Project 01

Accessible details
that read as design.

A completed Elbaz Construction bathroom photographed on handover. A grab bar at the toilet, a wall-hung vanity, a level shower zone with a linear drain and a handheld on a slide bar — none of which announce themselves as accessibility features.

Bathroom with a wall-mounted grab bar beside the toilet, a white vanity with a stone top and wide clear floor space
Wall-hung double vanity with open space beneath it and a full-width mirror above
Shower area running level with the bathroom floor beside a freestanding bath, with a linear drain
Bathroom with a freestanding bath and an adjoining level shower zone under a ceiling rain head
Bath and shower combination with a wall-mounted rail and a handheld shower on a slide bar
Shower with a handheld head on a vertical slide bar, thermostatic valve and a recessed niche
Shower floor in hexagonal mosaic meeting large-format wall tile, with a central drain
Long wall-hung vanity with twin basins and no floor-mounted cabinet below
Wood-fronted floating vanity with an illuminated mirror and a wide basin
White vanity with a stone top and clear approach space in front of it

Photographed on completion. Select any frame to enlarge it.

Bathroom with a wall-mounted grab bar beside the toilet, a white vanity with a stone top and wide clear floor space
A grab bar beside the toilet, with clear floor space kept around it.

Project 01 · getting around

Space to approach,
space to turn.

The bar beside the toilet is the visible part. The useful part is the clear floor beside it — room to approach from the side rather than only head-on.

Clear space is a layout decision made long before fittings are chosen, and it is the one thing a small bathroom cannot fake.

  • Side approach

    Floor kept clear beside the toilet rather than filled with a cabinet.

  • Anchored properly

    The bar is fixed into blocking behind the tile, not into board.

  • Reachable storage

    Storage positioned so it can be used without standing.

Project 01 · the wet area

No threshold,
nothing to trip on.

The shower floor runs level with the rest of the bathroom, with a linear drain taking the fall along one edge. There is no kerb to step over — which matters for a wheelchair, a shower chair, and for anyone at three in the morning.

  • Shower floorLevel with the room, no upstand
  • DrainageLinear drain along one edge
  • Floor finishHexagonal mosaic — more grout lines, more grip
  • Shower controlsHandheld on a vertical slide bar
  • VanityWall-hung, open knee space beneath
  • MirrorFull height, usable seated or standing
Shower area running level with the bathroom floor beside a freestanding bath, with a linear drain
A level shower floor with a linear drain and no upstand at the entry.
Bath and shower combination with a wall-mounted rail and a handheld shower on a slide bar
Bath and shower combination with a wall-mounted rail and a handheld shower on a slide bar.

The service

Design for the next
twenty years, not this one.

Most accessible bathrooms are built after something happens. The better time is during a remodel you were going to do anyway, when blocking, drainage and door widths cost almost nothing to get right and a great deal to retrofit.

The distinction worth understanding: the ADA is a standard for public and commercial facilities. A private home is not obliged to meet it. But its dimensions are the best-tested guidance available for what actually works, which is why they are the sensible reference for a home too.

  • Blocking is nearly free

    Plywood behind the tile at grab-bar heights costs very little during a remodel and makes any future rail a one-hour job.

  • Level entry, no threshold

    A shower floor running level with the room removes the single most common trip and access barrier.

  • It should not look medical

    Wall-hung vanities, slide bars and slip-resistant mosaic are ordinary design choices that happen to be accessible.

Talk through your bathroom

Scope

What an accessible remodel covers

The elements that make a bathroom usable at any age, most of which are decided before tiling.

Blocking is the decision you cannot revisit cheaply

Install plywood behind the tile at grab-bar heights across every wall that might ever need one. It adds very little to a remodel and it means a future rail can go anywhere, at any time, without opening the room up again.

01

Getting in and moving

  • Door width and swing reviewed; outward-swinging or sliding doors where space is tight
  • Clear turning and approach space planned rather than left over
  • Level-entry shower with a linear or trench drain and no upstand
  • Floor finish selected for slip resistance when wet
02

Support and blocking

  • Plywood blocking installed behind tile at grab-bar heights throughout
  • Grab bars fitted at the toilet, shower and bath where required
  • Fittings anchored into blocking, never into board alone
  • Seating provision in the shower, fixed or folding
03

Fixtures and controls

  • Wall-hung vanity leaving open knee space beneath
  • Comfort-height toilet with clear approach space to one side
  • Handheld shower on a vertical slide bar, usable seated or standing
  • Thermostatic or anti-scald valves, and lever handles rather than knobs
04

Light, contrast and finish

  • Even lighting without glare, and task lighting at the mirror
  • Tonal contrast between floor, wall and fittings so edges read clearly
  • Mirror height and tilt usable seated as well as standing
  • Storage reachable from a seated position
Shower with a handheld head on a vertical slide bar, thermostatic valve and a recessed niche
Shower with a handheld head on a vertical slide bar, thermostatic valve and a recessed niche.

Stills from the two completed units on this page. They illustrate the stages; they are not photographs of the stage named beside them.

How it runs

Six stages,
one contract

Accessibility is decided at rough-in. By tiling day the important choices are already permanent.

  1. 01

    Needs assessment

    Who uses the room, what is difficult now, and what may be needed later. This is a conversation, not a checklist.

  2. 02

    Measured survey

    The room as built, plus door widths, approach space and where the drainage can realistically go.

  3. 03

    Design

    Layout resolved around clearances and transfer space first, finishes second.

  4. 04

    Specification

    Fixtures, valves, blocking positions and slip resistance written down before ordering.

  5. 05

    Rough-in

    Drainage set for a level floor, blocking installed, valves positioned — then inspected before anything is covered.

  6. 06

    Finish and adjust

    Tiling, fitting and final adjustment of heights and controls with the person who will use the room.

Approvals

A private home is not
a public facility.

The Americans with Disabilities Act sets accessibility standards for public accommodations and commercial facilities. A private single-family home is generally not covered by it, so no one is obliging you to comply.

What the ADA and the associated ANSI standards do provide is well-tested dimensional guidance — clearances, heights, reach ranges — that works. Using them as a reference in a home is a design decision, and a good one.

Permitting for the work itself follows the usual path: moving drainage, supply or electrical generally requires a permit and inspection. We confirm what your scope triggers in your municipality before work begins.

INFILLED VEHICLE OPENINGBATHKITCHENLIVING / SLEEPINGENTRY

Simplified sketch, for explanation only. It is not a permit drawing and not a plan of either project shown on this page.

From first call to closeout

  • Needs assessment

    Recorded with the people who use the room.

  • Measured survey

    Door widths, clearances and existing drainage.

  • Design against clearances

    Transfer and approach space planned first.

  • Specification

    Blocking, valves and slip resistance written down.

  • Permit submission

    Where drainage, supply or electrical is being altered.

  • Rough-in inspection

    Drainage and blocking inspected before close-up.

  • Final inspection

    On completion.

  • Handover adjustment

    Heights and controls set with the user.

ADA is a reference here, not an obligation

We describe this work as ADA-informed rather than ADA-compliant on a private home, because compliance is a defined legal term that applies to covered facilities. The dimensions are the useful part.

Nothing here is legal advice, and no approval outcome or review duration is promised. Requirements vary by municipality and by property.

Cost and schedule

What moves the number

Accessible work is not inherently expensive. What costs money is changing drainage and structure — everything else is specification.

01

What moves the cost

  • Level-entry drainage

    Achieving a floor with no upstand means setting the drain and falls within the floor build-up. On a slab this is the largest variable.

  • Door and opening changes

    Widening a doorway is straightforward in a stud wall and a structural job in a masonry one.

  • Blocking

    Almost nothing during a remodel. Substantial afterwards.

  • Fixture specification

    Wall-hung vanities need carrier framing; thermostatic valves cost more than standard ones.

  • Tile format and slip rating

    Smaller modules on the shower floor give more grout lines and better grip, and take longer to lay.

  • Room size

    Where clear space does not exist, borrowing it from an adjacent room is the honest answer and a bigger scope.

02

What moves the schedule

  • Design and assessment

    Front-loaded deliberately.

  • Permit review

    Where the scope requires it, set by the authority having jurisdiction.

  • Rough-in inspection

    Gates the tiling.

  • Fixture lead times

    Wall-hung and specialist fittings are ordered, not stocked.

  • Tiling

    Mosaic and small-format floors take longer than large format.

  • Final adjustment

    Booked with the user rather than assumed.

Illustrative diagram · not a photograph of a project

AS FOUND · GARAGEopen vehicle opening · bare slab · no envelopeCONVERTED · HABITABLEinfill wall · windows · entry · egress · insulated envelope · treated slab010203040506

Six things that make
a bathroom usable.

None of these look like accessibility features once the room is finished. All of them have to be decided before the tiler arrives.

01

No threshold

A level shower floor with a linear drain. Nothing to step over, nothing to trip on, and it works with a wheelchair or a shower chair.

02

Blocking behind tile

Plywood across the wall at rail heights so a grab bar can be anchored anywhere, later, without demolition.

03

Clear floor space

Room to approach the toilet and basin from the side, and to turn. This is a layout decision, not a fixture one.

04

Knee space

A wall-hung vanity with an open underside so a seated user can get close enough to use it.

05

Reachable controls

Handheld shower on a slide bar, lever handles, thermostatic valve, and switches within reach from seated height.

06

Contrast and light

Tonal difference between floor, wall and fittings so edges are legible, and even light without glare on wet surfaces.

Bathroom with a wall-mounted grab bar beside the toilet, a white vanity with a stone top and wide clear floor space
Elbaz Construction bathroom project — a grab bar fitted beside the toilet with clear floor space kept around it.

What to expect

One bathroom out
is a real disruption.

If it is the only bathroom, the schedule matters more than the specification. That gets planned around, not discovered.

  • Single-bathroom planning

    If there is no second bathroom, sequence and temporary arrangements are agreed before we start.

  • Dust and access

    Containment at the door and protection on the route in and out.

  • Rough-in is the gate

    Drainage and blocking are inspected before tiling; that inspection sets the schedule.

  • Fitting heights

    Set with the user where possible rather than to a default.

  • Slip resistance

    Checked on the actual product, wet, not assumed from a catalogue.

  • Final walk-through

    Every control operated and every height confirmed at handover.

Questions

Ask the
awkward ones.

Six categories. Pick one and the answers change.

Not answered here?

(754) 236-0675

Sun-Fri 7am-7pm · Sat closed

No. The ADA applies to public accommodations and commercial facilities, not to private single-family homes. Its dimensions are still the best-tested guidance for what works, which is why we design to them — but we describe the result as ADA-informed rather than compliant, because compliance is a legal term with a defined scope.

That depends on the building and the use. Common areas of a multi-family building and some rental situations can carry obligations that a private home does not. It is worth establishing before design.

Wall-hung double vanity with open space beneath it and a full-width mirror above
Wall-hung double vanity with open space beneath it and a full-width mirror above.

Why Elbaz

What we will actually
put our name to

  • Licensed general contractor

    Licensed, bonded and insured · CBC1265280.

  • Accessibility designed at rough-in

    Drainage, blocking and clearances resolved before tiling, which is the only time they are cheap.

  • Blocking as standard

    We install grab-bar blocking whether or not a rail is going in now, because retrofitting it is the expensive version.

  • Honest about ADA

    We use ADA dimensions as guidance and say so, rather than claiming compliance a private residence does not require.

  • Permitting handled here

    Submissions and correction responses are ours.

  • Set with the user

    Final heights and controls adjusted with the person who uses the room.

Every claim in this column is something we can evidence. We have deliberately left out award badges, membership logos and project counts.

Reviews

I highly recommend them for home improvement. They renovated my master bathroom and a few upgrades for other guest bathrooms. They are very professional, courteous and transparent. They are great at communicating and finding ways to streamline the work. Sean has impeccable project management and customer relationship management skills. Very pleased with the work!

Omri B

Genuine Google reviews of Elbaz Construction, shown as written. Several describe bathroom work; none has been edited or re-attributed.

Read them on Google

Redid my whole bathroom and kitchen. Great service - Great quality - very quick - very professional !! Highly recommended!

Adir Davidov

They are amazing! Very professional. Met my exact requests with so much patience and knowledge. They renovated my whole house and the whole process was such a breeze. I highly recommend them!

Lee Morali

We hired them to renovate our investment property and they provided exceptional quality service for an affordable price!

Shir Partush

Amazing experience with the entire company! They did a great job in my house for some work that needed to be completed, and I am extremely happy with the result. Super professional & great service. I highly recommend Elbaz Construction.

Mia Zafrani

After I've been Looking for a good company to renovate my house , I found those guys! These people are super professional super honest super Fast !! Don't hesitate to Rent their service! They are number one!!

carmit cohen

Project files

Three showers, photographed finished.

A gray corner shower with grab bars, a marble-look shower with a niche and sliding glass, and a curbless guest bath with a bench. Pick a tab and open the photos.

3Projects shown
19Photos
1Site videos
PROJECT 01

Corner glass shower with grab bars and a bench

A frameless glass corner shower is tiled in gray marble-look porcelain, with grab bars, a niche and a herringbone floor that drains to a linear drain. A tiled bench sits in the enclosure. The rest of the bath has a double vanity, windows and a plank-look floor.

Scope of work

  • Corner shower enclosure in frameless glass
  • Grab bars fixed inside the shower
  • Tiled bench built into the enclosure
  • Herringbone floor pan sloped to a linear drain
  • Recessed niche set into the shower wall
  • Double vanity and mirror in the same room
  • Plank-look porcelain floor through the bath

Materials & finishes

Marble-look porcelainHerringbone panLinear drainFrameless glassGrab barsQuartz vanity topBlack pulls

What to look for in the photos

Look inside the shower: the grab bars, the bench and the niche all sit within one arm's reach of each other. Then look at the herringbone floor and where the drain line sits.

Elbaz Construction project photo · 8 photos

PROJECT 02

Marble-look shower with grab bars and a niche

A marble-look porcelain shower has a black round rain head, a handheld, grab bars and a niche, behind a frameless sliding glass door with black hardware. The floor is finished in scallop tile around a black linear drain.

Scope of work

  • Walk-in shower in marble-look porcelain
  • Frameless sliding glass door with black hardware
  • Rain head and handheld shower valve set
  • Grab bars fixed to the shower walls
  • Recessed corner niche with metal trim
  • Scallop floor tile around a linear drain

Materials & finishes

Marble-look porcelainScallop tileMosaic niche backMetal trimBlack fixturesSliding glassLinear drain

What to look for in the photos

Look at the niche: the mosaic back is framed with metal trim and set in the wall. Then look at the floor, where the scallop tile meets the black linear drain.

Elbaz Construction project photo · 3 photos

PROJECT 03

Curbless guest bath with bench and wood-look tile

A guest bath with a curbless shower, a linear drain and a tiled bench, finished in wood-look tile under a window. A smart toilet sits near the shower. A floating wood double vanity carries two oval LED mirrors against a textured stone-look wall.

Scope of work

  • Curbless shower floor with a linear drain
  • Tiled bench set inside the shower
  • Wood-look tile on the shower and floor
  • Smart toilet with its own power
  • Floating wood double vanity
  • Two oval LED mirrors on a textured wall

Materials & finishes

Wood-look tileTextured stone-look tileFloating wood vanityLED mirrorsLinear drainFrameless glass

What to look for in the photos

Look at where the floor meets the shower: there is no step. Then check how the bench, the rain head and the toilet are all reachable from the same spot.

Elbaz Construction project photo · 3 photos

In motion

Walk through it.

A slow pan of a finished bath with a frameless glass walk-in shower.

Vaulted bath pan with walk-in shower

Cost and time

Where an accessible bath spends.

Two charts: how a typical accessible bathroom budget divides, and how the work usually runs, week by week.

Where a typical accessible bathroom budget goes

100%OF BUDGET
  • Shower floor & waterproofing20%
  • Tile & setting16%
  • Plumbing & drain work15%
  • Framing, blocking & labor22%
  • Fixtures & grab bars12%
  • Vanity, mirror & glass10%
  • Permit & inspections5%

Typical shares only. Moving a drain or a toilet pushes plumbing and floor work up.

A typical accessible bathroom, week by week

Needs & measuring
Permit & orders
Permit
Demo & rough plumbing
Blocking & waterproofing
Tile & drain finish
Glass, fixtures & trim
Final inspection
Week 0Week 6Week 12

Weeks are indicative. Glass and special-order items set the finish date.

How it works

Drawn so you can check it.

Three drawings of the measurements and layers behind an accessible bathroom.

60 in TURNING CIRCLEROLL-IN SHOWERGRAB BAR 33–36 in AFFVANITY 34 in

Turning space and bars

Sixty inches of turning space, grab bars on blocked walls and a roll-in shower. The plan shows where each sits.

LINEAR DRAINBATH FLOOR (FLUSH)SLOPE 1/4 in PER FTNO CURB TO STEP OVER

Floor that slopes to drain

A curbless shower floor falls toward a linear drain, so nothing sits between the room and the shower.

34–36 inDRAWERSDRAWERSDOUBLE VANITY · 30 in BETWEEN SINKS

Counter at a usable height

A vanity with drawers, set to a counter height you can work at, with room underneath if you need it.

Scope planner

Plan the scope in four answers.

Choose what applies. You get an indicative time on site and the trades involved.

How will you enter the shower?
What happens to the toilet?
What support do you need?
What about the vanity?

Details

The parts you touch every day.

Niches, bars, drains and faucets, close up. These are the pieces an accessible bathroom is judged on.

Rain head, corner niche
Scallop niche, metal trim
Scallop floor, black drain
Niche, rain head, herringbone
Brass faucet, LED mirror

More questions

Questions about building it to fit.

Door widths, bar loads, power cuts and phasing for an accessible bathroom in South Florida.

Ask us directly
How wide should the bathroom door be?

Accessibility guidance calls for a clear opening of 32 inches, measured between the open door and the stop. Many older South Florida homes have 24 or 28 inch bathroom doors. We check the opening at the survey. A pocket door, an offset hinge or a door that swings out can recover the width without moving a wall.

What load should a grab bar hold?

Accessibility standards call for a bar and its mounting to resist 250 pounds of force. The bar is only as strong as the framing behind it, so we fix solid blocking between the studs before waterproofing and tile go up. A bar screwed into tile and a hollow wall will not meet that.

Can bars be added after the tile is done?

Sometimes. If the stud locations are known and the tile is sound, a bar can be drilled through the tile into framing with a sealed, waterproof mount. If the wall is hollow, it is cleaner to open it and add blocking. We prefer to do this while the walls are open.

Should the toilet be comfort height?

A seat height of roughly 17 to 19 inches suits many adults who find a standard toilet low, and it eases transfers from a wheelchair. It also changes the grab bar position, so we pick the toilet first and set the bar around it. Taller users or children may prefer the standard height.

Where should the shower controls sit?

Put the valve near the entry, so you can start the water before stepping in. Pair it with a handheld on a slide bar, set at a height that works seated or standing. A thermostatic or pressure-balanced valve keeps the temperature steady if someone flushes a toilet elsewhere in the house.

What floor tile works with a wheelchair?

Use a low-profile tile with tight, flat grout lines so wheels roll without catching. In the shower, smaller tile follows the slope better. A herringbone or mosaic pan also adds grip. Raised patterns and deep textured tile are harder to roll over and harder to clean.

What happens in a power cut during hurricane season?

Plan for it. Plumbing fixtures work without power, so the toilet, the shower and the sink should not depend on electricity. LED mirrors, smart toilets and powered lifts stop when the grid does. We can discuss a battery backup or a manual override for anything a user needs.

Can the work be done in stages?

Yes, if the stages are planned in the right order. Blocking and rough plumbing go in first, because they are hardest to add later. Grab bars, a bench and a floor drain are best done together. Cosmetic items like mirrors, lighting and the vanity can follow as budget and lead times allow.

Service Areas

Proudly serving homeowners across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach

(754) 236-0675

104 municipalities across three counties — and we hold the licence to build in all of them. Not sure about your address? Ask us.

Keep reading

Bathroom renovation design guide - Elbaz Construction Miami

Featured guide

How to Design a Bathroom Renovation

Planning a bathroom from layout outward, which is where accessibility is decided.

Related guides

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Start here

Tell us who uses the room

What helps on the first call

Rough dimensions, whether it is the only bathroom, what is difficult about it now, and whether a wheelchair or shower chair is in use or anticipated.

What happens next

We assess needs and clearances before proposing a layout, because those decide what is possible.

What you will not get

Grab bars screwed into plasterboard.

Preferred contact method

We use your details only to respond to this enquiry. No lists, no resale.

Thanks — that came through.

Your details are with the Elbaz Construction team and we will come back to you, usually the same or next working day. If it is urgent, call (754) 236-0675.

Build it once,
and build it to last.

One assessment, one written specification including blocking and clearances, one contract through to final inspection.

Request an Accessibility Consultation(754) 236-0675
Bathroom with a freestanding bath and an adjoining level shower zone under a ceiling rain head