7.3 Toilet Rooms, Lavatories, Sinks, Mirrors, Urinals, and Accessories

7.3 Toilet Rooms, Lavatories, Sinks, Mirrors, Urinals, and Accessories

IBC Scoping for Toilet and Bathing Rooms (1110.2)

Each toilet room and bathing room shall be accessible. Where a floor level is not required to be connected by an accessible route, the only toilet rooms or bathing rooms in the facility may not be on that inaccessible floor. Except for compartments and lavatories (1110.2.4 and 1110.2.5), at least one of each type of fixture, element, control or dispenser in each accessible room must be accessible. Key exceptions include rooms accessed only through a private office for a single occupant (A117.1 exceptions apply), clustered single-user rooms (at least 50 percent, but not less than one room for each use at each cluster), and rooms with no more than one urinal (that urinal need not be accessible).

Room Requirements (A117.1 Section 603)

Door swing exceptions: (1) a single-occupant room accessed only through a private office may have a door that swings into the clear floor space if the swing can be reversed; (2) where the room is for individual use and a clear floor space complying with 305.3 is provided within the room beyond the arc of the door swing, the door is not restricted.

Mirror exception: Except in Accessible units, a mirror is not required over the lavatory or counter if a mirror elsewhere in the same room has its bottom edge 35 in. maximum above the floor.

Table 603.6 (towel dispensers and hand dryers):

A hand dryer over a lavatory that is reached across 9 inches of counter must therefore have its operable part 36 inches maximum high.

Lavatories and Sinks (A117.1 Section 606)

606.2 exceptions: parallel approach at a kitchen sink in a space without a cooktop or conventional range; no knee and toe clearance at a single-occupant lavatory reached only through a private office; 24-in. knee clearance at lavatories and sinks for children 6 to 12 with a 31-in. maximum rim; parallel approach at lavatories and sinks for children 5 and younger; knee and toe clearance at only one bowl of a multibowl sink; parallel approach at wet bars.

IBC Scoping (1110.2.5 and 1110.3)

• Lavatories: At least 5 percent, but not less than one, accessible. Where the accessible lavatory is inside the accessible water closet compartment, at least one additional accessible lavatory is provided in the multicompartment room outside the compartment. Where six or more lavatories are provided in a room, at least one has enhanced reach ranges (A117.1 606.5).
• Sinks: At least 5 percent, but not less than one, of sinks provided in accessible spaces are accessible; mop or service sinks are exempt. The 2024 IBC adds a parallel-approach option for non-kitchen sinks that need a deep basin or specialized drain.

Urinals (A117.1 Section 605)

Worked Example

A new multicompartment women's room has 6 lavatories along one counter, the wheelchair accessible compartment contains its own lavatory, and paper towel dispensers sit 9 inches back over the counter.

• 5% of 6 = 0.3, so one accessible lavatory is required, and because the compartment contains a lavatory, one additional accessible lavatory must be outside the compartment.
• With six or more lavatories, at least one must have enhanced reach range controls and outlets within 11 inches.
• Towel dispensers reached over 9 inches of counter: operable parts 36 inches maximum high (Table 603.6).
• The turning space must be in the room, not in the accessible compartment.