7.1 Water Closets and Toilet Compartments

7.1 Water Closets and Toilet Compartments

The Plumbing Elements and Facilities domain is a single 10% subtopic, so expect about eight questions on toilet rooms, fixtures, grab bars, showers and tubs. A117.1-2017 Section 604 changed several water closet dimensions from the 2009 edition, including grab bar locations and compartment doors, so check every number against the 2017 text.

Water Closet Location and Clearance (604.2 and 604.3)

A lavatory placed inside the 60 x 56 clearance is an "other fixture" and is not permitted, even though a lavatory's own clear floor space may overlap the water closet clearance. Swing-up grab bars and assisted toileting layouts follow IBC 1110.2.2 (see Section 7.2).

Seat Height, Flush Controls and Dispensers

• Seat height (604.4): 17 to 19 in. above the floor to the top of the seat; seats may not be sprung to return to a lifted position. A user-adjustable water closet complies if one setting is in range, and a single-occupant toilet room accessed only through a private office is exempt.
• Flush controls (604.6): Hand operated or automatic; hand-operated controls comply with Section 309; located on the open side of the water closet (either side in ambulatory compartments).
• Toilet paper dispensers (604.7): Comply with 309.4 and 609.3; may not control delivery or prevent continuous paper flow.

• Coat hooks and shelves inside compartments (604.8): Coat hooks 48 in. maximum; shelves 40 to 48 in. above the floor.

Wheelchair Accessible Toilet Compartments (604.9)

Doors (604.9.3): Comply with Section 404; self-closing; a door pull complying with 404.2.6 on both sides near the latch; the door may not swing into the required minimum area of the compartment. Exceptions: where the approach is to the latch side from outside, 42 in. minimum clearance between the door side of the compartment and any obstruction; maneuvering clearances inside the compartment need not comply with 404; in an alternate compartment, the door may swing into the stall if a clear floor space complying with 305.3 is provided within the stall beyond the arc of the door swing.

Door opening location (Table 604.9.3.1):

Approach (604.9.4): Arranged for left-hand or right-hand approach to the water closet.

Toe clearance (604.9.5.1): The front partition and at least one side partition provide toe clearance 12 in. minimum above the floor extending 8 in. beyond the compartment-side face of the partition. Front toe clearance is not required in compartments deeper than 64 in. (wall-hung) or 67 in. (floor-mounted); side toe clearance is not required in compartments wider than 68 in.

Grab bars (604.9.6): Side-wall bars complying with 604.5.1 on the wall closest to the water closet and a rear-wall bar complying with 604.5.2 (see Section 7.2).

Ambulatory Accessible Compartments (604.10)

Children's Water Closets (604.11)

Optional for facilities primarily for children's use: centerline 12 to 18 in. from the side wall; seat height 11 to 17 in.; flush controls 36 in. maximum; dispenser outlet 24 to 42 in. from the rear wall and 14 to 19 in. above the floor; grab bars 18 to 27 in. high (609.4.2).

IBC Scoping for Compartments (1110.2.4)

Where water closet compartments are provided in a toilet room, at least 5 percent of the total number must be wheelchair accessible. Where the combined total of water closet compartments and urinals in the room is six or more, at least 5 percent of the compartments must also be ambulatory accessible, in addition to the wheelchair accessible compartment.

Worked Example

A new women's room has 7 water closet compartments. A men's room has 3 compartments and 4 urinals.

• Women's: 5% of 7 = 0.35, so 1 wheelchair accessible compartment; compartments plus urinals = 7 (six or more), so also 1 ambulatory compartment.
• Men's: 1 wheelchair accessible compartment; compartments plus urinals = 7, so 1 ambulatory compartment is also required. Only one urinal needs to be accessible when more than one is provided (Section 7.3).