ADA Transfer Showers

Frequently Asked Questions:

• What is an ADA Transfer Shower?

  ADA Transfer showers are designed so a person in a wheelchair, who can stand up to transfer, can roll up beside the shower entrance, and if needed use grab bars to transfer onto a wall mounted shower seat. The transfer showers have an inside dimension of 36” x 36” clear inside space, so that the bather can access water controls from the seated position, and reach the handheld shower head.

• What makes a Transfer Shower ADA compliant?

  The following information is from section 608 Shower Compartments of 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.

  Inside dimension: must be 36 inches x 36 inches clear inside dimension.

  Outside clearance: must have clearance outside of the shower of 36 inches wide minimum by 48 inches long minimum measured from the control wall.

  Grab bars: Transfer showers must have horizontal grab bars across the control wall and the back wall to a point 18 inches from the control wall.

  Shower seat: must have a wall secured folding or non folding seat, that can withstand a minimum of 250 lbs of vertical or horizontal force applied at any point on the seat. (610.4). In transfer-type showers, the seat shall extend from the back wall to a point within 3 inches of the shower entry. The top of the seat must be 17 inches minimum and 19 inches maximum above the bathroom finish floor.

  Thresholds: Transfer showers have a barrier free entry, with a maximum 1/2” high threshold.

  Controls: In Transfer showers, controls, faucet and shower spray unit must be installed on the side wall opposite the seat. Transfer showers must have a shower spray unit with a hose 59 inches long minimum, that can be used as a fixed-position shower head and as a hand-held shower. The shower head must have an on/off control with a non-positive shut off.
• What is ADA height for Grab bars?

  For ADA showers, grab bars shall be installed in a horizontal position, 33” minimum and 36” maximum above the finished bathroom floor, measured to the top of the gripping surface. Grab bars should not rotate within their fittings, and should withstand up to 250 lbs of force, when installed properly into reinforced walls.

• How deep should an ADA shower bench be?
  L shaped shower seats. The rear edge of an L shaped shower seat shall be 2 ½” maximum from the seat wall, and the front edge should be 15-16 inches from the seat wall. The back edge of the L portion of the seat must be 1 ½” maximum from the back wall, and the front edge must be between 22-23 inches from main seat wall.
• What is ADA height for a shower valve?

  In a transfer type ADA shower, the controls should be installed opposite the seat, between 38-48” above the shower floor, 15 inches maximum from centerline of the seat toward the shower opening.

• Are ADA Transfer Showers compliant in California?

  ADA Transfer Showers are not compliant in California. The state building code only accepts Roll in Type Showers for ADA compliance.