How to measure your bathroom in 7 easy steps

If you’re planning a new bathroom, one of the first things you’ll need to do is measure it. In this handy guide, we’ll show you how to do this in 7 easy steps.

Before you begin picking out products and working out where everything will go, it’s important to understand the amount of space you have to play with. Watch this quick video to see exactly how to take the right measurements.

What you’ll need

Tape measure
Paper
Pencil
Another person would be helpful

Time to complete:

5 to 10 minutes (depending on the size of your room)

How to measure your bathroom

Here’s how to measure your bathroom in 7 easy steps.

Choose a starting point and measure along the wall from one corner to another. Make a sketch of this wall, along with the measurement, on your paper.
Working clockwise, measure along the next wall from one corner to another, then add this to your drawing.
Repeat step 2 with all remaining walls. This will leave you give you the floor plan of your room. If your room is irregular in shape (e.g. L shaped or T shaped), divide it up into rectangles and measure these individually.
Now measure the height of all of your walls from floor to ceiling.
Measure windows, shelves and any other permanent fixtures, then mark these down on your sketch.
Measure doorways and add these to your sketch. Also indicate which way the door opens and the clearance that’s required.
If you’re supplying measurements to the Victoria Plum Bathroom Design Service or a tradesperson, take a few pictures from different angles on your smartphone or tablet and send them in an email.

Step-by-step images

Measure along first wall.

Measure along first wall

Measure next wall.

Measure next wall

Repeat measuring all walls.

Repeat measuring all walls

Measure height.

Measure height

Measure windows, shelves and permanent fixtures.

Measure windows, shelves and permanent fixtures

Measure doorways.

Measure doorways

Take photos.

Take photos

Just a couple of things to remember…

For a more comprehensive bathroom measurement, you may want to measure and mark down the position of existing fixtures, like your bath, toilet, basin or shower enclosure. You may also wish to mark the position and direction of your waste, to help with plumbing.

Not all walls or floors are completely straight—variations can occur, especially in older properties, so it’s worth taking measurements at different points throughout the room.

Use one measurement unit and stick with it. Bathroom products are usually measured in millimetres (mm) these days, so if you are working in imperial units, you will need to convert at a later stage.

If you’re comfortable with computers, you could even use 3D modelling to plan your bathroom or take the legwork out of it by using the Victoria Plum Bathroom Design Service (see below).

Use our free, no-obligation Bathroom Design Service

Once you have your bathroom measurements, why not enquire about our free, no-obligation Bathroom Design Service? With just a few details from you, our experienced designers will create bespoke, ultra-realistic 3D images, a 2D layout and even create your own shopping basket, so you can easily pass this on to your Tradesperson.