Sit in Shower Stall Size

Origins

• Homeowners can construct expansive shower stalls limited only by their budgets, bathroom measurements and imaginations. Smaller efforts are governed by codes set by local, state and even federal building agencies. These guidelines are based on the International Residential Code, or IRC, created by the International Code Council. This member organization develops standards used by the construction industry and safety organizations to “benefit public safety and support the industry’s need for one set of codes without regional limitations.”

Specifications

• The 2012 IRC requires all shower compartments to have an interior of at least 900 square inches. The minimum dimension as measured from one finished interior wall to the opposite interior wall must be at least 30 inches, not including shower heads, grab bars or other fixtures. These minimum measurements must continue at least 70 inches above the top of the shower drain outlet. Any doors attached to this compartment must open outward. Fold-down seats are allowed in the space, as long as the minimum square inches are preserved when the shower seats are folded up. If a shower has a minimum of 1,300 square inches, it can have a minimum measurement of at least 25 inches when measured from one interior wall to the opposite wall.

Americans With Disabilities Act

• The Americans With Disabilities Act specifies shower stall standards based on IRC requirements but allows for use by disabled people, such as those in wheelchairs or with balance or other mobility problems. Commercial establishments such as hotels and gyms must follow these standards. However, the rules are optional for private residences, unless homeowners have disabilities or want to sell their homes to that market. The ADA allows a minimum 36-by-36-inch shower stall with a seat, if the clear floor space extends at least a foot beyond the shower wall on which the seat is mounted. The floor space approaching the stall must be at least 48 by 36 inches big, with the longer measurement paralleling the shower entrance.

Wheelchairs

• Sit-in shower stalls for wheelchair users typically have no built-in seats because they presume users will remain in their own wheelchairs during use. The ADA specifies minimum interior enclosures of 30 inches by 60 inches, with the longer measurement allowing wheelchair entry. The clear floor space approaching the shower must measure a minimum of 36 by 60 inches, though a small wheelchair-accessible lavatory is allowed on one of the shorter walls.