The bathroom is where aging-in-place remodels usually start, and for good reason. It combines hard surfaces, water and the two most demanding movements of the day: lowering onto and rising from the toilet, and stepping into and out of a tub. Add night-time trips made half-asleep and it is no surprise that bathroom changes top remodelers’ aging-in-place work: in NAHB’s Q1 2025 survey, grab bars (87%), curbless showers (78%) and higher toilets (71%) were the three most common projects.
The good news is that the most effective bathroom fixes are among the cheapest. This guide takes them in order of safety per dollar.
1. Make every wet surface grip
NIA’s advice is to place non-skid mats, strips or carpet on all surfaces that may get wet. The tub or shower floor is the priority: a wet, soapy acrylic or enamel floor is one of the most slippery surfaces in the house.
- Clean and fully dry the floor, then apply adhesive tread strips across the standing area, an inch or two apart.
- Replace a loose bath mat with one that has a rubber back, or remove it.
- Wipe up water on the floor right away and keep a towel within reach of the tub.
A pack of strips costs $4 to $17 at US retailers. This is the best-value fix in the house.
2. Install real grab bars
NIA recommends grab bars near the toilet and on both the inside and outside of the tub and shower. Three details separate a grab bar that works from one that fails:
- It is a grab bar. Towel bars, soap dishes and glass shower doors are not built to hold a person’s weight. Suction-cup “grab bars” can let go without warning.
- It is anchored. Screws go into studs or added blocking, or into hollow-wall anchors rated for grab bars.
- It is at the right height. The 2010 ADA Standards put horizontal bars 33 to 36 in above the floor and bar diameter at 1¼ to 2 in. Adjust to the person: what matters is that they can push down on it while rising.
| Fix | Typical cost | Who | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grab bar, installed | $85–$300 per bar (parts $20–$33) | Either | Fixr, August 29, 2025 |
| Raised toilet seat or toilet safety frame | $30–$120 each | DIY | Walmart, October 17, 2026 |
| Comfort-height toilet, installed | $250–$800 each | Pro | Fixr, January 28, 2026 |
Fixr’s August 2025 guide puts an installed grab bar at $85 to $300, with labor alone $30 to $60 a bar. Bundle several bars into one visit.
3. Get the toilet to 17 to 19 inches
Rising from a low seat is hard on weak knees and hips. The ADA range is 17 to 19 in to the top of the seat. A clamp-on raised seat with arms gets there for $30 to $120; a comfort-height toilet costs $250 to $800 installed and is worth it if the toilet is due for replacement anyway. Pair either with a grab bar or a safety frame.
4. Make bathing a seated job
A standard tub asks someone to stand on one leg on a wet surface while lifting the other over the wall. Two inexpensive products remove most of that risk:
- A tub transfer bench has two legs inside the tub and two outside. The person sits down outside the tub, then slides across and lifts their legs over.
- A handheld shower on a slide bar lets them wash while seated.
| Fix | Typical cost | Who | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tub transfer bench | $52–$174 each | DIY | The Home Depot, October 17, 2026 |
| Handheld shower on a slide bar | $79–$171 each | DIY | The Home Depot, October 17, 2026 |
| Non-slip tread strips | $4–$17 per pack | DIY | The Home Depot, October 17, 2026 |
Together they cost about $130 to $345 at US retail prices.
5. Light the route and tame the hot water
NIA suggests leaving a bathroom light on at night or using a night light that turns on automatically in the dark. Motion-sensor plug-in lights on the route from bed to bathroom cost about $40 to $53 for a four-pack.
Hot water is the other quiet bathroom hazard. The CPSC says most tap-water scald injuries and deaths involve older people and young children, and recommends setting the water heater to 120°F. Check the hottest tap with a thermometer afterwards; dials are imprecise. An anti-scald valve at the shower costs $80 to $300 installed (Fixr).
6. Then decide about a conversion
If stepping into the tub is still unsafe with a bench, or the person uses a walker or wheelchair, it is time to price a conversion:
| Fix | Typical cost | Who | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tub-to-shower conversion (low threshold) | $2,000–$12,000 per bathroom | Pro | This Old House, October 17, 2026 |
| Curbless (roll-in) shower | $8,000–$15,000 per bathroom | Pro | This Old House, October 17, 2026 |
| Walk-in tub, installed | $3,500–$10,000 per bathroom | Pro | Fixr, January 28, 2026 |
Low-threshold shower. Replacing the tub with a shower that has a low curb removes the step. This Old House puts a prefab stall at $2,000 to $6,000 and a tiled walk-in shower at $5,000 to $12,000. Ask for blocking in the walls for grab bars, a fold-down seat and a handheld shower.
Curbless (roll-in) shower. No step at all, so a shower chair or wheelchair rolls in. This Old House puts it at $8,000 to $15,000 because the floor usually has to be recessed or rebuilt to drain without a curb.
Walk-in tub. A door in the tub wall and a built-in seat. The catch: the door opens only when the tub is empty, so the person sits inside while it fills and drains. For most people, a low-threshold shower is quicker to use and costs less. See the walk-in tub cost guide.
Doors and locks
Older bathroom doors are often narrower than the 32 in clear width a walker or wheelchair needs. Swing-clear hinges, which move the door out of the opening, add roughly the door’s thickness for $22 to $54 a door. For locks, use privacy levers that can be opened from outside with a pin; the Alzheimer’s Association advises removing interior locks a person with dementia could lock themselves in with.
The full bathroom checklist
- There are grab bars inside and outside the tub or shower. NIA: mount grab bars near toilets and on both the inside and outside of the tub and shower. Towel bars and suction cups are not grab bars.
- There is a grab bar or safety frame beside the toilet. Getting up from a low toilet is one of the hardest moves in the house. The ADA benchmark puts bars on the side wall and behind the toilet.
- The toilet seat is high enough to rise from easily (about 17 to 19 in). Many older toilets sit lower than is easy to rise from. The ADA range is 17 to 19 in to the top of the seat.
- The tub or shower floor has non-slip strips or a mat, and the bath mat has a rubber back. Place non-skid mats, strips or carpet on all surfaces that may get wet (NIA). A wet tub floor is the most slippery surface in most homes.
- Getting into and out of the tub or shower needs no high step. Stepping over a tub wall on a wet floor is one of the riskiest moves in the house. Options run from a bench under $200 to a curbless shower.
- There is a handheld shower head that can be used sitting down. Seated bathing removes most of the balance risk. A handheld head on a slide bar is a screw-on fix.
- Hot water is set to 120°F or lower, or an anti-scald valve is fitted. CPSC: most tap-water scald injuries and deaths involve older people and young children, and 120°F at the water heater reduces or eliminates most of them.
- There is a night light in the bathroom and on the way to it. NIA suggests leaving a bathroom light on at night or using a night light that comes on automatically.
- The bathroom doorway is wide enough for a walker or wheelchair. Older bathroom doors are often narrower than the 32 in a walker or wheelchair needs. Swing-clear hinges gain about 1½ to 2 in; anything more means widening.
- The bathroom door can be opened from outside if someone falls inside. The Alzheimer's Association advises removing interior locks a person could lock themselves in with. Privacy levers with an outside release do the same job.
- Sink and shower controls are levers that are easy to work with wet hands. Round knobs are slippery and need grip. Lever controls can be worked with a closed fist.
Run these 11 checks for a real home on the home check, or print the bathroom checklist.
Run these checks on the home check to get the bathroom fixes ranked and priced for the person who uses it, alongside the rest of the house. For costs elsewhere, read what home modifications cost, and for help paying, the grants guide.