01
Curbless showers: the single highest-value change
A zero-threshold, roll-in shower with a frameless glass panel and a linear drain eliminates the lip that causes most bathroom falls. In DFW slab-on-grade homes the floor often has to be recessed or the whole bathroom floor built up to slope to the drain, which is the real cost driver, not the tile. Built right it looks like a luxury wet room, not a medical fixture.
$9K-$25K
02
Grab-bar blocking: cheap now, expensive later
The smartest move in any accessible remodel is also the cheapest. While the walls are open, we add solid plywood or 2x blocking behind the shower, beside the toilet, and along the tub so a grab bar can later be screwed into structure, not just drywall. Adding blocking during a remodel costs a few hundred dollars. Retrofitting it into finished walls means tearing out tile and can cost ten times more.
$150-$400 during framing
03
Wider doorways and clear floor space
Standard interior doors give about 23.5 inches of clear width. A walker or wheelchair needs a 32-inch clear opening, and a 36-inch door is better. We also plan a 60-inch turning circle in bathrooms and a 5-foot landing at the bottom of stairs. Widening an opening can mean moving a header or relocating a switch, so it is far easier as part of a full remodel than as a standalone job.
$700-$2,500 per opening
04
Zero-step entries on a Blackland clay slab
At least one no-step way into the house matters more than any interior change. In DFW this is rarely a simple ramp. Blackland clay soil heaves and shrinks with the seasons, so a poured approach has to be designed to move with the slab without cracking or creating a new trip lip at the threshold. A gently sloped, textured concrete approach beats a steep bolt-on ramp every time, and looks like landscaping rather than equipment.
$2,500-$12,000
05
Universal design choices that never look clinical
Lever door handles, rocker light switches, comfort-height (17-19 inch) toilets, a handheld shower on a slide bar, a shower bench, contrasting counter edges, and good layered lighting all serve aging-in-place without reading as accessibility gear. Pull-out drawers instead of base cabinets and a section of lowered counter help anyone seated. These are now mainstream design upgrades, which is exactly the point.
folded into the remodel
06
Where to spend first when the budget is finite
If you cannot do everything at once, the order that prevents the most injury is: 1) curbless shower with blocking and a bench, 2) one zero-step entry, 3) a full bath and bedroom on the main floor, 4) wider doorways on the main path, 5) lighting and lever hardware. The bathroom and a single-floor living path solve the two biggest real-world risks, falls and stairs, for the most people.
priority order
07
Honest costs: what an accessible remodel actually runs in DFW
A focused accessible bathroom remodel typically lands between $8,000 and $60,000 depending on size, tile, and whether the slab has to be reworked. A main-floor primary suite addition so stairs become optional runs $120,000 to $400,000-plus. A whole-home renovation that bakes in universal design across the house runs $95,000 to $350,000. We give fixed-price quotes, so the number you sign is the number you pay.
2026 ranges
08
Permits, HOA review, and doing it once
Moving plumbing, changing structure, or building an entry approach all require city permits, and UHS Remodeling pulls every one. Most DFW subdivisions also require HOA architectural review for any exterior change like a new entry or ramp, which adds time up front. We plan for both so the project is approved and built once, not corrected after an inspection.
we handle it
