Expert: Diane Plesset - 1/11/2012

Question
I am designing a bathroom for a person who is in a wheel chair. The bathroom is 5' x 8' and since he is in a wheel chair, I am extending the bathroom to 10' x 10'. His budget is $17000, and i was wondering what to do and how much it will cost.

Answer
Hello, Wally.

Fortunately, there is a lot of information available to help you plan an accessible bathroom, and there are Certified Aging-In-Place Specialists (like me) who can develop plans so you can get reliable estimates, obtain permits, and achieve the desired results.  

An accessible bathroom must contain the following features:

1.  DOOR: The door to the bathroom should be a clear opening of 32" (81.28 cm), minimum.  A standard 32" wide door doesn't provide the clear opening, so offset hinges should be used.  A 36" (91.44 cm) door is preferred.  Of course, all doors in the home should have lever handles for maximum ease, comfort, and safety.

2.  TURNING RADIUS: Sufficient turning radius for a wheel chair inside the bathroom, that doesn't require multiple-point, back-and-forth movement.  5 feet (152.4 cm) of clear floor space is recommended.  

3.  TOILET: The toilet must be accessible by front and/or side transfer from a wheel chair, with  grab bars to assist (grab bars should always be installed with blocking in the wall for maximum security and safety). A higher toilet is highly recommended, for safe and easy transfer from a wheelchair.  Toto manufactures several models of accessible-height showers.

4.  LAVATORY: The person should be able to roll up to the lavatory conveniently and safely, and the lavatory faucet should be easy to reach (single-lever control and/or motion sensor).  If the drain is exposed, it should be wrapped to protect the user from getting burned.  Mirrors, sidelights, and storage should be convenient for a seated person.

5.  SHOWER:  A curbless shower with an inline drain is best (I really like the Proline drain system, http://www.quickdrainusa.com).  A built-in seat (fixed or drop-down) should be incorporated for safety and convenience.  A hand-held shower controlled by a single-lever valve should be conveniently placed.  The valve should be safely reachable from outside the shower, and inside the shower.  GRAB BARS are an essential part of the shower, and should be installed with blocking in the wall.  When laying out the shower, it's important to consider the location and accessibility of shampoo and soap.

6.  LIGHTING, ELECTRICAL, AND FINISH SURFACES: Lighting controls and GFCI outlets should be conveniently located, so they can be reached from a sitting position. I recommend switches that have an L.E.D. light, so they're visible at night (Lutron is my favorite brand).  All finish surfaces (i.e., countertop, flooring, shower walls) should be easy to clean.  Flooring should be slip-resistant for all users.

The budget of $17,000 is reasonable, but there will be tradeoffs, especially if part of the budget will be used to expand the existing bathroom.  Plumbing will take a large part of your budget, but it's wise to invest in the best that the budget will allow -- especially the lavatory faucet and the shower system (which includes the inline drain).  Many people make the mistake of selecting expensive tile first, which reduces the budget for plumbing.

Here are some links that will help you:
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/renoho/refash/refash_030.cfm

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:teFUTlkYIqkJ:www.hafele.com/us/documents/ADA_PR260US.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShXgFYRH17bGrczY_iWGGS0rJsusb04VSTUEt7-9teVH2faYghg3F-1oh_-beF2U542WMHMX7SuSvCUJ75yn_FIThpTlEUvXYjAkaqYLrXL7Lbc8rQ4OBs9qLxypEUdRhzCfEi4&sig=AHIEtbRFlaWw6V-9XcVGgW-REfqYxzUbOg&pli=1

http://wheelchair.ca/bathroom.php

Good luck with this project

Diane Plesset, CMKBD, NCIDQ, C.A.P.S.