Where Should Grab Bars Be Installed in a Shower?

Grab bars in a shower belong on the walls at the points where a person reaches for support: horizontal bars at hand height along the walls you lean on while standing, plus a vertical bar at the spot where you step in and out, with every bar fastened into studs or solid in-wall backing rather than drywall alone. Ella's guidance for wall-mounted bars follows ADA practice, with horizontal bars 33 to 36 inches above the floor of the bathing space and a vertical bar near the entry, and those rules apply whether the bars go around a tub or inside a shower stall. The tub version of that guidance is in Where and how should grab bars be installed around a walk-in tub?, and this page covers the bars on an Ella shower.

The Bars That Ship with an Ella Shower

An Ella shower kit arrives with the stall, the grab bar set listed for that kit and the drain. The bars are packed loose in the carton rather than mounted at the factory, so fitting them is part of the installation, and it is worth confirming the bar count against your order when you unpack. What Comes in the Box With an Ella Shower Kit, and What You Still Need to Buy lists the rest of the carton contents and what is not included: no shower head, hand shower, mixing valve or valve trim comes in the box, and the wall arrives solid with no valve cutout.

On a one-piece stall, the team contacts you before the order goes to production to confirm three things: that you understand the unit is one piece and needs at least 33 inches of clear opening on the delivery path, the seat side and drain side you selected, and the number of grab bars. That call is the moment to settle how many bars you want, because the bars ship with the unit and your installer mounts them during installation. The clearance rule itself is explained in Will a One-Piece Ella Shower Fit Through My Doorways? The 33-Inch Clearance Rule and New Construction.

Where Each Bar Goes

• Horizontal bars at standing height. Mount them along the wall 33 to 36 inches above the floor, where a standing bather can reach them naturally while showering or turning.
• A vertical bar at the entry. Place it at the spot where you step in and out, because the step over the threshold is where a hand needs something solid to hold.
• Clear of everything else on the wall. Keep every bar out of the path of a door swing, a shower screen and the valve, so nothing competes for the same stretch of wall.

Plan the bars and the plumbing openings together. Because the wall arrives without a valve cutout, your plumber marks and cuts the valve and shower head openings on site once the valve is chosen, and the right location depends on the valve, the rough-in behind the wall and the needs of the person using the shower. If you want a hand shower on a slide bar, choose that hardware with your plumber at the same time so the slide bar, the valve trim and the grab bars each have their own place on the wall before anyone drills.

Anchoring into Studs and Backing

Ella's rule for every wall-mounted seat, bench and shelf is the same rule to follow for a grab bar: it must anchor into studs or solid in-wall backing, confirmed by a licensed contractor. Drywall alone will not hold a bar under a person's weight. Ella's wall-mounted accessories are fitted with silicone in the screw holes to keep water out of the wall, and a grab bar deserves the same care, since a screw hole in a wet wall is a path for water into the framing. Suction-cup grab bars are not recommended; a bar you lean on must be fastened into the structure.

For the bars that come with the stall, Ella publishes a guide to the reinforced backing zones and the grab bar screws, and the installation manual for your kit is published with the product listing and is also available from the team. Agree with your installer before installation day that mounting the loose bars is part of the job, so the anchoring is planned as part of the installation rather than left for later.

When a Bar Competes with a Screen, Valve or Door

Sometimes the spot a bar would naturally take is the same spot you want for another accessory. On a walk-in tub with a right-hand door and drain, a customer who wanted a four-fold glass shower screen on the hinge side was told by the team that the deck-mounted bar would have to come off, and that removing it would leave two visible holes that Ella has no cap, plug or cover for. The full story is in Can I Remove the Interior Grab Bar, and Is There Anything to Cover the Holes?. The lesson carries over to a shower: if you are planning a screen, a shower valve or another accessory near where a bar will go, share a simple sketch with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before you order so the conflict is flagged early. In many layouts the better answer is to place the accessory where it does not compete with the bar, because a grab bar is a safety feature and is worth keeping.

Where to Buy Grab Bars for a Shower

The bars listed for your kit come with it, and Ella walk-in shower kits are purchased through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, with showers shipped nationwide. Where Can I Buy a Complete Ella Walk-In Shower Kit? explains what complete means and what your plumber still supplies. If you bought the shower through a retailer, the retailer sends your tracking once the unit ships, and the freight carrier calls to schedule a delivery appointment. Inspect the unit on arrival, keep all packaging material, and report any shipping damage right away to where you purchased. For bars beyond the set listed for your kit, ask your Ella dealer or the team what is available for your stall before you order, so the count is confirmed before the order is released to production.

Related Guides

• Mounting Grab Bars on Ella Shower Walls: Reinforced Backing, Finding the Zones, and Which Screws to Use
• Removing Grab Bars, the Door Handle and Controls for Custom Plating or Refinishing
• Grab Bar Length, Diameter, Weight Rating and Wall Spacing

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