When remodeling your home, you may struggle finding which bathroom size is appropriate for your home. The full sized bathroom may seem highly appealing, but it may not necessarily be the best choice for your home or your budget.
We will be discussing the three general sizes for bathrooms, namely Full, Half, and ¾ or Three-quarter sized bathrooms, to help you better decide which size is right for you. Our comprehensive bathroom buying guide will provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision, ensuring that your new bathroom perfectly suits your needs and preferences.
A full bathroom is a bathroom that has at least one sink, toilet, bathtub and shower.
A typical full bathroom usually has the bathtub and shower relatively close to each other, away from the door and closer to the wall/window, separated by the vanity. At the end of the vanity or sinks, you usually have the toilet placed opposite in its own recess or corner.
A full bathroom is a bathroom that includes a shower, a bathtub, a modern sink, and a toilet. A half bathroom only contains a sink and a toilet. If you have a large family or a larger house, a full bath is ideal as it has both a shower and a bathtub and can accommodate multiple users. A half bath suits smaller homes and busy entry and exit points like a hallway.
A full bathroom contains all four fixtures;a shower, a bathtub, a sink, and a toilet. A ¾ bathroom is missing one of the fixtures, either a shower or bathtub. While both bathrooms are similar, a ¾ bathroom is more suited for smaller homes as a shower is more efficient than a bathtub. However, a full bathroom is better for large homes with big families as it can accommodate more people.
At minimum, a full bath requires at least 40 square feet with all the additional elements accounted for. Typical building code requires at least 32 square feet for a shower, so the additional 8 feet account for the addition of the bathtub. As a general rule, the bathtub is the largest hassle of size as showers, toilets and sinks can fit into much smaller spaces comparatively. While 40-45 square feet runs the small side, the average size of a full bath is anywhere between 40-60 square feet, though this is dependent on the bathroom style and how many bathrooms your space currently has.
While 40 square feet may be on the small side, large full baths can easily run up to 146 square feet and beyond. The reason for this is because many are set up to run parallel or jointly with the master bedroom. If you include double vanities, combined with the shower, bathtub size, and your toilet, you’ll have a bathroom that is both spacious and easy to use, but be prepared for the average size of these to run between 70-110 square feet not counting your bedroom. For those seeking inspiration for master bathrooms, incorporating these elements can create a luxurious and functional space that enhances the overall aesthetic and usability of your home.
As you can imagine, remodeling a large bathroom is going to be much more costly than renovating or fixing up a smaller sized bathroom. On average, depending largely on the amount of space available, you are looking at a price quote of anywhere between $13-15,000 depending on the size of your bathroom and the materials you desire. Of course, 13,000 is just a starting point as large sized bathrooms can climb easily up to $20-30,000 if you aren’t careful as working on your home can always cost more depending on the age of your home itself and any complications that arise from it.
A ¾ bathroom is a bathroom that has either a shower or tub with 1 sink and 1 toilet. The advantage of a ¾ bath is to save space, making it more efficient for smaller homes and apartments over a full bath. These bathrooms are generally found in large apartments and mid-sized houses, making them much more common than a full bath.
With the size being smaller, the layout changes quite a bit from a full bath. Since the space is smaller, the layout needs to be more compact. The shower or bathtub is still placed hugging the wall or window, but usually the toilet is placed right next to it in an attempt to save space. The sinks are usually placed on the other side of the toilet, typically closer to the door or entrance.
As discussed before, 32 square feet is required to place a shower in a space comfortably. To fit a vanity, shower and toilet, this space size grows to around 35 square feet which is the bare minimum for a bathroom of this size. If you are trying to run a bathtub instead, this increases your size to around 40 square feet. On the small side, you are looking at 32 square feet, whereas the average size is around 40-50 square feet. Any larger than 50 square feet, you are approaching the normal size for a full sized bath and this size of bathroom is not necessary after that. Homes under 2,000 square feet have only around 90-95 square feet dedicated to all of their bathroom space, not including the master bath so keep that in mind when sizing your home.
As the space is much smaller, remodeling a three-quarters bath runs about $5,000-9,000 as an average. Of course you can run much lower depending on if you are simply replacing your bathroom or just touching it up, but the presence of a bathtub or shower does increase the cost of renovation when compared to bathroom that is just a toilet and sink.
A half bathroom is a bathroom that contains a sink and toilet, but does not contain a bathtub or shower.
As space is a premium in these types of bathrooms, the layout is usually always the same. The toilet is placed usually against the wall, with the sink or vanity opposite. There usually is a window or some kind of ventilation present, but the room is designed to fit just the sink and the toilet-everything else is secondary.
The average size of a half bathroom is anywhere between 16-20 square feet. Typical dimensions range from 4×4, 4×5, or 6×3, with most sizes ranging from 18 square feet to 22 square feet on the high end. The space needs to be big enough to accommodate a sink and a toilet.
As it is the smallest in size, half baths are also the cheapest to remodel and replace. Since you don’t have to deal with a shower or bathtub, the price quickly drops to around $2,000-$4,000 starting. Of course this price is subject to change depending on what kind of toilet you install or the type of vanity you desire along with how much space is available to you.
When remodeling your bathroom, it is important to know how big your bathroom is and what you want it for. As you can see, just having a plain bathroom without a shower or bathtub quickly lowers the price and the size requirement for your house. Full sized baths are quite desirable, but not all houses can support one, so research accordingly to find the right size for your home.
So how do you know which bathroom size is right for your home? Here are some things to consider:
The size of your household will impact the bathroom you choose. If you have a large family, then you need more bathrooms to use. A full bath or ¾ would be more suited for you as they can accommodate multiple users at once. If you have a small home, then a ¾ or half bath is ideal.
The types of people you have in your home can also affect your bathroom size. For example, small children and the elderly prefer bathtubs as it is much easier to use compared to a shower. On the other hand, young adults and teenagers prefer showers as they can easily enter and exit without trouble.
Your budget will play a large role in determining your final bathroom size. The larger the bathroom you choose, the more expensive it will be. So consider your budget carefully and plan accordingly.
If you are after a specific look or type of bathroom fixtures, such as a freestanding bathtub or large vanity mirrors, the size of the bathroom you choose will impact that decision. Consider which aspects of a bathroom are crucial to you and choose the right bathroom size to accommodate it.
Eric is the founder and president of Badeloft USA. He has been the president of Badeloft’s US division for over ten years and oversees all marketing and branding aspects of Badeloftusa.com.
His expertise lies in small business development, sales, and home and bathroom industry trends and information.
Contact us with any business related inquiries.
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