The right heights for your shower fittings ensure that using your bathroom fixtures is easy no matter your height and activity in the bathroom. The shower valve height from the floor should be such that the shortest and tallest person can use it without struggling. The same goes for the other fixtures in the bathroom and the home as a whole. The wrong fixture heights make it hard to use your bathroom.
The standard shower valve height for shower stalls is 28 inches (2 feet 4 inches). For showers set in bathtubs, the shower valve height is 48 inches (4 feet). A shower head is set at least 72 inches high. These distances are measured from the floor of the bathroom or the shower pan upwards.
If you’re replacing or installing a new shower valve, the In-Line Remote Pressure Balance Valve is the best on the market. It suits bathrooms with very low water pressure and is a 5-point diverter valve.
Heights for Shower Fittings
| Fixture | Height from shower pan (inches) |
| Shower valve | In bathtubs – 28 In shower stall – 48 |
| Showerhead | 72 or more |
| Shower grab bars | 36 to 42 |
| Shower tap | 20 |
Shower Valve Height
The shower valve rough in height depends on whether the shower is set in a bathtub or in a shower stall.
1. Showers set in bathtubs
The tub shower valve height is 28 inches (2 feet 4 inches) from the floor for showers set in bathtubs. For this type of valves, the height is often low given that they connect to both the tap and the shower. You also have to reach the valve when in the bathtub and hence the low height.
The tub spout height should be 4 inches above the top edge of the tub’s surface. This allows for a 2-ich air gap above the overflow rim of the tub when it’s completely filled.
2. Showers set in a shower stall
The standard shower valve height for a shower set in a shower stall is 48 inches (4 feet). This shower handle height is good for users whether standing or seated in a chair.
Adjustable Height Shower Valve
Installing a shower valve with an adjustable height ensures that you can use the shower for all parts of the body without the need to engage the shower too much with your hands. Some methods to use when creating an adjustable height shower valve include the following:
- Screw height adjustment
The screws that hold your current shower valve are used to hold the new adjustable valve while providing room for adjustment.
- Nail height adjustment
Grind the existing valve down then put in a valve with the correct replacement screws. Replace the plate that the current valve sits on with a height-adjustable plate designed for your showerhead or faucet. From here, you can make height adjustments as you please.
- Self-adjusting mechanism
The self-adjusting adjustable shower valve has a mechanism whereby the shower valve moves up and down in sync with the height of the showerhead. This eliminates the need to adjust the showerhead and valve independently.
- Manually operated mechanism
For the manually-operated mechanism shower valve, a mechanical inverter or a hand tool is used to raise or lower the valve to an appropriate height as desired by the user.
- Commercial adjustable valves
Some commercial shower valves allow for the installation of the adjustable valve onto the wall which overcomes the issue of manual installations on the current setup.
Most of these adjustments can only be installed by a professional plumber since they entail delicate details.
Shower Tap Height
Shower taps should be 20 inches from the shower pan. Often, they’re the lowest of the fixtures in the bathroom.
Showerhead Height
The minimum height of showerheads is 72 inches from the shower pan. You can set it higher if there’s someone taller in the family. For the maximum height for your showerhead, use a rainfall showerhead which is installed into the roof of the bathroom.
You also have the choice of installing more than one showerhead or using a handheld showerhead for people at different heights.
Shower Grab Bars Height
Horizontal shower grab bars are mounted at a height of between 36 and 42 inches from the shower pan for those with disabilities. Grab bars in the shower are installed at an angle of between 30 and 45 degrees for safety purposes.
Distance Between Shower Fittings
The distance between fixtures in the shower depends on the fixtures’ uses. This distance determines the length of the pipes to use between the fixtures.
When the shower head is 72 inches high and the valve 48 inches high, the piping between them will be 24 inches (2 feet). When the shower head is 72 inches high and the valve 28 inches high, the piping distance will be 44 inches (3 feet 8 inches).
The hot- and cold-water handles should be 8 inches apart such that one is 4 inches to the right of the valve while the other one is also 4 inches to the left of the valve.
There should be 6 inches between the center of the spout to the bottom end of the valve body.
Each time you move the shower head or other fixtures, the distance between the fixtures also changes.
What determines the distance between shower fittings?
The factors that determine the distance between shower fittings include the following:
Local codes
Plumbing codes differ from one area of jurisdiction to the next. For example, some areas require the showerhead to be 72 inches high while others require it to be at 76 inches from the shower pan. Some codes are more flexible allowing for different heights and distances between fixtures in the bathroom.
Personal choices
Besides the plumbing codes in a given area, your situation and choice can also determine how much distance you provide between bathroom fixtures. Shower valve height codes such as the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Shower Valve Measurements Requirements also come into play in this situation.
For example, if the local codes require that the shower head is set 72 inches yet someone in the family is taller than 72 inches, you can adjust the height to accommodate the tallest person in the family.
Whatever adjustments you make to your plumbing system, consider the local codes to ensure you adhere to them at all levels. Not doing so will be disastrous to your plumbing and can even land you in problems with the authorities.
Once you have your shower valve and other bathroom fixtures installed, learn how to clean a shower stall to keep the whole bathroom clean at all times.