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How to Install a Toilet Paper Holder

Home/Resources/Bathroom/Installing a Toilet Paper Holder
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Written & researched by Priya Anand DIY & Tools Editor
Updated August 2026
Three-quarter view of a person's hands fitting a new shower head in a tiled bathroom, in soft overcast light

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Installing a toilet paper holder is one of the easiest bathroom jobs there is, well within reach of a first-time DIYer and finished in under 30 minutes. The holder itself costs $10 to $40 and you need only a drill, a level and the right wall anchors. There is nothing electrical, structural or plumbing-related involved, so no permit or pro is required. The only skill is drilling clean holes at the right height, and drilling tile without cracking it if the wall next to your toilet is tiled.

How to Install a Toilet Paper Holder — The Home Depot

Step-by-step: mounting the holder

  1. Pick the spot. Aim for about 26 inches above the finished floor to the center of the roll, and 8 to 12 inches in front of the bowl's leading edge. Sit on the toilet and reach to sanity-check it before you commit.
  2. Level the bracket and mark the holes. Hold the mounting bracket (or the paper template many holders include) against the wall, set a small level on it, and mark each screw hole with a pencil.
  3. Check for a stud. Run a stud finder over the marks. If a stud is behind one hole, plan to screw straight into it. If not, you will use anchors, which is fine for this light load.
  4. Drill the pilot holes. For drywall, drill the diameter your anchor requires. For tile, cover the mark with painter's tape, use a carbide or diamond tile bit at low speed with light pressure, and keep the tip cool; once through the tile, switch to a masonry bit for the wall behind.
  5. Set the anchors. Tap or thread the wall anchors in until they sit flush. Skip the anchor anywhere you hit solid wood.
  6. Screw on the mounting bracket. Drive the screws through the bracket into the anchors or stud until it is snug and does not spin. Re-check level.
  7. Attach the post and lock the set screw. Slide the decorative post or bar over the bracket and tighten the small hidden hex set screw with the included Allen key so the post cannot lift off.
  8. Load the roll. Fit the spring bar and hang the roll, over-mounted unless you prefer otherwise.
Close-up detail of the material being worked in a bathroom project, in soft overcast light

Tools and materials

You need a drill/driver, a level, a pencil, a stud finder, wall anchors sized to the screws, and the small Allen key that ships with the holder. For a tiled wall, add a carbide or diamond-tipped tile bit and painter's tape. That is the whole kit. Because this is often one job in a larger refresh, it pairs naturally with the other quick bathroom upgrades in this hub; while you have the drill out, our shower head roundup covers the swap owners most often do in the same afternoon, and a bidet attachment is the other popular no-plumber add-on.

Overhead view of a person's hands fitting a new shower head in a tiled bathroom, in soft overcast light

Common mistakes

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More from this hub: Bathroom · Installing a towel bar · Replacing a bathroom mirror · Installing a grab bar · Best bidet attachments · How we rank

Straight Answers

Frequently Asked

What is the standard height and distance for a toilet paper holder?

Mount the holder about 26 inches above the finished floor to the center of the roll, and 8 to 12 inches in front of the leading edge of the toilet bowl. Those numbers come from accessibility guidance and match what feels natural when you are seated. If the wall next to the toilet is tight or occupied by a vanity, a front-of-toilet or vanity-side mount at the same 26-inch height works. Set it too high or too far back and you end up twisting for the roll; the seated-reach zone is what these dimensions protect.

How do you anchor a toilet paper holder into drywall with no stud?

Use a proper drywall anchor rated for the load. For a light paper holder, a threaded self-drilling nylon anchor or a plastic expansion anchor sized to the screw is plenty; you do not need a stud. Drill the pilot hole the anchor calls for, tap or thread the anchor flush, then drive the mounting bracket screw into it. Avoid the flimsy conical anchors that come in the box if the wall is thin. If you happen to hit a stud, skip the anchor and screw straight into the wood, which is the strongest hold of all.

Can you install a toilet paper holder on tile?

Yes, but you drill the tile carefully. Mark the hole, put a strip of painter's tape over the spot to keep the bit from wandering, and use a carbide or diamond tile bit at low speed with light pressure and a little water to keep it cool. Drill through the glaze and body of the tile, then switch to a masonry bit for the wall behind if needed, and set a plastic anchor. Never use a hammer drill on the tile face itself; the impact cracks the tile. Once the anchor is in, mounting is the same as drywall.

My toilet paper holder is loose and spins. How do I fix it?

It is almost always the hidden set screw on the mounting bracket that has backed off, or a stripped anchor. Slide or lift the decorative post off the wall bracket, look for a tiny hex set screw on the underside or side of the bracket, and snug it with the small Allen key that came with the holder. If the whole bracket wobbles because the anchor has pulled loose in the drywall, remove it, install a larger or better-quality anchor, and remount. A dab of removable thread locker on the set screw stops it recurring.

Should the toilet paper roll go over or under?

Over, if you want the original inventor's answer: the 1891 patent drawing by Seth Wheeler shows the sheet coming over the top of the roll. Practically, over-mount makes the loose end easier to find and tear against the roll, and keeps the paper off the wall where it can pick up grime. Under-mount has its defenders in homes with cats or curious toddlers who unspool an over-hung roll. It is genuinely a preference, but the historical and majority-poll answer is over. The bracket installs the same either way, so you can switch anytime.