Whats the difference between Roll-In Shower and Walk-In Shower?

Fortunately, the modern world is doing everything to ensure that people of any disability do not feel the difference at all. However, there are still hotels that contradict this. gives a whole list of hotels for people with disabilities, especially where it comes to showers.

Cvoja,

Great question! I can see how this could be confusing! The important thing to know is that a walk in shower could potentially be built like and equipped with options of exact likeness compared to a roll in shower, but NOT vice-versa. A roll in shower, at the very least, would have to have an entrance which is flush with the floor outside of the shower with no drop offs or raised portions for water retention; and be wide enough for a standard size wheel chair. Generally a roll in shower will not have any door, include wall bars for stability, have a removable shower head low enough to reach from a wheel chair, and also a hot/cold fixture low enough to control from a wheel chair. If you should have any further questions please feel free to call/text/email me anytime.

Cody Mier
cody@interohouston.com
832-373-9755

A rollin shower is a shower with a floor leveled with the rest of the bathroom, very convenient for wheel chairs. A walk in shower is a normal shower that you walk to enter it .
Francois 713-397-8857

Roll-in or no threshold is a shower with the floor even with the rest of the floor in the bathroom. It tends to slop inward towards a drain so water in this shower does not flood the rest of the bathroom. Ideal for those handicapped. You can "test drive" one at hotels. Newer hotels offer rooms with this type of shower on request. Other showers have a glass door or shower current and you step in onto a shower pan or lower tiled floor. I have had clients remodel hall baths removing the tub/shower combo and installing a roll-in shower. Also re-worked the sink to allow a wheel chair to slide up to the counter. Keep in mind regarding the width of doorway leading into the bathroom. Mark McNitt, Bernstein Realty. 832-567-4357

It souls like one would be wheel chair accessible which would not have a height barrier and the other would be a walk-in which would have a frame normally all the way around the entry most likely for harnesses the door.

Hi Cvoja,

A roll in shower has a wide opening and low threshold, which would make it wheel chair accessible. A walk-in shower is what you think of as the traditional stand alone shower where you walk in (not where it is part of the bath tub and you "step in."

Hope this helps!

Darby Grimmett / KW / darby@darbygrimmett.com / 936-827-9217