Bathroom Design with Indian Toilet — Layouts, Sizes and Tiling
An Indian toilet changes how a bathroom has to be built. The pan sits at floor level, the whole floor gets wet, and water is used by hand rather than from a seat. Designed for that, an Indian style bathroom is compact, hygienic and easy to keep clean.
Planning a bathroom around a squat pan
A squat pan — Indian WC or Orissa pan — is set flush with the finished floor, with its trap below it. That needs depth under the floor. In new construction this comes from a sunken slab in the toilet area; in a renovation, or on an upper floor without a sunken slab, the pan is set into a raised platform with a step of about 100-150 mm.
Around the pan, plan for how it is used: a tap at low height for a bucket and mug, a health faucet within reach, and the floor sloped to a floor trap so water drains quickly. The pan should sit so the user faces along the length of the room with clear space in front, not squeezed against a side wall.
Many households prefer the pan on a north-south axis for Vastu reasons. It is worth deciding the orientation before the drainage is laid, because it cannot be rotated afterwards.
Indian toilet and bathroom sizes
| Item | Typical size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Orissa pan, standard | 500-580 mm long (20-23 in) | With integrated footrests |
| Compact or rural pan | 430-460 mm long (17-18 in) | For tight spaces and budget housing |
| Squat pan width | 400-450 mm | Check the model drawing |
| Indian WC compartment, minimum | 0.9 x 1.2 m (3 x 4 ft) | National Building Code minimum WC area is 1.1 sq m |
| Indian WC with bathing area | 1.5 x 2.1 m (5 x 7 ft) | The most common Indian toilet-cum-bath |
| Indian and western WC together | 1.8 x 2.4 m (6 x 8 ft) or more | Both pans, one shower zone |
| Tap height for bucket | About 450-600 mm | Above a bucket, below the waist |
Indian style bathroom layouts
- Separate Indian toilet — A small room with only the squat pan, tap and health faucet, next to a separate bathing room. Traditional, and the most hygienic arrangement.
- Toilet-cum-bath with Indian pan — Pan at one end, bathing area at the other, one floor trap between. The standard 5x7 ft Indian bathroom.
- Indian and western in one bathroom — Both pans side by side for households where preferences differ between generations.
- Anglo-Indian pan — A single pan that can be used seated or squatting, where there is room for only one fixture.
- Indian toilet in a common bathroom — A western WC in the attached bathrooms and an Indian pan in the common toilet — a very common pattern in Indian homes.
Tiling an Indian toilet bathroom
- Anti-skid floor, R11 — The whole floor is wet in use, so the entire floor needs a textured, non-slip tile, not just the shower zone.
- Slope 1 in 50 to the floor trap — Standing water around a squat pan is the main hygiene complaint. A proper fall solves it.
- Smaller floor tiles around the pan — 300x300 or 300x600 mm tiles follow the falls and cut neatly around the pan edge.
- Dado to 7 ft — Splashing reaches higher than people expect. Glossy wall tiles to 7 ft wipe clean.
- Darker grout on the floor — Light grout in a wet Indian toilet discolours quickly. Epoxy grout does not.
- Never polished tiles — A polished floor with a squat pan is a serious slip hazard.
Frequently asked questions
What is the size of an Indian toilet?
A standard Orissa pan is about 500-580 mm (20-23 in) long and 400-450 mm wide; compact pans are about 430-460 mm long. The toilet compartment should be at least 0.9 x 1.2 m, or about 5 x 7 ft when it includes a bathing area.
How deep does the floor need to be for an Indian toilet?
Deep enough to fit the pan and its trap below the finished floor. New buildings provide this with a sunken slab; where there is none, the pan is set into a raised platform with a step of about 100-150 mm.
Can I have both an Indian and a western toilet in one bathroom?
Yes, in a bathroom of about 6 x 8 ft or larger. Alternatively, an Anglo-Indian pan can be used either way where there is room for only one fixture.
Which tiles are best for an Indian toilet bathroom?
A textured anti-skid floor tile rated R11 across the whole floor, laid to a fall towards the floor trap, with glossy wall tiles to 7 ft. Avoid polished floor tiles completely.
Can an Indian toilet be converted to a western one?
Usually, yes. The squat pan is broken out and the drain point is brought up to suit a floor-mounted western WC with an S-trap. The floor then needs to be filled and re-tiled around the new pan.
Squat pans, WCs and tiles in one order
Tell us the bathroom sizes and the mix of Indian and western toilets and we will quote pans and tiles together.
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Buying Guides
- Tile Buying Guide
- Full Body vs GVT Tiles
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- Small Bathroom Ideas on a Budget
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- Indian Toilet Bathroom Design
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