Accessible bathrooms
Accessible bathroom adaptations in Glasgow & Renfrewshire
An accessible bathroom is adapted so people with limited mobility can wash safely and independently. Glasgow Bathroom Fitter fits accessible bathrooms across Glasgow and Renfrewshire, from level-access showers and walk-in baths to grab rails, shower seats and comfort-height toilets. We fit to your occupational therapist's recommendations, we don't add VAT to our invoices, and most accessible bathrooms take 1 to 2 weeks.
Features by need
Which accessible bathroom features do you need?
The right features depend on what the person using the bathroom finds difficult. Start with the task, then choose the feature that makes it safer.
| If you find it hard to | Feature that helps | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Step over the bath side | A level-access shower or a walk-in bath | A level-access floor removes the step completely |
| Stand in the shower | A fold-down shower seat | It folds flat against the wall when not in use |
| Get up from the toilet | A comfort-height toilet and grab rails | Rails need a solid fixing, which we check at the survey |
| Use a basin from a wheelchair | A wall-hung basin with space underneath | Lever taps are easier to turn than twist taps |
| Keep your footing | Slip-resistant floor tiles | Made for wet areas, in many colours and sizes |
| Judge the water temperature | A thermostatic mixer shower | It keeps the water at a steady temperature |
Bath or shower?
Walk-in bath or level-access shower?
A walk-in bath suits people who still want to bathe, while a level-access shower suits wheelchair users and anyone who finds sitting down in a bath hard.
When a walk-in bath suits you
A walk-in bath has a watertight side door, so you step in over a low threshold and sit on a built-in seat. It suits people who enjoy a soak or find standing tiring. You stay seated while the bath fills and drains, so a bath takes longer than a shower.
When a level-access shower suits you
A level-access shower has no step at all, so it works with a wheelchair or a shower chair, and a seat and rails can be added. It is also quicker to use each day. See our walk-in shower installation service, or compare the options in our walk-in shower vs wet room guide.
Working with your OT
How we work with your occupational therapist
If your council's occupational therapist (OT) has assessed your needs, we quote and fit to their recommendations. Here is what happens, step by step.
- 1. OT assessment: contact your council's occupational therapy service, and the OT recommends the adaptations you need.
- 2. Free survey: we visit, read the OT's recommendations and check the room, the walls and the floor.
- 3. Written quote: you get a fixed-price quote that matches the OT's report, ready to share with the council.
- 4. Grant approval: if you are applying for a grant, the council usually needs to approve it before work starts.
- 5. Fitting: our own fitters complete the work, usually in 1 to 2 weeks, with electrics by a registered electrician.
- 6. Handover: we show you how everything works, and the work has our 2-year workmanship guarantee.
Help with the cost
Grants and VAT relief for bathroom adaptations
Help with the cost of an accessible bathroom can come from two places: your council and VAT relief.
Scheme of Assistance grants
In Scotland, adaptations are funded through your council's Scheme of Assistance, not the English Disabled Facilities Grant. After an occupational therapist assessment, councils must give a grant of at least 80% towards essential adaptations, and Glasgow offers 100% to people who meet certain benefit criteria. Read our Scheme of Assistance grants guide.
VAT relief
We are not VAT registered, so no VAT is added to our invoices. When you buy from VAT-registered businesses, equipment designed solely for disabled people can be zero-rated, and people aged 60 or over can pay a reduced rate on some mobility aids, such as grab rails and walk-in baths, when they are supplied and installed. Find out more about VAT relief on disabled bathroom adaptations.
Safe and stylish
An accessible bathroom that still feels like home
An accessible bathroom does not have to look clinical. It can be safe and still feel like part of your home.
Finishes that suit your home
Slip-resistant tiles come in many colours and sizes, and grab rails come in finishes that sit well beside your taps. A frameless glass panel keeps a level-access shower open and bright.
Planning for later
If you do not need every feature now, we talk through what you might need later at the free survey, so the room is easier to adapt in the future.
Pricing
How much does an accessible bathroom cost?
The cost of an accessible bathroom depends on which features you need and how much of the room changes, so we give a competitive, fixed-price written quote after a free survey.
What changes the price
- Bath or shower: a level-access floor needs tanking, and a walk-in bath needs new plumbing.
- Floor work: forming a fall to the drain takes longer than fitting a tray.
- Number of features: rails, a seat, a comfort-height toilet or a new basin.
- Layout changes: moving the toilet, basin or waste pipes adds work.
- Electrics: an electric shower needs its own circuit.
- Help with cost: a council grant can reduce what you pay, and we don't add VAT.
Why us
Why families choose us for accessible bathrooms
Families choose us for accessible bathrooms because we fit to the OT's report and keep the work clear and calm.
- We quote and fit to your occupational therapist's recommendations
- No VAT added to our invoices, as we're not VAT registered
- Most accessible bathrooms fitted in 1 to 2 weeks
- Our own fitters, with electrics by a registered electrician
- 15 years of experience, founded by James McCallum
- Rated 4.8 out of 5 from 36 Google reviews, with a 2-year workmanship guarantee
Changing the whole room? See our full bathroom renovation service.
Free survey
Book a free accessible bathroom survey
Tell us who will use the bathroom and what they find hard, and share the OT's report if you have one. We'll visit for a free survey and give you a fixed-price written quote.
- Free, no-obligation survey
- Fitted to your OT's report
- No VAT added to our invoice
Free · No obligation
Get your free bathroom quote
Tell us a little about your bathroom and we'll arrange your free, no-obligation survey.
No obligation. We never share your details.
Prefer to talk? Call 0141 280 9490 or WhatsApp us.
How long does an accessible bathroom take to fit?
Most accessible bathrooms take 1 to 2 weeks to fit. The time depends on how much changes: adding rails and a seat is quick, while a level-access floor or a walk-in bath with new plumbing takes longer. We give you a timescale with your written quote, and we aim to leave a working toilet each evening wherever possible, which matters when someone relies on the bathroom.
Can I get a grant for an accessible bathroom in Scotland?
Yes, you may. In Scotland, help comes through your council's Scheme of Assistance. After an occupational therapist assesses your needs, councils must give a grant of at least 80% towards essential adaptations, and Glasgow offers 100% to people who meet certain benefit criteria. Contact your council's occupational therapy service to start. The council usually needs to approve the grant before any work begins.
Do I pay VAT on a disabled bathroom adaptation?
Not on our work. We are not VAT registered, so no VAT is added to our invoices. When you buy from VAT-registered businesses, equipment designed solely for disabled people can be zero-rated with a signed eligibility declaration, and people aged 60 or over can pay a reduced rate on some mobility aids, such as grab rails and walk-in baths, when they are supplied and installed. Our VAT relief guide explains who qualifies.
Do I need an occupational therapist assessment first?
Not if you are paying privately, but it helps. You need an OT assessment to apply for a council grant, and the OT's report shows which adaptations suit the person using the bathroom. If you have a report, we quote and fit to its recommendations. If not, we talk through your needs at the free survey and recommend options, and you can still arrange an assessment later.
Is a walk-in bath or a walk-in shower better for older people?
It depends on the person. A walk-in bath suits someone who enjoys bathing and can sit and wait while the bath fills and drains. A level-access walk-in shower suits wheelchair users, shower chairs and anyone who finds a bath tiring or hard to get out of. It is also quicker to use each day. We talk through both options at the free survey.
Can my existing bathroom be adapted?
Often it can. Grab rails, a fold-down shower seat or a comfort-height toilet can usually be added to an existing bathroom, while swapping a bath for a level-access shower changes more of the room. At the free survey we check the walls, floor and plumbing, explain what can stay and what needs to change, and put it all in a fixed-price written quote.
Can a small bathroom be made accessible?
Yes, in most cases. A level-access shower with a fold-down seat often takes less space than a bath, and a wall-hung basin frees up floor space underneath. Turning space for a wheelchair depends on the size of the room, so we measure at the survey and explain honestly what is possible. In tenement flats we also check the floor and the waste route.
Will an accessible bathroom look clinical?
It does not have to. Slip-resistant tiles come in many colours and sizes, grab rails come in finishes that sit well beside your taps, and a frameless glass panel keeps a level-access shower bright and open. Fold-down seats fold flat when not in use. The aim is a bathroom that is safe for the person using it and still feels like part of your home.