AskCodeMan

Hi!

I'm currently building a house in Austin, Tx. We use IRC 2006 and the 2003 Uniform Plumbing code.

I have a few questions regarding our master bathroom. The first is regarding a drop-in bathtub which is a Japanese style soaking tub. It's 60"x40" and is going to finish out at 32-33" high. Are there any bathtub height restrictions in either code, if not, are there any stair requirements or specifications for a tub this high?

My wife and I were hoping to tile in one end of our rectangular master bathroom as a shower "area," approximately 9'x5', which includes the bathtub on one side. This would require us to make a shower pan of the whole area from the walls and stepover to the edge of the tub. I've attached a graphic which I hope will give you an accurate idea of what I'm working with. My question is whether this layout is going to run afoul of IRC accessibility clearances which require space in front of showers and tubs.

The ADA (you referenced "accessibility" requirements) does not apply to one- and two-family dwelling units or to townhouses, thus there would be no accessibility requirements for that.

In your drawing, the shower pan may need to cover the entire area of the 'shower' and, quite possibly, the area under the tub too, making the tub 'setting in' the shower pan area - "may need to" is key, it "may not" need to, but I would verify this with your local authority having jurisdiction as it would be their call when reviewing the actual plan.

Keep in mind that the shower pan material itself is required to be laid on a sloped floor which slopes 1/4" per foot minimum slope from the walls to the drain, which means that entire shower area floor will be sloped at least 1/4" per foot.

Thanks CodeMan!

Heh, I don't know why I like saying that so much.

I'm aware that ADA doesn't apply to single family homes, but from what I was able to find online it did appear as if some of the minimum sizes and area clearances referenced from the codes seemed informed by them.

My main concern was whether or not I had to provide separate access to the tub AND the shower, in which case this layout is toast. I could put the stepover perpendicular to the edge of the alcove wall for the shower which would leave me with a 36" wide access area between the shower and the tub, but if I have to put a step or two for the bathtub, depending on the size of the step(s) required it might not leave enough space.

The bathtub was delivered about a half-hour ago. Man it's gorgeous!

jackson wrote:My main concern was whether or not I had to provide separate access to the tub AND the shower, in which case this layout is toast.

Think of it this way ... you have access to the tub and shower AREA, and the shower is a handicapped accessible shower (no curb separating it from the area outside the shower) and a non-handicapped accessible tub - and doing that would not be a problem.

Now you need to carefully consider where you are putting the shower control and the shower head, and the shower drain.

It would make sense to have the shower head in the left end wall of the shower so that the shower head sprays toward the other end wall - where you have the shower head shown (in the side wall spraying out toward the tub) will be getting the entire area wet.

I would also have the shower drain centered in the 36" x 60" shower area, with the floor (as I stated previously) sloping toward the shower drain. The way to do that would be to slope the area in front of the tub toward the shower slightly, and at a straight line across the shower at the 36" point from the shower side wall, have the floor slope toward the shower drain in an 'X' with the shower drain at the center of the 'X'. That way all the water which does get out of the "shower" area will drain back into the shower area and into the shower drain.