Bathroom Sizes & Dimensions | A Helpful Guide (2024)

Whether building a new bathroom or remodelling an existing one, it’s important for homeowners to be aware of bathroom sizes and dimensions. Knowing how much space you need for your average type of bathroom can be valuable information.

In this post, I’ll explain how big the average size bathroom is as well as other popular sizes and types of bathrooms.

Let’s dive in!

Bathrooms attached to the master bedroom can be called either the master bathroom or ensuite. They can be small or spacious. When you share a house with several teens, even a tiny three-piece bath tucked under the eaves is exactly what you need to save your sanity.

The average master bathroom or ensuite is something close to the nation’s average of 1.8m x 2.4m or around 4 sq metres (around 40 sq feet).

Some master baths take up 10sq metres (around 100sq feet) with room for a soaker tub, double vanity, walk-in closets, and possible a bidet in addition to the toilet and shower.

Conversely, some ensuites feature a small shower, toilet, and basin in just 2.5 sq metres (around 27 sq feet).

Some home listings may refer to a 3/4 bath (three-quarter bathroom) instead of a full. These have a little more room than a cloakroom and usually feature a basin, toilet, and shower or compact shower/tub. They can sometimes be referred to as small bathrooms.

3/4 baths typically take up about 2.25 to 3 sq metres. Think of a footprint of about 1.2 m X 1.8 m or 1.2 m X 2.4 m.

A 1/2 bath or cloakroom can also be referred to as a powder room. It has just a toilet and basin for washing hands. It’s a great addition to your main entertaining area as guests can take care of business without invading your private first-floor space.

You don’t need a lot of room to squeeze a cloakroom into the front hall. It is quite common to have a half bath approximately 1 m x 1.4 m or around 1.4 sq metres (15 sq feet) that will do the job.

By using compact sanitaryware, you can whittle the room down even smaller. If you are going tiny, make sure to leave enough clearances for knees and elbows as you turn, sit, zip, and flush.

When the house simply needs one more toilet, you can create a 1/4 bath (quarter bathroom) using about a half-metre square of floor space. Many small toilet room designs have a dimension of 50 cm X 75 cm–to allow for knees in front of the toilet. They are often found in the small space under a staircase.

If you have the space, leaving a few more centimetres is always appreciated by your guests. Unless you opt for a toilet with a built-in sink on top (2-in-1 toilet), they will be using the kitchen sink to wash their hands.

Jack and Jill bathrooms are a popular upgrade found in roomy suburban homes built in the late 20th century and later. The bathroom is connected to two bedrooms through doors on either end of the room.

They generally have a single basin, toilet, and shower/tub combination. However, the double entry layout results in the single bathroom taking up about 9 sq metres. You are sacrificing floor space to add a luxury experience for teens or guests.

There are many types of accessible bathroom designs available to support individuals with mobility or coordination challenges. When planning one for an individual who uses a wheelchair, the centre of the bathroom needs a clear space with a 1.5-metre diameter. This allows the chair to turn around, so its user can reach every tap and fixture with ease.

The toilet seat must be no more than 500 mm high. Extra room must be left on either side of the toilet for easy transfer from the chair to the toilet. A roll-in shower requires that same 1.5-metre diameter for safe manoeuvring. The door to the bathroom must measure at least 32 inches or 80 mm wide. This way the chair can fit through without pinching hands and fingers.

The smallest accessible bathrooms start at 3.5 square metres which is just enough room for the toilet and basin. Expect to double the needed space when adding a roll-in shower.

When building a bathroom for somebody that uses a walker, you only need about an extra square metre in the centre of the bathroom so that the walker can be placed within easy reach of the toilet or tub. Instead of focusing on size, you will want to look at knobs, taps, and thresholds to eliminate physical challenges.

In the US, the minimum size bathroom (half bathroom) you’re allowed by code is 5ft x 2.5ft (1.5m x 0.76m).However, here in the UK, there are no regulations about minimum bathroom sizes.

Practically speaking, the minimum space required for a typical full or 3/4 bathroom consisting of a bathtub, basin and toilet is approximately 1.7m x 1.7m or 2.9sq m (30 sq feet).

Most bathtubs are 1.7m x 0.7m. So this would fit a bathtub and leave a 1m width to install a basin and toilet next to one another while leaving enough space in front of both the basin and toilet to comfortable stand, access and move around the room.

You could make this even smaller by opting for a compact bathtub, which usually measures around 1.5m x 0.7m. Or a petite small bathtub which can be as small as 1.2m x 0.7m.

You’ll also need to consider the door (and its swing) into the bathroom. Pocket doors can be a great way to save on required floor space.

There you have it! A helpful guide to most common bathroom sizes and dimensions.

There are lots of different options when it comes to bathroom types, sizes and layouts. However, knowing the most common sizes and dimensions ahead of time can help you understand and plan out the best bathroom for your space.

As well as understand the types and typical sizes if you’re looking at buying a property.