This article describes approaches to providing a toilet with a lower bowl rim height or lower seat height: the distance from the upper surface of the toilet seat to floor level.

In the U.S. the ADA provides for higher toilets or comfort toilet heights for disabled and tall people, but there is not the same provision for smaller people or children. Here we describe low-height toilets and methods for obtaining or installing a toilet with a rim or seat height less than 16" from floor level down to as low as 10 inches above the floor.

Low-Height Toilets: sources, designs, options for comfort

Reader Question: 13" rim height toilet wanted - ADA requirements do not address the comfort or accessibility needs of small people and children

We are not very tall family and I have spent 3 or 4 days trying to locate a toilet that is 13 inches from the floor to the rim of it.
So far, I have not been able to find it. American standard, does not make it, Kohler, so far, i have not found it yet.

Did you know that the toilet height goes from 10 inches (for children) to 14.5 and up on the toilet bowl height.

Some "genius" came up with some crazy ADA rule that every toilet should be high.... What about the short people?

...in reality we are the forgotten Americans. Just imagine. You just finished having the best dinner of your life and now you want to relieve yourself and the only possible choices are to have your feet dangling off the ground.

[I think that in the U.S. the ] ADA does not care about Little People of America.

I began investigating and finding a solution for the toilets that do not exist in the USA. The 11, 12, 13 and 14 inches we need.

Can you help me find the toilet? a 13 inch height, elongated. - Anonymous by private email 2021/11/05

Moderator reply: sources of toilets with lower rim height

There are sources of lower toilets that may be more comfortable for smaller people but take care: we agree that there is confusion in toilet height and comfort and profile literature and advertisements. A low-profile toilet may mean simply that its tank top is lower than common while its seat may not be at a low-height.

What you're looking for are toilets described as having a low rim height or a low bowl height.

Keep in mind that while there are several solutions to the "too tall toilet" problem you raise, with two exceptions these toilet lowering alternatives are most-suitable for installation in a private homes and we don't expect them to show up in public spaces.

The two exceptions are two lower-toilet designs in our list below: an inexpensive and unobtrusive toilet comfort platform to provide a footrest for shorter users of the toilet, and childrens' toilets suitable for elementary schools and similar spaces.

1. Build a foot platform for use in front of the toilet: the quickest, easiest, least-costly way to make a "too-tall" toilet comfortable for children, small people, and others who want a lower than standard toilet rim height and seat height is to build a so, [;e platform that can be slid in front of the toilet and that adds sufficient height for comfort for the toilet users, and that is large enough to provide a stable stepping surface.
   
   That means that the platform extends no less than 12" in front of the toilet rim and is 18-20" wide. When not needed the toilet step can be set aside or on edge along the toilet, or left in place or even made larger if most users of the toilet require it.
   
   

   Shown above is a wooden elevation platform that constructed by the editor to raise a lightweight portable toilet to a more-comfortable ADA-compliant height. But the base alone could be used as a toilet access step or platform.

   This simple toilet base platform, constructed of 1x3 lumber, can be made alone, without arms, and of any width and length to fit comfortably in front of a toilet that is too tall or too high for some users. A 1x3 is actually 2 1/2" wide. Use 1x3s to form the perimeter of the base and construct the top also of 1x lumber (nomianlly 3/4" thick) to provide a platform height of 3 1/4".
   
   Use wider or more-narrow dimensional lumber if you need a taller or shorter footrest or access step.
   
   An advantage of the toilet step/platform solution is that the toilet can be used comfortably by people of all heights by moving the toilet step into or out of position as needed.

2. Low Profile toilets and toilets advertising a low tank height are sold by several manufacturers including Kohler Toilets ( Kohler K-5172 San Souci, and the company's San Raphael Comfort Height Toilet # K-3597 and other Kohler compact version toilets), Swiss Madison (Swiss Madison Well Made Forever SM-1T803) and Woodbridge (Dual-Flush T #0018/B-0735).

Above: a typical hinged toilet seat riser adds 3 1/2" to any toilet's final seat height. This model sells for less than $50. U.S. and is sold by easycomforts.com, and is provided in shapes to fit either a round or an elongated toilet bowl form.

Elevated toilet seats or seat risers are sold in models that provide a seat height above the toilet bowl rim of 2, 3, 4, 5 and even 6".

3. Find a supplier of 10-inch to 14-inch toilet, add a seat riser or install on a pedestal, used in elementary schools for children; such a toilet can be mounted upon a pedestal set to any toilet rim height you want would prefer. Example (shown below) Lowes building supply selling the Mansfield elementary children's height toilet, shown above, has a rim height of 10 3/8".
   
   To bring a children's 10-inch rim-height toilet seat to a desired height of 13 inches you might simply install a hinged toilet-seat riser like the one shown above. A typical toilet seat riser adds 2" to 3 1/2" to the final seat height but other toilet seat riser heights are available to match your specific need.
   
   Installing this seat on the Mansfield toilet would bring the seat height to about 13 1/2". There are many toilet seat risers and dual-height toilet seats available from your local plumbing supplier and at on-line vendors.

Kohler and Toto offer lower height toilets in the 14" or 14.5" rim height range. According to Kohler, the minimum rim height for the Memoirs K-6918 toilet is 15 3/4" (400 mm)

For toilets to be used by people of varying heights, still providing either a conventional or raised toilet seat height, Kohler provides the Kohler Transitions Elongated Closed-Front Toilet Seat with Integrated Child Seat, Quiet-Close Technology, Quick-Attach Hinges, and Grip-Tight Bumper shown above.

4. A wall-mounted or back-flush toilet can be mounted close to the floor such that its rim height is much closer to the floor than a conventional down-flush toilet.
5. Squat toilets used in some countries have no toilet seat at all, simply a waste opening in the floor; in some designs like the pubic toilet that as a boy I found (in the 1950s) at the top of the Victor Emmanuel monument in Rome, the squat toilet is built into a recessed, tiled rectangle in the floor sporting a center waste opening and islands for the user's feet, along with grab bars.
   
   See details at SQUAT TOILETS.

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In order to absolutely assure our readers that we write and report without bias we do not sell any products nor do we have any business or financial relationships that could create such conflicts of interest.

Below, an excerpt from Kohler's Memoirs wall-hung toilet specifications show that installed in the lowest-possible position with toilet base touching the floor surface the toilet would have a 14 1/16" rim height - the height of the bowl itself, but the company says that the lowest installed height for the toilet is 400 mm or 15 3/4" - considerably taller than requested by our reader representing small people.

Low height toilet specifications and guides

• KOHLER® Kingston Wall-Mount Toilet Bowl K-4325 SPECIFICATIONS [PDF] USA/Canada: 1-800-4KOHLER (1-800-456-4537) Kohler Co. reserves the right to make revisions without notice to product specifications. For the most current Specification Sheet, go to www.kohler.com
• KOHLER® Kingston Wall-Mount Toilet Bowl K-4325 INSTALLATION GUIDE [PDF] (2009)
• KOHLER® Memoirs® Wall-Hung Elongated Toilet Bowl SPECIFICATIONS [PDF]

Table of Toilet Heights &Toilet Height Terminology

In researching for sources of low-height or 13-inch toilets, or toilets suitable for short people or children we were disappointed to find that most toilet specifications don't provide consistent rim height or seat height data, though there are some common conventions that we give in this summary table of toilet heights & terms.

Notes to the table above

1. Custom height toilets: Usually these are all wall-hung models.
   
   The Kohler Memoirs wall hung toilet K-6918 has a bowl dimension of 14 1/16" so might be capable of being installed with a rim height above floor closer to that dimension
2. Low height toilets: vary by manufacturer and in no cases except children's models did we find a "low height" toilet close to 13" floor to rim.
3. Regular height toilet: some sources quote 14 1/2" (36.8 cm)
4. Standard toilet comfort height: 16 1/2" rim to floor
5. Toilet rim height vs seat height: Unless otherwise stated "toilet heights" are usually given from floor surface to upper surface of the toilet bowl rim. Most-likely this is because there is no standard toilet seat thickness, and toilet seats themselves range from about 1" to over 3 1/2" in thickness depending on the seat model and features.
6. Toilet seat riser or an elevated toilet seat or "raised toilet": is an elevated toilet seat that attaches to an existing toilet bowl to provide a seat height above the factory-height, typically adding 3 to 6" (varying by model) to the rim height of the toilet.

 

Question: where can I get a custom-built toilet?

2018/05/08 I found your site using google. Really great information! I'm not sure if you're able to assist me. I'm in need of a company to build a toilet for me.

What company in your opinion would be the best one to do that? - Anonymous by private email.

Reply:

Shown above is a wooden elevation platform that I [DF] constructed to raise a lightweight portable toilet to a more-comfortable ADA-compliant height. We included strong handrailings and a back to this toilet base as well.

In my OPINION none of the major toilet manufacturers is likely to be interested in building a custom made unique toilet. The costs would just be way out of line.

Depending on the type of toilet you need - you don't say - there may be a specialty company who can help you, such as the construction of an onsite privy or an ADA-compliant toilet needing custom rails, height, etc.

Sources of Custom Toilets, Bathroom Fixtures or ADA Accessible Design Products

• Bemis Manufacturing Company, 300 Mill Street P.O. Box 901 Sheboygan Falls, WI 53085-0901 USA Tel: 920.467.4621 Email: corp@BemisMfg.com Website: http://www.bemismfg.com/
  
  Excerpt: We market products under our own brands and provide expertise to others, producing private-label products and component parts for a wide variety of industries. We serve consumer, commercial, medical and industrial markets worldwide and have over 1,600 employees located in six countries around the world.
• Comforts Of Home Services, 410 Rathbone Ave., Aurora IL 60506 USA, Tel: 630-906-8002Website: https://www.cohsi.com/
  
  Excerpt: we provide luxury restroom and specialty trailer solutions that are clean, sanitary and inviting.
• Delta, grab bars
• Starcraft Custom Builders, Inc., StarCraft Custom Builders P. O. Box 80265 Lincoln, NE 68501-0265 USA, Tel: 1-402-871-5301 Email: info@starcraftcustombuilders.com Website: http://starcraftcustombuilders.com/
  
  Notice: Nebraska is the only place we work. Except: We do, on a limited basis, consistent with our local work, build custom cabinets, built-ins, wardrobe walls, medicine cabinets and custom furniture for shipment through­out North America. But, we work only through local re­modelers and carpenters.
• Whitehall Manufacturing, 15125 Proctor Avenue City of Industry, CA 91746 USA Website: https://www.whitehallmfg.com/custom-products
  Website Excerpt:
  
  Whitehall Manufacturing remains a leader in therapy and rehabilitation products, providing the healthcare industry with innovative design and always remaining ahead of the curve. While our standard products meet the conditions for most applications, we also eagerly welcome custom work to meet the various needs of our devoted clients.

 

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Continue reading at LOW PROFILE TOILETS, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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