Bathroom Design Tools & Standard Sizes To Consider

Typical Bathroom Dimensions:

Full bathroom (w/tub & shower combo, toilet & sink): 5x8 feet

Small bathroom (w/corner shower, toilet & sink): 6x6 feet

Half bathroom (powder room w/toilet & sink): between 3x6 and 4x5 feet

Water closet (just toilet): at least 36in. x 66in.

Standard Sizes & Dimensions For Items Inside Bathrooms:

• 2-1/2 feet x 5 feet is the standard bath tub size


• 32 inches x 32 inches is the typical size of shower stalls


• 2-foot depth is standard for actual space for clothes along a closet wall


• 3-foot hallways are standard inside a home


• 2-foot deep cabinets in the bathroom are standard


• 32-inch doorways are ideal


• 24-inch space in front of a toilet or bidet is standard


• 30-inch space beside the full length of the tub is typical


• 60 to 72 inches of space required for double bowl vanities


• 30 inches is standard vanity height


• 60 inches must separate a light switch from a water source


• 7-1/4 inches high (or less) and 10 inches deep are standard for a tub step


• 26 inches off the floor is the standard height for toilet paper holders


• 14 inches wide x 16-1/2 inches long is the standard toilet bowl size (from the center of the seat hinge holes to the front edge of the outside rim)


• 14 inches wide x 18-1/2 inches long is the standard elongated toilet bowl size (from the center of the seat hinge holes to the front edge of the outside rim)

Sources:
The Furniture Machine, Keidel, Kohler

Bathroom Universal Design Dimensions For All Ages & Abilities

1. A minimum clear floor area that is 5' square (25 square feet) for wheelchair users to make a 360° turn.
2. An enlarged bathroom door with a minimum 32" width (36" is preferred) from doorstop to the face of the door when it is open in a 90° position to provide access for a wheelchair.
3. Hallways leading to the bathroom widened up to 60" with low-pile carpeting or non-slip flooring to ease the use of walkers and wheelchairs.
4. Easy-to-grasp door handles on all doors.
5. A barrier-free shower stall, 36" x 36" with seat or a minimum of 30" x 60" without a seat (but install a grab bar around the stall).
6. An easy-access bath with removable seat (standard 5' tub) or a permanent seat unit (5' plus a 15" allowance for the seat. There must be 30" of clear floor space in front of each tub when approaching from the end (head) and 48" if the tub is approached straight-on (side).
7. A motorized tub lift to automatically lower a person into the water or, for the less disabled, a removable bathtub seat.
8. A roll-under vanity top (34" maximum from top of counter to floor and 29" minimum from underside of sink to floor) with insulated hot water pipes to prevent burns.
9. Low mirrors.
10. Non-skid floors.
11. Handicapped toilet or an extended seat.
12. Wall-mounted grab bars in tub/shower areas and around toilet (diameters should be 1-1/4" to 1-1/2"). The space between the grab bar and wall should be 1-1/2".
13. Loop or single-lever faucet handles.
14. Faucets with anti-scald temperature controls.
15. An all-direction shower head.
16. Cabinet hardware with "D" pulls.
Source: Accessible Bathrooms

Helpful Resources For Designing Bathrooms

Does It Fit?

4-Steps To Designing Your Bathroom

Bathroom Design: How To Do It Yourself

Fun Online Tools For Bathroom Layout & Design

Virtual Bathroom Planner

Arrange A Room Yourself

Bathroom Wizard

ServiceMagic Bathroom Design Visualizer

SmartDraw is a more sophisticated bathroom design program. You can download a free trial of SmartDraw here.