A 5x7 bathroom (60 × 84 in) is one foot shorter than the classic 5x8, and that foot matters. With a 60 × 30 in tub across the 5 ft end, the 54 in of wall left takes the toilet and only an 18 in vanity. Turn the tub along the 7 ft wall and a 24 in vanity fits, facing the toilet. A walk-in shower needs 24 in of clear floor in front of it, so in a 5x7 it pairs with a wall-mounted sink.
Four 5x7 layouts, drawn to scale
The dashed boxes are the clear spaces the code asks for in front of each fixture, and the brass line marks the toilet’s centerline. Open a plan in the layout planner to try your own door.
- Clear in front of the vanity: 39 in
- Sink centerline to the side: 39 in
- Toilet centerline to the side: 15 in
- Clear in front of the toilet: 30 in
Layout A: tub across the end, 18 in vanity
The classic plan, one foot shorter. On the 54 in beside the tub: the toilet’s centerline 15 in from the end wall, then 21 in to an 18 in vanity, the toilet and the sink 30 in apart center to center. There’s 30 in in front of the toilet and 39 in in front of the vanity.
- Best for: one plumbing wall, with the door in the end wall opposite the tub.
- The trade-off: an 18 in vanity is all that fits; a 24 in one would run into the tub.
- Clear in front of the vanity: 33 in
- Sink centerline to the side: 18 in
- Toilet centerline to the side: 15 in
- Clear in front of the toilet: 33 in
Layout B: tub along the long wall
Run the tub down the 7 ft wall and the 30 in strip beside it holds the toilet at one end and a 24 in vanity at the other, facing each other with 33 in between. The toilet sits in that strip like a toilet compartment, 15 in from the tub and from the wall.
- Best for: a wider vanity, with the door in the middle of the long wall.
- The trade-off: the toilet is at the code minimum on both sides, and 24 in of floor is left past the tub’s end.
- Clear in front of the shower: 40 in
- Clear in front of the vanity: 40 in
- Sink centerline to the side: 18 in
- Toilet centerline to the side: 25 in
- Clear in front of the toilet: 30 in
Layout C: a walk-in shower across the end
A 60 × 32 in shower base fills the 5 ft end. Its opening needs 24 in of clear floor, so the toilet moves to the long wall, 25 in from the shower, and a 24 in wall-mounted sink takes the far end wall, with 40 in of floor in front of each.
- Best for: a tub-to-shower swap with a door near the sink end.
- The trade-off: a wall-mounted sink instead of a vanity cabinet; plan storage above the toilet or in a niche.
- Clear in front of the shower: 24 in
- Clear in front of the vanity: 36 in
- Sink centerline to the side: 18 in
- Toilet centerline to the side: 18 in
- Clear in front of the toilet: 30 in
Layout D: a corner shower
A 36 × 36 in shower in one corner leaves the rest of the long wall for the toilet, 18 in from the shower, and the far end wall for a 24 in wall-mounted sink with 36 in of floor in front.
- Best for: a door in the long wall opposite the toilet.
- The trade-off: the shower opening has the code’s 24 in of floor in front, no more.
5x7 or 5x8?
| 5 × 7 ft | 5 × 8 ft | |
|---|---|---|
| Wall beside a 60 × 30 in tub | 54 in | 66 in |
| Widest vanity on that wall | 18 in | 36 in at the code minimum, 30 in with 18 in beside the toilet |
| Toilet’s side room on that wall | 15 in (the code minimum) | 18 in |
| Walk-in shower across the end | With a wall-mounted sink | With a 24 in vanity |
From the BathDraft layout planner, with an elongated toilet and the door in the end wall. A toilet and a sink side by side need at least 15 + 30 + 15 = 60 in of wall (IRC P2705.1), which is why 54 in beside a tub is so tight. More plans for the extra foot: 5x8 bathroom layouts.
Questions people ask
What is the best layout for a 5x7 bathroom?
With a tub, the tub across the 5 ft end and the toilet and an 18 in vanity on one long wall (Layout A): one plumbing wall. For a wider vanity, turn the tub along the long wall (Layout B).
What size vanity fits in a 5x7 bathroom?
18 in beside a tub across the end, or 24 in with the tub along the long wall. With a walk-in shower, a 24 in wall-mounted sink.
Can you fit a walk-in shower in a 5x7 bathroom?
Yes: a 60 × 32 in shower base across the end or a 36 × 36 in shower in a corner, both with a wall-mounted sink, so the shower keeps its 24 in of clear floor.
Can you fit a tub in a 5x7 bathroom?
Yes, a standard 60 × 30 in tub, either across the 5 ft end or along the 7 ft wall.
How many square feet is a 5x7 bathroom?
35 sq ft (5 × 7), about 3.3 m².
Sources
- 2021 International Residential Code, chapter 3 (R307.1 fixture clearances, R305.1 ceiling height) and chapter 27 (P2705.1 fixture spacing, P2708.1 showers), read in Colorado’s adoption without amendments on UpCodes
- Larimer County, Colorado: Figure R307.1 bathroom clearances
- NKBA’s free bath planning guidelines: the roomier spacing (18 in beside a toilet, 20 in beside a sink, 36 in between two sinks, 30 in in front of each fixture, a 36 × 36 in shower, a 32 in door opening, a 36 × 66 in toilet compartment). Its newer, paid editions change some numbers.
- Kohler Underscore alcove tubs, 60 × 30 in and 60 × 32 in spec sheets
- Kohler Bellwether 60 × 32 in shower base spec sheet, made to replace a 60 × 30 in tub
- Toilet depths from the wall: Kohler Cimarron round and elongated spec sheets
Checked October 19, 2026. All plans and the comparison were worked out with the BathDraft layout planner; centimeters are converted from inches.