Installer Spotlight: Paul Knox, NextStep Bath Solutions

Paul Knox knows what it feels like to need a grab bar that isn't there. After a knee surgery that did not go the way it was supposed to, he spent his recovery facing the same obstacles his clients face now: a standard tub wall that was suddenly too high to step over, and nothing solid to hold onto. So he installed his own grab bars. That was when the work became personal.

He had the skills long before he had the reason.

More than thirty years of reading houses

Paul has been in the trades since 1995. He has worked across most phases of construction and remodeling: framing, roofing, siding, plumbing rough-in, and finish work. For a large part of his career he was a subcontractor for Lowe's, running roofing and siding projects across more than 100 stores. Work at that scale teaches you logistics and timelines, and it teaches you to hold the same standard on the hundredth job as the first.

It also teaches you how a house goes together, which is the starting point for modifying one safely. When Paul assesses a bathroom for a tub-to-shower conversion, or looks at an entry for a ramp, he is looking at the wall construction, the stud spacing, the plumbing layout, and where the load goes. A grab bar is only as strong as what it's anchored to, and Paul reads the wall first.

Where his standard comes from

Paul's mother and sister were both nurses. He grew up watching what care for another person looks like, the practical kind that shows up and does the work. In 2024 he started NextStep Bath Solutions to bring that same standard into the homes he works in.

Why certification

There has never been a professional certification standard for who installs grab bars. Paul chose to meet one anyway, with three decades of experience behind him. He completed the GBIAA course and final exam, and he maintains his GBIAA membership, which keeps him current on products, anchoring technology, and best practices.

Serving central Ohio

Paul works throughout Columbus and the surrounding communities, from Marysville and Urbana to Newark and Lancaster. He is licensed and carries $1M in general liability coverage.

Live in central Ohio and need a certified installer? Request one here. Installers who want to see what certification involves can start here.

Greg Cantori
Co-Founder & CEO, Grab Bar Installers Association of America