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Water Closet Clearance

achilles9078

Registered User
Joined
Nov 18, 2020
Messages
1
Location
Cumming, GA
On a recent final inspection, my inspector flagged the vanity top as an obstruction within the 15" side clearance of a residential bathroom. The vanity cabinet is 15" from the center with the overhang of the vanity countertop protruding 1 1/2". Can anyone offer clarification if this is truly an obstruction? In 20 years, I've never had a measurement taken from the vanity top.
 
R307 provides the clearance from wall requirement of 15-inches. Does not provide the clearance from another obstacle such as a vanity. We have always measured from the rooms wall and the vanity side, not the top. Your inspector could be looking at an counter top that is over the standard overhang of 1/2-3/4 inches.

I have been in a hotel room bathroom that had the marble counter top fabricated so that it extend past the vanity and went over the top of the stool. There was plenty of room.
 
Code says 15" from vanity (IRC P22705.1, number 5). It does not say where to measure from, however the countertop is part of the vanity, and so I would say the intent of the code is to measure from the center of the water closet to the closest part of the vanity. This is likely the opinion of your inspector, and I don't think you will get far contesting his judgement of the intention of the code - but you are always welcome to try.

Also, to hypothetically take your example a little further, what if the countertop protruded further, say 8" from the side of the vanity? Or 18"? When would you stop allowing the overhang of the countertop to be counted separately from the wall of the vanity with regard to the 15" to the center of the toilet rule?

Good luck, I hope you come up with an easy answer to make everything compliant.
 
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