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Can I Remove the Interior Grab Bar, and Is There Anything to Cover the Holes?

Updated September 2026

▶Glossary8
  1. How the Bar Is Attached
  2. When Removing the Bar Comes Up
  3. Covering the Holes
  4. If You Decide to Remove It
  5. Related Guides
  6. Related Videos
  7. Common Questions
  8. Still Need Help?

Yes, the interior grab bar on an Ella walk-in tub can be removed. The U-shape bar comes uninstalled, with its mounting holes pre-drilled in the deck, so it is fastened in place by your installer rather than molded into the tub. Removing it, or choosing not to install it, leaves those holes visible, and Ella does not offer a cap, plug or cover for them. Customers who want the holes hidden hire a local acrylic service to cover them.

How the Bar Is Attached

The factory drills the grab bar holes in the deck before the tub ships and packs the U-shape bar with the loose components. Your installer fastens it through those holes during setup. Because it is a fastened accessory, it can be unfastened later by anyone comfortable with basic hand tools, and the tub itself is unaffected. What remains is the pre-drilled holes, which are part of the deck whether or not a bar is mounted in them.

When Removing the Bar Comes Up

The most common reason is a layout change. On a Capri with a right-hand door and drain, for example, a deck-mounted grab bar sits on the plumbing side, which is also the door hinge side. A customer who wanted to mount a four-fold glass shower screen on that side was told by the team that the bar would need to come off, and that doing so would leave two visible holes. If you are planning a screen, a shower valve or another accessory near the bar, share a sketch with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before you order so they can flag the conflict. In many layouts the better answer is to place the accessory where it does not compete with the bar.

Covering the Holes

Ella has nothing in its parts range to cover grab bar holes in the deck. The team's experience is that customers who want a clean deck hire an acrylic service in their area to cover the holes. That is cosmetic work done in the home, not something Ella ships a part for. Unused towel bar or hand shower openings are a separate question, covered in Unused Towel Bar or Hand Shower Holes on the Deck.

If You Decide to Remove It

  1. Confirm the bar is really in the way. A grab bar is a safety feature, and it is worth checking whether the accessory can go elsewhere first.
  2. Unfasten the bar and keep it together with its washers and hardware in case you want to reinstall it later.
  3. If you want the holes hidden, contact a local acrylic service.
  4. If you later want a bar back, match the existing pre-drilled spacing; see Replacement Interior Grab Bars: Matching the Hole Spacing on Your Tub.

Drilling for grab bars or faucets does not affect your warranty, as covered in Does Drilling Holes for a Faucet or Grab Bars Void the Ella Warranty?.

Chapters in this video
  1. 0:00 Unpack and Prepare the Screen The video begins by showing how to carefully unbox and unwrap the four-fold glass shower screen, recommending setting it on the floor bottom side up.
  2. 0:27 Install Wall Channel and Gasket The technician measures and marks the wall channel position, drills holes, inserts anchors, and then places the gasket into the bottom channel of the shower screen.
  3. 1:20 Secure End Caps and Knobs The technician removes a screw, places the end cap molding, secures it, draws the gasket through, inserts seal end caps, trims excess, and places chrome knobs.
  4. 2:08 Adjust Screen Height and Level The screen is placed onto the channel to determine the proper height and level, which is critical for the correct function of the bottom gasket.
  5. 2:39 Final Secure and Seal The technician marks and drills holes, re-secures the door to the wall channel, attaches decorative screw snap caps, and applies a thin bead of silicone caulk.

Common Questions

Can the interior grab bar be removed from the tub?
Yes. The bar is fastened through pre-drilled holes in the deck, not molded in, so it can be taken off. The holes stay visible after it is removed.
Does Ella sell caps or plugs for the grab bar holes?
No. Ella does not have anything to cover the holes left by a removed grab bar. Customers who want them hidden use a local acrylic service.
Does the U-shape grab bar come installed on the tub?
No. The U-shape grab bar ships uninstalled, and the holes for it are pre-drilled on the deck at the factory. Your installer mounts it during setup.
Do I have to remove the bar to install a folding glass screen?
Only if the screen is going on the side where the deck-mounted bar sits, such as the plumbing side of a Capri. Share your drawing with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before you order so they can point out the conflict. Placing the screen on the other side avoids removing the bar.
Who can hide the holes left by a removed bar?
A local acrylic service can cover the holes. Ella does not perform this work or send technicians. Keep the bar and hardware in case you want it reinstalled later.

Still Need Help?

Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and have your model and serial number ready.

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