In short
We put grab bars where they will actually be grabbed: beside the toilet, along the tub and inside the shower. Each one goes into a stud or a grab-bar-rated anchor, tile is drilled with a diamond or carbide bit, and every screw is sealed against water.
Your photo checklist
- The tub or shower wall, straight on
- The toilet and the wall beside it
- What the wall is covered with
- The bar size and finish you want
- Who will use it, and whether they use a walker or cane
Covered on a Rosemead visit
- Beside the toilet, on the nearest wall, at a height that suits the person
- Along the back and side walls of a tub, plus a vertical bar at the entry
- In walk-in showers, near the controls and the step in
- At garage steps, back porch steps and short hallway runs
- Fold-down shower seats on walls with solid backing
- Old, loose bars or towel bars used as handholds taken down and replaced
Outside what we take on
- Cutting new openings or niches into a wall.
- Changes to load-bearing walls or new framing.
- Custom built-ins and new cabinet boxes.
Why Rosemead families ask for them
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that falls are the top cause of injury for adults 65 and older, and that over 14 million, or 1 in 4, older adults report falling every year. Many of those falls happen getting in and out of a tub or up from a toilet, which is where a well-placed bar earns its keep.
Rosemead’s housing stock is older, with a median build year of 1959. That usually means a narrow bathroom with a tub-shower combo and tile set over plaster or old cement board. Finding the studs behind it, and drilling the tile without cracking it, is most of the skill in this job.
How we install a bar
Fit the person first
We have the person who will use the bar show us how they sit, stand and step in, then mark heights from that rather than from a chart alone.
Find solid backing
A stud finder and a small test hole confirm framing. Where a stud is not in the right place, we use anchors rated for grab bars, not plastic plugs.
Drill and seal
Tile is scored and drilled with a diamond bit at slow speed. Each hole gets sealant before the screw goes in, so water cannot follow it into the wall.
Pull test
Every bar is pulled hard in several directions before we leave. If it moves, it comes back off and gets fixed.
What we leave to others
We add bars, seats and rails to the bathroom you have. Converting a tub to a walk-in shower, widening doors, or ramps is a separate job for a general contractor.
While we’re out for this, Rosemead customers often add senior home safety updates, caulking and grout repair, shower head and tub spout replacement, toilet repair or shower valve and cartridge replacement.
What to text
Photos of each wall where you want a bar, the type of wall (tile, drywall, fiberglass), and a note about who will use it and how.
Grab bar questions
Can you install a grab bar where there’s no stud?
Yes. We use anchors built and rated for grab bars, or choose a bar that reaches the nearest stud.
How much does it cost to have a grab bar installed?
Depends on tile and count. Send photos.
Can you install grab bars in a shower?
Yes, through tile into studs or anchors.
Can you install a bar for a renter?
Yes, with the owner’s okay, since tile holes are permanent. We can patch them neatly if the bar comes down later.
Do you add bars near the bed?
Yes. A bed rail or a wall bar beside the bed helps with getting up at night, mounted the same way.
Can you install on a fiberglass tub surround?
Yes, with anchors made for hollow surrounds or into the framing behind it. We check the surround is sound first.
Are suction-cup bars safe?
They can release without warning. We do not recommend them as a handhold.
Will the bars look institutional?
They come in finishes to match faucets, and some double as towel bars or shelves while still rated as grab bars.
What length should I buy?
Most spots take 16 to 24 inches; tub back walls often take a longer bar. We can measure before you buy.
Can a towel bar be used as a grab bar?
No. Towel bars are not built to take body weight and often pull out. We can swap one for a grab bar.
How many bars do most homes need?
Commonly one by the toilet and two at the tub or shower, but it depends on the person and the room.
Can you move a bar later?
Yes. Old holes in tile can be filled and color-matched.
Can you install a grab bar on tile in the shower?
Yes. We drill the tile slowly with the right bit so it doesn’t crack, hit a stud or use rated anchors, and seal each hole with silicone so water can’t get behind the tile.
What grab bars help elderly parents at the tub?
A vertical bar at the tub entry for stepping in, and a horizontal or angled bar along the back wall for sitting and standing. A handheld shower and a bench help too.
Jobs that pair with this one
- Senior home safetyMore aging-in-place changes.
- Shower head and tub spout replacementAdd a handheld shower.
- Bath accessoriesTowel bars that are not grab bars.
- Toilet replacementTaller toilets are easier to use.
Worth a read: what our furniture assembly and anchoring guide says about grab bar installation.
Home tips for Rosemead families
- Replacing cracked, moldy caulk around the tub and sinkWhen old caulk needs replacing, why caulking over it does not work, and how we strip and recaulk tubs, showers and sinks in Rosemead bathrooms.
- Flat-pack furniture, built right and anchoredWhat to expect when we assemble flat-pack furniture in a Rosemead home, and why tall pieces should be anchored to the wall afterward.
Jobs like this one are everyday work for our Rosemead handyman service, from the blocks off Garvey Avenue to the streets near Rosemead Park. A photo by text gets you a quote first.
Part of mounting and furniture assembly. You can also browse all our services or read about repairs in postwar Rosemead homes.