Choose an ADA compliant toilet with these five easy tips

Accessible bathrooms in residential homes are becoming more popular every day. They’re easier to use and more comfortable for everyone, including seniors and people who live with them. Demonstrating that your business excels at these new construction or renovation projects can help you grow.

The Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, lays out specifications for bringing a bathroom into compliance. Transforming a residential bathroom into an ADA accessible restroom requires a toilet with the right dimensions, installation and turning space.

Searching for commercial projects? Shop commercial toilets and urinals.

To help ensure that the bathrooms you build meet regulations, check out the difference between a standard and an ADA toilet and learn how to choose the right one for your project.

What makes an ADA toilet different?

A few factors make the difference between a standard toilet and one that complies with ADA regulations. An accessible toilet will be taller, but simply attaching a raised seat doesn’t meet standards by itself.

An ADA compliant toilet must meet requirements for height, toe clearance, flush handle location and flush control force. Here are a few quick tips to make sure you’re creating the bathroom your customers need.

Five tips to find an ADA compliant toilet

When choosing a toilet for a residential bathroom remodel or new construction project, consider toilet height, clearance space, handle location and force, and type of flush control to find the right match for the job.

1. Read the manufacturer label.

Taller commodes can make it easier for people to get out of a seated position. The proper height of ADA toilets is sometimes referred to as “comfort height,” “right height” or “chair height.” Traditional or “standard height” toilets are lower.

But labels alone don’t tell the whole story. Because contractors or homeowners often change out toilet seats, their height may not be included on labels. Many seats tack on at least 1" of total height, which could bring the water closet into compliance.

2. Double-check height from the base.

Use a measuring tape to check the length from the base of the floor to the top of the seat. The installed seat height must be between 17" and 19" from the floor to meet ADA toilet height requirements.

3. Mind the gap around the bowl for clearance.

Users need turning space to maneuver to and from the toilet. If space under the ADA compliant toilet offers a 9" gap from the floor, the area can be included in turning space requirements. Choosing undercut bowls or wall-mounted toilets can help improve accessibility by providing that gap. Learn more about turning space in ADA bathroom requirements.

Pro tip: Concealing plumbing components with wall-mounted toilets is a simple way to help meet toe clearance requirements.

4. Gauge handle location and accessibility.

Make sure there’s enough room to maneuver around the toilet in relation to walls and other barriers in the restroom. Users should have turning space of at least 60" diameter to meet ADA bathroom requirements.

To make sure users are easily able to reach the flush handle, the handle should be placed on the open side of the toilet away from the side wall. The lever should never be placed on the closed side, next to the side wall, and it can’t be installed higher than 36" from the floor.

5. Keep force in check for flush handle requirements.

The ADA also specifies the force needed to operate flush controls. Users need to be able to activate the toilet handle without twisting or straining the wrist and with minimal force, less than 5 pounds.

Flush buttons sometimes need more than 5 pounds of force, but most that use a lever-activated flush valve can meet the ADA toilet flush handle requirements.

Pro tip: Automatic or sensor flush controls comply with ADA regulations. Explore more benefits of touchless plumbing fixtures.

Partner with Ferguson for ADA bathroom projects

Discuss your next project with Ferguson. Our knowledgeable associates can share their expertise about our vast inventory of products to help you find the parts you need to complete your bathroom accessibility jobs smoothly and on schedule.

Get more tips for your industry with Ferguson Trade Talk.