A home accessibility remodel rarely finishes overnight. Between the day a walk-in shower, ramp, or bathroom retrofit is ordered and the day the contractor packs up the last tool, there is almost always a gap of several weeks — and during that gap, someone still has to bathe, use the toilet, and get in and out of the house safely. The equipment question during this window is different from the equipment question after the remodel is done: the goal is not to buy the permanent gear early, it is to bridge the gap with temporary, rented, or borrowed equipment that will not go to waste once the construction is finished.
Getting this sequencing wrong is a common and avoidable expense. Families sometimes purchase a shower chair, a set of grab bars, or a bedside commode at full retail price, only to have that exact need eliminated a month later when the curbless shower or the new bathroom layout is complete. A little planning around what to rent, what to borrow, and what to actually buy keeps the household safe during construction without doubling up on gear.
Why the Remodel Gap Needs Its Own Plan
Once a contractor is scheduled for a walk-in shower, wheelchair ramp, or bathroom retrofit, the existing bathroom or entryway is often partially or fully out of commission for some of that time — a tub gets demolished, a doorway is widened, a shower pan is poured and needs to cure. That is precisely when falls are most likely, because the household routine that someone has adapted to for months or years suddenly changes. Planning temporary equipment before demolition starts, rather than scrambling once the crew has already opened up the walls, is what keeps that window safe.
Equipment to Rent or Borrow, Not Buy
Several categories of equipment are worth renting or borrowing specifically because they are only needed for the duration of the project:
- Portable showers. When a bathroom remodel makes the existing shower unusable, a portable shower designed for wheelchair or seated use can be set up temporarily in another room without any construction of its own.
- Temporary or modular ramps. If a permanent ramp or entryway modification is being built, a portable or modular ramp can cover the entrance in the meantime and be removed once the permanent structure is ready.
- Bedside commodes. If the only working toilet becomes temporarily inaccessible during a bathroom remodel, a bedside commode placed in a bedroom or hallway is a practical short-term fix.
- Rental stairlifts. Some providers offer month-to-month stairlift rentals, which make sense if a permanent lift or a single-floor living arrangement is only weeks away.
- Shower chairs and transfer benches. If bathing is still happening in a partially finished space, a rented or borrowed shower chair covers the interim without committing to a purchase that a new curbless shower may make unnecessary.
Where Loan Closets Fit In
Many communities have durable medical equipment loan closets — programs typically run by nonprofits, faith organizations, senior centers, or health systems that lend out equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, canes, crutches, raised toilet seats, and grab bars at little or no cost. Equipment is usually donated, cleaned, and made available to the next family who needs it for a limited time, which makes a loan closet a natural fit for a remodel that has a defined start and end date rather than an open-ended need. Because availability and specific inventory vary by community, it is worth checking with a local Area Agency on Aging, hospital discharge planner, or independent living center for what is available nearby.
What Actually Belongs on the Permanent Purchase List
Not everything should wait. A few categories are worth buying outright even before the remodel wraps up, because they will keep their value regardless of what the finished space looks like:
| Item | Rent or borrow during construction? | Buy now? |
|---|---|---|
| Portable/modular ramp | Yes, if a permanent ramp is being installed | No, unless no permanent ramp is planned |
| Bedside commode | Yes, for bathroom-out-of-service periods | Only if ongoing use is expected regardless of remodel |
| Cane, walker, or crutches | Often available from a loan closet | Yes — sizing is personal and use continues after construction |
| Wheelchair cushion | Not typically rented | Yes — personal fit item, used daily regardless of remodel |
| Grab bars (permanent bathroom design) | Temporary suction or clamp-style bars can bridge the gap | Wait for the contractor to install properly anchored bars in the final layout |
Coordinating Equipment Timing With the Contractor
The most useful conversation to have before the remodel starts is not just about the finished design — it is about the sequence of the work itself. Ask the contractor which days the bathroom or entrance will be fully unusable versus partially usable, and plan the rented or borrowed equipment around those specific windows rather than the whole project timeline. A shower chair that only needs to cover ten days of demolition and curing does not need to be purchased new; a loan closet or short-term rental almost always covers that window at a fraction of the cost, and it can go back once the new walk-in shower or accessible layout is ready to use.
Conclusion
Pairing equipment with your remodel is really a question of timing: what does this household need only until the contractor finishes, and what does it need regardless of how the space turns out? Bridge equipment — rented ramps, borrowed shower chairs, loan-closet commodes and grab bars — covers the gap without wasted spend, while personal-fit items like a cane or wheelchair cushion are worth buying outright from day one. Getting that split right keeps the household safe during construction and keeps the budget focused on the permanent modification, not on gear that becomes redundant the day the remodel is done.