Access to washroom facilities is essential for maintaining personal hygiene and dignity, both at home and when visiting the homes of others. The National Building Code of Canada (NBC) 2020 requires all dwelling units to have a washroom, but it does not specify the minimum requirements for clear floor space in washrooms to accommodate wheeled mobility aids. Consequently, washrooms in certain dwelling units may not provide enough clear floor space to allow a person to manoeuvre a wheeled mobility aid inside the washroom. Inadequate clear floor space can render a washroom inaccessible to persons who use wheeled mobility aids and thus make it difficult for these persons to visit friends and family and participate in their community.

This proposed change introduces minimum requirements for clear floor space in at least one washroom on the entrance level of visitable dwelling units to accommodate a wider range of wheeled mobility aids. This proposed change complements PCF 1884, which introduces requirements for providing paths of travel in normally occupied spaces on the entrance level. By providing enough clear floor space for persons using certain wheeled mobility aids to enter and leave the washroom, this proposed change would limit the probability that a person with a disability related to mobility would be unable to access this essential facility for personal hygiene.

There are two key components to this proposed change to the NBC that were largely derived from the following requirements for minimally accessible and adaptable washrooms in dwelling units in Quebec:

1. A lavatory with a centre line that is at least 460 mm from an adjacent side wall, to permit access to the lavatory; and
2. Round clear floor space having a minimum diameter of 1 500 mm, to allow a person using a wheelchair to enter the washroom, turn around and close the door. 

The proposed visitable washroom would also need to comply with the proposed requirements for the reinforcement of washroom walls (for the present or future installation of grab bars), as described in PCF 2031 and PCF 1882, where applicable.

The provision of a washroom with adequate space for mobility aids on the main floor of the home is a critical feature of visitable dwellings units [1]. Older adults are less likely to visit other spaces when they are unsure about accessing a water closet [2], which highlights the importance of designing washrooms in visitable spaces to address the diverse mobility needs of Canadians. Over 4% of community-dwelling Canadians over the age of 15 regularly use some type of walking aid (e.g., walker, rollator or cane) [3], and 1% regularly use a wheeled mobility aid (e.g., wheelchair or scooter) [4]. However, the prevalence of disabilities related to mobility and the associated use of mobility aids increases with age, with over 18% of community-dwelling Canadians over the age of 75 regularly using canes or walking sticks, 14% regularly using walkers or rollators, and 4% regularly using wheelchairs or scooters [3, 4]. As such, many Canadians will use assistive aids for mobility at some point in their lives and will require larger spaces for access to washrooms and other essential building facilities while using these devices.

The importance of designing homes to support visiting is highlighted by the severe health consequences of social isolation and loneliness. A recent Canadian study revealed that social isolation and loneliness are comparable to smoking, obesity, alcohol consumption and frailty in terms of elevating the risk for poor health and mortality in older adults [5]. Promoting visits from others to the home is an established strategy for reducing isolation and loneliness [6] and the associated health consequences.

This proposed change should be considered within the context of:

• PCF 1884, which prescribes requirements for a path of travel from the entrance of the dwelling unit to all other normally occupied rooms on the entrance level;
• PCF 2031, which describes the proposed requirement for the reinforcement of washroom walls around water closets (for the present or future installation of grab bars), and with which the visitable dwelling unit would also need to comply; and
• PCF 1882, which describes the proposed requirement for the reinforcement of washroom walls around bathtubs and showers for the present or future installation of grab bars.
  • Although bathtubs and showers are not required in a visitable washroom, bathtubs and showers would need to be equipped with reinforcement when provided, notwithstanding the exemptions listed in PCF 1882.

This proposed change only applies to dwelling units in multi-unit residential buildings that are required by the federal, provincial, territorial or municipal authority to be designed to be visitable. It does not apply to detached houses, semi-detached houses, houses with a secondary suite, duplexes, triplexes, town houses, row houses or boarding houses.

This proposed change only applies to dwelling units in multi-unit residential buildings that are required by the province or territory to be designed in accordance with visitable dwelling unit requirements. Each province or territory may handle the application of visitability requirements differently, which can take the form of

• requiring a certain percentage of dwelling units in multi-unit residential buildings to comply (similar to how the barrier-free requirements are handled in Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick);
• requiring certain types or sizes of units to comply (e.g., focusing on larger units while exempting studio apartments under a certain size); or
• other policy approaches to meet the unique needs of the relevant province or territory.

Given the above:

• This proposed change does not affect houses.
• This proposed change does not affect dwelling units exempted from complying with the visitability requirements in the relevant federal, provincial, territorial or municipal authority.
• The impact of the proposed change depends entirely on the policy decisions of the relevant federal, provincial, territorial or municipal authority and will be larger in provinces and territories that choose to apply the visitability requirements to a larger percentage of dwelling units.

Impact on space and costs

To meet the minimum requirements for a washroom that conforms to this proposed change (i.e., spatial requirements for a lavatory and adequate clear floor space for a wheelchair to turn), approximately 3.4 m² of space will be needed (excluding the bathtub/shower). Space use across the unit may be more efficient if a shower, bathtub or bathtub/shower combination is integrated into the visitable washroom, which would occupy approximately 4.5 m² with a standard bathtub/shower combination. More efficient use of space can also be achieved by using smaller fixtures and altering the layout of the unit. Installing a curbless shower would also allow the shower area to count toward the clear floor space.

Given the spatial requirements above, the impact of this proposed change will differ based on the province or territory.

In the Ontario Building Code, washrooms are required to have “enough space” for the lavatory, the water closet and a shower stall or bath, which “could be as little as 3.0 m²” [7]. Other provinces and territories do not appear to have minimum requirements for washroom sizes in multi-unit residential buildings that may be affected by this proposed change. As these dwelling units presumably also require enough space for washroom fixtures, Ontario’s minimum space requirements for washrooms provide a reasonable benchmark for provinces and territories outside of Quebec. For layouts that only provide the minimum required space for washrooms (and assuming that they include a bathtub or bathtub/shower combination), this proposed change would represent a 1.5 m² increase to the minimum area of a washroom as a conservative estimate.

In Quebec, requirements similar to this proposed change are already partially in place for all dwelling units in multi-unit residential buildings, as part of the minimally accessible and adaptable dwelling unit requirements in the Quebec Construction Code. However, the Quebec Construction Code also permits alternatives to the proposed round clear floor space (1 500 mm in diameter) via rectangular clear floor spaces that are 1 200 mm × 1 400 mm surrounding the water closet and 750 mm × 1 200 mm in front of a lavatory. These alternative designs were not included in this proposed change because they may not permit several types of modern wheelchairs to turn inside the washroom and close the door. This proposed change would therefore (a) reduce flexibility in design for the visitable washroom in multi-unit residential buildings and (b) increase the minimum clear floor space required for units that would have used the rectangular alternatives rather than the round clear floor space.

Table 1 presents the average cost per square metre for the new construction of multi-unit residential buildings in certain metropolitan areas in Canada (all numbers represent the average costs in each metropolitan area and have been converted from the cost per square foot to the cost per square metre).

Source: Altus Group. (2023). “Canadian cost guide for construction.” go.altusgroup.com/canadian-cost-guide-2023
Notes to Table 1:

(1) GTA = Greater Toronto Area 
(2) N/A = not available
(3) Condo only.

Table 2 presents the estimated cost increase per unit based on the costs in Table 1. Note the following:

• For metropolitan areas outside of Quebec, the cost estimates are based on the increase to the minimum washroom size (approximately 1.5 m²), assuming current minima are 3 m² and would increase to 4.5 m², multiplied by the cost per square metre of new residential construction.
• Gatineau and Montréal are excluded from the cost analysis because this proposed change has already largely been implemented in Quebec. The greatest consequence of this proposed change to these centres is a loss of flexibility in design by removing the rectangular clear floor area alternatives.
• The cost increases represent an approximate worst-case scenario where the washroom is designed to meet the minimum spatial requirements. However, several residential washrooms are designed to include more space (exceeding the minimum requirements); in these cases, the impacts of this proposed change would be lower.
• Certain provinces and territories outside of Quebec have already implemented barrier-free requirements for a percentage of dwelling units that include larger washrooms, such as Ontario’s requirement that 15% of units in large apartment buildings have the same turning circle for a wheelchair as proposed in Clause 3.8.5.1.(1)(c)–2025. 

Notes to Table 2:

(1) All costs rounded to the nearest dollar.
(2) GTA = Greater Toronto Area 
(3) N/A = not available
(4) Condo only.

It should be noted that an occupant of a visitable dwelling unit could choose to use the proposed larger space in the washroom for other purposes (assuming that the space is not always needed for accessibility purposes), such as for temporary storage.

Impact on visitability and accessibility

This proposed change is expected to permit access to a water closet in dwelling units designated as visitable for users of a large range of mobility aids. Irrespective of whether users of these mobility aids live in the dwelling unit or are visiting, being able to access a water closet is essential for personal hygiene, dignity and avoiding the consequences of incontinence. Alterations to expand the size of washrooms within multi-unit residential buildings are challenging (if not impossible, in many cases), highlighting the importance of providing adequate space in the washroom to use mobility aids when the unit is first built. Should the health circumstances of the owner change, such that the owner (or another frequent occupant) requires additional space or support in the washroom, the visitable washroom may minimize the need for renovations to address their needs.

This proposed change is also expected to benefit caregivers of persons with mobility disabilities who may need to provide assistance in the washroom. Inadequate space around the water closet makes it difficult (if not often impossible) for caregivers to use sound ergonomic practices when assisting others with toileting [8], and providing a larger washroom may help to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury in this cohort.

References

[1] Canadian Centre on Disability Studies, via the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. (2017). "Barriers and enablers to the uptake of VisitAble housing in Canada: Stakeholder perceptions." Retrieved March 8, 2023 from: https://eppdscrmssa01.blob.core.windows.net/cmhcprodcontainer/sf/project/archive/research_2/barriers_and_enablers_jul5_corrected.pdf

[2] Glover, L., Dyson, J., Cowdell, F., and Kinsey, D. (2020). Healthy ageing in a deprived northern UK city: A co‐creation study. Health & Social Care in the Community, 28(6), 2233–2242.

[3] Charette, C., Best, K. L., Smith, E. M., Miller, W. C., and Routhier, F. (2018). Walking aid use in Canada: Prevalence and demographic characteristics among community-dwelling users. Physical Therapy, 98(7), 571–577.

[4] Smith, E. M., Giesbrecht, E. M., Mortenson, W. B., and Miller, W. C. (2016). Prevalence of wheelchair and scooter use among community-dwelling Canadians. Physical Therapy, 96(8), 1135–1142.

[5] Freedman, A., and Nicolle, J. (2020). Social isolation and loneliness: The new geriatric giants: Approach for primary care. Canadian Family Physician, 66(3), 176–182.

[6] Dickens, A. P., Richards, S. H., Greaves, C. J., and Campbell, J. L. (2011). Interventions targeting social isolation in older people: A systematic review. BMC Public Health, 11(1), 1–22.

[7] Government of Ontario. (2019). "Building code requirements." Retrieved November 15, 2023 from: https://www.ontario.ca/document/build-or-buy-tiny-home/building-code-requirements

[8] King, E. C., Boscart, V. M., Weiss, B. M., Dutta, T., Callaghan, J. P., and Fernie, G. R. (2019). Assisting frail seniors with toileting in a home bathroom: Approaches used by home care providers. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 38(5), 717–749.

This proposed change could be enforced using visual inspection and a tape measure. Authorities having jurisdiction would need to be aware of this proposed change, as well as the scale of its local application (i.e., whether the particular dwelling unit needs to comply with visitability requirements).

Occupants of visitable units (whether they live in the unit or are visiting) would have improved access to a water closet, especially if they use a mobility aid.

Designers and builders would need to be aware of the requirement for a washroom on the entry level of a visitable dwelling unit.