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Requirements for ANSI Vertical Grab Bars

The requirements of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for disability accommodation are slightly stricter than those of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). When it comes to the installation of vertical grab bars in restroom stalls, the ANSI requirements have also been adopted by the International Building Council.

  1. Bar Location

    • Like the ADA, ANSI requires a horizontal grab bar on the wall to the side of the toilet, starting 12 inches from the room or stall's back corner. The vertical grab bar must be 39 to 40 inches from the same corner, and begin 39 to 41 inches above the floor.

    Bar Specifications

    • ANSI vertical grab bars must be 18 inches long--about half the size of the 42-inch horizontal bar. For the greatest safety, a grab bar should be 1.25 to 1.5 inches in diameter, and may (though this is not required) have a textured surface for easier gripping.

    Exceptions

    • Cases in which ANSI does not require grab bars to be installed include: single-occupant toilets accessed through a private office and not intended for public use (although the walls of such toilets must still be sufficiently reinforced to permit later grab bar installation, if necessary); toilets in detention or correction facilities whose suicide-prevention policies do not allow protruding objects; and toilets in type A or B residential units (grab bars are required only in accessible units--contact your building manager to find out which requirements apply to you).

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