The 4 Main Types of Bathrooms
Everything you need to know about the bathroom options for your home.
Most of today's living spaces feature one or more types of bathrooms, and at some point now or in the future, it'll benefit you to understand the various ones. Whether you're buying a home, selling your current place, building, renovating, or apartment-hunting, knowing the differences among the types of bathrooms aids in planning or purchase decisions.
Types of Bathrooms
There are four major components to a bathroom: the toilet, the shower, the sink, and the bathtub. The combination of these components is what dictates a bathroom's classification. This also includes the popular shower/bathtub combination. Each of these four components is a "quarter," which is where we get some of the common names of bathrooms, like "half-bath".
1. Full Bathroom
A full bathroom is a bathroom featuring all four major components (or "quarters"): a toilet, shower, sink, and bathtub or bathtub/shower combination. A full bathroom is complete, since it has everything you need for your daily bathing needs.
Because a full bathroom offers everything you need, you'll find them located in a variety of places throughout the living quarters. They can be located in the primary bedroom, secondary bedrooms, basement, guest bedroom, or freestanding in a hallway.
It's also critical to distinguish a full bath from other types of bathrooms when dealing with real estate listings. Real estate listings require a full bathroom to have all four of the basic components, plus a minimum amount of square footage (typically at least 36 square feet, or whatever the local building code requires) to call the space a full bath on a sell sheet.
If you've ever asked yourself "what is a three-quarter bathroom?" after hearing someone refer to it, know that it's simply a bathroom with three of the main four components. The three are typically a toilet, sink, and either a separate bathtub or stand-alone shower.
Where confusion may set in is when the term "three-quarter bathroom" is used interchangeably with "full bathroom." Since today's newer homes feature stand-alone showers while forgoing a bathtub (or vice versa), you're starting to see a three-quarter bath described as a full bath more often.
If you hear the term three-quarters bathroom, it may lead you to ask: "what is a half bathroom?" The answer is similar, except it's a bathroom with two components. In newer housing, a half-bath is typically a sink and a toilet. You may also see it referred to as a powder room or simply the guest bathroom, since it's often a bathroom you direct guests to when they're visiting your place.
Other than the standard sink and toilet, most half baths lack the extras such as multiple storage cabinets or a wide footprint. They are generally much smaller in size compared to other bathrooms throughout the home and are often tucked away in a hallway or near the stairs. However, the smaller size makes it a perfect place to add a punch of personality through elements like bold wallpaper and decorative hand towels, which means a half-bath doesn't have to equal boring.
What is a primary bathroom? It's a more inclusive term now used to describe what is commonly referred to as the "master bath." The number of components is not what defines this space, but rather the location – this bathroom is either connected to or inside the primary bedroom.
While a primary bathroom may not have a standardized number of components, it often features extras such as dual-vanities, walk-in showers, or a whirlpool tubs that help elevate the space compared to other bathrooms within the home. It's a bathroom that has received more attention in recent years, and it is now viewed as a focal point for renovations or a place to create a "retreat" inside the home.
No matter if your home has a full-bath, three-quarters or half-bath, or a combination of all these types of bathrooms, Wayfair has everything you need to make your space efficient and appealing as possible.
Article by Sara Coleman.
