Why???

[Harold Piper]

The wife asked me a question I couldn't answer, maybe some of you can. Why are bathroom vanity so low? Who set the "standards" for the highth?

She informed me when I redo the bath room that the vanity will be higher.

Harold

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Harold,

I had to sit here for a minute and think about it. I wonder if it's because children will be using a bathroom vanity. Typically adults would be most of the cooking and food preparing so kitchen cabinets would be taller for the most common user?

[Darrin Vanden Bosch]

I guess people are shorter in the bathroom.

When we built our house 12 years ago I built ALL the cabinets in the house at 36'' countertops, as well as having all the shower heads high enough to actual stand under.

Darrin

[Matt Ocel]

Ken -
I believe you have the answer - For Kids.

In new home construction, most of the homes we build have a master bath and in it they opt for the taller vanity.

[David G Baker]

I don't know about a bathroom vanity but someday someone is going to ask the question about a kitchen that my parents had remodeled in California. My Mother was around 5 feet tall and had complained all her life about how the world was designed for tall people so when they did her kitchen the cabinet height was planned around her desire for lower height cabinets. In standard height cabinet kitchens she had to have a stool handy for most of her work.

[Steve Flavin001]

curiosity made me start to look this up. Local building codes and federal reg's are intertwined in long histories of building on one another as precedent in the rule making process (interesting reading, Title 36, I believe for any masochists). Generally the height is expected to be between 30" - 36". ADA can be more compelling or enforceable; yes, this considers when ADA does or does not apply.

Check your local building code - residential enforceability tends to depend a whole lot on the enthusiasm of the local building department. partiularly in marginal applications.

[David DeCristoforo]

Good question... Been asking myself that for years. Kids? Maybe. But then why would the vanity height be the same in the "master bath" where there would not be any kids using it? For me, I made my bath vanity 38" tall. No really. Why should I have to bend over so far to wash my face or brush my teeth? Granted, my wife and I are both taller than "average" but the "standard" height of 30" is way too low for most people.

[Mike Wilkins]

Some friends recently completed a new home. Used a kitchen base cabinet for the bathroom vanity for this very same reason. Both got tired of bending over to use the sink, and solved it their way. I like the concept.

[Steve Flavin001]

to looking this up, I stumbled across a discussion of some local codes in one state that went at exhaustive length (ad nauseum) in discussing kid's requirements, particularly in the event the children might happen to have some hindrance or disability as a basis.

In regard to the other comment about the parents' remodeling the home - unless they wanted to go below 30", I assume there would have been little question from building department, but the builder would not want to because of cabinet construction constraints - e.g. have to set up everything for "odd" lengths and all the cost and trouble it would cost them.

And, it would likely be a deterrent at resale.

[Steve Flavin001]

I believe the 30" "standard" is more materials and construction convention then any code - 30" gives you 3 pieces from an 8' sheet of material while two nominal 36" (e.g. 30 - 36) simply leave you with 24" pieces largely wasted.

As mentioned, codes tend to aim for 30" to 36"

This has been an interesting thread.

[Mitchell Andrus]

Mine's at 39", but I'm 6'1". I notice when I travel that there is a difference. At home, this 'normal'.

[Steve Clardy]

Standard height vanities are so everyone can use them. Kids and adults.

I usually ask how high they want them to be when bidding a job.

About half are standard height, the other height is usually 35" [without top]

[Jason Beam]

My guess is more about practical use. Usually there's a mirror on the wall behind the vanity. Men and their shaving, women and their makeup, etc - People tend to lean over to get closer to the mirror while they're doing such detailed things. Having the vanity lower gets it closer to the bending area on the average body, perhaps?

[Mike Dauphinee]

Watch the posture of your wife while you puts on cosmetics. There is a clue there....people are overall a bit taller now. But I think if you watch, the answer would be obvious if there is a mirror behind the vanity (thus the name vanity too).

Edit> Should have read ALL the replies, Jason nailed it IMO.

[Peter Quinn]

My vanity is an open design with a basin which sits on a brushed nickel frame with decorative plumbing and one open shelf below. It has a circa 1930's look. It sits 38" from the finished floor, was made in Italy, and is a pleasure to use each day. i HATE bending over to shave.

The thing with kids is, from an early age, they can climb (a small set of steps for instance to reach the sink), and until they are around 8-10, they can't reach a standard vanity top anyway, but by 12-14 they can reach my present vanity height. So should we suffer with lower than comfortable height so a few kids can reach the sink a few years earlier? My 15 month old son can climb enough steps to reach my vanity already, though I wish he wouldn't!

Building for universal accessibility makes sense to me in public spaces and government buildings, but I feel a home should convenience those that occupy it daily as the universe is not generally invited to use my bathroom. If the building inspector doesn't like it he can kiss my grits Flo!