You must have heard about different bathroom types especially if you have checked real estate listings.
They have special references like a powder room, guest bath, half bath, etc but most people don’t know what the difference is.
It is essential to have knowledge about term bathroom types when building a house, selling a house, buying a house, or simply renovating.
Main Bathroom Components
There are four main bathroom components and each component is considered one-quarter of a bathroom.
1. Shower
A standard size considered for a shower is between 30 x 30 inches to 36 x 36 inches. If you want to make it more luxurious you can increase the length.
You can also decrease it if you have a small space. But keep in mind that there should be a distance of 32 inches between all four feature components.
In United States older homes, finding a shower and bathtub combination is quite common But most of the newer homes have a separate bathtub and stand-alone shower stall.
In any condition (bathtub/shower combo or separate) the bathroom will be considered a full bathroom.
2. Sink
Just like other fixtures the vanity or sink size will depend on the ideal size of your bathroom. Luckily, we have a variety of sink/vanity to choose from for both large and small spaces.
If you have a small space use a pedestal sink. Pedestal sinks have a top bowl with a slender base. With this sink, you can add a small storage cabinet that requires less space.
In a large size, bathrooms go for double sinks vanity. The measurement starts from 72 inches and can be more depending on your need. This will provide plenty of space on the counter and under the sink also.
3. Toilet
A toilet is considered simple and very straightforward among all the four feature components.
For measurement, it starts from the wall and up to the floor drain. In older homes, the length of the toilet varies between 10 to 14 inches. But in modern homes 12 inches is common.
The distance will depend upon the bowl shape if the toilet sticks out of the wall. So if you have a large bathroom go for an elongated toilet bowl.
It usually measures up to 31 inches (between wall and front). Likewise, if you have a small bathroom go for a round toilet bowl. A round toilet bowl usually measures up to 28 inches (between the wall and front of the toilet bowl).
4. Bathtub
What size you should select will completely depend on the size of your bathroom.
Generally speaking, most house owners go with a standard-size bathtub that measures 60 x 32 x 18 inches.
A standard-size bathtub requires 13 square feet of space on the floor.
Similarly, different bathtub styles have different measurements. For example, alcove bathtubs are relatively smaller in size than oval bathtubs.
But if you are choosing a suite bathroom (bathroom in master bedroom) select a corner tub. It will add a unique look to your bathroom.
Main Bathroom Types
There are four main bathroom components; shower, sink, toilet and bathtub. Each component is considered one quarter.
Depending on these main components there are five main types of bathrooms:
- Full/Complete Bathroom
- Suite Bathroom
- Basic/Three Quarter Bathroom
- Half Bathroom/Powder Room
- Quarter Bathroom or Utility Toilet/Shower
Full or Complete Bathroom
When a bathroom has all four components including a shower, bathtub, toilet, and sink it is considered a complete bathroom and called a full bathroom.
They can have a separate shower and bathtub or a combination of both. You are free to add more than one of any of these four components, but it should have at least one of each of them to be called a full bathroom.
Typically a full bathroom can provide versatile functions in a small space. Most modern homes consisting of two bedrooms have one full bathroom at least.
Bathtub and Shower
Both the bathtub and shower can be combined and can be kept separated. Even after combining both (bathtub and shower), they will be counted as two components even if they are sharing the same controls.
Suite Bathroom or Master Bathroom
A suite bathroom is a bathroom that is attached to the primary and biggest bedroom of the house.
A suite bathroom is mostly a full bathroom with all the four main components of a bathroom or a three-quarter bathroom for a specific separate room (primary bedroom).
It is also called a master or primary bathroom.
It has its own door that opens up in the primary room which provides complete privacy. When its door is closed the bathroom is completely closed in its own limited space.
With a suite bathroom, there should be at least one other bathroom in the home so the other persons not living in the primary bedroom can use it at night.
But due to all the available facilities, it is quite large in size and has a large storing space.
Primary Bedroom
It is one of the famous real estate terms. In real estate communities “Primary Bedroom” is the latest term extensively used for “Master Bedroom” by most real estate agents.
It is considered widely that this term reflects the importance of the room.
Basic or Three Quarter Bathroom
A three-quarter bathroom is simply a type of bathroom that has three main components of the bathroom: a sink, a toilet, and a shower or bathtub.
Mostly a small house that has limited space and a small room prefers to have a three-quarter bathroom. Usually, they have a limited storage area as well.
Depending on available space three-quarter bathrooms can be as little as six by six square feet or can be bigger and more luxurious.
On the first floor of a multi-story property, they have a full bathroom or three-quarter bathroom.
These bathrooms give you a bright chance to experiment with colors and patterns and add personality.
Half Bathroom or Powder Room
A powder room usually has two main components of a bathroom; sink and toilet.
It is small in size and mostly attached to a drawing room or hallway mainly on the first floor of the house.
It can be called a guest bathroom because it is mainly used for guests or other family members that can not use stairs so powder rooms usually have very limited storage for guests.
If you have a full bathroom in your house and you want a second upstairs bathroom powder room is the best option.
It has its own limitations but you can add unique features to it for example wall mounted shower, window, and cabinet design. You can also add a touchless faucet and toilet.
Quarter Bathroom or Utility Toilet/Shower
A quarter bathroom has only one component and does not have much space. It only has a toilet called a utility toilet or a shower called a utility shower.
For example, in public places like a public toilet. Usually, it contains just a sink and mirror to freshen up. They are also called utility rooms.
A quarter bathroom can be upgraded to a half bathroom easily by just adding one more feature component.
Like if you have a utility toilet you can add a sink or if you have a utility shower you can renovate it and add a toilet.
What is Powder Room: Math
When you are looking at real estate listings, checking only the number of bathrooms is not enough.
You must consider the terms used like powder bathroom, three-quarter bathroom, etc. Always do the math.
Furthermore, keep in mind that a full bathroom has all four components, three quarters have three feature components, a Powder bathroom has two components and a quarter bathroom has only one component.
Always discuss and confirm with the agent about these details.
