Even light. Light the vanity from the front or sides so faces aren’t shadowed, and make sure the shower itself is well lit.

• Night lighting. A low night light or motion-activated light makes nighttime trips easier. For new and altered lighting, California’s Energy Code requires at least one bathroom light to be controlled by an occupancy or vacancy sensor, so automatic lighting is a natural part of the plan.

Our bathroom flooring page compares tile and other floor materials in more detail. Whatever you choose, keep the transition at the doorway smooth.

Plan for later, not just now

Aging-in-place design works well when it stays invisible until it’s needed. Blocking in the walls, a wider door, a low-threshold shower, and a seat-height vanity area are much easier to include during a remodel than to add afterward, and most guests won’t notice them. The same choices make the room easier for children, guests, and anyone temporarily on crutches.

Our accessible and aging-in-place bathrooms page explains how we approach these projects, and our walk-in shower cost guide covers what drives the price of the shower itself. The bathroom estimator includes options like converting a tub to a walk-in shower, so you can see a planning range before the in-home consultation.