Standard Widths
Vanity width is measured across the cabinet, not across the countertop, and the top usually overhangs slightly on each side. Almost all volume production sits on these numbers.
| Width (in) | Width (mm) | Typical use | Basins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24" | 610 | Powder room, tight ensuite | 1 |
| 30" | 762 | Small full bathroom | 1 |
| 36" | 914 | The most common single-basin size | 1 |
| 48" | 1219 | Generous single, or a tight double | 1 or 2 |
| 60" | 1524 | The standard double-basin size | 2 |
| 72" | 1829 | Large primary bathroom | 2 |
Below 24 inches you are usually looking at a cloakroom unit rather than a vanity. Above 72 inches, most manufacturers build as a run of linked cabinets under a single continuous top, which is how hotel and apartment projects are normally supplied.
A double basin below 60 inches is possible but rarely pleasant: two bowls in 48 inches leaves almost no landing space between them, and the drawer layout underneath has to work around two sets of plumbing.
Standard Depths
Cabinet depth is normally 18 to 21 inches, with 21 inches the common default in North America. The countertop then overhangs the front by roughly an inch, giving a finished depth around 22 inches.
Depth is where most bathroom regret lives. Every inch of depth is an inch taken from the walking space in front, and in a bathroom of 60 to 72 inches across, the difference between an 18-inch and a 21-inch cabinet is very noticeable.
| Cabinet depth | Top depth | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| 16" / 406 mm | 17" / 432 mm | Narrow cloakroom, corridor bathroom |
| 18" / 457 mm | 19" / 483 mm | Small bathroom where circulation is tight |
| 21" / 533 mm | 22" / 559 mm | Standard, and what most basins are designed for |
Reduced-depth cabinets constrain the basin. Many integrated basins and most drop-in bowls assume a 21-inch cabinet, so a shallow vanity often needs a shallow-bowl top designed for it. Confirm the basin and the cabinet together rather than separately.
Height: Classic and Comfort
Two heights are in circulation. The classic vanity height of 30 to 32 inches to the top of the counter was set when bathroom cabinets were essentially furniture. Comfort height, 34 to 36 inches, matches kitchen counter height and is what most new residential work now specifies.
Neither is wrong. Comfort height suits adults and reduces stooping; classic height suits households with children and looks correct under a more traditional cabinet. The one thing that matters is that the decision is deliberate rather than inherited from a catalog default.
| Type | Height to top | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Classic | 30 - 32" / 762 - 813 mm | Children, traditional cabinetry, lower mirrors |
| Comfort | 34 - 36" / 864 - 914 mm | Now the residential default in North America |
| Accessible | Up to 34" / 864 mm to rim | Check the applicable accessibility standard for the project |
For a wall-mounted vanity, height is set on site by where the cabinet is fixed, which gives useful flexibility but also means the mounting height has to be stated on the drawing rather than assumed. For a floor-standing vanity, the height is built into the cabinet, and the only adjustment available is at the plinth.
The Clearances No Catalog Lists
A vanity that fits the wall can still make a bathroom unusable. These are the numbers that decide the difference, and none of them appear on a product page.
- Clear floor in front: 21 inches is a common code minimum; 30 inches feels comfortable
- Side clearance: allow at least 4 inches from the cabinet edge to a side wall, more if a door swings
- Door and drawer swing: a drawer needs its full depth clear in front of it
- Mirror and lighting: plan these against the finished counter height, not the floor
- Service positions: waste and supply positions must clear drawer boxes, which is the single most common installation problem
For project work, the drawer-versus-plumbing clash is worth resolving on a drawing before production. A drawer that has to be notched around a waste pipe on site is a drawer that will be reported as a defect.
