Aging in Place Home Planning Kit
Six worksheets in one. Print it, walk round the house with a pen, and you will have everything a contractor asks for on the first visit.
No email needed. Nothing here is behind a form. If it is useful, print it and use it.
1. Room-by-room safety check
Tick what is already true. What is left unticked is your list.
Entry and outside
- Step or threshold at the door, and its height in inches
- Handrail on any outside steps, on both sides
- Light that comes on by itself after dark
- Doorbell or camera that can be answered from a chair
- Somewhere to set bags down while unlocking
Bathroom
- Grab bar by the toilet, anchored into wood or blocking
- Grab bar at the shower or tub entry
- Non-slip surface on the tub or shower floor
- Seat in the shower, or space for one
- Handheld shower head that reaches a seated person
- Toilet height, floor to top of seat, in inches
- Door swings out, or can be made to
Stairs
- Handrail on both sides, running the full flight
- Every tread the same depth and free of wear
- Light switch at the top and the bottom
- Nothing stored on the steps
- Contrast marking on the first and last tread
Bedroom
- Light reachable from the bed
- Clear path from bed to bathroom, nothing to trip on
- Phone or alert button within reach of the bed
- Bed height that lets feet rest flat on the floor
Kitchen
- Everyday items between hip and shoulder height
- No need for a step stool for anything used daily
- Lever taps rather than round knobs
- Good light over the counter, not just overhead
Throughout
- Every doorway measured for clear width, door open
- Loose rugs removed or taped down
- Cords out of walkways
- Lever door handles rather than round knobs
- Night lighting on the route to the bathroom
2. What to do first
Most people start with the biggest job. Start with the most used route instead.
- 1
Do first
Anything on the route between the bed and the bathroom at night. That short trip in the dark is where a large share of home falls happen.
- 2
Do next
The bathroom itself: grab bars, a seat, and something non-slip underfoot. Highest risk per square foot in the house.
- 3
Then
Stairs and the front entrance. Both matter, both cost more, and both take planning.
- 4
Plan for
Doorway widths and the bathroom layout. You only want to open a wall once, so decide before the remodel, not after.
3. Measurements to take before anyone quotes
These are free to take and they are the first thing every contractor asks for.
| Measure | How | Aim for | Yours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doorway clear width | Door fully open, narrowest gap | 32 in for a wheelchair | Space to write your measurement |
| Toilet seat height | Floor to top of seat | 17 to 19 in is chair height | Space to write your measurement |
| Step or threshold rise | Ground straight up to the top | Under 6 in suits a threshold ramp | Space to write your measurement |
| Shower entry height | Floor to top of the curb or tub wall | Lower is safer, zero is best | Space to write your measurement |
| Clear floor space | Widest clear circle in the bathroom | 60 in to turn a wheelchair | Space to write your measurement |
| Stair width | Wall to wall at the narrowest point | Affects whether a lift fits | Space to write your measurement |
| Grab bar reach | Where the hand lands, sitting and standing | Mark it before anything is fixed | Space to write your measurement |
4. Comparing contractor bids
Three quotes only tell you something if all three are quoting the same job. Ask every one of these, of every bidder.
| Ask each bidder | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is the price broken into labour and materials? | |||
| Are products named, or does it just say "grab bars"? | |||
| Who pulls the permit, and is the fee included? | |||
| What happens, and what does it cost, if something is found behind a wall? | |||
| Is the payment schedule tied to stages rather than dates? | |||
| What are the start and finish dates, and who is actually on site? | |||
| Is the licence verifiable with the state board? | |||
| Will the insurer send the certificate directly? | |||
| Is blocking for future grab bars included while walls are open? |
Walk away from any of these:a price that expires today, cash only, a large deposit before work starts, no written contract, "you do not need a permit for this" on plumbing or structural work, or a licence they will not let you verify.
5. Ramp planning
One number decides everything: the rise. Measure from the ground straight up to the top of the step, not along the slope.
Rise
Ground to top of step, in inches
Space available
Straight-line run you can use, in feet
Who uses it
Pushing themselves, pushed, power chair, or walking
Under about six inches, a threshold ramp usually covers it. Above that you need a built ramp, and the length is longer than most people expect.
6. Stair access
Answer these four and any stair lift company can quote you on the phone.
Is the staircase straight, or does it turn? Straight is far cheaper and can sometimes be self-fitted. A turn means a rail made to survey.
Total rise, floor to floor In inches. This and the tread count are the two numbers every quote starts with.
Clear width at the narrowest point Wall to wall. Decides whether a lift fits and which side the rail goes on.
Is there an outlet near the top or bottom? If not, that is a small electrician job to line up in advance.
The two tools this kit asks for
Worksheet 3 is measurements and worksheet 1 asks what is behind the bathroom wall. These are the two tools that answer both, and they are the cheapest things on the whole list.
Stanley PowerLock 25 ft Tape Measure
25 ft, 1 in blade
Measures the rise, the doorway and the run. Every quote asks for these numbers.
Check price on Amazon
Franklin Sensors ProSensor Stud Finder
9 sensors, shows full stud width
Shows where the wood is behind the wall. A grab bar has to land on it.
Check price on Amazon
These are supplies, not the job itself. Amazon does not sell the labour, the permit or the inspection.
Where each part goes deeper
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The kit above is yours already, nothing gated. This is for what comes after it: new planners as we build them, refreshed cost numbers, and a note when a product we recommend is discontinued.
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