You need the bathroom to work better for your parent. A contractor says the job is straightforward. The quote says something like "install grab bars," followed by a total and a place to sign.
Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.
That is not enough.
You are allowed to slow this down until the paperwork describes the job you think you are buying. A friendly conversation is not a substitute for a written scope, especially when you are already carrying the appointments, meals, laundry and supervision.
Start with the exact problem
Do not begin by asking a contractor what you should buy. Write down what is making care harder: getting into the shower, standing from the toilet, crossing the bathroom without something stable to hold or fitting a mobility device through the doorway.
The Administration for Community Living says a home assessment may help identify useful modifications before a provider starts work. Ask your local aging or disability program whether it can connect you with someone who evaluates the home. If you are in the St. Louis area, the contacts on Local Help for Caregivers in St. Louis are a reasonable place to begin.
An assessment and an installation are different jobs. Ask whether the person recommending the modification also sells or installs it. You are not accusing anyone of anything. You are finding out who is responsible for the recommendation and who is responsible for the work.
Make every contractor quote the same job
You cannot compare quotes when one contractor is describing a wall-mounted bar, another is including wall reinforcement and a third has written only "bathroom safety work." Give each contractor the same written description of what you want evaluated.
Ask each quote to identify the room, installation location, quantity, dimensions, finish, mounting method and any wall repair that may be needed. It should say whether the contractor will inspect for suitable backing, add reinforcement if necessary and repair the opened surface afterward.
Also ask what is excluded. Painting, tile replacement, disposal, permits and moving fixtures can disappear from the conversation and reappear after work begins. An exclusion written plainly is useful. Silence is not.
The Federal Trade Commission recommends that a written estimate describe the work, materials and expected completion. The Missouri Attorney General likewise advises getting written estimates and putting the job description and completion terms in writing. You can find the source trail on the site's Sources page.
Find out what the warranty actually belongs to
"It has a warranty" is the beginning of the question.
Ask whether the written warranty covers the product, the installation or both. A manufacturer's warranty may address a defective item without covering holes, loose mounting or damage caused during installation. A contractor's workmanship warranty may cover installation without replacing the product itself.
Before signing, ask for the warranty document and check:
Who receives a claim? What proof must you keep? Does the company inspect the problem before doing a repair? Who removes and reinstalls the item if the product manufacturer handles the replacement? Are labor and wall repairs included? Does coverage depend on using a particular cleaner, part or installer? Does the warranty transfer if the home changes owners?
If the answer is "we take care of everything," ask for that promise in the agreement. The Administration for Community Living recommends obtaining written warranties for materials and workmanship before final sign-off. Spoken reassurance will not tell a different employee what was promised.
Put changes on paper before the drill comes out
Old walls do not always reveal their plans during an estimate. The installer may find missing backing, plumbing, wiring, damaged tile or another reason the original placement will not work.
Your contract should say that changes require your written approval before the additional work begins. The change record should describe the new work, any materials being removed or added, any change to the payment obligation and any change to the completion plan.
You do not need to approve a surprise while your parent is calling from the other room. You can say, "Write down the change and let me read it first."
Check who is responsible for the work
The company giving the quote may send someone else to install the equipment. Ask whether employees or subcontractors will enter the home. Ask who supervises them, who carries insurance for the work and which company handles a complaint or warranty request.
Verify any license or permit requirements with the city or county where the home is located. Requirements differ by place and by the kind of work involved. Do not rely on a logo, a business card or the word "certified" without asking what the credential is and who issued it.
Ask for proof of current insurance and references for similar accessibility work. You are not being difficult. You are hiring someone to alter the room where you perform hands-on care.
Define finished before work starts
The agreement should tell you what completion looks like. That might include secure installation in the approved locations, repaired surfaces, removal of debris, operating instructions and delivery of warranty documents.
Before signing off, compare the completed work with the contract. Photograph the installed items and keep the final invoice, contract, approved changes, product information and warranties together. The Missouri Attorney General recommends preserving contracts, invoices, warranties, receipts and communications when a consumer problem needs review.
If something is wrong, describe it in writing and keep a copy. Include what the agreement required, what you observed and what response you are requesting. A phone call may start the conversation. A written record keeps you from having to reconstruct it later.
The smallest useful paperwork test
Before you sign, hand the quote to someone who did not attend the estimate. Ask whether they can tell what is being installed, where it goes, who installs it, what is excluded, when the job is complete and who fixes a covered problem.
If they cannot, the contractor needs to revise the document.
You have enough unpaid work already. You do not also have to become the person who proves what everybody meant after the wall is open.