A full bathroom is made up of four parts: a sink, a shower, a bathtub, and a toilet. Anything less than that, and you can't officially consider it a full bath. Therefore, a bathroom with a sink, toilet, and shower is considered a three-quarter bath. A bathroom with just a sink and a toilet is a half-bath.
Three-Quarter Bath
A three-quarter bathroom will have three of the four key components. Most commonly, these rooms will include a toilet, sink, and a shower stall without a bathtub (or in some cases, a bathtub without a shower).
Many ¾ bathroom floor plans come in at an average size of 40 sq ft (just under 4 m2), although they can be smaller or larger. A standard ¾ bath floor plan in that size range uses a rectangle shape with 5 ft by 8 ft (about 1.5 m x 2.4 m) wall lengths.
A full bathroom contains all four fixtures;a shower, a bathtub, a sink, and a toilet. A ¾ bathroom is missing one of the fixtures, either a shower or bathtub. While both bathrooms are similar, a ¾ bathroom is more suited for smaller homes as a shower is more efficient than a bathtub.
A half-bath is a bathroom that contains two of the four elements, usually a sink and toilet, though in some cases a half-bath could just contain a shower and tub. A half-bath is also known as a powder room or guest bathroom, and is often found on the first floor of a home for easy access for residents and guests alike.
Half Bath Dimensions
A half bath needn't be large. You will have enough space if you can find a spot in your house that's about 3 to 4 feet wide and 6 to 8 feet long.
A room that has just a toilet is known as a quarter bath. Due to space limitations and functionality, it only needs about two inches of space around the toilet, which makes it ideal for workspaces.
Common Dimensions for a Full Bath
While 40 square feet (8×5) is the minimum size for a full bathroom, it is fairly small and most layouts make it seem cramped. The average size for a full bathroom is around 60 square feet (6×10), which is considered the most efficient size for a bathroom.
In general, a half bath can raise your home's value by around 10% at the highest, depending on the style and quality of your bathroom. This percentage can fluctuate between 5-10% depending on the area you live in and the market, but half baths are seen as valuable additions and worthwhile investments.
A standard guest bathroom includes a sink and a commode, which request about 20 square feet (sqft) of space. A medium-sized bathroom will need about 30-40 sqft to accommodate a sink, commode, and shower area, while a full-sized bathroom with all these elements and a bathtub requires an area of 50 sqft.
In terms of size, a three-quarter bath can be very small—as little as six feet by six feet—or it can be larger and more luxurious, depending on the space you have to work with.
These types of bathrooms do exist, and they are referred to as quarter-bathrooms. These quarter-bathrooms are quite rare simply due to the fact that they contain only one of the 4 main elements of a bathroom. The most commonly seen are those that contain a shower and are typically found at beaches or pools.
The short and simple answer to whether a walk-in shower is considered a full bath is “no”. It is not. As mentioned previously, a bathroom is considered a full bath only when it has all the 4 components of a sink, toilet, shower and bathtub. If it doesn't include all 4 features, then it doesn't count.
Named after the children in the famous nursery rhyme, a Jack and Jill bathroom is a full-sized bathroom that is sandwiched between two bedrooms and is accessible by both bedrooms. This type of bathroom has at least two doors, like an ensuite bathroom but for two bedrooms rather than just one.
A . 75 or ¾ bath is a bathroom that contains one sink, one toilet and a shower or a bath. Traditionally, a full bath contains at least one sink, one toilet, a shower and a bath, so a . 75 bathroom only has either a shower or a bath.
On average, homeowners spend between $5,000 and $15,000 to add a half bathroom to an existing area and $10,000 to $30,000 to construct a half bath in an added space.
A 5×7 bathroom is often thought of as the minimum size for a bathroom. It's just big enough to fit a toilet, shower, and vanity sink. However, maneuverability will be extremely limited and a bathroom of this size isn't very accessible to those with mobility issues.
The average walk-in shower in the U.S. measures 60" x 30", though size options can vary widely, typically up to 60" x 42" for a rectangular shower and 42" x 42" for a square one. For smaller bathrooms, most experts recommend a shower enclosure no smaller than 36" x 36".
Clearance: At least 24" of space is needed in front of a shower or tub entry. Leave at least 15" of space between the shower and toilet or other obstacle.
A full bathroom features four key elements: a toilet, sink, shower, and bathtub. A 3/4 bathroom has three of those four elements, including a toilet, a sink, and either a shower or bathtub.
Half-baths, also known as utility bathrooms or powder rooms, are minimum bathrooms that have two of the four main bathroom fixtures—typically a toilet and sink. Used primarily for short term visitors, half-baths are often found near the main entrance of a space and offer guests an easily accessed bathroom.
Fortunately, many homes have relatively simple combinations of full- and half-baths. So, for example, if there are two full bathrooms upstairs and a half-bath powder room downstairs, that would be a 2.5-bathroom home— even though there are three rooms in the house that most people would identify as bathrooms.