Hey everyone! I'm trying to renovate my little half-bath to meet code requirements, as the previous setup was definitely not compliant. I need to include a shower since my main bathroom will be out of commission for quite a while during future renovations. The city follows the 2015 Michigan IBC guidelines, and I'm uncertain how to go about it.
The space I have is pretty fixed, and while I could shrink the door to 30 inches, I'd prefer to keep it at 32 inches for possible future accessibility needs.
Ideally, I envision the bathroom layout to look something like this, allowing for corner storage and keeping plumbing out of the outside walls. However, I'm aware that this layout might not fit the code, as I would have issues meeting the required clearances between the sink and lavatory, among other things. For the shower, I can't reduce its size, since it has to be a minimum of 30x30 inches.
One idea I'm considering is a shower without a base, just a sloped floor with a curtain above. But I'm not sure if that would still count for clearance in front of the sink. The other thought I had was about those toilet-and-sink combos that sit above the toilet tank, but I'm unsure whether they are compliant as well. Any suggestions or advice?
2 Answers
Have you considered relocating the shower to the top right corner? You could place the sink with a vanity on the bottom right for some extra storage, keeping the toilet in its current spot. This design could make the plumbing access easier for repairs in the future, especially since you mentioned it’s adjacent to the pantry. Here's a rough sketch of what I was thinking! https://i.imgur.com/aJ7Gbf7.png
I like the idea of moving the sink to the right wall, facing the toilet and shower door. If space is tight for the required clearances in front of the toilet, you might rotate it to face sideways towards the entry door. That could give you better access while ensuring everything stays within code.