April 1, 2024

What are the Placement Guidelines for Bathroom Grab Bars?

There are different grab bar placement guidelines for residential bathrooms vs. commercial, ADA-compliant bathrooms.

Check out our full residential bathroom grab bar placement guidelines:

• Residential Toilet Grab Bar Placement Guide
• Residential Shower Grab Bar Placement Guide
• Residential Bathtub Grab Bar Placement Guide

Check out our full ADA commercial bathroom grab bar placement guidelines which include technical drawings:

• ADA Commercial Toilet Grab Bar Placement Guide
• ADA Commercial Shower Grab Bar Placement Guide
• ADA Commercial Bathtub Grab Bar Placement Guide

For residential bathrooms, which toilet grab bars do I need and where should I place them?

Grab bar placement is up to the discretion of the user and is typically dependent on the layout of his or her bathroom. The three most common toilet layouts are:

• Toilet with one side wall (in corner layout)
• Toilet with two side walls (between walls layout)
• Toilet with no side walls (freestanding layout)

For commercial bathrooms, which toilet grab bars do I need and where should I place them?

Grab bars are required by ADA law in accessible toilet rooms. Understanding ADA grab bar installation guidelines is critical for being issued a Certificate of Occupancy (CO). A new building cannot be legally occupied until a CO has been issued, and incorrect installation of grab bars can result in inspection failures and delayed openings. Don’t let this happen to you!

ADA law requires toilet grab bars to be placed in the following locations:

• Rear wall horizontal grab bar. (Mandatory)
• Side wall horizontal grab bar. (Mandatory)
• Side wall vertical grab bar. (Contingent upon local building code.)

All grab bars on GrabBars.com are ADA-compliant. See our wide variety of bathroom grab bars here: Bathroom Grab Bars

When considering toilet grab bar placement, if possible, we recommend a few simulations with the person who will be using the grab bars. Have the person approach the toilet, sit on the toilet, and lift themselves off of the toilet. You will want to test to see what angle to position the grab bars at, and where to vertically and horizontally place the bars. This full toilet simulation will help you notice exactly where grab bars should be placed to provide the most assistance to the individual. Toilet grab bar placement ultimately comes down to the user’s preference for hand grip location and the proximity to and length of the mounting walls (or lack of mounting walls).

View additional grab bar placement guides here:

Bathtubs:

• Bathtub Grab Bar Placement Guide (Residential)
• ADA Bathtub Grab Bar Placement Guide (Commercial) ♿

Showers:

• Shower Grab Bar Placement Guide (Residential)
• ADA Shower Grab Bar Placement Guide (Commercial) ♿

If you have any additional questions about bathroom grab bars, give us a call at 704-800-4629, live chat with us on GrabBars.com or email us at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help you out.