Sarah - Author
In this toilet dimensions guide you’ll find standard toilet sizes, different types & shapes of toilets, drain pipe size and how to measure a toilet for a bathroom design.
One of the things that are a fixture in many households is a toilet, and many homeowners need to figure out the perfect toilet to ensure that it will meet their and their home’s requirements.
Toilets are available in many types and dimensions. Some even have added features that can affect the size, like an integrated bidet, taller seat height, and more complicated flush capabilities.
With all the toilet features available, some homeowners might find choosing the perfect one complicated, but as long as they know what they need and the features they want to include, choosing will be a breeze.
Standard Toilet Dimensions
Toilets are manufactured and sold in many sizes and design features, with some of them also having unique styles to make them more attractive to homeowners, but standard types of toilets are always available.
These standard toilets are available in many sizes, with a standard depth of 27 to 30 inches or 69 to 76 centimeters. In comparison, its widths are around 20 inches or 51 centimeters, with heights ranging from 21 to 31 inches or 53 to 79 centimeters.
Another important measurement of a standard toilet that homeowners need to know is the rough-in measurement of a toilet, which refers to the size distance between the back wall where the toilet is affixed, extending to the center of a drainpipe of a standard toilet’s base. This size allowance is typically around 12 inches or 31 centimeters.
ADA Toilet Dimensions
For a toilet to be ADA-compliant, a crucial requirement for some homes and, most significantly, business establishments and offices to ensure accessibility, it needs to meet several provisions established by the International Plumbing Code.
Although most toilets will have the same widths, one of the factors that will make them distinct from ADA-approved toilets is the seat height. The required water closet seat height from the seat to the floor is 17 inches or 43 centimeters at the minimum and 19 inches or 48 centimeters at the maximum.
This makes the size accessible for everyone, and municipalities require most commercial establishments to adhere to these requirements.
Another requirement is that all facilities should have elongated type toilets while the seats should be smooth and nonabsorbent to ensure maximum accessibility and hygiene at all times.
Elongated Toilet Dimensions
There are two toilet bowl sizes, and that is round and elongated, with elongated being the shape approved by ADA because it tends to be larger and more comfortable for everyone.
One way to determine if the toilet is elongated is by looking at it from above, and it will be pretty easy to identify an elongated toilet bowl because of its slightly pointed seat.
Most elongated toilets have seat dimensions of 18 and a half inches or around 47 centimeters. One way to ensure these dimensions are right on your toilet is to measure from the toilet seat bolt to the front of the toilet bowl.
Because of its elongated seat tip, which is egg-shaped, it will be slightly longer than a round toilet. Elongated toilet seat width measures 14 inches or 36 centimeters, but it can go up to 15 inches or 38 centimeters according to specific toilets.
Round Toilet Dimensions
Other than the elongated toilet, there is the round toilet which is the more traditional choice making them a staple in older homes. One of the best features of a round toilet is its smaller footprint making it an ideal option for small bathrooms.
Although they are not as round as they are named, they are easy to measure from front to back by measuring from the front of the toilet bowl to the seat bolt.
More or less, round toilets are measured to have a dimension of 16 and a half inches or around 42 centimeters. In contrast, round toilet heights range from 14 and a half to 15 and a half inches or 37 to 39 centimeters.
Another benefit of a round toilet is they are ideal for children’s bathrooms since they are more comfortable for them compared to elongated ones.
Small Toilet Dimensions
One of the main things that will make a small toilet differ from the conventional elongated or round ones is that smaller toilets tend to be slimmer and less deep.
Small toilets start with a depth of 25 inches or 64 centimeters; they are narrower with a minimum width of 13 inches or 33 centimeters, and their heights can begin at 28 inches or 71 centimeters. Of course, depending on the brand and model a homeowner is looking at, sizes can vary widely.
Comfort Height Toilet Dimensions
It may surprise some that there are different toilet options for many households to consider depending on their needs. Still, there are, and it is essential to look at the perfect one to ensure it is usable for everyone.
One of those toilets is the comfort height toilet which is the ideal toilet ticking all the boxes for an ADA-compliant one. This toilet has a height of 17 to 19 inches from the floor up and is taller than the more conventional toilets.
Wall Hung Toilet Dimensions
One of the more modern options for toilets is the wall-hung toilets. They will look sleek and in place for bathrooms with modern and minimal interior design, and they also take up less floor space since they are mounted on walls. Because of this, they are also the toilet option that is easiest to clean with less surface areas to cover.
A wall-mounted toilet with an elongated seat has a width of 14 and a half inches or 36 centimeters, a depth of 21.1 inches or around 54 centimeters, and a height ranging from 18 to 22 inches or approximately 46 to 56 centimeters.
Another option is an elegant rectangular wall-hung toilet fit for a modern bathroom. This option has a width of 14 inches or 36 centimeters, a seat depth of 22 inches or 57 centimeters with a height ranging between 16 to 20 inches or about 41 to 51 centimeters.
Composting Toilet Dimensions
One specific home in need of an efficient toilet solution that does its function plus is space-efficient is tiny homes or mobile homes like RVs.
A standard and conventional toilet will take up space in these homes, and since some of them can be moved, it is also crucial to ensure that the plumbing is specialized for such needs and in comes composting toilets. Composting toilets are waterless, self-contained, and have excellent features for aeration and ventilation for tinier homes.
There are many options available for this toilet type, and homeowners can choose different sizes depending on their specific needs.
Toilet seat height for these can range from the smaller 17.3 inches or 44 centimeters to bigger ones at 26 and a half inches or 67 centimeters.
Toilet widths also differ, with some at 19.95 inches or 51 centimeters and others as wide as 22 and a half inches or 57 centimeters. The depths can also vary wildly, with some requiring a shallow depth of 20 5/8 inches or 52 centimeters while others at 46 inches or around 117 centimeters.
An incinerating toilet is similar to a composting toilet, but uses electric heat to break down waste, while a composting model uses nature’s composting process.
Corner Toilet Dimensions
Aside from going for a smaller toilet for a small bathroom, one of the many ways a homeowner can save space in their comfort rooms is by looking to use a corner toilet for their household.
Conventional toilets tend to be a little too big, and a corner toilet is a happy compromise since it does not take the function away, even though it is space-saving.
The standard corner toilet has dimensions of 29 and a half or around 75 centimeters from the base of the toilet to the highest point, which is the water tank.
It has a depth of 30 and a half inches, or 77 centimeters, and an overall width of 18 1/4 inches, or 46 centimeters. At the same time, the bowl height is 16 inches or around 41 centimeters from the floor to the seat.
Toilet Seat Dimensions
The toilet seat size will differ according to a specific toilet shape, either round or elongated. Getting the size right for toilet seats is vital because accidents happen and they can break, and knowing the size will help buy a replacement seat for the toilet bowl. A toilet seat made for a round toilet will not fit an elongated one, and vice versa.
Most toilet seats for a round toilet bowl measure around 16 and a half inches or about 42 centimeters. At the same time, an elongated one is approximately 18 and a half inches or around 47 centimeters.
It’s essential to order the right toilet seat for the right kind of toilet shape, and measuring twice for one is advisable to ensure that it is the right fit.
If you have an upflush toilet, or a dual flush toilet type they generally have the same dimensions as a regular standard toilet. Low flow toilets generally have the same seat sizes, but smaller water tanks.
Toilet Drain Pipe Size
In the modern era, toilet waste drain pipes are available in two plumbing sizes at 3 inches, or roughly 8 centimeters, and 4 inches, or 10 centimeters, and choosing between these two pipe sizes is easy enough once a homeowner knows the benefit of each.
The choice comes down to selecting a wider drain pipe for the toilet, which will allow the waste to move more freely with the risk of clogging at the minimum. This factor makes the 4 inches or 10 centimeters waste drains more advisable since they can carry twice the amount of waste a 3-inch pipe can carry.
There is also the choice of mixing both for homes with multiple toilets since, in construction, they can easily connect smaller 3 inches drain pipes to a central waste drain that is 4 inches.
How To Measure A Toilet
One of the most critical measurements a homeowner needs to take is taking into consideration the tank height. If there are shelves or any storage above the toilet, it’s essential to consider the tank height to fit perfectly in the space.
To measure the tank height, use one end of the measuring tape to measure the top of the tank to the floor. Making sure they have enough space from the tank to the bottom of the cabinet is essential.
This is especially true if the homeowner wants to use the free area of the toilet’s tank to add decor to the bathroom, like candles or dried flowers. This space between the tank and the cabinet will also depend on how big or long the cabinet is.
How To Measure A Toilet Seat
The toilet seat is the next thing to measure in a toilet, which is usually the measure of the bowl itself. Toilet seats come in many shapes and sizes, with the most common of them being the elongated and the round toilet seat, with each of them having different merits and benefits in how they protrude in a bath or comfort room.
Round toilets take up less space which makes them ideal for smaller areas. At the same time, elongated toilets also have the benefit of being the safest choice to meet the ADA requirements recommended to make bathrooms accessible for everyone.
To measure the toilet seat or bowl shape, measure from the toilet’s back and extend the tape measure to the front of the bowl, calculating parallel to the floor.
How To Measure Toilet Height
Finding the right seat height is essential to ensure the toilet is comfortable for all the people who will be using it. The total height of any toilet is gauged from the top of the toilet seat down to the floor or vice versa.
For most toilets available to purchase for all homeowner use, the height falls between 15 to 19 inches to 38 to 48 centimeters. The standard sized toilet is usually 17 inches or 43 centimeters, which is also the same for most chair-height toilets.
Toilets that are custom-made can go anywhere from 15 3/8 inches to 39 centimeters to 28 and a half inches or around 72 centimeters.
Most custom-sized toilets are easier to clean since they are built to be attached to a wall to make it easy for the homeowners to customize the size, making measuring integral to ensure maximum use and comfort.
Visit our guide on how much a toilet weighs for more related content.
