Grab Bars, Handrails & Aging-in-Place Changes in Wilmington, DE
- Tub, Toilet and Stairs
- Placed Where Hands Reach
- $600 for the First Three Bars
Coming home from the hospital or rehab soon? Tell us the date when you call.
A grab bar only matters in the second someone reaches for it, and in that second it has to hold. That depends on what sits behind the wall, and on whether the bar is where a hand goes when a foot slips or a knee gives out. A bar mounted to look tidy on the wall can end up a foot from where it would actually help.
Our part is the bars in the bathroom and, where a wall can carry it, a second rail for stairs that have only one. Each bar is set around the person who will use it, whether that is a parent moving in, a spouse coming home after surgery, or you.
Grab Bars From a Family-Owned Business
Bathroom and stairs on one visit
Grab bars and a second stair rail can be priced on the same trip.
Your therapist's list is welcome
If a rehab center or therapist marked where bars should go, the placement can follow it.
A finish that suits the room
Bars come in finishes that sit well beside the faucet and towel hooks.
At the Tub, the Toilet and the Stairs, a Hand Needs Something to Hold
A hand reaches for support in three places a house rarely prepares it for: the edge of the tub or shower, the side of the toilet and the stair rail. At each one, whatever happened to be within reach was put there for a towel, a roll of paper, or a light touch.
At the tub and the shower
Stepping over a tub wall or onto a wet shower floor is a moment when balance runs short. A vertical bar at the entry gives a hand something to hold while one foot is in and one is out. A horizontal or angled bar on the long wall helps with sitting down onto a bench or standing up from the tub.
Beside the toilet
Sitting down on and rising from a toilet puts a pulling and pushing load on whatever is in reach: a towel bar, a sink edge, or a toilet paper holder, and none of those are built to hold a person's weight. A grab bar on the side wall, set at a height that fits the person's reach, takes that job over. Where the toilet itself sits too low, a taller comfort-height toilet can make standing up easier; our toilet replacement work covers that swap.
toilet replacementStair rails, banisters and newel posts
A staircase with a rail on only one side leaves a hand empty on the way down, which is why a second stair rail belongs on the same list as grab bars. A rocking banister or newel post is fixed as part of a stair railing repair.
stair railing and newel post repairWhere a bar goes, and what holds it
Placement starts with the person, not the tape measure. Jimmy asks who will use the bars and how they move through the room now: where they stand to turn on the water, where they sit, and where a hand goes when they stand up. The bars go where those hands will be.
What holds the bar comes next. On a framed wall, every bar we install is screwed into a stud or solid blocking, never into a drywall anchor. When a stud sits right where the bar needs to go, the bar is fastened straight to it. When it doesn't, blocking has to go in between the studs, which may mean opening the wall. On tile, holes are drilled with a bit made for tile, and the fasteners are sealed so that shower water stays out of the wall.
Plaster on brick behind a Wilmington tub
Where a Wilmington bathroom wall is plaster laid straight onto brick or block, it sounds solid when you knock on it, but there is no wood behind it at all. A stud finder comes up empty, and there is nothing to set blocking between. A bar on that wall goes into the masonry itself or moves to a framed wall within reach, and Jimmy settles which at the estimate, once he has seen where the person using the bar needs it. Plaster on masonry is also brittle at the edge of a hole, so drilling it is slow, careful work.
What to Expect on a Grab Bar Job
Who the bars are for
Call or text Jimmy with who will use them, which bathrooms need them, and whether the stairs need a second rail or a repair.
The visit to your home
Jimmy comes out to see the bathroom and the stairs. He looks at what each wall is made of, what sits behind the spots where the bars need to go, and how the existing rail is fastened. If the person who will use the bars can be there, they can walk him through their routine.
Settling the bars
Bar lengths, positions and finish are agreed so nothing is guessed on install day. If you have already bought bars, bring them out at the visit so Jimmy can check them.
Install day
Floors are protected, and framing is in place. Each bar is mounted and checked before the next one goes up.
A walk-through with the user
The person who will rely on the bars tries each one with Jimmy there: sitting down and standing up at the toilet, stepping in and out of the tub, and holding the rail on the way down the stairs.
The Grab Bar and Rail Checklist
| Item | What we do | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Grab bars at the tub or shower entry | Installed vertically at the entry | Placed around how the person steps in |
| Grab bars on the long tub or shower wall | Installed horizontally or at an angle | Height set to the user's reach |
| Grab bars beside the toilet | Installed on the side wall | Replaces the towel bar people grab by habit |
| Blocking behind the wall | Added where no stud lines up | May mean opening the wall |
| Tile and fiberglass surrounds | Drilled with the right bit, fasteners sealed | Keeps shower water out of the wall |
| Second stair rail | Where the wall can carry one, planned at the estimate | Priced at the visit |
| Banister, stair railing and newel post repair | Loose parts re-secured or replaced | Rebuilt where a part can't hold |
| Comfort-height toilet | Old toilet removed, new one set | A taller seat for easier standing |
| Painting patched walls | Not included | We don't paint walls, ceilings or trim |
Already bought the fixture or the material? We can usually install it, as long as it suits the job. On customer-supplied materials, our warranty covers the labor only.
Three Bars at One Price, and the Rest of the List
- Work
Grab bars, the first three
Price$600 - Work
Each bar after the first three
PricePriced at the visit - Work
Second stair rail
PricePriced at the visit - Work
Stair railing, banister or newel post repair
Price$800 to $2,500 - Work
Toilet replacement
Price$800
A fourth bar on plain drywall beside the toilet is simpler to add, while one on a tiled shower wall may mean opening the wall, so bars past the first three are priced once Jimmy has seen the wall each one goes on.
Jimmy prices every project in person at your home, never from a photo or a text. Project estimates are free and are usually scheduled in the evening.
Our warranty
Our work carries a one-year workmanship warranty, dated from the day the job is finished.
Two Grab Bar Jobs Near Wilmington
Safety grab bars in two bathrooms
Andy Davidson, Google review, May 2026
“Jimmy Grubb installed safety grab bars in two bathrooms for my handicapped wife. He did a fantastic job. The bars he recommended were perfect and I can’t recommend him enough. He was highly respectful of our property and is a great person.”
Grab bars and an extra stair rail on an urgent job
Tina Johns, Google review, November 2025
“He followed up and provided specific details on recommended products to install. The job was urgent in nature - installation of safety grab bars in bathroom showers and toilets along with an extra stair rail. On the day of install, Jimmy and son were punctual, ensured areas were kept clean, completed job in estimated time, and performed final walk-thru. Final product met expectations and I would definitely recommend his services.”
More reviews from our customers, straight from Google.
Before the Bars Go Up
Give us the date when you call. Jimmy will tell you at the visit whether the bars can be in by then, and the install is planned around that day.
Not on the glass. A shower door or fixed glass panel has nothing behind it to pull on, so the bar goes on a framed wall beside it. A tiled half wall can take a bar when there is solid framing inside it, which Jimmy checks before a bar is placed there.
They hold only as long as the seal holds, and a seal on tile can let go without warning. That is not something to trust with a full body weight. A bar is only as strong as what it is screwed into.
Yes, once there is backing behind the spot. That backing can sometimes come in from the room side, and sometimes it is easier from behind the wall, through a closet, or from the room next door. Jimmy checks which route works on your wall at the visit.
Grip it firmly and push and pull on it every so often. Any movement, a gap opening at the flange, or cracked caulk around it on tile means the bar needs looking at, so call us.
The wall is patched where a bar comes off. On tile, a bar can sometimes cover the old holes with a matching flange. Painting the patched spot is not something we do, so plan on your painter or a touch-up of your own.
Bars on the Wall Before Anyone Needs Them
A bar placed for one person's reach may sit wrong for another. Call or text Jimmy to set up the visit, and have the person who will use the bars there if you can.
Precision Home Worx · Based in Claymont, DE · (302) 321-3577 (call or text) · Monday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Delaware business license #223872998 · General liability insurance and RLI surety bond #LMS1971327
Serving Wilmington, Claymont, North Wilmington, Hockessin, Pike Creek, Greenville, Newark, New Castle, Bear and the rest of northern Delaware.
Related services
The main service
Bathroom remodelingRelated work
Part of this service
Where we work
Elsewhere in the bathroom
Where we install grab bars and handrails
Grab bars and stair rails installed in Wilmington, Claymont, Arden, Hockessin, Pike Creek, Greenville, Newark, New Castle and Bear.
