An ADA-style or aging-in-place bathroom remodel in Austin typically runs $9,000 to $25,000 for a modest primary-bath update — curbless walk-in shower, grab-bar blocking, comfort-height toilet, lever fixtures, and slip-resistant flooring — and $25,000 to $45,000 for a full gut-renovation that also widens the doorway, lowers vanities for seated use, and reworks the lighting. Most projects take four to seven weeks start to finish. ATX Renovations is a woman-owned, family-operated general contractor serving the greater Austin area with owner-led accessibility remodeling. Restroom renovation and ADA updates are a core competency on our GSA capability statement.
Planning a bathroom around a parent moving in, a mobility change, or a spouse coming home from surgery? Call us at (512) 234-4004 or book a free consultation. First response in one business day.
Who this page is for
This page is written for three groups of people who tend to search differently but want many of the same things in the bathroom.
Homeowners planning for aging parents
A parent is moving in, or soon will be. The current bathroom is a hazard — a 4-inch tub ledge, no grab bars, poor lighting. You want to update one bathroom (usually the one closest to the guest room or the primary) with proper accessibility, in a way that still looks like your house, not a hospital.
Caregivers and homeowners managing a mobility change
A diagnosis, a surgery, or a slow change in balance. You know the bathroom is where falls happen. You want it fixed in weeks, not months, and you want the work done by someone who will show up when they say they will and leave the house livable while they’re doing it.
Homeowners planning to stay — “aging-in-place”
You’re not in a hurry, but you’re being deliberate. You want to update the bathroom now, while you can choose the finishes you want, so that in ten or fifteen years the house still works. The remodel reads as a design-forward spa bath to anyone who tours it, and quietly meets every accessibility standard underneath.
What goes into an ADA or aging-in-place bathroom
The term “ADA” is a legal standard for public buildings; in a home, what matters is the ANSI A117.1 residential accessibility standard and good practice. Below is what we actually install, with the trade-offs people usually want to understand.
The shower
- Curbless (zero-threshold) walk-in shower. The single most impactful change. A linear drain and a properly waterproofed subfloor keep water in without a curb. Austin’s climate is kind to curbless showers; a slight slope and a good drain do the job year-round.
- Fold-down or built-in bench. A built-in masonry bench reads like design; a teak fold-down bench clears the shower when it’s not needed. Both are standard.
- Hand-held shower wand on a slide bar. Height-adjustable, useful seated or standing, works for a caregiver.
- Shower-door choice. A frameless glass panel reads clean; a weighted shower curtain costs a quarter as much and clears a wheelchair.
Grab bars and reinforced walls
- Blocking in the walls during the remodel. This is the single cheapest decision a homeowner can make for the next twenty years: ask the contractor to install plywood blocking in the wet-wall and the long shower wall so that grab bars can go in anywhere later. The blocking itself costs almost nothing; retrofitting it later means tearing out tile.
- Grab bars at the toilet, in the shower, and at any step. Modern bars read like towel racks — satin brass, matte black, chrome — and carry 250+ pounds.
The toilet
- Comfort-height toilet (17 to 19 inches rim to floor). Easier to sit down and stand up from. ADA standard is 17-19 inches.
- Clearance around the toilet. For wheelchair access, 60 inches of turning radius; otherwise, 30 by 48 inches of clear floor space.
The vanity and sink
- Roll-under vanity option. A wall-hung vanity with open space below allows seated or wheelchair use. The plumbing is wrapped for leg safety.
- Lever faucets, not knobs. Easier for arthritic hands and wet grips.
- Thermostatic (anti-scald) mixer valves. Prevents accidental scalding and keeps temperature steady when another fixture draws water.
Flooring
- Slip-resistant tile (DCOF 0.42 or higher). The industry standard for wet-area safety.
- Smaller tile with more grout lines. More grout equals more grip.
- No throw rugs. Period.
Lighting
- Three-zone lighting: general ceiling light, task lighting at the mirror, and a low-level nightlight or motion-triggered path light. Most falls at night are a lighting problem, not a mobility problem.
- Rocker switches, not toggle switches. Easier for weaker hands.
The doorway
- 36 inches of clear opening. The standard for wheelchair clearance. In an existing home, this often means a 32-inch door framed into a wider rough opening, or an offset (“swing-clear”) hinge that gains two inches without reframing.
- Lever handles, not knobs.
Beyond the bathroom
Aging-in-place is bigger than one room. On request we also quote entryway ramps, first-floor laundry relocation, zero-step shower-to-bedroom paths, and kitchen reach-and-grip updates (pull-down shelving, lever faucets, side-opening ovens).
Three common scope packages
Most homeowners pick one of three starting points. We tailor from there.
1. Shower-conversion package — typically $9,000 to $18,000
Replace a tub or step-in shower with a curbless walk-in. New waterproofing, new linear drain, new tile, glass panel, hand-held wand, bench, grab bars, in-wall blocking. Three to four weeks on site, start to finish. Keeps the rest of the bathroom.
2. Primary-bath accessibility remodel — typically $18,000 to $30,000
The shower-conversion package plus a new comfort-height toilet, new vanity (optionally roll-under), new lever fixtures, new slip-resistant flooring, improved lighting, and in-wall blocking throughout. Four to six weeks.
3. Full accessibility gut-renovation — typically $30,000 to $45,000+
Everything in package 2, plus widened doorway, electrical and lighting rework, possible wall relocation for turning clearance, and finish-level upgrades (stone, tile, millwork). Six to eight weeks. This is where most of our clients land when they’re planning to stay in the house long-term.
Austin-specific note: these ranges are typical for Travis, Williamson, and Hays counties as of 2026. Exact pricing varies with scope, materials, and site conditions. The first consultation is free, and the estimate that follows is itemized.
How a remodel goes
1. Discovery (free)
Phone, email, or an in-home visit. We walk the room with you, listen to what you need the bathroom to do, and ask about the person who will use it. Thirty minutes.
2. Design and selections
Floor plan, elevation, fixture and finish list, three price-point options. If an occupational therapist or CAPS (Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist) consultant is already involved, we work from their recommendations; if not, we flag the specific items we’d suggest a consultant review before signing.
3. Pre-construction
Permit if the scope requires one. Material procurement. Dust and access plan — the bathroom goes down, but the house stays livable. Schedule confirmed to the day.
4. Build
Owner-led. We seal off the work zone with zip-walls and HEPA filtration. The person who’s going to use the bathroom gets consulted on anything that changes mid-stream — grab-bar location, shower-head height, bench height.
5. Reveal and sign-off
Final walkthrough, orientation to every new fixture, punch list closed, warranty paperwork delivered. We stay in touch for the first six months.
Questions people ask us
Is this covered by insurance or Medicare? Traditional Medicare does not cover home modifications. Some Medicare Advantage plans and the Texas STAR+PLUS waiver cover certain accessibility work; the VA has an HISA grant for veterans with service-connected disabilities. We’ve seen clients work with occupational therapists to document medical necessity for insurance submission. We don’t bill insurance directly, but we provide the itemized estimate and documentation your plan will ask for.
Do we really need a permit? If the shower conversion changes plumbing fixture location or the electrical load, yes. If it’s a straight tub-to-shower swap with no plumbing relocation, often not. Austin and the surrounding cities each have their own rule; we check for your address during planning.
Can you work around someone who still lives in the house? Yes. Most of our aging-in-place remodels happen in occupied homes. We set up zip-walls at the bathroom entry, run HEPA filtration, and sequence the work so there’s always a usable toilet and shower on the property. In a one-bath house we usually recommend a short overlap at a hotel for the no-shower days, but we tell you in advance which days those will be.
Can my mother-in-law weigh in during the project? Yes, and she should. The person who’s going to use the bathroom is the one who knows where the grab bars need to be, how far her reach is in the shower, and what height feels right at the vanity. We mock up grab-bar locations with painter’s tape before we drill. We’d rather spend an extra hour on this than redo it later.
Will this bathroom look “institutional”? No, and it hasn’t needed to in about fifteen years. Modern accessibility finishes read as premium: a satin-brass grab bar reads like a towel bar, a comfort-height toilet reads like a European fixture, and a curbless walk-in shower is a design trend before it’s an accessibility feature. We’d rather your bathroom pass as a spa remodel to a houseguest.
Are you a CAPS-certified contractor? Our team is not currently CAPS-certified. We work alongside CAPS-certified occupational therapists and designers where a client has engaged one, and we recommend an OT or CAPS consult for any remodel where mobility needs are complex or progressive. Our own crew brings 20+ years of technical construction experience and ADA-standard restroom work on our GSA capability statement — we execute the plan, and we bring in the credentialed consultant where the plan calls for one.
How long does the whole thing take? Depends on scope: three to four weeks for the shower-conversion package, four to six for the primary-bath remodel, six to eight for a full accessibility gut-renovation. The one-on, one-off days inside that run are usually: demo (two to three days), waterproofing and inspection (one week), tile (one week), finishes and plumbing trim (one week).
Why ATX Renovations
- Owner-led. Gazi Kose, Owner, is on your project. Over 20 years of technical and project experience.
- Woman-owned, family-operated. Firuze Kose, Co-Founder, manages scheduling, documentation, and invoicing — the paperwork side is handled.
- Restroom & ADA updates are a core competency. This is listed verbatim on our GSA capability statement.
- Fully insured. General liability and workers’ compensation. Licensed professionals perform licensed trades.
- A decade of Austin renovation ownership. Prior ownership of a high-volume Austin renovation firm from 2016 through 2025 — the discipline that comes with high-volume work shows up in schedule control, change-order honesty, and clean closeouts.
Service area
We serve the greater Austin, Texas metro: Austin, Pflugerville, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Liberty Hill, Lakeway, Bee Cave, West Lake Hills, Rollingwood, Barton Creek, Steiner Ranch, Hudson Bend, Dripping Springs, Kyle, Buda, Manor, and Hutto.
Ready to talk?
Call (512) 234-4004, email info@atxrenovations.com, or book a free consultation. First response in one business day.