Turning space
A 60-inch circle or a T-shaped turning space inside the room. The 2010 ADA Standards let the door swing into the turning space, but not into the clear floor space at a fixture.
Plan check correction · Accessibility
Plan check correction: accessible toilet room clearances
Toilet rooms produce more accessibility comments than any other room type because every fixture has its own clearance and height. A plan at small scale cannot show them.
The comment asks for enlarged plans and interior elevations that dimension the turning space, the clear floor space at each fixture, water closet centerline and grab bars, and mounting heights. Clear it with dimensioned enlarged plans and elevations for every accessible toilet room, checked against the accessibility standard the jurisdiction enforces.
Read the comment
What the plans examiner is asking for
Water closet clearances
Centerline 16 to 18 inches from the side wall, and a clearance at least 60 inches wide and 56 inches deep, under 2010 ADA Standards Section 604.
Grab bars and accessories
Side and rear grab bar lengths and heights, and reach ranges to dispensers and mirrors.
Lavatories and doors
Knee clearance and pipe protection at lavatories, and maneuvering clearance at the door.
Published correction lists
How city lists word this correction
Published lists ask for enlarged restroom plans, fixture clearances, grab bar details, or mounting heights. Paraphrased from each department’s own published list; the lists do not rank items by how often they are issued.
| City | What the published list asks for | Code cited | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | Show at least one accessible restroom per sex, or one single-user unisex restroom, serving the remodeled area, with its detail location noted. | CBC 11B-202.4 | Information Sheet DA-02 package - D.A. Checklist p.2, item C |
| San Diego | Provide fully dimensioned enlarged plans and interior elevations of kitchens, powder rooms and all bathrooms demonstrating accessibility compliance. | CBC Chapter 11A and 11B | Project Submittal Manual Section 2, checklist item 5.1.7 (Accessibility - Enlarged Floor Plans and Interior Elevations) |
| Seattle | Identify and fully dimension accessible restrooms (a separate enlarged plan is allowed if restrooms are new or altered), and show the latch-side distance from doors to adjacent walls. | — | Screening Standards - Commercial Tenant Improvement, Floor plan information |
| New York City | Enlarged accessible kitchen and bathroom diagrams must dimension clearances, show grab bars and turning circles, and include plan and elevation views. | — | Plan Exam Guidelines for Next Day Review – items G.41 to G.45 |
| Portland | Accessibility submittals should show maneuvering clearances and grab bar locations at accessible fixtures as part of the accessibility documentation for a commercial permit. | — | Commercial Permit Application Requirements page, Accessibility section |
| Phoenix | Architectural plans must show the location and dimensions of accessible restroom facilities and, where present, elevators; for remodels/alterations where the accessible route is not made fully accessible, the applicant documents that the cost of upgrading the route is at least 20% of the total alteration cost. | — | Commercial Building Permit Submittal Checklist, Architectural Plan section |
| Austin | Where an assembly or mercantile occupancy requires an aggregate of six or more male and female water closets, provide a separate accessible/family-assisted-use toilet room. | IBC 1110.2.1; UPC 422.1.2 | Plumbing Plan Review Commercial Checklist, Section H item 52 |
| Chicago | For alterations affecting an area containing a primary function, the MOPD form separately confirms whether accessible toilets and an accessible drinking fountain are provided along the route to the altered primary function. | Chapter 14B-11; ICC A117.1-2009; 2018 Illinois Accessibility Code | MOPD Project Data Form, Schedule (A), Alterations Affecting an Area Containing a Primary Function |
Sources reviewed September 12, 2026. Code sections are as cited on each list and follow that city’s adopted code. Confirm the current list and edition with the department.
Revise the set
What changes on the drawings, and what else to re-check
Enlarging a toilet room to meet clearances pushes on everything around it.
| Change | Sheets to revise | Also re-check |
|---|---|---|
| Room enlarged for clearances | Enlarged plan; floor plan | Adjacent rooms and corridors, plumbing wall location, reflected ceiling plan |
| Door swing or hardware changed | Enlarged plan; door schedule | Maneuvering clearance, closer force, rated door requirements |
| Fixtures relocated | Enlarged plan; interior elevations | Plumbing plans and risers, wall blocking for grab bars, floor drains |
| Accessories repositioned | Interior elevations; accessory schedule | Specification section for toilet accessories, electrical devices on the same wall |
Close the comment
A response the reviewer can verify
An illustrative example written for this guide, not a real project or a city’s wording. Name the sheet, the detail, and the change, so the recheck does not start with a search.
Comment
Provide fully dimensioned enlarged plans and elevations of accessible toilet rooms showing clearances, grab bars, and mounting heights.
Response
Revised as requested. Enlarged plans on A7.01 dimension the 60-inch turning space, water closet centerline at 17 inches from the side wall, and 60-inch-wide clearance. Interior elevations 2 to 5 on A7.02 show grab bar lengths and heights, lavatory knee clearance, and accessory mounting heights. Plumbing plan P2.01 updated for the relocated lavatory.
Before you submit
Catch it before the plans examiner does
Draw at enlarged scale
Draw every accessible toilet room at a scale where clearances can be dimensioned.
Overlay the door
Check that the door swing does not overlap the clear floor space required at any fixture.
Match plumbing
Confirm fixture locations on the plumbing plans match the architectural enlarged plans.
Groundbook compares the drawings, schedules, and specifications with the adopted code and local amendments, and links each potential issue to the sheets and sections behind it. We read the amendments governments publish online and use licensed model codes only where a license allows it. Your team verifies each finding; the jurisdiction makes every approval decision. See the pre-permit review and drawing-to-code review.
Questions, answered
Accessible toilet rooms: questions
Which accessibility standard applies to toilet rooms?
It depends on the jurisdiction. Many cities enforce IBC Chapter 11 with ICC A117.1; California uses CBC Chapter 11B; the 2010 ADA Standards apply as a federal civil rights requirement. The plans should name the standard used.
How wide is the clearance at an accessible water closet?
Under the 2010 ADA Standards Section 604.3.1, the clearance is at least 60 inches wide measured from the side wall and 56 inches deep measured from the rear wall. Toilet compartments have their own dimensions.
Do all toilet rooms need to be accessible?
New construction generally requires accessible toilet rooms, with specific exceptions. Alterations follow separate rules for which rooms must be made accessible. Check the adopted standard.
Keep going
Related corrections and city guides
Path of travel in alterations
For alterations, the route from the site arrival point to the altered area, and the restrooms, phones, and fountains serving it.
Read this correctionSheet coordination
Detail references that resolve, and plans, sections, schedules, and consultant sheets that describe the same condition the same way.
Read this correctionCode analysis
Occupancy, construction type, allowable area, occupant load, and sprinkler basis stated on the cover sheet and consistent with the plans.
Read this correctionSan Francisco plan check
How DBI reviews a permit set and what its published lists ask for.
Open the city guideSan Diego plan check
How DSD reviews a permit set and what its published lists ask for.
Open the city guideSeattle plan check
How SDCI reviews a permit set and what its published lists ask for.
Open the city guideRespond to plan check comments
Response letter format, six response types, and a free response log.
Read the guideFind the corrections before the plans examiner does
Upload the drawing set. We read the local amendments that governments publish online, and link each potential issue to its sources for your team to verify.