CA Home Access Help

How to hire and verify a contractor for grab bars, ramps and accessible showers

Most accessibility work is small: a few grab bars, a handrail, a short ramp. Small jobs still go wrong in ways that hurt people, like a grab bar that pulls out of the wall the first time someone falls against it. This guide covers how to check a contractor, what the job should include, and what to ask before you sign. It is based on California rules from the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) and on ordinary jobsite practice.

Get the right assessment first. If the person has a health condition, a fall history, or uses a walker or wheelchair, an occupational therapist (OT) can say what will actually help and where it should go. Ask the doctor for a referral, or ask your Area Agency on Aging. Some programs, like Rebuilding Together Sacramento, can arrange an OT visit. Medi-Cal home modification benefits usually require a therapy evaluation anyway.

Step 1: Check the license (it takes two minutes)

Step 2: Ask about permits

CSLB tells homeowners to check with the local building department to see whether the job needs a permit, and to make sure the contractor gets every permit that's needed. Grab bars on their own often don't need one. Moving plumbing for a roll-in shower, adding a circuit, or building a permanent ramp often does. Your city or county building department decides, not the contractor. Ask for the permit number and keep the final inspection card.

Grab bars: what a solid install looks like

A grab bar is only as strong as what it's screwed into. Drywall and tile alone will not hold a person.

Reference numbers from the ADA standards

Private homes don't have to follow the ADA Standards for Accessible Design, but the standards are a useful, published reference. Your OT may adjust heights for the person who will use the bar.

Source: U.S. Access Board, 2010 ADA Standards, sections 609 and 405.

Ramps: the numbers to know

Ask whether the ramp is permanent (it may need a permit, and some programs only pay for permanent ramps) or modular or portable (some programs, like VA HISA, won't pay for portable ramps).

What a fair written quote should include

CSLB recommends at least three bids and a detailed written contract before work starts. Medi-Cal's home modification rules also ask for itemized bids. A good quote lists:

  1. The contractor's name, address, phone and CSLB license number.
  2. The exact scope: each grab bar location and length, ramp dimensions, shower size, and what gets torn out.
  3. Materials by brand and model where it matters (bar finish and length, valve, shower pan, tile).
  4. How things will be anchored (blocking, studs or a named rated anchor).
  5. Who pulls the permits, what they cost, and when inspections happen.
  6. Start date, phases and a payment schedule tied to finished work. Don't let payments get ahead of the work.
  7. The down payment. California limits it to 10% of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less. CSLB notes an exception for a few contractors who carry a special blanket bond; that shows on their license page.
  8. Cleanup and debris removal.
  9. The warranty on labor and materials, in writing.
  10. How change orders work (in writing, with a price, before the extra work).
  11. Your right to cancel. CSLB says homeowners 65 or older get five business days to cancel a home improvement contract and everyone else gets three. Don't let work start or permits get pulled during that window.

Red flags

Sources for this section: CSLB, "What Seniors Should Know Before Hiring a Contractor" (PDF); CSLB: Hire a Licensed Contractor.

Where to find installers

This site does not recommend or endorse any contractor.