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IRC · ADA

Bathroom Fixture Spacing Checker

Bathrooms fail code at fixture clearances: toilet too close to the wall, shower door swing collides with the lavatory, no room for a wheelchair turning radius. Place your fixtures as x,y coordinates, and the tool applies IRC minimums and ADA standards side-by-side with a top-down view showing pass/fail colours.

Inputs

Room
Fixtures (x,y in cm from bottom-left corner)

What problem this solves

Bathroom code compliance is determined by fixture clearances, not fixture size. A toilet can be any dimension as long as it has 38 cm clearance to the side wall and 60 cm clear space in front. A shower needs 60 cm clear in front of the opening. ADA layers on more: 75 cm wheelchair turning radius, 60 cm toilet-side clear, etc. Most designers learn the rules case by case after a failed inspection. This tool applies the rules automatically.

The top-down visualisation shows pass/fail colours so you can see at a glance whether the layout works. A common failure mode is the door swing colliding with the lavatory or shower door — the calculator flags this as a fail even if individual clearances pass.

Who it’s for

Why IRC and ADA differ

IRC (International Residential Code) sets the minimum for any residential dwelling. ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) sets the standard for accessibility. They overlap but ADA is stricter in many places. A bathroom can pass IRC but still be inaccessible. Universal design — ADA-compliant by default — is becoming the norm for aging-in-place renovations.

Limitations

Practical rules of thumb

For a code-legal IRC bathroom: toilet 38 cm from side wall, 60 cm clear in front; lavatory 50 cm clear in front; shower 60 cm clear in front. For ADA: 75 cm wheelchair turning radius must fit somewhere in the room; toilet 60 cm clear to the side; lavatory 75 cm clear in front; shower must accommodate a 60 cm turning radius inside if it’s the only fixture.

Common questions

What if my bathroom is grandfathered but doesn’t meet IRC?

Existing bathrooms are typically grandfathered — they pass because they were built to the code at the time. Renovations that move plumbing usually require bringing the bathroom up to current code; check with your local building department.

What’s the smallest ADA-compliant bathroom?

About 240 × 200 cm with a 150 × 90 cm shower, wall-mounted toilet, and wall-mounted lavatory. Pocket door or outward-swinging door saves 50 cm of swing clearance. Realistically, an ADA-compliant bathroom starts at 240 × 180 cm; anything smaller requires careful fixture selection.

Does the toilet flange location affect clearances?

The toilet flange sets the toilet centre, which is what the calculator measures from. Standard 12" (30 cm) rough-in places the toilet centre 30 cm from the back wall. The calculator assumes a typical flange; if yours is non-standard, adjust the x/y accordingly.

Can a pocket door save space?

Yes — a pocket door eliminates the swing arc, freeing up to 80 × 80 cm of floor area. The wall cavity must accommodate the door (typically 70 mm deep × door width + 50 mm), and the cavity wall cannot contain plumbing or electrical. For tight bathrooms, a pocket door is often the only way to fit ADA clearances.

About this tool

The Bathroom Fixture Spacing Checker is one of 36 tools on InteriorLab. Code references from the 2024 IRC and 2010 ADA Standards.

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Disclaimer

Code values are US-based; local jurisdictions may differ. Always verify with your local building department. See Disclaimer.