ADA Accessible Bathroom Remodel in San Antonio: The Numbers That Matter

An accessible bathroom isn't a style. It's a set of measurements that let a person in a wheelchair, on a walker or with limited grip use the room safely and on their own. The ADA Standards for Accessible Design spell those measurements out, and the U.S. Access Board publishes a plain-language guide to them. This guide translates the key numbers into a plan for a San Antonio home or business. If your focus is a bathroom that adapts gradually as you age, our aging-in-place bathroom guide covers that approach; this one is about building to the measured standard.

ADA bathroom rules for San Antonio homes versus businesses

Who has to follow the rules depends on the building:

• Private homes: The 2010 ADA Standards apply to businesses and government facilities, not single-family homes. Local building codes still apply to the plumbing and electrical work. The ADA numbers are still the best tested reference for a homeowner who needs a fully accessible bathroom.
• Businesses and public buildings in Texas: Restrooms in places of public accommodation must meet the ADA. Texas also enforces the Texas Accessibility Standards through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). TDLR says projects with a total estimated cost of $50,000 or more must have construction documents reviewed by a Registered Accessibility Specialist, and smaller projects must still comply with TAS.

If you own a restaurant, office or retail space, see our commercial construction services or, for public facilities, our government projects page. The rest of this guide focuses on homes.

Start with turning space and the door

Plan the floor first, because everything else depends on it.

• Turning space: a 60-inch diameter circle or a T-shaped space inside the room lets a wheelchair turn around.
• Door width: the Access Board guide calls for a clear opening of at least 32 inches. If your bathroom door is narrower than that, widening the opening, using offset hinges or switching to a pocket door becomes part of the job.
• Door swing: a door that swings into a small bathroom can eat the turning space. An outswing or pocket door often solves it.

If the existing room is too small for a turning space, the fix may be borrowing space from a closet or hallway. That turns a fixture swap into a framing project, so it is worth deciding early.

Toilet layout for an accessible bathroom

The toilet has the most specific dimensions in the standard:

• Centerline: 16 to 18 inches from the side wall.
• Seat height: 17 to 19 inches to the top of the seat.
• Side wall grab bar: at least 42 inches long.
• Rear wall grab bar: at least 36 inches long.
• Grab bar height: 33 to 36 inches to the top of the gripping surface.
• Flush control: on the open side of the toilet, not the wall side.

Moving a toilet's centerline on a slab foundation means cutting concrete to relocate the drain. That's normal work, but it belongs in the estimate from the start.

Roll-in vs. transfer showers in an ADA bathroom remodel

The shower type depends on how the person bathes.

Roll-in shower

• At least 30 inches deep by 60 inches wide for a standard roll-in.
• An alternate roll-in layout is 60 inches wide minimum by 36 inches deep.
• Threshold no higher than half an inch, beveled.
• A seat is optional, but if you add one it must fold.
• Controls above the grab bars and within reach.

Transfer shower

• Exactly 36 by 36 inches inside, with a 36-inch-wide entry.
• A seat that extends to within 3 inches of the entry, 17 to 19 inches high.
• Grab bars on the wall opposite the seat and on the back wall.

For both types, the Access Board guide calls for a hand-held shower on a hose at least 59 inches long, controls usable with one hand that need no more than 5 pounds of force, and water temperature limited to 120°F. A curbless floor also needs a recessed or built-up slab, a careful slope and continuous waterproofing. Our tub to shower conversion guide explains that build in detail.

Sink, vanity and mirror

A seated user needs to roll under the sink. Plan for:

• A sink rim or counter no higher than 34 inches above the floor.
• Open knee space below, with a wall-hung sink or an open vanity instead of a cabinet.
• Covered or insulated drain and supply pipes so legs don't touch hot pipes.
• Lever or sensor faucets that work with one hand.
• A mirror low enough to use while seated.

Behind the walls: what to build before drywall

The parts of an accessible bathroom you never see matter most:

• Blocking: solid wood blocking in every wall where a grab bar might go, even if you install only some bars now. Photograph the walls with a tape measure in view before drywall goes up so you can find the blocking later.
• Waterproofing: on a curbless shower, waterproofing should extend beyond the wet area, because water travels farther without a curb.
• Electrical: outlets and switches at reachable heights, good lighting and a night-light path. New circuits are permitted work done by licensed electricians.
• Flooring: slip-resistant tile throughout, with no lip at the shower entry.

Permits for an accessible bathroom remodel in San Antonio

Inside the City of San Antonio, the Development Services Department says new electrical, plumbing and HVAC components should be handled by licensed trade contractors, who pull their own trade permits. Tiling, painting and sheetrock repair are on the City's No Permit Required list, but drain moves, new valves and new circuits are not. Properties in Historic, Neighborhood Conservation or Corridor Districts may face added design review. Cities such as Shavano Park, Windcrest and Fair Oaks Ranch run their own permit offices. For the City process, see our San Antonio building permit guide.

Paying for an accessible bathroom

Veterans may qualify for VA help through the HISA benefit or the SAH and SHA housing grants. VA decides eligibility and wants to approve the project before work begins. Our VA bathroom remodel guide explains the limits and paperwork. For general budgeting, our bathroom remodel cost guide lists what drives the price.

Building an accessible bathroom with 214 Veteran Solutions

214 Veteran Solutions is a veteran-owned general contractor in San Antonio, and ADA-compliant and accessible bathroom designs are a core part of our bathroom remodeling work. We plan grab bars, curbless showers, comfort-height toilets and wider doorways with you instead of assuming, and we install blocking during the remodel for future grab bars or install the bars right away. Every project is permitted where required, inspected and documented, and regulated plumbing, electrical and HVAC work is performed by licensed trade contractors we coordinate.

Want a bathroom that works for everyone in your home? Call (210) 796-3695, text (210) 429-7396 or book a free on-site consultation, and we'll measure the room with you.