Toilet-to-wall distance

"Rough-in" dimensions for toilets can be 10", 12" or 14". With 12" most common.

I find the term rough-in a little confusing since it's actually the dimension from the toilet discharge centerline to the back of the tank.

imo nothing rough there, better have a least that much room from waste line centerline to finished wall (drywall or tile surface).

But you're in luck there is a "fitting" called an offset closet flange that can be used to bump the waste line centerline, I think you can get 1.5" or 2" offset but using one will require some concrete demo. :(

Otherwise you could fool around with making the wall between the tub & the toilet "thinner".

I assumed that the toilet backed up against the wall between the toliet area & the tub?

I recently (well, not that recently) went through the headache of having a rough in dimension too small. They didn't account for the wall mud & tile when the bathroom was built in 1930. I struggled with getting a 1930 wall tank (cracked) out & replaced with "no room" to spare. I should have dismounted the toilet, chipped away some tile & mud and installed an offset to make my life easier. .....next time.

cheers Bob

Round bowl vs. elongated toilets have different distances from the drain center to the wall. What kind are you thinking about installing?

The rough-in dimension has nothing to do with the shape of the bowl.

The rough-in dimension has nothing to do with the shape of the bowl.

Agreed, The different shapes come in a variety of rough-in sizes.

Colbyt

I slightly prefer the elongated toilet to match the other toilets in the home. I didn't realize that bowl type was connected to distance to the wall. I'm willing to go with either type with a strong preference to a good fit.

No, the waste drain on elongated toilets is further from the rear wall than the one on a round bowl. Guess you haven't installed too many toilets ;-)

I went to New Orleans a couple of years ago when my church was sponsoring the rehab of a flooded church building. The church had 18" brick and stone walls.

Once upon a time, someone decided they needed a bathroom, and for some reason the rough-in for the plumbing was too close to the wall. Instead of going under the *wooden* floor and moving the plumbing, they chiseled a four-inch "grotto" into the exterior wall so the toilet would fit.

I wish I had a picture....

I guess you're confused. ;)

Here's one toilet available in both round and elongated bowls and the spec sheets showing the same rough-in and distance from the wall dimensions.

It's not. The rough-in dimension is a nominal dimension and there is some leeway.

Here's one Toto 10" rough toilet:

Unless you are a plumber, I would guess that I have installed at least as many in this lifetime as you have.

I stand by what I posted. I also have one of each in my own personal home and they are the same distance from the wall.

Colbyt

=2E..in _this_ lifetime? What about in previous lifetimes? I hadn't realized we needed to keep track of previous-lifetime accomplishments. ;)

Speaking of Toto toilets, I had recently renovated my in-laws bathroom, and I had roughed in a standard 12" toilet drain. We had ordered a Toto ADA compliant elongated 12" 2 piece toilet, and to my surprise after we installed it there is still a good 1 1/2" of space between the tank and wall. And I confirmed that this is a standard bowl for 12" rough in. Why this happened, I don't know, but just a suggestion, do some field measurements of the toilet bowl at the showroom. Some manufacturers might do things differently.

The standard for both elongated and round is 12". Colby and Rico are correct.

I have installed between 35 and 50 toilets in my life, including 7-8 elongated bowl, 4-5 10" rough round front toilets, and three 14" rough round front toilets. I haven't seen any elongated toilets other than

JK

toilet:

I'm beginning to think that a spec of 12" to the wall may or may not include a 1.5" space between the tank and wall. I'm guess that allows for tiling, wanes coating, paneling, etc. Not what I intended, but it looks like I'm going to buy the toilet BEFORE putting up the wall.

Wise choice. The spec sheet will always indicate the clearance to the wall as well as the rough in dimension. There's always room back there.

I think that Toto understates the clearance from the tank to the wall. The 3/4" indicated on their cut sheets in actuality is a _very_ heavy 3/4". 1" plus is more like it.

Check whether the clearance is to the back of the tank or to the back edge of a lid hanging out past the back of the tank.