Lavatory Height and Bathtub Clearance (2010 ADA Standards 606, 607)
Two rules short enough to skip and specific enough to fail a remodel that measured fine everywhere else.
Example
You enter
- Lavatory rim height (in) 33
- Surrounding counter height (in; 0 = none) 36
- Metering faucet open time (s; 0 = not a metering faucet) 6
- Bathtub length (in) 60
- Permanent seat at the head end? yes
- Clearance in front of the tub, width (in) 30
- Clearance in front of the tub, length (in) 60
You get
- Governing lav height (in) 36
- Lav excess (in) 2
- Metering faucet (10 s min) short by 4.0 s
- Required clear length (in) 72
- Clear length deficit (in) 12
- Clear area (ft²) 15
Checked against published worked examples from: US Department of Justice / US Access Board.
Details, formula, and sources
ScopeThe lavatory limit of 34 in is to the front of the HIGHER of the rim or the COUNTER -- so a thick stone top or a raised counter fails a fixture that was specified correctly, and the fixture was never the problem (a vessel sink fails on its own rim). Metering faucets must stay open 10 SECONDS, longer than most ship set. And the clearance in front of a tub runs the LENGTH of the tub at 30 in wide, extending 12 in PAST the head-end wall where there is a permanent seat -- so a 60 in tub needs 72 in of floor, which is the part that gets drawn short.
Formula or tablelavatory: the front of the higher of the rim or the counter surface is 34 in maximum above the finish floor; hand-operated metering faucets remain open 10 seconds minimum. Bathtub: clearance in front extends the length of the tub and is 30 in wide minimum, extending 12 in beyond the wall at the head end where a permanent seat is provided - so the required clearance length = tub length + 12 in with a seat, and the tub length without.
Source and edition2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, 606.3, 606.4, 606.5, 607.2, and 607.3. A US federal standard in the public domain, quoted directly.
Free accessThe 2010 ADA Standards are published in full at no cost at ada.gov and by the US Access Board.
What governsEstimate. AHJ and licensed professional govern.
API field namesrim_height_in, counter_height_in, metering_seconds, tub_length_in, permanent_seat, clear_width_in, clear_length_in, governing_lav_height_in, lav_excess_in, metering_deficit_s, required_clear_length_in, clear_length_deficit_in, clear_area_sf
- Lavatory height 34 in maximum to the front of the HIGHER of the rim or counter surface2010 ADA Standards 606.3
- Metering faucets remain open 10 seconds minimum2010 ADA Standards 606.4
- Pipe protection insulated or otherwise configured to protect against contact; quoted, not measured here2010 ADA Standards 606.5
- Tub clearance the length of the bathtub, 30 in wide minimum2010 ADA Standards 607.2
- Permanent seat clearance extends 12 in beyond the wall at the head end2010 ADA Standards 607.2
- Seat required a permanent seat at the head end or a removable in-tub seat2010 ADA Standards 607.3