Proper Shower Grab Bar Placement Keeps Your Family Safe

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Considering your options for shower grab bar placement? Here's What You Need to KNow

As one of the most popular bath and shower accessories, grab bars are essential for bathroom safety. With several on-trend styles and finishes to choose from, including grab bars in your bathroom remodel is an easy and smart decision.

Why smart? Because using grab bars for bathroom safety isn’t just for seniors. Children, pregnant women, and anyone dealing with mobility issues or recovering from an injury can put bath and shower safety bars to good use. Every bather, and every family, is likely to have a slip-in-the-shower scare at some point. Keep reading for proper shower grab bar placement tips to help prevent them.

Bathroom & Shower Grab Bar Placement Tips

Where is the best place to put grab bars in the shower?

where to place grab bars for bathroom and for shower grab bar placement in walk in shower

The short answer is: Wherever you need them! But there are bath and shower grab bar placement guidelines to follow. Exact grab bar length and ADA grab bar height requirements are dictated by code, so be sure to check requirements in your area if you’re designing an ADA-complaint bathroom.

Safer bathing starts Today

Don’t risk a bathroom fall. Use the form below to get a free consultation on all your safe bathing options.

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First Name*Last Name*Email* Phone*Address* Street Address Address Line 2 City State AlabamaAlaskaAmerican SamoaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaGuamHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNorthern Mariana IslandsOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaPuerto RicoRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahU.S. Virgin IslandsVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces EuropeArmed Forces Pacific ZIP Code Project Type*- Please Select -BathroomsWindowsKitchensPreferred Date & Time?*Keep in Touch* You agree that by submitting this inquiry to Improveit, you consent to receive emails, calls, pre-recorded messages and text messages, including by an auto-phone system, from Improveit to the email address and/or phone number you provided above to hear more about our sales and special events. Your consent to receive these marketing emails, calls and texts is not a condition for purchase, and you can instead call us at 1-800-644-6674 to arrange for a free estimate. You may revoke this consent at any time by contacting Improveit or for texts by replying STOP to any text message. Messaging data rates may apply in regard to texting.CAPTCHA shower Grab bar placement in walk in shower

Here are some general tips to remember when choosing your bathroom and shower grab bar placement:

Consider bathroom safety Needs

Grab bars can be placed anywhere you feel you need stability. Consider adding them inside the shower space and along the bathtub, as well as beside the toilet area. Vertical, horizontal, and diagonal orientations are all grab bar placement options you can use to your advantage.

  • Vertical grab bar placement is helpful near the outside edge of a shower or forward of a toilet area to offer balance and leverage.
  • Horizontal grab bars work well alongside toilet spaces and on the longer wall of a bathtub or shower.
  • L-shaped grab bars, or straight grab bars installed on a diagonal give users the opportunity for stability and leverage at multiple heights. This orientation is often used in conjunction with shower seats.
shower safety bars placed vertically and horizontally

Add More Bracing for Shower Safety Bars

The most secure grab bar installations for bathroom safety use grab bars that screw into wall framing. Depending on the length of your grab bars, which can range from 12 to 24 inches, you may need to have additional framing called “blocking” properly installed between the studs so the grab bars can be installed securely. An Improveit bathroom remodel always takes your walls down to the studs, making it easy to add this blocking exactly where you need it for bath and shower grab bar placement. We also use grab bars with SecureMount anchors for the best combination of placement flexibility and secure installation.

“We wanted a walk-in shower for the master bedroom. They removed the old tub, shower door, faucet, surround, and installed new drywall where needed. The walk-in shower is great. It has a 4-inch height so water getting past the base won’t happen. The special glass on the doors doesn’t spot. The new fixtures and grab bars are great. The look of the walls and window kit is such a wonderful improvement. Thanks!”

Russ R. – Cincinnati, OH

Never Substitute Towel Bars for Grab Bars

Towel bars and soap dishes are not designed to bear weight and should never be used as a substitute for bath and shower safety bars. If you or a loved one are currently using a towel bar or a soap dish to gain stability while getting in and out of the bathtub or shower, Improveit can help you make the bathroom safety and convenience updates you need.

Shower Safety Bars and bathtub remodeling how many showers does a bathtub hold

“All we had was a little soap dish to hang onto and we didn’t feel safe at all. Sometimes I would bring my walker into the shower with me just to have something else to hold onto. We feel safe now and we recommended Improveit to our neighbor across the street who’s also thinking of putting in a new shower. We’re very happy!”

Josephine W. – Marion, OH

Read More: Click here to see a before-and-after of Josephine’s project.

ADA Grab Bar Height & Placement Requirements

Always be sure to follow ADA guidelines and other local and state codes when installing grab bars.

  • Horizontal grab bars should be placed 33 to 36 inches up from the floor
  • The bottom of a vertical grab bar should be located 39 to 41 inches up from the floor.

Watch for obstructions like toilet tanks or window sills. Codes require a minimum of 1.5 inches of clearance below a grab bar, and 12 inches above.

Shower Safety Bar Styles for All

Kingsley Grab Bars and shower safety bars
Kingsley
Eva - designer Grab Bar
Eva
designer grab bar - voss
Voss

More Styles Available!

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Let's Plan Your Grab Bar Placement

Customizing your grab bar placement is easy with a little planning. By adding proper blocking behind your walls, using grab bars with SecureMount anchors, and following codes and guidelines, your bath and shower grab bar placement will meet your needs exactly!

For additional assistance, click here or use the form at the top of the page to request a free safe bathing consultation with an Improveit expert. Our team is happy to answer all your questions and help you achieve better bathroom safety and a beautiful low-maintenance design all at once.

“I hadn’t been feeling very safe in our master bathroom. We previously just had a towel bar. Now we have grab bars and a bench seat! I have osteoarthritis in both of my knees, and I don’t want to be afraid to take a shower. Now I don’t have that fear anymore!”

Melody M. – Etna, OH

Read More: Click here to see a before-and-after of Melody’s project.

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