Blocking comes before hardware
A grab bar is only as strong as what it's anchored to. On a steep Asheville lot, a curbless shower pan also has to solve for where the water actually wants to run once it leaves the drain. Both of those decisions get made inside the wall and under the floor — not at the hardware store.
Build a complete scope
- What the existing plumbing and wiring turn out to be once walls are open
- Waterproofing detail behind tile, and how it is inspected before it is covered
- Whether any change is visible from the street on a designated property
- Access and debris handling on a steep lot, which is a real cost line here
- Permits, trade inspections, cleanup, and what the warranty covers
Asheville context
Asheville's building stock spans Gilded-Age sanatorium-era cottages, the English-style rowhouses of Biltmore Village, Arts-and-Crafts bungalows in Montford and West Asheville, and steep-lot construction wedged into mountainside grades. On a sloped lot, even a small accessible-access project can involve regrading or a ramped approach outside the house, not just work inside the bathroom.