Beside the toilet
A horizontal bar on the side wall, and often one behind the toilet. Following ADA guidelines, side and rear bars sit 33 to 36 inches above the floor.
Aging in place · Bathroom safety
Grab bar installation in Central Florida
Quick answer
A grab bar is a fixed bar, anchored to the wall structure, that you can hold or lean on while sitting, standing or stepping. HandyMangum installs grab bars by toilets, in showers, beside tubs and in hallways for homes and businesses across Central Florida. For a grab-bar-only visit you can also book Grab Bar Heroes, a HandyMangum company that does nothing else, at $185 per bar.
What a grab bar job involves
A towel bar or a suction-cup handle is not a grab bar. A real grab bar is made to carry a person's weight, and it is only as strong as what it is fastened to. Most of the job is finding the studs or choosing the right anchor for tile, drywall or fiberglass, and setting the bar where the person actually reaches.
Grab bars are usually the first change people make, and often the most useful one. They are also a small job: most visits are one to three bars and take about an hour or two.
Who grab bars help
- Anyone who uses the sink or towel bar to steady themselves today
- People recovering from surgery, a fall or a hospital stay
- Older adults planning to stay in their home
- Parents and grandparents visiting family
- Anyone with balance, strength or vision changes
- Rentals, offices and businesses with public restrooms
How the install works
Pick the spots
We talk through how the person uses the room: where they sit, stand, turn and step in or out.
Find the structure
We locate studs and check the wall surface. Tile, drywall and fiberglass each need a different method.
Mount and seal
Bars go into framing or into anchors rated for the load. In wet areas we seal every screw hole.
Test it
We put weight on every bar before we leave, and show you how to use it.
Common grab bar placements and styles
Shower entry
A vertical bar at the entry so you have something to hold while you step in and out.
Inside the shower or tub
Horizontal or angled bars on the long wall, set to where the person stands or sits.
Hallway and bedside
Bars or rails along a short wall where someone needs a steady hand at night.
Finishes and sizes
Stainless, brushed nickel, oil-rubbed bronze or matte black, and lengths from 12 to 48 inches. A textured grip helps wet hands.
Combination bars
Grab bars built into a toilet paper holder, a shelf or a towel bar for a less clinical look.
Good to know
- ADA guidelines call for bars 1¼ to 1½ inches in diameter with 1½ inches of space behind them, strong enough for 250 pounds. We use those as the baseline.
- The ADA Standards for Accessible Design apply to businesses and public places, not private homes. They are still a well-tested reference for heights and clearances, so we use them as our starting point at home and adjust to the person who will use it.
- We can install bars you have already bought if they are real grab bars rated for the load.
- Fiberglass and acrylic tub surrounds need special anchors or blocking; we check this before quoting.
Just need grab bars? Grab Bar Heroes is a HandyMangum company
Grab Bar Heroes grew out of HandyMangum and does only grab bar installation, with a flat $185 per bar. It is the quickest way to book a grab-bar-only visit. If grab bars are part of a bigger list, such as a taller toilet, a shower seat or a handrail, HandyMangum does it all in one visit.
Grab bars on tile, fiberglass and drywall
How a bar is anchored matters more than the bar itself. We fasten into wall studs or solid blocking wherever we can. Where there is no stud in the right spot, we use anchors made and rated for grab bars, never plastic drywall anchors, and we pull-test every bar before we leave.
- Tile: drilled with a tile bit, then the holes are sealed so water stays out of the wall.
- Fiberglass and acrylic tub surrounds: these need anchors made for hollow surrounds. We check the surround before quoting.
- Drywall: into studs or blocking, or grab-bar-rated anchors where the layout needs it.
Grab bar or towel bar?
A towel bar is not built or anchored to hold a person. Grabbing one during a slip can pull it out of the wall. If someone is already using a towel bar for balance, that is a good sign a real grab bar belongs there.
Grab bars outside the bathroom
- By the step from the garage into the house
- At entry steps and short stairs
- In hallways where someone reaches for the wall
- In the laundry room by the washer and dryer
What customers say
“The installers were prompt and did great work installing the grab bar. Would recommend them.”
Daryl H. Google review
Grab Bars FAQs
How high should grab bars be by a toilet?
Following ADA guidelines, grab bars beside and behind a toilet are mounted 33 to 36 inches above the floor. At home we adjust to the person, especially if they are shorter or taller than average or use a wheelchair.
Can grab bars go on tile?
Yes. We drill tile with the right bit, anchor into the studs behind it where possible, and seal each hole so water cannot get behind the tile.
What if there is no stud where the bar needs to go?
We use anchors made and rated for grab bars in hollow walls, or install a bar length that reaches the studs. We do not use plastic drywall anchors for grab bars.
How much does grab bar installation cost?
Grab Bar Heroes, a HandyMangum company, lists grab bar installation at $185 per bar. When grab bars are part of a bigger HandyMangum job, they are included in that job's written quote. Estimates are free.
How high should grab bars be in a shower?
Following ADA guidelines, horizontal bars on shower and tub walls are 33 to 36 inches above the shower or tub floor, and a vertical bar at the entry starts a little higher so it can be gripped while stepping in. We adjust to the person's height and how they move.
How many grab bars does a bathroom need?
Most people start with two: one beside the toilet and one at the shower or tub entry. Add more where the person turns, sits or steps, such as a vertical bar at the shower entry.
Is Grab Bar Heroes part of HandyMangum?
Yes. Grab Bar Heroes is a HandyMangum company that does only grab bar installation, at $185 per bar. Book it at grabbarheroes.com, or call HandyMangum if grab bars are part of a bigger job.
Do you install grab bars for businesses?
Yes. We install grab bars in commercial restrooms, offices and rentals following ADA guidelines. See our ADA accessibility updates for businesses.
Does Medicare or insurance pay for this?
We cannot promise that any plan will pay, so please check before the work starts. Original Medicare generally does not pay for grab bars, bath seats, raised toilet seats or home changes like these; CMS treats them as convenience items rather than durable medical equipment. Some Medicare Advantage plans, Medicaid waiver programs and veterans' programs do help with home modifications, so ask your plan directly. We give you a written, itemized quote and invoice you can share with them.
Can I use a towel bar as a grab bar?
No. Towel bars are not made or anchored to hold body weight. We can replace one with a grab bar, and some grab bars double as towel bars.
What finishes do you install?
Common finishes such as stainless, brushed nickel, chrome, oil-rubbed bronze and matte black. You can supply your own bars or we can bring them.
Can you remove an old grab bar and patch the wall?
Yes. We remove it, patch the holes and, on drywall, paint the patch.
Ready for a steadier bathroom?
Call or text (407) 699-1123, or send the online request with a few photos. Estimates are free on every job.