By Robby Raay, Trenworks Grab Bars
A grab bar is only as good as what holds it to the wall. That is why the question “who should install it?” matters more than which bar to buy. In Ontario you can call a grab bar specialist, a two-for-one service, a handyman, a mobility store, or a plumber, or you can do it yourself. This page compares them side by side. We are one of the options and have put ourselves first with our reasons, but every line about another company is taken from that company’s own website, without our commentary.
At a glance
| Option | What they install | Anchoring and wall types stated | Warranty they state | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trenworks | Brushed stainless bars with a diamond-knurled grip and covered end caps; also bathtub cutouts, anti-slip treatment, shower wands | Anchored to suit the wall: ceramic and porcelain tile, marble, granite, fibreglass and acrylic units, drywall (with WingIts anchors), concrete and block | 5 years parts and labour | All of Ontario; Lethbridge to Edmonton in Alberta |
| 2For1GrabBar | Two bars at one price, Moen packages, hand showers, anti-slip | Not stated on their home page | Lifetime on products and installation (their words) | Toronto west to Burlington |
| Grab Bar Guy | Grab bars only; Healthcraft, Moen and Invisia brands | “State-of-the-art anchoring systems” (their words); tile, fibreglass, stone | Lifetime on installations (their words) | Mississauga to Niagara, Hamilton, Guelph, Kitchener |
| Tub Gurus | Ten grab bar types, plus cutouts, toilets, ramps, walk-in tubs | Tile, fibreglass, acrylic, drywall listed | Not stated on their home page | GTA and about 69 listed towns |
| GRAB-IT Bathrooms | Grab bars, cutouts, comfort-height toilets | Not stated | Not stated | Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton and area |
| A mobility or home-health store | Sells the bar; installation varies by store | Varies | The product’s warranty | Your nearest store |
| A handyman | Whatever bar you bought | Often plastic plugs with screws | Whatever they offer | Local |
| A plumber | Rarely offered as a service | Depends on the plumber | Rarely stated | Local |
| Do it yourself | Any bar; suction bars are not a safe option | Depends on you finding the stud or using the right anchor | None | Home |
1. Trenworks
We have specialised in bathroom safety since 2012, with thousands of grab bar and bathtub cutout installations across Ontario. What you get:
- Brushed stainless steel bars with a diamond-knurled grip. They do not rust, and the covered end caps mean no screw heads show.
- Anchored to suit your wall. Ceramic tile is the standard; porcelain, marble and granite tile take extra work and we do it; fibreglass and acrylic units, drywall (with a WingIts anchor behind every bar), concrete and block are all in a day’s work. We match the anchor to the wall, which is the part a general trade most often gets wrong.
- One to three hours, depending on how many bars and the wall surface, in a single visit.
- Five years parts and labour on every installed bar.
- The free grab bar offer. A stainless grab bar comes free with a bathtub cutout installation; see free grab bars for seniors in Ontario.
- Insured, with full liability and WSIB coverage. Offices in Oshawa, Toronto and Etobicoke; we install anywhere in Ontario, and since October 2026 between Lethbridge and Edmonton in Alberta.
- We work with occupational therapists on placement and height, and we install what the OT specifies.
- We routinely replace other installers’ bars. Customers of other companies call us to fix, and usually to replace, grab bars that have come loose because the anchor did not suit the wall. None of ours has ever had to be replaced. A bar that moves is worse than no bar, because someone is leaning on it when it lets go.
See the grab bar installation page or call 905-436-5965.
2. Two-for-one and single-product specialists
Two Ontario companies install grab bars and little else, and both say so plainly on their sites (facts as of October 2026):
- 2For1GrabBar serves Toronto, Etobicoke, Brampton, Mississauga, Oakville and Burlington. Its offer is “Two Grab Bars Professionally Installed. One Simple Price”, with prices published online, assessment and installation in the same visit, “over 15 years of experience”, and a lifetime warranty on “both our products and installation”. It also sells Moen packages, hand showers and anti-slip products.
- Grab Bar Guy serves Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Halton Hills, Caledon, Orangeville, Hamilton, Guelph, Cambridge, Kitchener and Niagara. “We only install grab bars”, with Healthcraft, Moen and Invisia bars in 12, 16, 24 and 36 inch sizes, a free consultation, “state-of-the-art anchoring systems” and a lifetime warranty on installations.
Both are specialists, and a specialist is the right kind of company to call. Ask either, as you would ask us, what anchor goes into your particular wall and whether the warranty covers labour.
3. Bathroom safety companies that also install bars
- Tub Gurus (GTA and about 69 listed towns) sells, delivers and installs “High Quality Stainless Steel Grab Bars” in ten types alongside bathtub cutouts, raised toilets, ramps and walk-in tubs, on tile, fibreglass, acrylic and drywall. No warranty is stated on its home page.
- GRAB-IT Bathrooms (Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton and “all of southern Ontario”) installs grab bars and safety accessories alongside bathtub cutouts and comfort-height toilets.
4. A mobility or home-health store
Stores such as the home health care counters in pharmacy chains and the independent mobility dealers sell good bars, and some arrange installation through a contractor. You get the product warranty, and the installer is whoever the store sends. Ask who that is, what anchors they carry, and whether the store or the installer stands behind the work.
5. A handyman
Many handymen will put up a bar for a modest fee. The usual method is cheap plastic plugs with screws into tile or drywall, which hold a towel and not a person, and most of the loose bars we are called to replace were put up this way. If you use a handyman, buy a bar rated for body weight, insist on a proper anchor for the wall type (a stud, a toggle or a WingIts-type anchor, never a plastic plug) and ask what warranty they give and for how long. We set the two side by side in professional installer vs handyman.
6. A plumber
Plumbers are sometimes asked because the bar goes in a bathroom. Most do not offer it as a service, and those who do are fitting a product outside their trade. If one is already in the house for other work, the same questions apply: what anchor, which wall, what warranty.
7. Doing it yourself
A bar screwed into a wood stud with the right screws will hold. The trouble is that studs are rarely where you need the bar, and tile, acrylic and fibreglass each need a different anchor. Suction-cup bars are not an option for anyone who might actually fall; we explained why in are suction cup grab bars safe? For choosing the bar itself, see the best bathroom safety grab bars for seniors and, for the toilet, toilet support bars and safety rails.
Common questions
Who installs grab bars for seniors near me? In Ontario: Trenworks anywhere in the province; 2For1GrabBar from Toronto to Burlington; Grab Bar Guy from Mississauga to Niagara; Tub Gurus and GRAB-IT in the GTA and Hamilton area. Outside those, a mobility store or a handyman with the right anchors.
Does the wall type matter? More than the bar does. Ceramic tile, porcelain, marble, fibreglass, acrylic, drywall and concrete each take a different anchor, and a bar on drywall needs a purpose-made anchor behind it.
Is a free grab bar really free? With a Trenworks bathtub cutout installation, yes: one stainless grab bar installed the same visit, or an anti-slip treatment instead, your choice.
How do I get a quote? Send photos of the wall where you want the bar to 365-654-9174 or call 905-436-5965.
