Accessible bathrooms in Richmond
A universal-design bathroom priced at $40,4011 in Richmond in the 2024 Cost vs. Value report, a little under the $40,7502 national average. The local factor that shapes the job most is the house: in a narrow prewar city bath, a level shower floor and a wider door can take space from the next room, and a bath on an upper floor raises the question of the stairs.
Calls are recorded. One independent company that handles accessible bathrooms in the Richmond area answers.
Updated October 11, 2026
What universal design costs and returns here
Cost vs. Value's 2024 Richmond page prices the universal-design bath and asks real estate professionals what it adds at sale. The national column comes from the same edition.
| Measure | Richmond | U.S. average |
|---|---|---|
| Universal-design bathroom remodel, job cost | $40,4011 | $40,7502 |
| Universal-design bathroom remodel, resale value | $18,2911 | $20,1482 |
| Universal-design bathroom remodel, cost recouped at resale | 45%1 | 49%2 |
| Midrange bathroom remodel, job cost | $25,0041 | $25,2512 |
Richmond agents valued the work below the national figure, so this is a room to build for the people living in the house rather than for a future buyer. The difference from a midrange bath pays for the curbless shower, wider door and reachable storage in the priced job.
How many Richmond residents need an easier bathroom
Census disability counts give a sense of how many households face this now. The second row is the share of older residents who report serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
| Measure | Richmond city | Metro |
|---|---|---|
| Residents 65 and older (civilian, not in institutions) | 31,7143 | 219,7413 |
| Residents 65 and older with difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 22%3 | 19%3 |
| Residents with a disability, all ages | 14%3 | 13%3 |
Older city residents report trouble with walking and stairs somewhat more often than older residents across the metro. Where the only full bath sits up a steep flight, that is the first problem to solve, before any tile is picked.
How old the bathrooms are
Census decade-built counts show how old the bathrooms in question are likely to be, inside the city and across the metro.
| Measure | Richmond city | Metro |
|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1940 | 28%4 | 9%4 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 71%4 | 44%4 |
| Homes built 1950–1969 | 25%4 | 17%4 |
In houses this old, door widths and floor levels were fixed long before anyone planned for a walker or a wheelchair. Ask the company to walk the whole route from bedroom to bathroom, not just the room itself.
The trades behind an accessible bath
A curbless shower is tile and plumbing work, backing for grab bars is carpentry, and relocated switches need an electrician. Median hourly wages in the Richmond metro:
| Measure | Richmond metro | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Tile and stone setters, median hourly wage | $24.10/hr5 | $26.77/hr5 |
| Plumbers, median hourly wage | $29.56/hr5 | $30.67/hr5 |
| Carpenters, median hourly wage | $24.94/hr5 | $29.12/hr5 |
| Electricians, median hourly wage | $29.50/hr5 | $30.38/hr5 |
Tile setters earn less here than nationally, but a curbless floor that drains properly takes practice. Ask to see one the company has already finished.
Permits
These rules apply inside the Richmond city line; Henrico and Chesterfield counties have their own permit offices. Some accessibility work fits the city's exemptions, such as swapping a toilet for a taller one on the same drain or replacing switches and light fixtures. A curbless shower that moves the drain, a doorway widened through a wall, or new circuits need permits, with each trade filing on its own. A low ramp at the entry can be exempt from a building permit, but in an Old and Historic District anything visible from the street still goes through the Commission of Architectural Review.
- Under the Virginia Residential Code exemptions Richmond lists, replacing plumbing fixtures without altering the supply, drain or vent piping, replacing switches, outlets and light fixtures, and putting in new floor or wall finishes, cabinetry, trim, paint or wallpaper don't need a permit.6
- In Richmond, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and gas piping work can't be included on a residential building permit; each trade needs its own permit application.6
- Richmond's list of permit exemptions includes temporary ramps serving a house where the entrance the ramp reaches is no more than 30 inches above grade.7
- The Commission of Architectural Review's guidelines for projects its secretary can approve on staff review include one for ADA site and building enhancements.8
- Richmond's inspectors no longer test shower liners; the installer tests the shower pan, and the contractor or owner gives the building inspector a completed shower liner test certificate at the final inspection.9
- Richmond needs confirmation of a valid Virginia contractor license from DPOR before it routes a residential permit application for review, unless the owner files a sworn statement that they aren't subject to contractor licensing.6
- Henrico County requires a permit for alterations that add or remove walls or change the water supply, drain or vent piping or the electric wiring, and for the first-time installation of bathtubs, showers, sinks, toilets, exhaust fans and light fixtures.10
Checked October 11, 2026
Talk to a pro who handles accessible bathrooms in Richmond
Calls are recorded. You'll be connected to one independent company that handles accessible bathrooms in your area. We never call or text you. Privacy Policy ·Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
Fitting accessibility into an old Richmond bath
The ADA standards set a circular wheelchair turning space at 60 inches in diameter, and a clear floor space at 30 by 48 inches.11 Under the ADA standards a doorway needs a clear width of at least 32 inches, measured between the face of the door and the stop with the door open 90 degrees.11 An older city bathroom may have neither, so the plan might move a wall, trade a swinging door for a pocket door, or shift the bathroom into a larger room nearby.
The EPA notes that lead can collect inside galvanized pipe and later reach drinking water, and that solder made before 1986 contained high levels of lead.12 The EPA lists vinyl floor tile, vinyl sheet backing and flooring adhesives among products that may contain asbestos, which is released mainly when the material is disturbed.13 Dropping the shower floor to get rid of the curb means opening the old subfloor, so test suspect layers before the crew cuts into them.
Planning the room around the person
More than one in four adults 65 and older fall each year.14 The CDC's home fall-prevention checklist recommends grab bars in and beside the tub and next to the toilet, and a non-slip surface on tub and shower floors.15 The National Institute on Aging suggests non-skid surfaces wherever a floor can get wet and a light left on in the bathroom at night.16
If you have fallen, the NIA notes, your doctor might suggest that an occupational therapist, physical therapist or nurse visit your home to assess its safety and advise you about changes.16 NAHB's Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) credential trains remodelers in home modifications for aging in place.17 Hand the company a therapist's notes on how the person moves and transfers, and ask whether the crew has built accessible bathrooms from a brief like that before.
Help paying for it in Richmond
Virginia's Livable Home Tax Credit, applied for through the Department of Housing and Community Development, equals 50 percent of the cost of retrofitting or renovating an existing home to improve accessibility or universal visitability, up to $6,500; total credits are capped each fiscal year and prorated when requests exceed the cap.18 Keep every itemized invoice, since the credit is figured on what you actually spent.
project:HOMES, a Central Virginia nonprofit, lists accessibility upgrades such as wheelchair ramps and critical home repairs among its services for older adults and households at or below 60 to 80 percent of area median income, with a service area that includes Richmond, Henrico and Chesterfield.19 Ask how long the wait runs and get the eligibility answer in writing before signing a contract that counts on that help.
Veterans can look at the VA's home modification benefit too. The VA's Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) benefit pays for medically necessary changes to a veteran's or servicemember's primary residence, including use of essential bathroom facilities such as roll-in showers and lowering sinks and counters.20
What happens when you call
You call the number on this page. The call is recorded, and we connect you to one independent company that participates in our network and handles accessible bathroom remodels in the Richmond area. You talk with them directly about your project, timing and price.
That company pays us for the call. You don't pay us anything, and we never call or text you. How we make money
After you're connected
Before you sign anything, look the company up yourself. Virginia's Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation advises hiring only licensed contractors, and its License Lookup shows a license's status and any past disciplinary actions.21 Check a Virginia license
Questions people ask
How much does an accessible bathroom cost in Richmond?
Richmond's 2024 Cost vs. Value figure for a universal-design bath is $40,4011, with a resale value of $18,2911. Smaller jobs, such as grab bars and a taller toilet, cost far less, but we found no local source that prices them.
Is there a Virginia tax credit for accessibility work?
Yes. Virginia's Livable Home Tax Credit, applied for through the Department of Housing and Community Development, equals 50 percent of the cost of retrofitting or renovating an existing home to improve accessibility or universal visitability, up to $6,500; total credits are capped each fiscal year and prorated when requests exceed the cap.18 Ask the company for an itemized invoice you can submit with the application.
Do I need a permit to add a ramp in Richmond?
Not always. Richmond's list of permit exemptions includes temporary ramps serving a house where the entrance the ramp reaches is no more than 30 inches above grade.7 A taller ramp, or any ramp in an Old and Historic District, can still need city review, so check before building.
Sources
Page updated October 11, 2026. How we source our numbers
- Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, Cost vs. Value 2024, Richmond. Released 2024. Richmond. Industry source.
- Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, Cost vs. Value 2024, national. Released 2024. Universal-design bathroom remodel, United States, Universal-design bathroom remodel, United States. Industry source.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table S1810. Released January 29, 2026. Richmond city, Virginia, Richmond, VA metro.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25034. Released January 29, 2026. Richmond city, Virginia, Richmond, VA metro.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Released May 15, 2026. Tile and stone setters, Richmond, VA metro, Tile and stone setters, United States, Plumbers, Richmond, VA metro, Plumbers, United States, Carpenters, Richmond, VA metro, Carpenters, United States, Electricians, Richmond, VA metro, Electricians, United States.
- City of Richmond Department of Planning and Development Review, Residential Building Plan Review Requirements, 2021 code cycle. Released February 4, 2025. View source.
- City of Richmond Bureau of Permits and Inspections, Residential Building Plan Review Requirements (2021 code cycle). Released February 4, 2025. View source.
- City of Richmond Commission of Architectural Review, Commission of Architectural Review. No publication date. View source.
- City of Richmond Department of Planning and Development Review, Permits and Inspections. No publication date. View source.
- Henrico County Department of Building Construction and Inspections, Permit Center: When a Building Permit is Required. No publication date. View source.
- U.S. Access Board, 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Released 2010. Source page, Source page.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Sources of Lead in Drinking Water. Released August 2017. View source.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Learn About Asbestos. Released July 13, 2026. View source.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Facts About Older Adult Falls. Released September 4, 2026. View source.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, STEADI: Check for Safety, a home fall prevention checklist for older adults. No publication date. View source.
- National Institute on Aging, Preventing Falls at Home: Room by Room. Released September 12, 2022. View source.
- National Association of Home Builders, Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS). No publication date. View source. Industry source.
- Virginia General Assembly (Virginia Law Library), Code of Virginia § 58.1-339.7, Livable home tax credit. No publication date. View source.
- project:HOMES, Get Help. No publication date. View source. Industry source.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA). Released February 12, 2025. View source.
- Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, DPOR Consumer Guide: Hiring a Contractor. No publication date. View source.