A117.1 Section 607-608
Section 607 covers bathtubs and Section 608 covers shower compartments, and the two fixtures are governed quite differently. A bathtub is one fixture with a small set of seat and grab bar options; a shower compartment is actually three distinct fixture types under one section number, each with its own footprint, entry width, and seat placement. Treating "roll-in shower" as a single interchangeable category is a common and costly mistake on a GCHS scope of work, since a standard roll-in shower and an alternate roll-in shower are sized differently and are not substitutes for each other.
Section 607.2 requires a clearance at least 30 inches deep, running the full length of the tub, and extending 12 inches minimum beyond the head-end wall where a permanent seat is provided at the head end. That clearance is what lets a wheelchair user position alongside the tub to transfer in, rather than having to approach it head-on across a narrow gap. A bathtub installed tight against a vanity or a second fixture, leaving less than 30 inches of clear approach along its length, does not meet 607.2 even if the tub itself is otherwise a standard accessible unit.
Every accessible bathtub needs a seat, and Section 607.3 allows two approaches: a permanent seat at the head end of the tub, or a removable in-tub seat that sits inside the tub itself rather than being part of its structure. Which option a GCHS project chooses affects the rest of the fixture's layout, since the grab bar requirements that follow are written separately for each seat type.
Section 607.4 sets a separate grab bar layout for each seat option: 607.4.1 for a permanent seat and 607.4.2 for a removable seat. Both layouts use two horizontal bars on the back wall, one of them 8 to 10 inches above the tub rim, plus the same grab bars on the control end wall. The two differ in where the back-wall bars sit, and a tub with a removable seat also needs a horizontal bar at least 12 inches long on the head-end wall.
A GCHS estimator specifying grab bars has to know which seat type is going in before finalizing the grab bar layout, not treat "bathtub grab bars" as one universal spec that applies regardless of seat choice.
Section 607 also sets two safety and use figures for bathtubs. Hot water delivered to the tub must be limited to 120 degrees Fahrenheit maximum (607.8), protecting a user who may have reduced sensation or slower reaction time from scald injury. The tub must also have a hand shower with a hose at least 59 inches long (607.6), usable both as a fixed shower head and as a hand shower, with a nonpositive shut-off control.
The transfer-type shower is the smallest of the three shower types: 36 inches by 36 inches inside, with a minimum 36-inch entry. It also needs a clear floor space adjacent to its open face, sized 48 inches by 36 inches minimum for existing construction or 52 inches by 36 inches minimum for new construction. Its seat, folding or non-folding, is mounted on the wall opposite the controls, so a user transfers in from a wheelchair positioned at the open face, sits on the seat, and reaches the controls across the compartment. This is the type that fits where floor area is tightest on a GCHS rehab project, such as a converted tub alcove, since it needs the least floor area of the three.
The standard roll-in shower is a different fixture entirely: 60 inches minimum wide by 30 inches minimum deep inside, with a 60-inch minimum entry along its full width and a threshold no higher than 1/2 inch (608.6). Its clearance is 60 by 30 inches minimum, and its folding seat is mounted on an end wall rather than opposite the controls. A wheelchair user rolls straight into a standard roll-in shower rather than transferring, which is the entire point of the type, but it demands significantly more floor area than a transfer-type compartment.
The alternate roll-in shower is a third, separate configuration: 60 inches minimum wide by 36 inches minimum deep, with a narrower 36-inch minimum entry located at one end of that 60-inch width rather than spanning the full width. A seat wall 24 to 36 inches long closes off the rest of the entry side, and the folding seat is mounted on it. Note that this type is deeper than the standard roll-in, 36 inches versus 30, so it is not a way to save depth on a tight GCHS bathroom layout; it is chosen when the layout calls for a wall along part of the entry side instead of a fully open 60-inch face.
Across all three shower compartment types, controls and any hand shower must be mounted 38 to 48 inches above the shower floor, though the exact horizontal position within the compartment varies by type since each has a different seat and entry arrangement (608.4.1 through 608.4.3). A control panel installed above 48 inches, even in an otherwise correctly sized transfer or roll-in shower, puts the controls out of reach for a seated user and fails this requirement regardless of the compartment type.
Bathtub clearance: 30 in. min deep along tub length, plus 12 in. beyond the head-end wall with a permanent seat (607.2). Water temp: 120°F max (607.8). Hand shower hose: 59 in. min (607.6). Transfer-type shower: 36 in. x 36 in. inside, 36 in. min entry, clearance 48x36 in. (existing) / 52x36 in. (new) (608.2.1). Standard roll-in shower: 60 in. min wide x 30 in. min deep inside, 60 in. min entry, clearance 60x30 in. (608.2.2). Alternate roll-in shower: 60 in. min wide x 36 in. min deep, 36 in. min entry at one end, seat wall 24-36 in. long (608.2.3). Shower controls/hand shower height: 38-48 in. above shower floor, all three types (608.4).
Why this matters for GCHS
Bathing fixture conversions, tub-to-shower and shower type changes, are among the highest-cost items GCHS estimates for elderly homeowners whose mobility has declined since their home was built. GCHS does not do the plumbing and tile work itself, but the estimate has to specify the correct shower type and its exact footprint before a contractor bids the job, since a transfer-type shower quoted where a standard roll-in was actually needed, or the reverse, means re-scoping a job mid-construction on a homeowner's fixed budget.
1. Under Section 607.2, what clear floor space must run along the length of a bathtub?
2. Under Section 607.3, what two seat options does A117.1 allow for an accessible bathtub?
3. Under Section 607.4, do bathtubs with a permanent seat and a removable in-tub seat use the same grab bar configuration?
4. What is the maximum hot water temperature permitted at an accessible bathtub under Section 607.8?
5. Under Section 607.6, what is the minimum hand shower hose length at a bathtub?
6. Under Section 608.2.1, what are the inside dimensions and minimum entry width of a transfer-type shower compartment?
7. In a transfer-type shower, where is the seat located relative to the controls, under Section 608.2.1.3?
8. Under Section 608.2.2, what are the inside dimensions and entry width of a standard roll-in shower compartment?
9. A GCHS scope of work calls for a "roll-in shower" without specifying which type. A contractor installs a 60-by-36-inch compartment with a 36-inch entry at one end. Which type did they build?
10. Under Section 608.2.3, what is the required length of the seat wall in an alternate roll-in shower compartment?
11. In a standard roll-in shower, where is the folding seat mounted under Section 608.2.2.3?
12. What is the required mounting height range for controls and any hand shower across all three shower compartment types under Section 608.4?
13. Under Section 608.2.3.1, where is the seat wall located in an alternate roll-in shower compartment, and what does it leave at the entry?
14. For new construction, what clearance is required adjacent to the open face of a transfer-type shower compartment under Section 608.2.1.2?