Operations – Accessibility & Aging in Place

Design For a Lifetime
Not Just Today.

A curbless shower is a beautiful design choice. A 36-inch doorway is a standard architectural detail. The grab bar blocking behind the tile is invisible. None of these things look like accessibility features — because Universal Design doesn’t look institutional. It looks like a well-designed home. The only difference between a home that works at 40 and one that works at 80 is the decisions made at the design stage — most of which cost nothing extra when built in and a great deal when retrofitted later.

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ACCESSIBILITY & AGING IN PLACE

Universal Design Consultation
Zero-Step Entries
Grab Bars & Blocking
Curbless Showers
Doorway & Hallway Widening
Stair Lifts & Elevators
Accessible Kitchen Design
Lighting & Visibility
Flooring Safety & Slip Resistance
Aging in Place Assessment

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Counties Served

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UNIVERSAL DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS

The Home You Build Today Should
Work for the Rest of Your Life

According to AARP, approximately 90% of adults over age 65 want to remain in their own homes as they age — not because assisted living is unavailable, but because home is where people want to be. The built environment either supports that wish or frustrates it. A home with a two-step entry, a 30-inch bathroom doorway, a bathtub that requires stepping over a 16-inch curb, and a kitchen with no countertop workspace below standing height will eventually work against its residents. The same home with a zero-step entry, a 36-inch doorway, a curbless shower, and varied counter heights serves its residents indefinitely — and serves every visitor, every family member, and every future buyer across the full range of human ability.

Universal Design is not the same as disability accommodations. It does not produce institutional-looking spaces full of hospital equipment. Architect Ron Mace’s seven Universal Design principles — equitable use, flexibility, simplicity, perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physical effort, and appropriate size and space for approach and use — describe a design philosophy that produces beautiful, functional spaces that work for everyone. A curbless shower is more visually elegant than a curbed one. A wide doorway is a more generous architectural gesture than a narrow one. A lever door handle is cleaner and easier to use than a round knob at every age and every ability level. These are design improvements, not accessibility compromises.

The economics of Universal Design are compelling and unavoidable. Adding grab bar blocking to a bathroom during construction — 3/4-inch plywood backer behind the tile at toilet and shower locations — costs $50–$150 in materials and 30 minutes of labor. Adding the same blocking after tile is installed requires demolishing the tile, installing the blocking, re-tiling, and regrouting: $800–$2,500 per location. A zero-step entry designed into the site plan at the beginning costs nothing extra. Adding a zero-step entry to a home with a raised front entry requires grading, new concrete, drainage work, and often structural modifications: $5,000–$20,000. Widening a doorway during framing: no cost difference from a standard doorway. Widening the same doorway after framing, drywall, and trim: $1,500–$4,000.

RainFire Builders treats Universal Design as a design default, not an optional upgrade. Grab bar blocking goes in every bathroom on every project. Zero-step entry is designed into at least one exterior entry on every new construction project. Thirty-six inch clear doorways are designed into bathrooms and primary rooms wherever the floor plan allows. Lever hardware is specified throughout. These decisions are made at the design stage, before any walls are framed, at a cost increment that is measured in dollars — not thousands of dollars.

OUR SCOPE OF SERVICE

OUR ACCESSIBILITY & AGING IN PLACE SERVICES

Universal Design features are integrated from the design stage — before framing, before tile, before any of the decisions that determine whether the home works for a lifetime or requires expensive modification later.

Universal Design Consultation

A structured review of the project’s floor plan, site plan, and program against Universal Design principles and CAPS-aligned standards — identifying which features can be incorporated at no or minimal cost during construction, which require design modifications, and which are recommended for specific long-term needs the client has identified. The consultation produces a Universal Design feature list with cost to incorporate during construction versus retrofit cost — giving the client specific, quantified information to decide which features to include. For most features, the answer is straightforward: the cost to incorporate grab bar blocking during construction is $50–$150; the retrofit cost after tile is $800–$2,500. The consultation is most valuable at the design development stage, when decisions are still inexpensive to make.

Zero-Step Entries & Threshold Design

Zero-step entry design begins at the site plan stage — where the relationship between the exterior grade and the finished floor elevation determines whether a zero-step entry is achievable. On flat lots, a zero-step entry is essentially free to design in. On sloped lots, it requires a grading design that directs drainage away from the entry while maintaining a 1:20 or flatter approach slope. On hillside lots, a grade-level garage entry connected to the living level by an elevator or lift may be the most practical solution. Threshold detailing at the door itself: maximum 1/2-inch threshold height with a beveled edge per ANSI A117.1 Section 404.2.5, with a saddle or transition detail that accommodates freeze-thaw heave without creating a trip hazard over time. In Utah’s climate, exterior transition details at zero-step entries must be designed for the 100+ annual freeze-thaw cycles that can heave concrete approaches and create step conditions in as few as 3–5 years if not properly detailed.

Grab Bars, Blocking & Curbless Showers

The bathroom is statistically the highest-risk room in any home for fall-related injury — and the room where Universal Design features deliver the most meaningful safety benefit. RainFire Builders’ standard bathroom specification includes 3/4-inch plywood blocking behind tile at toilet side and rear walls (at 33–36 inches per NKBA guidelines), at shower walls (at 38–48 inches for horizontal bars, plus vertical entry bar provisions), and at tub walls. The blocking is invisible and permanent — grab bars can be installed at any time without tile demolition. Curbless showers eliminate the most common bathroom trip hazard: the curb or threshold at the shower entry. A properly designed curbless shower uses a linear drain at the wall or a point drain at the center with a 1/4-inch-per-foot slope to the drain — preventing water from escaping while eliminating the curb that requires stepping over and poses a fall risk.

Doorway Widening & Hallway Design

Thirty-six-inch clear doorway widths per ANSI A117.1 — the dimension that accommodates a wheelchair or rollator without requiring a user to maneuver — cost nothing extra when designed into the framing plan and $1,500–$4,000 per doorway to add as a retrofit. RainFire Builders specifies 36-inch clear openings (requiring a 38-inch rough opening for standard door frames) in all bathrooms and primary rooms in new construction and major renovation projects as a design default. Hallway width: 36-inch minimum for walker access; 42-inch for comfortable wheelchair passage; 60-inch for passing clearance between two wheelchair users. Pocket doors and barn doors provide a full clear opening with no door swing to navigate in tight spaces — particularly useful in bathrooms where the door swing conflicts with the turning radius. All door hardware is specified as lever-type per ANSI A117.1 Section 309.4 — operable with a closed fist, without grip or twist.

Stair Lifts, Elevators & Vertical Access

Multi-story homes present the most significant aging-in-place challenge: as mobility decreases, stairs can become impassable — requiring either a move to the main floor or a transition out of the home. RainFire Builders provides four vertical access solution levels for new construction and renovation: stair lift rough-in (a 120V outlet at the base and landing of the stair — the only provision needed for future stair lift installation, which costs $200–$600 during construction and requires stair access of 28 inches minimum clear width); vertical platform lift (for short floor level differences or exterior grade transitions); LULA (Limited Use / Limited Application) elevator (designed for residential use, less expensive than a full commercial elevator, requires a 5-6 square foot shaft, ASME A17.1 compliant); and residential elevator (full-capacity, higher speed, larger cab, requires an engineered hoistway structure). The hoistway for a LULA or residential elevator is cheapest when the structure is designed for it — coring through a completed structure costs $20,000–$60,000 additional.

Accessible Kitchen Design

Accessible kitchen design addresses the range of functional limitations that affect kitchen use over a lifetime — reduced grip strength, limited reach range, mobility device use, seated cooking. NKBA accessible kitchen guidelines address: counter heights (standard 36 inches for standing; varied heights at 28–34 inches for seated work per ANSI A117.1 Section 902 for roll-under counter sections); knee clearance at the sink (27 inches minimum height, 30 inches minimum width for roll-under access); appliance selection (side-opening oven, front-control range, refrigerator with bottom freezer or French door configuration for full refrigerator access from seated position); side-by-side access aisles (minimum 60 inches for two-cook access, 48 inches minimum for single user with mobility device); and D-pull cabinet hardware (loop pulls operable without grip). The accessible kitchen looks like a well-designed kitchen — the functional accommodations are achieved through thoughtful layout and hardware selection rather than visible medical equipment.

HOW WE APPROACH ACCESSIBILITY

The RainFire Builders Universal Design Process

From the initial assessment through smart home integration, Universal Design is incorporated as a design default — not an afterthought. Every project receives grab bar blocking. Every new construction project gets a zero-step entry assessment. Every bathroom is designed with aging-in-place as part of the brief.

Aging in Place Assessment & Priority Setting

Before design begins, a structured aging-in-place assessment establishes the client’s long-term vision for the home — who will live there over the next 10, 20, 30 years; whether aging family members or family members with disabilities are part of the household or likely to be; what mobility limitations are currently anticipated; and whether the client has specific accessibility needs from injury, surgery, or chronic condition that affect design today. The assessment produces a Universal Design priority list — ranked by impact and cost to incorporate during construction versus retrofit — that guides the design process. For clients who are younger and have no current mobility limitations, this conversation often produces the realization that certain zero-cost provisions (grab bar blocking, lever hardware, zero-step entry detailing) make obvious sense regardless of immediate need. For clients with specific and near-term accessibility requirements, the assessment produces a complete scope of accessibility features with priorities, specifications, and cost estimates.

Long-Term Household Planning | Current vs. Future Needs | Priority List by Impact + Cost | CAPS-Aligned Framework

Universal Design Integration at Schematic Design

Universal Design features that affect site planning, floor plan configuration, and structural design are integrated at the schematic design phase — when changes are free. Zero-step entry site grading is confirmed at the site plan stage: the site is analyzed for the grade relationship between the driveway, the walkway, and the finished floor elevation, and the grading plan is developed to enable a zero-step entry at the main entrance. Floor plan configuration is reviewed for a 60-inch turning radius in each bathroom, 36-inch clear doorways throughout, and hallway widths that accommodate mobility devices in circulation paths. Elevator or platform lift hoistway location is identified and structurally provided for if the client anticipates multi-story access needs — a structural provision at this stage costs the price of a few hours of engineering; the same provision added after construction costs structural demolition and reconstruction. The schematic design review produces a Universal Design features list that is incorporated into the construction drawings.

Site Plan for Zero-Step Entry | 60″ Turning Radius in Bathrooms | 36″ Doorways in Floor Plan | Elevator Hoistway if Needed

Rough-In Phase — Blocking, Electrical Provisions & Structure

The rough-in phase is where the invisible but permanent accessibility provisions are installed. Every bathroom gets 3/4-inch plywood blocking installed behind tile backer at toilet, tub, and shower locations before tile is set — this is non-negotiable and adds $50–$150 per bathroom. Stair lift electrical outlet (120V at the base and top landing) is installed during electrical rough-in. Elevator hoistway structural framing (if included in the project scope) is built during framing. Anti-scald thermostatic mixing valves (ASSE 1016) are specified at all shower and tub locations and installed at plumbing rough-in — providing burn protection for users with reduced temperature sensitivity, a common aging-related change. Blocking for future grab bars at the kitchen and other locations is installed where specified. All blocking locations are photographed and their dimensions recorded in the project documentation — the permanent record of where the blocking is and what it can support.

Grab Bar Blocking — Every Bathroom | Stair Lift Outlet During Electrical | ASSE 1016 Anti-Scald Valves | All Blocking Photographed & Documented Verification

Finish Phase — Hardware, Fixtures & Flooring

The finish phase implements the visible Universal Design features — the selections and installations that directly affect the home’s accessibility and usability. Lever hardware is installed at all doors, faucets, and cabinet pulls throughout — a specification change from round knobs that costs nothing extra at the hardware selection stage. Comfort-height toilets (17–19 inches seat height, 2–4 inches taller than standard) are specified at all bathroom locations. Flooring materials are specified with DCOF (Dynamic Coefficient of Friction) wet ratings of 0.42 or higher per ANSI A326.3 for all wet areas (showers, wet room bathrooms, entry areas subject to tracked moisture). Curbless showers are tiled with attention to linear drain location and floor slope — confirming that the floor drains correctly and that no water escapes to the adjacent floor area. Threshold transitions at all exterior entries are detailed and installed for ANSI A117.1 compliance and Utah freeze-thaw durability.

Lever Hardware Throughout | Comfort-Height Toilets | DCOF ≥ 0.42 Wet — All Wet Areas | Curbless Shower Slope Verification

Smart Home Integration for Independent Living

Smart home automation is one of the most powerful accessibility tools available — and it is most effective when designed as part of the project rather than added later. Voice-controlled lighting (Alexa, Google Home, Josh.AI) eliminates the need to reach and operate light switches — a significant benefit for residents with limited arm mobility, balance issues, or early-stage cognitive changes that make remembering switch locations difficult. Motion-sensor lighting in hallways and bathrooms activates automatically when a person enters the space — preventing the falls that occur when an older adult navigates from bedroom to bathroom in the dark without turning on a light. Smart locks eliminate keys and key manipulation, which can be challenging with reduced grip strength or arthritic hands — entering a PIN or using proximity access requires less fine motor skill than manipulating a key. Smart thermostats and smart shades reduce the need to reach and operate physical controls. These integrations are most cost-effective when the smart home rough-in is designed and installed during construction.

Voice Control Eliminates Switch Barriers | Motion Lighting in Hallways & Bathrooms | Smart Locks for Keyless Access | Integrated During Smart Home Rough-In

Accessibility in Utah’s Context

Why Utah Homeowners Should Build For A Lifetime – Starting Now

Utah has one of the youngest median-age populations in the United States — but the Baby Boomer generation that built much of Utah’s current housing stock is now aged 61–79, and the next 20 years will see a significant increase in the proportion of Utah’s population in the age range where aging-in-place design becomes most relevant. AARP’s research consistently shows that approximately 90% of adults over 65 prefer to remain in their own homes rather than move to assisted living. The built environment — particularly the bathroom, the entry, and the circulation system — either supports or frustrates that preference. A home built without Universal Design features at the time of construction requires expensive retrofit when those features become necessary — often at a time when the homeowner’s resources and energy are least well-suited to managing a renovation project.

Utah’s hillside lots — particularly the desirable foothill communities in Sandy, Draper, Cottonwood Heights, and Park City — create specific aging-in-place challenges not present on flat valley lots. Multi-story homes built on hillside lots often have the garage entry at a different level than the main living floor, connected by a staircase. As residents age, this stair becomes the primary accessibility barrier — not the bathroom, not the doorways, but the connection between the car and the kitchen. Designing a LULA elevator shaft or providing for a platform lift at the garage-to-living-level stair connection during construction costs $3,000–$8,000 (structural provision + rough-in); adding the same elevator connection to a completed hillside home may cost $30,000–$80,000 if the structure must be opened and reinforced.

The financial argument for aging-in-place design is compelling at any age. The average cost of assisted living in Utah is approximately $3,500–$5,500 per month in 2026 — $42,000–$66,000 per year, or $420,000–$660,000 over a decade. Memory care costs considerably more. A home modified for aging-in-place — zero-step entry, accessible bathrooms, elevator or platform lift for multi-story access, smart home integration — might cost $20,000–$60,000 in modifications at construction (or significantly less if designed in from the beginning). The ROI of aging-in-place design, measured against even a single year of deferred assisted living, is substantial.

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Grab Bar Blocking in Every Bathroom

RainFire Builders installs 3/4-inch plywood blocking behind tile at toilet and shower/tub locations in every bathroom on every project — without exception. The blocking costs $50–$150 per bathroom during construction. Retrofit after tile is installed: $800–$2,500. This is the clearest example of a zero-risk decision: invisible, permanent, and negligible cost during construction.

Zero-Step Entry — Every New Construction

Every new construction project receives a zero-step entry assessment at the site plan stage. On flat and gently sloped lots, a zero-step entry at the main entrance is designed in as a default. On hillside lots, the site plan analysis identifies the most cost-effective approach — which may be a zero-step entry to a grade-level garage with internal elevator or lift provision for the living level access.

Elevator Provisions at Design Stage

Multi-story hillside homes — the majority of the most desirable Wasatch Front residential lots — benefit most from elevator provisions built into the structural design. RainFire Builders identifies elevator hoistway opportunities at the schematic design phase for every multi-story hillside project and provides the structural provision at construction cost, which is a fraction of the retrofit cost of coring through a completed structure.

Smart Home Integration for Independence

Voice-controlled lighting, motion-sensor pathways, smart locks, and automated shading are designed into every smart home project with aging-in-place considerations — creating a home that actively supports independent living rather than passively waiting for mobility limitations to force a move. Smart home rough-in during construction; smart home integration at commissioning.

COMMON QUESTIONS

ACCESSIBILITY & AGING IN PLACE FAQs

The questions Utah homeowners most commonly ask about aging-in-place design — including why it costs so much less to build in now than retrofit later, and why it doesn’t have to look institutional.

What is aging in place design?admin2026-06-09T05:21:46+00:00

What is aging in place design?

Aging-in-place design allows people to live safely in their own homes as mobility, vision, and strength change with age. AARP reports that approximately 90% of adults over 65 prefer to stay home rather than move to assisted living. The features that make a home work at 80 — zero-step entries, wider doorways, curbless showers, grab bar blocking, lever hardware, enhanced lighting — also make it better at every age: easier with strollers and injuries, more welcoming to visitors with mobility limitations, more marketable to a broader buyer pool. The cost to incorporate these features during construction is 1–3% of the construction cost. The same features as a retrofit after completion cost 10–20× more — at a time when the homeowner is least able to manage a renovation project.

What is Universal Design?admin2026-06-09T05:22:39+00:00

What is Universal Design?

Universal Design is a design philosophy developed by Ron Mace at NC State University in 1997, built on the principle that spaces should be usable by all people without specialized adaptation. Its seven principles — equitable use, flexibility, simplicity, perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physical effort, and appropriate size and space — describe a design approach that produces beautiful, functional homes that work for everyone. Universal Design does not look institutional: a curbless shower is more elegant than a curbed one. A wide doorway is a more generous architectural detail. A lever door handle is cleaner and easier to use at every age. These are design improvements, not accessibility compromises.

What is the difference between ADA, Universal Design, and Visitability?admin2026-06-09T05:24:06+00:00

What is the difference between ADA, Universal Design, and Visitability?

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) is a federal civil rights law that mandates specific accessibility standards in commercial buildings and certain multi-family housing — it does not apply to single-family residential construction. ANSI A117.1 is the technical dimensional standard (36″ doorways, 60″ turning radius, 250-lb grab bar load, max 1/2″ threshold) that ADA references and that residential designers use as a best-practice reference. Universal Design is a design philosophy producing spaces that work for everyone without appearing institutional — the framework for residential aging-in-place design. Visitability is a minimum standard: one no-step entrance, 32-inch minimum doorways, and a bathroom on the entry level. RainFire Builders targets Universal Design using ANSI A117.1 as the technical dimensional reference.

What is a CAPS certification?admin2026-06-09T05:24:52+00:00

What is a CAPS certification?

CAPS (Certified Aging in Place Specialist) is an NAHB designation for contractors, designers, and healthcare professionals trained in aging-in-place design. The CAPS curriculum covers human factors of aging (the functional limitations that occur as people age and how they affect daily activities), design solutions for those limitations, and the business of aging-in-place remodeling. CAPS is not a licensing requirement — but it indicates that the professional understands the specific intersection of human aging, functional limitation, and residential design that aging-in-place work requires. CAPS practitioners use specific dimensional references (NKBA grab bar heights at 33–36″ toilet, 38–48″ shower; 17–19″ comfort-height toilet; DCOF ≥ 0.42 wet flooring) that go beyond generic accessibility awareness.

What are the most important bathroom aging-in-place modifications?admin2026-06-09T05:26:02+00:00

What are the most important bathroom aging-in-place modifications?

In priority order: (1) Grab bar blocking — 3/4″ plywood backer behind tile at toilet (33–36″) and shower (38–48″) per NKBA guidelines, rated for 250-lb load per ANSI A117.1 — costs $50–$150 during construction, $800–$2,500 as retrofit; (2) Curbless shower with linear drain — eliminates the most common bathroom trip hazard, enables walker or wheelchair access, floor sloped 1/4″/ft toward drain; (3) 60-inch turning radius — 60″ clear floor space for wheelchair 360° turn; (4) 36-inch clear doorway — minimum for wheelchair access; (5) Lever faucets and hardware — operable without grip or twist; (6) Comfort-height toilet at 17–19″ seat height — significantly easier to rise from; (7) Anti-scald thermostatic mixing valve (ASSE 1016) — prevents burns in users with reduced temperature sensitivity; (8) Slip-resistant flooring, DCOF ≥ 0.42 wet per ANSI A326.3.

What does zero-step entry design involve?admin2026-06-09T05:27:17+00:00

What does zero-step entry design involve?

A zero-step entry requires the exterior approach to slope toward the entry at no more than 1:20 (5%) and have a cross slope of no more than 1:50 (2%). The threshold at the door must be no more than 1/2 inch with a beveled edge per ANSI A117.1 Section 404.2.5. In Utah, freeze-thaw detailing matters: exterior concrete at threshold transitions must be designed to manage the 100+ annual freeze-thaw cycles that can heave approaches and create step conditions within 3–5 years without proper detailing. On flat lots, a zero-step entry is essentially free. On hillside lots, it may require site-specific grading design, new concrete, and drainage work — all of which are far less expensive when designed in from the beginning of site planning than added to a completed project.

When should aging-in-place features be added to a new home?admin2026-06-09T05:28:05+00:00

When should aging-in-place features be added to a new home?

At the design stage — before framing, before tile, before any of the decisions that make retrofit expensive. Grab bar blocking: $50–$150 during construction vs. $800–$2,500 as a retrofit. Zero-step entry: design default vs. $5,000–$20,000 retrofit. 36-inch doorways: no cost difference at framing vs. $1,500–$4,000 retrofit per door. Elevator hoistway: structural provision vs. $20,000–$60,000+ to core through existing structure. These features add 1–3% to construction cost when designed in and become 10–20× more expensive as retrofits. They also add real estate value: a home designed for the full range of human ability is marketable to a broader pool of buyers at every price point.

What grab bar standards apply to residential bathrooms?admin2026-06-09T05:28:43+00:00

What grab bar standards apply to residential bathrooms?

Residential grab bars are not legally mandated in single-family homes, but ANSI A117.1 and NKBA provide the dimensional standards used by CAPS practitioners. NKBA-recommended blocking heights: toilet side wall 33–36″ from finished floor; toilet rear wall 33–36″; tub side wall 33–36″; tub back wall 9″ from tub deck; standing shower horizontal bar 38–48″; shower entry vertical bar at entry point. ANSI A117.1 requires grab bars to support 250 lbs applied at any point (Section 609.8). Bar diameter: 1.25–2″ outer diameter. Wall clearance: 1.5″ minimum between bar and wall. RainFire Builders installs 3/4″ plywood blocking at all of these locations in every bathroom — regardless of whether visible grab bars are currently requested.

The RainFire Standard

WHY CHOOSE RAINFIRE BUILDERS FOR UNIVERSAL DESIGN?

Design Defaults — Not Optional Add-Ons

Grab bar blocking in every bathroom. Zero-step entry assessment on every new construction project. Lever hardware throughout. These are design defaults on every RainFire Builders project — not upgrades that require a special request. The incremental cost during construction is minimal; the retrofit cost later is not.

Blocking Documented at Closeout

Every blocking location is photographed and recorded in the project documentation at the pre-drywall inspection — including exact dimensions from the floor and from corners. When a grab bar needs to be installed in the future, the contractor or homeowner knows exactly where the blocking is without opening the wall. The documentation is delivered at project closeout.

Elevator Provisions in Structural Design

Multi-story hillside homes — the most desirable lot type on the Wasatch Front — benefit most from elevator provisions built into the structural design. RainFire Builders identifies the optimal hoistway location at the schematic design phase and provides the structural provision during construction — at a fraction of the cost of coring through a completed structure.

Smart Home for Independent Living

Voice-controlled lighting, motion-sensor hallway and bathroom lighting, smart locks, and automated shading are integrated into smart home-equipped projects as accessibility tools — not just convenience features. A home that responds to voice commands and activates lights automatically supports independent living for decades longer than one that doesn’t.

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RELATED OPERATION SERVICES

Design & Architecture

Zero-step entry grading, 60-inch turning radius in bathrooms. 36-inch doorways and elevator hoistway provisions are architectural decisions that belong in the schematic design phase – when they are free to incorporate and expensive to retrofit. | Explore Design & Architecture

Smart Home Automation

Voice-controlled lighting, motion-sensor pathways, smart locks, and automated shading are among the most effective accessibility tools available – and they are most effective when integrated during construction. Smart home and aging-in-place design belong in the same pre-construction conversation. | Explore Smart Home Automation

Plumbing

Anti-scald thermostatic mixing valves (ASSE 1016), curbless shower drain rough-in elevation, roll-under sink rough-in, and comfort-height fixture selection are all plumbing scope items that must be specified before rough-in begins – coordinated with the accessibility design. | Explore Plumbing

Interior Design

Within the walls of your home, you also have to gain the right permits for major, and even some minor, interior changes within the home itself. A full refresh of the building gains oversight from the municipalities. | Explore Interior Design

Start Your Project

Ready to see what a property-prepared construction estimate looks like? Contact RainFire Builders for a free site visit and written line-item estimate on your Utah construction project. | Get Your Free Estimate

All Operation Services

Return to the complete operations services overview – permitting, design & architecture, engineering, interior design, smart home automation, green & energy solutions, as well as accessibility and aging in place. | Go Back to the Beginning

Grab Bar Blocking. Zero-Step Entry. Lever Hardware. Every Project.

Build for Everyone. Build for a Lifetime.

A home without Universal Design features will eventually require expensive retrofits — at a time when the homeowner is least prepared to manage a renovation project. A home with Universal Design built in from the beginning costs 1–3% more at construction and requires no modification for decades. Grab bar blocking behind every bathroom tile: $50–$150 during construction, $800–$2,500 as a retrofit. Zero-step entry: free at site plan stage, $5,000–$20,000 as retrofit. Elevator hoistway: structural provision at design, $20,000–$60,000+ to add later. RainFire Builders makes grab bar blocking, zero-step entry assessment, lever hardware, and Universal Design integration standard practice — not optional upgrades. The home you build today should work for the rest of your life.

Call us now at (385) 336-7246 or request an estimate online. We’ll start on your property’s project and your future with care.

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