Building an ADA-Accessible Bathroom on Long Island

An accessible bathroom shouldn't look like a hospital. Modern ADA design integrates grab bars, curbless showers, and wider doorways into bathrooms that look like magazine photos. Here's how.

The core spec

ADA-compliant residential bathrooms include:

• Curbless shower entry (zero threshold)
• Minimum 36" doorway (up from standard 30")
• Comfort-height toilet (17" vs. standard 15")
• Grab bars at toilet (rear wall + side wall) and in shower
• Anti-scald thermostatic valve
• Slip-resistant floor (DCOF 0.42 or higher)
• 30x60 minimum shower size (ADA) or 36x60 (more usable)
• Handheld sprayer on slide bar

Curbless shower

The foundation of an accessible bathroom. Tile flows from bathroom floor straight into shower — no curb, no threshold, no barrier. Requires:

• Linear drain (Schluter Kerdi-Line is our go-to) or trench drain.
• Sloped substrate under tile — typically 1/4" per foot toward the drain.
• Sloped subfloor or a subfloor “dip” cut in around the shower area so tile can be level with the rest of the bathroom.
• Full Schluter Kerdi waterproofing system.

Cost premium vs. a standard curbed shower: $2,000–$4,500.

Grab bar blocking

Grab bars have to be anchored to solid blocking inside the walls (not just drywall + toggle bolts). ADA spec requires them to support 250 lbs of pull force.

At rough-in, we install 2x10 or 2x12 horizontal blocking in every wall location where a grab bar might go, plus a few extra spots. Even if the homeowner only wants two grab bars today, the blocking is there for future bars without another demo.

Use 304 stainless steel grab bars with a matte or brushed finish. They read as fixtures, not medical equipment.

Comfort-height toilet

A 17" comfort-height toilet is much easier to sit down on and stand up from. Kohler, American Standard, and Toto all make compliant models at all price points ($250–$900).

36" doorway

Standard interior doors are 30". ADA requires 36". If your existing doorway is 30", widening it requires:

• Cutting the existing frame and rough opening.
• Checking whether the wall is load-bearing (often it is on older LI homes).
• If load-bearing: a header beam sized by an engineer.
• New 36" door or pocket door retrofit.

Cost: $1,500–$4,000 depending on structural work required.

Pocket door vs. swing door

A pocket door is the best ADA solution — no door swing to navigate around, door stays out of the way for wheelchair access. Requires wall thickness for the pocket frame (usually fine in 2x4 framing with some finesse).

Anti-scald thermostatic valve

Required. A thermostatic shower valve holds the water at a set temperature even if someone flushes the toilet or starts a dishwasher. Prevents burns. All major fixture brands make ADA-compliant versions.

Slip-resistant flooring

Porcelain tile with a Dynamic Coefficient of Friction (DCOF) of 0.42 or higher is ADA-compliant. Most large-format porcelain tiles are in this range. Mosaics (with more grout lines) are even grippier. Check the tile spec sheet before buying.

Roll-in vs. walk-in

A true ADA roll-in shower is 60x30 minimum with a 36" clear entry. A walk-in (but not wheelchair-accessible) can be smaller. Design for the future — if there's any chance a wheelchair user will use this bathroom, build to roll-in spec now.

Tax credits

New York State offers a tax credit for home accessibility modifications for qualifying seniors and disabled homeowners (up to $10,000 or 25% of cost, whichever is less). Federal Medical Expense deduction may also apply. Talk to your accountant.

Making it look good

Every accessible feature can be designed to look modern, not medical. Pick matte black or brushed nickel grab bars, not chrome. Use a fold-down shower bench, not a permanent one. Choose a linear drain (looks minimalist) over a center point drain. Tile the walls floor-to-ceiling to hide hardware transitions.

The bathroom we built for a Smithtown homeowner last quarter has 4 grab bars, a curbless shower, comfort-height toilet, 36" pocket door, and fold-down bench — but looks like a modern master bath in a magazine. Design is what separates “ADA” from “institutional.”