The best bathroom layout starts from what is hardest to move, the soil pipe, the window and the door, then places the toilet nearest the soil pipe, the bath or shower along the longest wall and the basin where you have the most elbow room. In a small bathroom that usually means a shower over the bath or a walk-in shower across the end wall, in an en suite a compact shower and toilet, and in a family bathroom a bath plus a separate shower if the room allows.

Start with the things you cannot easily move

Every good layout begins by marking the fixed points on a sketch of the room. These decide more than any style choice.

• The soil pipe. A toilet drains through a large 110mm pipe that needs a steady fall to the soil stack. Keeping the toilet close to the stack is simplest. Moving it across the room may mean lifting floors, boxing in a new run or, as a last resort, a pumped toilet.
• The window. It sets where the light falls and where you want privacy. A shower under a window needs a window that can take the wet, and good sealing.
• The door. A door that swings into a small bathroom can waste a large part of the floor. Rehanging it to open outwards, or fitting a sliding or pocket door, often frees enough room for a larger shower.
• The hot water system. A combi boiler, an unvented cylinder and a gravity system all behave differently, and this decides which showers will work well.
• The floor. A timber floor makes it easier to run shower wastes and fit a level-access tray. A concrete floor may need the tray raised or the floor cut to get the fall.

Our bathroom renovation surveys start with exactly this: where the pipes are, what the floor is made of and what the hot water system can do.

Small bathroom layouts

Most UK bathrooms are small, so the goal is to make every fitting earn its space.

• Shower over the bath. The classic answer when you need a bath. A fixed glass screen keeps water in better than a curtain and makes the room feel larger. A P-shaped or L-shaped bath gives more standing room at the shower end.
• Walk-in shower across the end wall. If nobody needs a bath, replacing it with a shower the full width of the room gives the most usable shower in the least space.
• Wall-hung toilet and basin. Fittings mounted on a frame with the cistern hidden in the wall leave the floor clear, which makes the room look bigger and cleaning easier. Plan an access panel for the cistern.
• Compact fittings. Short-projection toilets and narrow or corner basins save space where it matters, in front of the fittings.
• Recessed storage. A mirrored cabinet set into a stud wall, or niches in the shower, keeps shelves from eating into the room.
• Fewer, larger tiles. Large-format tiles with the same tile on the floor and walls reduce grout lines and make the space feel calmer.

En suite layouts

An en suite is often squeezed into a corner of a bedroom or a box room, so drainage and ventilation decide the layout.

• Keep wet areas together. Putting the shower, toilet and basin on one wall keeps the pipe runs short and the drainage simple.
• Pick the right shower shape. Quadrant and offset quadrant enclosures fit corners well. A rectangular tray with a sliding door suits a long, narrow room.
• Ventilation is essential. Many en suites have no window, so an extractor fan is needed. Building regulations set a minimum extract rate of 15 litres per second for a bathroom.
• Think about noise. An en suite next to the bed benefits from a quiet fan and soft-close toilet seat.
• Pumped drainage is a last resort. Building regulations generally only allow a macerator toilet where there is also a toilet in the home that drains by gravity. They are noisier and need more maintenance, so a gravity layout is always better where possible.

Family bathroom layouts

A family bathroom has to cope with busy mornings, bath time and everyone’s storage.

• Keep a bath if you have young children. Bathing small children in a shower is hard work. A bath with a thermostatic mixer and a screen at one end covers both jobs.
• Add a separate shower if the room allows. A bath along one wall and a shower in the corner means two people can get ready at once.
• Plan storage for everyone. A vanity unit with drawers holds far more than a pedestal basin.
• Consider a separate toilet. In some homes a small cloakroom elsewhere takes pressure off the family bathroom more than any layout change.

You can see finished family bathrooms, en suites and walk-in showers in our bathroom gallery.

Walk-in showers and wet rooms

A walk-in shower has a low tray, or a tiled floor former, with a fixed glass panel and no door. It needs enough length that water stays in the shower area. A wet room goes further: the whole floor is waterproofed and falls to a drain, with no tray at all.

Both need a floor that can take the fall to the waste, and careful waterproofing (tanking) behind the tiles. Both also make a bathroom easier to use for anyone with limited mobility. Our wet rooms page covers the build in more detail, and our accessible bathrooms page covers grab rails, seats and level access.

Layouts compared

Layout	Suits	Main benefit	Watch out for
Shower over bath	Small bathrooms, families	Bath and shower in one space	Needs a good screen and a bath that is comfortable to stand in
Walk-in shower instead of a bath	Couples, small bathrooms	The biggest shower for the space	Can affect family buyers if it is the only bathroom
Separate bath and shower	Larger family bathrooms	Two people can use the room at once	Needs more floor space and more drainage
Compact en suite	Bedrooms and box rooms	A second bathroom without an extension	Drainage route and ventilation
Wet room	Accessibility, modern style	Level access and easy cleaning	Waterproofing and floor falls must be right

Rules that shape the layout

• Electrical zones. The wiring regulations (BS 7671) divide a bathroom into zones. Zone 1 is the space above the bath or shower tray up to 2.25 metres from the floor, and zone 2 extends 0.6 metres beyond it. Lights, fans and shaver points in these zones must be suitable for the zone, and ordinary sockets are not allowed within 3 metres of the bath or shower. Electrical work in bathrooms falls under Part P of the building regulations, so use a registered electrician.
• Ventilation. Any new bathroom needs an extractor fan or other ventilation that meets building regulations.
• Drainage falls. Shower and bath wastes need a steady fall to the stack. Long, flat waste runs drain slowly and block more easily.
• Building regulations. Adding a bathroom where there was none usually involves new drainage, ventilation and electrics that must meet building regulations. A good installer arranges the sign-off.

A simple planning sequence

1. Measure the room and mark the soil pipe, window, door, radiator and any boxing on a sketch.
2. List who uses the room and when, and whether you need a bath.
3. Sketch two or three layouts, keeping the toilet close to the soil pipe.
4. Check which shower suits your hot water system.
5. Plan lighting, ventilation and storage at the same time, not at the end.
6. Book a survey to confirm the pipe routes and floor construction before you choose fittings.

When the quotes come in, our guide to what a bathroom installation quote should include helps you compare them like for like.

Common layout mistakes

• The toilet as the first thing you see through an open door.
• A shower tray too small to turn around in comfortably.
• A radiator where a towel rail would be more useful.
• No access panel for a concealed cistern.
• A single ceiling light that leaves the mirror in shadow.

How we price it

Installations are quoted as a fixed price after a free survey, so the price you agree is the price you pay. During the survey we check the soil pipe, floor construction and hot water system so the layout you choose is one that can be built. Our bathrooms come with a 12 month guarantee, and you can see how we charge for all our work on our prices page.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best layout for a small bathroom?

For most small bathrooms, either a shower over the bath with a fixed screen, or a walk-in shower across the end wall if you do not need a bath. Wall-hung fittings and an outward opening or sliding door free up the most floor space.

Can I move the toilet to a different wall?

Often, yes, but it depends on the route to the soil stack and the floor construction. A timber floor with joists running the right way makes it easier. If a gravity route is not possible, a pumped toilet is an option only in limited cases.

What is the difference between a walk-in shower and a wet room?

A walk-in shower has a tray or floor former with a fixed glass panel, so only the shower area is designed to get wet. In a wet room the whole floor is waterproofed and falls to a drain, with no tray.

Is it a mistake to remove the only bath in the house?

It depends on who lives there and your plans. Many families with young children want a bath, so if the house is likely to be sold to a family, keeping one somewhere is usually wise. If there is a second bathroom, a large walk-in shower in one of them is rarely a problem.

Do I need building regulations approval for a new en suite?

Usually, yes. A new en suite normally involves new drainage, an extractor fan and electrical work in a bathroom, all of which must meet building regulations. Your installer should arrange this as part of the job.

Bathroom design and installation in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire

If you are weighing up layouts for a small bathroom, en suite or family bathroom, we can survey the room, show you what will fit and install it from start to finish. See our bathroom installations page or call 01462 506374 to book a free survey.