Braillito Maps · Accessibility guides
ADA urinal height: 17 inches to the rim, and the rest of the urinal
Under the 2010 ADA Standards, an accessible wall-hung urinal has its rim no more than 17 inches (430 mm) above the floor, and it is at least 13 1/2 inches (345 mm) deep (2010 ADA Standards, 605.2). A stall-type urinal, the kind that reaches down to the floor, also complies. Section 605 is short: besides height and depth, it asks for a clear floor space in front of the urinal and a flush control anyone can use. These are its requirements, each with its section of the standard, what changes when there are privacy screens, and how to check a urinal with a tape measure.
This is a summary. The official 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design are the reference.
When a restroom needs an ADA urinal
Not every urinal has to be accessible. Where more than one urinal is provided, at least one complies with section 605 (2010 ADA Standards, 213.3.3). The rule applies to the plumbing fixtures of each toilet room that has to comply with the standard (2010 ADA Standards, 213.2 and 213.3). In the words of the U.S. Access Board, an accessible urinal is required only in toilet rooms where more than one urinal is provided (U.S. Access Board guide to toilet rooms, Urinals (§213.3.3)).
So a men’s room with a single urinal does not need that urinal to be the accessible one; a room with two or more does need one of them to meet the measurements below. The rest of the room, the toilet, the stall, the sink and the turning space, is required either way.
- Unisex or family restrooms: they contain at most one lavatory and either two toilets without urinals or one toilet and one urinal, and their doors have privacy latches (2010 ADA Standards, 213.2.1).
- Urinals count toward the ambulatory stall: in addition to the wheelchair accessible stall, an ambulatory accessible stall is required where there are six or more toilet stalls, or where toilets and urinals together add up to six or more fixtures (2010 ADA Standards, 213.3.1). A room with three toilets and three urinals reaches six. The stalls themselves are in ADA toilet height.
- Which edition applies: new construction and alterations that start on or after March 15, 2012 follow the 2010 Standards (2010 ADA Standards, 28 CFR 35.151(c)(3) and 36.406(a)(3)). Older urinals may have been built under the 1991 Standards; we have not summarized that edition here, so this page gives no 1991 figures.
Rim height and depth: 17 inches high, 13 1/2 inches deep
Section 605.2 allows two types. A urinal is either stall-type, or wall-hung with the rim 17 inches (430 mm) maximum above the finish floor or ground. Either way, it is at least 13 1/2 inches (345 mm) deep, measured from the outer face of the rim to the back of the fixture (2010 ADA Standards, 605.2).
The 17 inches is a maximum, with no minimum: a lower rim still complies. It is measured to the rim, the front lip of the bowl, not to the top of the fixture or to the flush valve. The standard explains why the stall-type urinal is listed: it provides greater accessibility for a broader range of persons, including people of short stature (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 605.1). The Access Board illustrates it as a urinal that extends down to the floor (U.S. Access Board guide to toilet rooms, Urinals).
| Element | Requirement | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Type | stall-type, or wall-hung | 2010 ADA Standards, 605.2 |
| Rim height (wall-hung) | 17 inches (430 mm) maximum above the finish floor or ground | 2010 ADA Standards, 605.2 |
| Depth | 13 1/2 inches (345 mm) minimum, from the outer face of the rim to the back of the fixture | 2010 ADA Standards, 605.2 |
| Clear floor space | at least 30 by 48 inches (760 × 1220 mm), positioned for a forward approach | 2010 ADA Standards, 605.3 and 305.3 |
| Flush control | hand operated or automatic; a hand-operated one complies with section 309 on operable parts | 2010 ADA Standards, 605.4 |
Section 605 has no separate specification for children, unlike toilets, which have their own children’s heights (2010 ADA Standards, 604.9).
Clear floor space in front of the urinal: 30 by 48 inches
In front of the accessible urinal there is a clear floor space positioned for a forward approach (2010 ADA Standards, 605.3): someone in a wheelchair rolls straight up to it, facing the fixture. That space follows section 305 of the standard:
- Size: 30 inches (760 mm) wide by 48 inches (1220 mm) deep, at least (2010 ADA Standards, 305.3).
- Floor: stable, firm and slip resistant, with no changes in level; slopes no steeper than 1:48 are allowed (2010 ADA Standards, 305.2 and 302.1).
- Access to it: one full unobstructed side of the space adjoins an accessible route or another clear floor space (2010 ADA Standards, 305.6).
- The door: the restroom door, and a stall door too, may not swing into the clear floor space of any fixture; it may swing into the turning space (2010 ADA Standards, 603.2.3). Clear floor spaces, fixture clearances and the turning space may overlap one another (2010 ADA Standards, 603.2.2).
- Toe space under a wall-hung urinal: the clear floor space may include knee and toe clearance (2010 ADA Standards, 305.4). In its drawing of the urinal clear floor space, the Access Board shows that the parts of a wall-hung urinal with at least 9 inches of toe clearance underneath may overlap that space by 6 inches at most (U.S. Access Board guide to toilet rooms, Urinals).
Privacy screens and partitions between urinals
Section 605 does not set a size or a height for the screens between urinals (2010 ADA Standards, 605). What it controls is the space they leave. Where a clear floor space is in an alcove, or confined on all or part of three sides, it needs extra room: for a forward approach, the alcove is at least 36 inches (915 mm) wide when it is more than 24 inches (610 mm) deep (2010 ADA Standards, 305.7 and 305.7.1).
The Access Board applies that rule to urinals in plain terms: partitions or privacy panels cannot obstruct or reduce the minimum clearance, and if they obstruct both sides of the clear floor space for more than 24 inches, the space has to be at least 36 inches wide instead of 30 (U.S. Access Board guide to toilet rooms, Urinals).
So a urinal at the right height can still fall short here. What counts is how far the screens run along the clear floor space, not how far they stick out from the wall. That space begins at the front of the urinal, or up to 6 inches under a wall-hung one. If screens on both sides overlap the clear floor space for more than 24 inches of its depth, measured from where the clear floor space begins, it has to be 36 inches wide; otherwise 30 inches is the minimum (U.S. Access Board guide to toilet rooms, Urinals). Measure the gap between the screens, and how far each one runs past where the clear floor space begins, before you count the urinal as the accessible one.
Flush control: automatic, or usable with one hand
The flush control is hand operated or automatic, and a hand-operated one complies with section 309 on operable parts (2010 ADA Standards, 605.4). Section 309 asks three things of it:
- Space to reach it: a clear floor space complying with section 305 (2010 ADA Standards, 309.2), the same 30 by 48 inches in front of the urinal.
- Height: within the reach ranges of section 308 (2010 ADA Standards, 309.3). For a forward reach with nothing in the way, that is no higher than 48 inches (1220 mm) and no lower than 15 inches (380 mm) above the floor (2010 ADA Standards, 308.2.1); where the hand reaches over an obstruction, the high reach stays at 48 inches (1220 mm) maximum for a reach depth of 20 inches (510 mm) or less, and drops to 44 inches (1120 mm) where the reach depth is more than 20 inches, up to 25 inches (635 mm) (2010 ADA Standards, 308.2.2).
- Operation: usable with one hand, without tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist, and with a force of 5 pounds (22.2 N) at most (2010 ADA Standards, 309.4).
Automatic sensors are allowed, but they do not always fire. The Access Board notes that manual flush controls, even those intended for custodian use, are helpful at toilets and urinals when the motion sensor fails to activate (U.S. Access Board guide to toilet rooms, Common Questions).
How to check a urinal with a tape measure
If you manage a restaurant, a gym or an office building, or you just want to know whether a men’s room will work for you, five checks cover section 605:
- Count the urinals. With two or more in the room, at least one has to meet the rest of this list (2010 ADA Standards, 213.3.3).
- Rim height. From the floor to the front lip of the bowl: 17 inches at most, unless it is a stall-type urinal (2010 ADA Standards, 605.2).
- Depth. From the outer face of the rim back to the wall side of the fixture: 13 1/2 inches at least (2010 ADA Standards, 605.2).
- Clear space. 30 inches wide and 48 inches deep in front of it, with no door swinging into it; 36 inches wide if screens on both sides run more than 24 inches along the clear space in front of the urinal (2010 ADA Standards, 305.3 and 603.2.3; U.S. Access Board guide to toilet rooms, Urinals).
- Flush. Automatic, or a handle or button no higher than 48 inches that works with one hand and a light push (2010 ADA Standards, 605.4, 308.2.1 and 309.4).
A urinal that passes all five can still be out of reach if the entrance, the restroom door or the route inside the room is not accessible. The whole room is in ADA bathroom requirements, and the restroom door in ADA door width. Signs that identify a restroom as a permanent room have raised characters duplicated in braille (2010 ADA Standards, 216.2 and 703.2), explained in braille signage.
How Braillito Maps records an accessible restroom
Measuring a urinal is useful for one practical thing: knowing, before you go, whether the restroom at a place will work for you. Braillito Maps is a community map that answers ten questions about each place: step-free entrance or ramp, wide doorway, accessible restroom, accessible parking, tactile paving, braille signage, braille menu, audible signals, guide dogs welcome and a quiet environment.
The urinal goes under one of them, accessible restroom. Each question is answered yes or no, or stays without data until someone knows. The score of a place is the number of yes answers out of ten, and its color always appears next to the number, never on its own. The checklist does not ask for inches or for the urinal by itself: it is a single yes-or-no question about the restroom, so the checks above, together with the toilet and the stall, are a good way to decide what to answer when you add a place.
Two other questions decide whether you can reach that restroom at all: the step-free entrance or ramp, and the wide doorway. A third, braille signage, tells a blind visitor whether the restroom sign can be read by touch. And if what a place says is wrong, it can be reported. Meet Braillito Maps.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ADA urinal height?
For a wall-hung urinal, the rim is 17 inches (430 mm) maximum above the floor. A stall-type urinal also complies (2010 ADA Standards, 605.2).
Is there a minimum height for an ADA urinal?
No. Section 605.2 sets only a maximum rim height, 17 inches (430 mm), and a minimum depth, 13 1/2 inches (345 mm) (2010 ADA Standards, 605.2).
How deep does an ADA urinal have to be?
At least 13 1/2 inches (345 mm), measured from the outer face of the rim to the back of the fixture (2010 ADA Standards, 605.2).
How much clear space does an ADA urinal need?
A clear floor space of at least 30 by 48 inches (760 × 1220 mm) for a forward approach (2010 ADA Standards, 605.3 and 305.3), 36 inches wide if partitions or panels obstruct both sides of the clear floor space for more than 24 inches of its depth (U.S. Access Board guide to toilet rooms, Urinals).
How many urinals have to be ADA compliant?
Where more than one urinal is provided, at least one (2010 ADA Standards, 213.3.3). With a single urinal in the room, that urinal does not have to comply with section 605.
How high can an ADA urinal flush handle be?
A hand-operated flush control is within the reach ranges: no higher than 48 inches (1220 mm) for an unobstructed forward reach, operable with one hand and 5 pounds of force at most. It can also be automatic (2010 ADA Standards, 605.4, 308.2.1 and 309.4).
More accessibility guides
- ADA toilet height: seat height, distance from the side wall, clear floor space, flush control, toilet paper and stalls.
- ADA bathroom requirements: toilet height and position, grab bar height, sink height, stall sizes and turning space.
- ADA grab bars: grab bar height, length, diameter and wall spacing, and where the bars go at the toilet, in the shower and at the bathtub.
- ADA sink height: 34 inches to the rim, knee and toe clearance, faucets, insulated pipes and the mirror above the sink.
- ADA door width: 32 inches of clear width, maneuvering space, thresholds, hardware and opening force.
- Braille signage: which signs need braille under the ADA, how high they go, on which side of the door, and the size of the dots.
- All accessibility guides
Sources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these official texts, which we read in October 2026.
- 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. U.S. Department of Justice, published September 15, 2010; required for new work since March 15, 2012.
- Guide to the ADA Accessibility Standards, Chapter 6: Toilet Rooms. U.S. Access Board, read October 2026.
Braillito Maps
Find places with ramps, accessible toilets or tactile paving near you in Braillito Maps
In Braillito Maps, every place answers ten questions. One is the accessible restroom: whether there is a restroom designed for people with reduced mobility. It is built by the people who need it, and every place gets a score out of ten.
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