• Welcome to The Building Code Forum

    Your premier resource for building code knowledge.

    This forum remains free to the public thanks to the generous support of our Sawhorse Members and Corporate Sponsors. Their contributions help keep this community thriving and accessible.

    Want enhanced access to expert discussions and exclusive features? Learn more about the benefits here.

    Ready to upgrade? Log in and upgrade now.

CBC 11A headroom at accessible restroom fixtures,

Y

Yikes

SAWHORSE
Joined
Nov 2, 2009
Messages
4,114
Location
Southern California
I have a townhome design where I'm trying to tuck in an accessible powder room underneath the staircase.

CBC 1116A.2 says that "other... circulation spaces shall have a minimum clear headroom of 80 inches."
CBC 1208.2 exc. 2 allows sloped ceilings as low as 5 feet of headroom.

Question: at the non-circulation space over the toilet and/or lavatory of an accessible powder room, can my headroom be lower than 80 inches? (As low as 5 feet?)
 
Hi Yikes...I believe older editions of the CRC required 6'-8" at the front of the toilet, but has recently changed to whatever is required so that the bathroom fixture is "useable." Note this is CRC...not sure what CBC says about it.
 
Interesting request but unless you are designing this for short folks, 6'-8" should be seen as a minimum to avoid "head butts".
Have you checked your CPC?
 
CPC appears silent on the subject.
I do have 6'-8" headroom at the front rim of the toilet, be cause that is the start of the circulation path.
CRC R305.1 has this subjective statement regarding toilets:
2. The ceiling height above bathroom and toilet room fixtures shall be such that the fixture is capable of being used for its intended purpose. A shower or tub equipped with a showerhead shall have a ceiling height of not less than 6 feet 8 inches (2032 mm) above an area of not less than 30 inches (762 mm)by 30 inches (762 mm) at the showerhead.
 
"useable" is a performance term, it therefore remains for the designer to justify the useability of the toilet where prescriptive descriptions are not stated.
Can a 6'8" tall person bend forward to lift the top off the water closet when standing beneath a sloping ceiling as you describe without hitting their head when lifting the top ?
 
I never liked the code allowing shelving over or next to the toilet with no restrictions on the depth and height of the shelving. I seen plastic shelving units that sit on the floor like you can buy at Walmart or Home Depot right next to toilets that would keep a wheel chair from being next to the toilet but I can't say anything because the code allows it. Also saw 18" deep wall mounted shelves just 4' above the toilet seat.
 
I am not sure why you cannot say anything about these items? shelving adjacent to the toilet in the wheelchair transfer area? That area needs to be clear.
You can let them know they are exposed to a lawsuit.
 
If there is not a section in the code I can quote I can not fail it. I do all the inspections but I'm not the "Building Official". Not my job to tell them my opinion about anything that could involve a lawsuit. My (3rd party) company's lawyers would not like that at all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top