A tub and a separate shower side by side need a wall as long as both: a 60 in tub plus a 36 in square shower is 96 in, so an 8 × 10 ft bathroom is the smallest in our plans that takes both with a vanity and a toilet. A roomier 60 × 36 in shower beside the tub needs a 10 ft wall. With the tub and the shower at opposite ends, a 9 × 10 ft room works.
How much room a tub and a shower take
| Arrangement | Wall it takes | Smallest room in our plans |
|---|---|---|
| Tub and a 36 × 36 in shower side by side | 96 in | 8 × 10 ft |
| Tub and a 60 × 36 in shower side by side | 120 in | 10 × 10 ft |
| Tub at one end, shower at the other | 60 in for the tub, 48 in for the shower | 9 × 10 ft |
| Shower in a corner, tub along the side wall | Two walls | 9 × 11 ft |
| Freestanding tub and a separate shower | About 74 in for a 66 in tub with 4 in each side | 10 × 12 ft |
The code asks for 900 sq in of shower floor, at least 30 in across, and 24 in of clear floor in front of the shower opening (IRC P2708.1, R307.1). It sets no clear space for a tub; the NKBA suggests 30 in in front of every fixture.
Five tub and shower layouts, drawn to scale
Each plan also holds a vanity and the toilet with their clear spaces (the dashed boxes). Open any of them in the layout planner to try your own room.
- Clear in front of the shower: 24 in
- Clear in front of the vanity: 45 in
- Sink centerline to the side: 51 in
- Toilet centerline to the side: 33 in
- Clear in front of the toilet: 45 in
8x10: the smallest with both
The tub and a 36 × 36 in shower fill the 8 ft far wall, 60 + 36 = 96 in. A 30 in vanity takes one side wall and the toilet the other, 33 in from the shower. The shower’s opening has the code’s 24 in of floor in front of it, up to the toilet.
- Good: a real tub and a real shower in 80 sq ft.
- Tight: the shower is the NKBA’s smallest, 36 in square, and its opening has only the code minimum in front.
- Clear in front of the shower: 84 in
- Clear in front of the vanity: 69 in
- Sink centerline to the side: 48 in
- Toilet centerline to the side: 33 in
- Clear in front of the toilet: 69 in
Side by side on one wall
Two more feet of wall let the shower grow to 60 × 36 in, the same length as the tub, with 84 in of floor in front of it. Both drain from the one far wall, and every roomier designer number is met.
- Good: one wet wall for the tub and the shower keeps the plumbing simple.
- Tight: the tub and the shower take all 120 in of the wall.
- Clear in front of the shower: 54 in
- Clear in front of the vanity: 87 in
- Sink centerline to the side: 26 in
- Toilet centerline to the side: 24 in
- Clear in front of the toilet: 90 in
Facing: tub at one end, shower at the other
Splitting them between the two ends needs no long wall: the tub takes 60 in of one, a 48 × 36 in shower 48 in of the other. A 48 in vanity stands on the side wall between them, and the toilet beside the tub has 24 in on each side. Every roomier designer number is met.
- Good: each wet zone has its own end of the room.
- Tight: the tub and the shower drain to opposite walls.
- Clear in front of the shower: 30 in
- Toilet centerline to the side: 19 in
- Clear in front of the toilet: 102 in
- Clear in front of the vanity: 87 in
- Sink centerline to the side: 21 in
Corner shower, tub along the side
The shower takes one corner of the far wall and the tub runs down the side wall from the other corner, with the toilet between them: 19 in to the tub and 21 in to the shower. A 60 in double vanity faces the tub across the room.
- Good: two sinks as well as a tub and a shower in 99 sq ft.
- Tight: the two sinks are 30 in apart, the code minimum.
- Clear in front of the shower: 36 in
- Clear in front of the vanity: 51 in
- Sink centerline to the side: 45 in
- Toilet centerline to the side: 23½ in
- Clear in front of the toilet: 69 in
A freestanding tub and a separate shower
A 66 × 31½ in freestanding tub stands 8 in out from the far wall, with room to clean behind it. The shower sits in the corner by the door, the 60 in double vanity on one side wall and the toilet on the other.
- Good: the tub is the first thing you see from the door.
- Tight: a freestanding tub’s drain and supply come up through the floor; plan them with a licensed plumber.
A tub-shower combo, or both?
A tub with a shower head over it, the usual 60 × 30 in alcove tub, needs one 60 in wall and makes a full bath on its own. Separate fixtures cost a second wet area and at least 36 in more of wall. In an 8 × 10 ft room that’s the difference between a 36 in square shower squeezed beside the tub and the whole second wall left for a longer vanity or storage. For the 5 × 8 ft standard, see the 5x8 bathroom layouts.
A wet room goes the other way: the tub stands inside the shower area, behind one glass panel. Those plans are in wet room layouts.
Questions people ask
How big does a bathroom need to be for a tub and a separate shower?
In our plans, 8 × 10 ft with a 36 in square shower beside the tub, 9 × 10 ft with the two at opposite ends, and 10 × 10 ft with a 60 × 36 in shower beside the tub.
What size shower fits next to a tub?
Whatever the rest of the wall allows: 36 in on an 8 ft wall after a 60 in tub, 60 in on a 10 ft wall. The code’s least is 900 sq in and 30 in across, and the NKBA suggests 36 × 36 in.
How far should a freestanding tub be from the wall?
At least 4 in on every side, by Signature Hardware’s buying guide, and enough to clean behind it. Check the maker’s sheet for the tub you buy.
Does a tub need clear space in front of it?
The 2021 International Residential Code sets none for a tub; it sets 21 in for toilets and sinks and 24 in for showers. The NKBA suggests 30 in in front of every fixture.
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
- 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
- Freestanding tubs: Kohler Ceric (59-11/16 × 28⅞ in) and Abrazo (66 × 31½ in) spec sheets; at least 4 in to the wall on every side from Signature Hardware’s freestanding tub buying guide
- Toilet depths from the wall: Kohler Cimarron round and elongated spec sheets
Checked October 19, 2026. All plans were drawn and checked with the BathDraft layout planner; centimeters are converted from inches. Tub sizes in more detail: standard bathtub sizes.