When designing or considering a remodel of a home, it can be tempting to try to squeeze bathroom spaces. But the few extra inches are worth a bathroom that is spacious enough. This photo is from a recent inspection and is a common problem we find in older remodeled houses.

We find a lot of bathrooms that have been remodeled, yet either one cannot sit down or sometimes an adult cannot stand at the toilet because of headroom.

According to the IRC, there must be 30 inches of wall space around your toilet because the minimum distance from the centerline of the toilet to the next cabinet or wall is 15 inches. Additionally, you must leave 21 inches of space open in front of the toilet.

We typically find that 36′′ of wall space results in a much more aesthetically pleasing bathroom environment, which is why we check the bathrooms to meet that standard.

In master bathrooms, the bathroom or water closet is usually made to be private. In most cases, moving the walls out a few more inches to 42″ will make the room feel less crowded and give the door room to swing in and turn around.

In the attached photo, 12″ of clearance will make this a real issue for adults, larger persons, or perhaps those that have physical issues.