What Is The Standard Shower Head Height?

Have you ever walked into a shower and noticed that the head is a little too low for your liking? If you are over six feet tall, you have probably faced this issue at least one time in your life.

You might have needed to hunch over or bend, to try and get yourself wet. That is because a building code exists when it comes to placing spray heads, but some do not follow this.

Now, you certainly want a shower nozzle to spray water from your chin area onwards. This way, a bath would be comfortable and sometimes a relaxing experience.

About Standard Heights

The height that is considered to be the industry standard is 80 inches. That is, the nozzle should be at the height of 80 inches above the bathroom floor. This makes it suitable for people of average height. The placement of the shower nozzle depends on your personal preference and, of course, the space available in the bathroom.

Usually, for public areas, it is best to set the head higher than 80 inches. These places could be commercial buildings, hotels, offices, etc. This is because a lot of people will visit these facilities, including high profile people.

By default, you have to consider their needs; if they are almost as tall as 7 feet, they will require an appropriately placed shower nozzle.

Because the heights of guests and visitors may vary, you might have noticed that several hotels across the globe make use of handheld showers. These make things easier since people of any height can utilize them. But in regular houses, the height falls somewhere between 72 and 96 inches.

It is important to find one that suits the needs of you and your family. Remember, the best height is when the shower is at least three to four inches above your head when you stand under it. We have discussed more about the optimum height for a few types of shower heads below.

Wall Mounted Shower Standard Height

The standard here is 80 inches, but you should opt for whatever height is most comfortable for you. If you happen to live with other people, then you need to keep their height in mind, as well.

What you could do is calculate the average height, keeping aside any children in the house. That is because children will grow, and it is impossible to determine what their height might be in the future.

Handheld Shower Standard Height

In this case, the standard is between 72 and 78 inches. An excellent way to help out the shorter people in the house is to get a handheld option. It gives you multiple height options. This way, the adults or the taller people can comfortably bathe without trouble.

If the kids get into the bath, they can take the nozzle off of the shoulder and use it as a handheld shower. That way, they can get a cleaner bath and can fiddle around with it too. The adults can also use it as a handheld spray to get water to certain spots, which they cannot reach easily while rinsing.

While choosing this type of nozzle, keep the length of the hose in mind. If the item is long enough, you will be able to rinse the whole of your body comfortably.

You can also use this head to clean places in your bathroom that are hard to reach. Not only is that superb for the shorter members of the family, but it is also an excellent solution for people who have disabilities.

Rain Shower Standard Height

Although the standard here is 80 inches, 84 inches is a tad better. A rain shower unit will cater to the tallest guy in the house, and even to the little ones.

In this way, none of the members of the family can get stripped off of their rights on the shower head. If your household has a significant number of members, this solution is something worth looking into.

The water will be spread when coming out of the shower nozzle. This function works even if you have a low ceiling, so showers are made easy. As the name suggests, rain shower heads make it feel as if you are literally in the middle of a downpour.

Related Standard Sizes

First and foremost, we want to discuss the size of a shower space. The smallest enclosure available at the marketplace is 32 x 32 inches, which should be enough for an average person to stand inside.

However, it could be restricting for many people, such as tall or disabled people. As per the National Kitchen and Bath Association, the standard measurements for enclosures are 36 x 36 inches.

If you or someone in your family need to be transferred into the shower space with a wheelchair, you might look for other measurements. For instance, 36 x 48 inches square or bigger should work just fine.

The standard height of the enclosure’s door ranges between 72 and 78 inches, but these could go up to 96 inches. Shower valves have a standard distance of 38 to 48 inches from the floor.

From the outside, starting from the bathroom floor, shower walls need to be 72 inches high. And from the inside, starting from the drain, walls need to be 70 inches high.

Some people prefer to include grab bars in their showers. These should be placed quite low to actually help the users get good leverage while they are inside the shower. When considering a horizontal grab bar, the standard height is 33 to 36 inches.

Conclusion

Although the standard height is 80 inches, the final height you pick will really be up to the people who are going to be using your bathroom. If your family has tall people, you can settle for a fixed shower head. On the contrary, if you have kids or members with a disability, you could consider the rain or handheld option.