UFAS 4.16 to 4.23, 4.26
Bathroom and toilet room modifications are the single most common GCHS accessibility project: grab bars, a raised or accessible water closet, a roll-in shower to replace a tub. Every dimension in this lesson comes from UFAS Sections 4.16 through 4.23 and Section 4.26, which sets the size, wall clearance, and strength rules for grab bars wherever any of the fixture sections calls for one. A few dimensions, such as grab bar lengths and the stall width, are drawn only in the figures those sections point to, and the lesson says so where that is the case.
Section 4.16.3 sets the height of an accessible water closet at 17 to 19 inches (430 to 485 mm), measured to the top of the toilet seat. Section 4.16.2 requires clear floor space for a water closet not located in a stall to comply with Figure 28, and allows that space to be arranged for either a left-hand or a right-hand approach. Section 4.16.5 requires flush valve controls to be mounted on the wide, open side of the toilet area, no higher than 44 inches (1120 mm) above the floor, so a person transferring from a wheelchair can reach the control without stretching across the fixture. Section 4.16.6 requires that a toilet paper dispenser sit within reach as shown in Figure 29(b), and prohibits any dispenser that controls delivery or does not permit continuous paper flow.
Section 4.16.4 requires grab bars at a water closet not in a stall to comply with Figure 29 and Section 4.26. Figure 29 draws one bar behind the fixture, at least 36 inches (915 mm) long, and one at the side, at least 42 inches (1065 mm) long, positioned no more than 12 inches (305 mm) from the back wall. Those lengths and the 12-inch limit appear in the figure, not in the section text. The figures for the fixtures in this lesson also show the mounting height band the lesson repeats: 33 to 36 inches (840 to 915 mm) above the floor. Section 4.26 itself sets the bar size, wall clearance, and strength, not the height.
Section 4.17.3 requires the size and arrangement of a toilet stall to follow Figure 30(a), which draws the standard stall 60 inches (1525 mm) wide. The section text sets a minimum depth of 56 inches (1420 mm) for a stall with a wall-mounted water closet, and 3 inches (75 mm) more if the water closet is floor-mounted. Section 4.17.4 requires a toe clearance of at least 9 inches (230 mm) above the floor under the front partition and at least one side partition of a standard stall, so a wheelchair footrest can slide partway under the partition. If the stall is deeper than 60 inches (1525 mm), the toe clearance is not required. Section 4.17.5 requires stall doors to comply with Section 4.13, and allows the clearance between the door side of the stall and any obstruction to be reduced to a minimum of 42 inches (1065 mm) where the approach is from the latch side of the stall door. Section 4.17.6 requires grab bars positioned as shown in Figure 30(a) through (d). Where alteration work makes a standard stall structurally impracticable, or where plumbing code requirements prevent combining existing stalls, the standard itself allows an alternate stall in its place, a provision that matters on GCHS's older housing stock more than on new construction.
Section 4.19.2 caps lavatory rim or counter height at 34 inches (865 mm) maximum, and requires at least 29 inches (735 mm) from the floor to the bottom of the apron. Knee and toe clearance follow Figure 31, so a wheelchair user can roll partly underneath. Section 4.19.3 requires a clear floor space of 30 by 48 inches (760 by 1220 mm) in front of the lavatory for a forward approach, and up to 19 inches (485 mm) of that space may extend under the lavatory. Section 4.19.4 requires hot water and drain pipes under an accessible lavatory to be insulated or otherwise covered, protecting a user's legs from contact burns. Section 4.19.5 requires lever-operated, push-type, or electronically controlled faucets rather than fixtures that require tight grasping or twisting. Section 4.19.6 caps mirror mounting height at 40 inches (1015 mm) maximum to the bottom edge of the reflecting surface.
Section 4.20.2 requires clear floor space in front of a bathtub as shown in Figure 33. Section 4.20.3 requires an in-tub seat, or a seat at the head end of the tub, as shown in Figures 33 and 34, with a strength that complies with Section 4.26.3 and a mounting that does not slip. Section 4.20.4 requires grab bars complying with Section 4.26 as shown in Figures 33 and 34. Those figures place a back-wall bar at least 24 inches (610 mm) long, no more than 12 inches (305 mm) from the foot end and no more than 24 inches (610 mm) from the head end, mounted 9 inches (230 mm) above the rim and 33 to 36 inches (840 to 915 mm) above the bathroom floor. These values are drawn in the figures, not written in the text. Section 4.20.6 requires a shower spray unit with a hose at least 60 inches (1525 mm) long that can serve as either a fixed or a hand-held shower head.
Section 4.21.2 requires shower stall size and clear floor space to follow Figure 35(a) or (b). The stall in Figure 35(a) is 36 by 36 inches (915 by 915 mm), and Figure 35(a) shows a clear floor space of 48 inches (1220 mm) by 36 inches (915 mm) in front of it. The stall in Figure 35(b) is 30 by 60 inches (760 by 1525 mm) and fits into the space of a bathtub. Section 4.21.3 requires a seat in a 36 by 36 inch stall, as shown in Figure 36, mounted 17 to 19 inches (430 to 485 mm) above the bathroom floor, extending the full depth of the stall, and located on the wall opposite the controls. Section 4.21.4 requires grab bars complying with Section 4.26, placed as shown in Figure 37, at the same 33 to 36 inch band used throughout this lesson. Section 4.21.5 requires controls, faucets, and the shower spray unit to be mounted on the wall opposite the seat in a 36 by 36 inch stall. Section 4.21.7 caps the curb height in a 36 by 36 inch shower stall at 1/2 inch (13 mm) maximum, and prohibits a curb entirely in the larger 30 by 60 inch (760 by 1525 mm) stall configuration, so a wheelchair can roll directly in.
Section 4.22.1 requires an accessible toilet room to be on an accessible route, and Section 4.22.2 requires its doors to comply with Section 4.13 and prohibits any door from swinging into the clear floor space required for a fixture. Section 4.22.3 requires an unobstructed turning space complying with Section 4.2.3 inside the room, though a room with only one water closet and one lavatory may substitute a 30 by 60 inch clear floor space in place of the full turning space. Sections 4.22.4 through 4.22.6 require that, wherever a toilet stall, urinal, or lavatory and mirror are provided, at least one of each complies with Sections 4.17, 4.18, and 4.19 respectively. Section 4.23 repeats this same structure for a bathroom, bathing facility, or shower room (its 30 by 60 inch substitute applies only where the room has one water closet, one lavatory, and one tub or shower): accessible doors and route, an unobstructed turning space, and, where provided, at least one water closet complying with 4.16 and 4.17, one lavatory complying with 4.19, and one accessible tub complying with 4.20 or shower complying with 4.21.
Section 4.26 is what actually defines a compliant grab bar wherever 4.16, 4.17, 4.20, or 4.21 calls for one. Section 4.26.2 sets the gripping surface diameter or width at 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inches (32 to 38 mm), with 1-1/2 inches (38 mm) of clear space between the bar and the wall behind it, the identical wall-clearance figure used for stair handrails in Section 4.9.4. A shape that gives an equivalent gripping surface is also allowed. Section 4.26.3 requires the strength of grab bars, tub and shower seats, fasteners, and mounting devices to withstand a 250 pound-force (1112 N) load: the bending stress, shear stress, and fastener forces that load produces must stay below the allowable values for the materials, and grab bars may not rotate in their fittings. Section 4.26.4 requires that a handrail or grab bar, and any adjacent wall surface, be free of sharp or abrasive elements, with any exposed edge rounded to a minimum 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) radius.
Water closet (4.16): seat height 17-19 in.; flush control max. 44 in.; rear grab bar 36 in. min. length; side grab bar 42 in. min. length, spaced 12 in. max. from back wall (both in Fig. 29). Toilet stall (4.17): 60 in. wide (Fig. 30(a)); toe clearance 9 in. min.; latch-side approach clearance reducible to 42 in. min. Lavatory (4.19): rim 34 in. max.; apron clearance 29 in. min.; knee and toe clearance per Fig. 31; clear floor space 30 by 48 in.; mirror bottom edge 40 in. max. Bathtub (4.20): back-wall grab bar 24 in. min., within 12 in. of the foot and 24 in. of the head, 9 in. above the rim (Figs. 33 and 34); hose 60 in. min. Shower stall (4.21): standard 36 by 36 in.; clear floor space 48 by 36 in. (Fig. 35(a)); seat 17-19 in. high in the 36 by 36 in. stall; curb 1/2 in. max. (36 by 36 in. stall), none permitted (30 by 60 in. stall). Grab bars, all fixtures: 33-36 in. above floor (fixture figures); 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 in. diameter; 1-1/2 in. wall clearance; rated for 250 lbf (4.26).
Why this matters for GCHS
Grab bar and water closet work is where a GCHS rehab most often goes wrong on a technicality: a bar mounted at the right height but too short, a side bar placed more than 12 inches from the back wall, or a flush control installed above 44 inches because it matched the existing rough-in instead of the standard. Because Section 4.26 sets one shared height band, diameter, wall clearance, and load rating for every grab bar in the home, a crew that learns that one section correctly has already covered the water closet, the tub, and the shower at the same time.
1. Under Section 4.16.3, what is the required height of an accessible water closet, measured to the top of the seat?
2. Under Section 4.16.4 and Figure 29, what two grab bars does an accessible water closet not in a stall require, and how long must each be?
3. Under Section 4.16.5, how high may a flush valve control be mounted above the floor?
4. Under Section 4.17.3 and Figure 30(a), what is the width of a standard accessible toilet stall?
5. Under Section 4.17.4, what toe clearance is required under the front partition and at least one side partition of a toilet stall?
6. Under Section 4.19.2, what is the maximum lavatory rim height, and what minimum clearance is required from the floor to the bottom of the apron?
7. Under Section 4.19.6, what is the maximum mounting height for the bottom edge of an accessible mirror?
8. Under Section 4.20.4 and the bathtub grab bar figures (Figs. 33 and 34), where must the back-wall grab bar in an accessible bathtub be positioned relative to the foot and head ends, and how long must it be?
9. Under Section 4.21.2, what are the dimensions of the standard shower stall shown in Figure 35(a)?
10. Under Section 4.21.7, what is the maximum curb height in a 36 by 36 inch shower stall, and what is required in a 30 by 60 inch stall?
11. Under Section 4.26.2, what grab bar diameter and wall clearance apply across every fixture in this lesson?
12. Under Section 4.26.3, what load must a grab bar or seat be able to resist without failure?
13. A GCHS crew mounts a water closet side grab bar at 34 inches above the floor, but places it starting 18 inches from the back wall. Does this comply with Section 4.16.4?
14. On a HUD-funded GCHS rehab, a bathroom has only one water closet and one lavatory, and there is not enough floor area for the full turning space in Section 4.22.3. What does Section 4.22.3 allow in that specific case?