What size bathroom vanity do you need? Width, depth and double sinks

The short answer

What should you measure before you shop?

Measure the room, not just the old vanity. Write these down before you call or visit:

1. Wall width: the full run where the vanity goes, wall to wall or wall to the tub or shower.
2. Door swing: the bathroom door, and any shower door, has to open past the vanity and its drawers.
3. The toilet: how far its center sits from where the vanity would end.
4. Water lines and drain: where they come out of the wall or floor, side to side and up from the floor.
5. Outlets and switches: where they sit, so the backsplash and a mirror clear them.
6. The old vanity: if you’re replacing one, its width, depth and height.

Which vanity width fits your bathroom?

These are the widths HausRack carries:

• 24 inches: compact fluted oak vanity and fluted oak vanity, the narrowest we carry, for powder rooms and tight corners.
• 30 inches: the most common size in our lineup. Fifteen of our nineteen collections come in 30 inches or narrower.
• 36 inches: one sink with more counter and drawer space.
• 42 inches: the white pull-out vanity, which has outlets and USB ports inside its drawers.
• 48 inches: one sink and a wide counter on most models, or two sinks on the light wood vanity and white double sink vanity.
• 60 inches: two sinks on every 60‑inch model we carry.

Nominal sizes often run a little wide. The 36‑inch white marble vanity measures 37 × 22 × 34.5 inches overall, so when the fit is tight, go by the model page, not the size name.

Will a 36‑inch vanity fit a 5 by 8 bathroom, or should it be a 30? The wall run, the toilet and the door settle it, not the room size, which is why the measuring comes first.

How much room do you need around a vanity?

The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) bath planning guidelines give a recommended distance and a code minimum for each of these:

The side-wall number matters most in an alcove. A 30‑inch vanity between two walls, with its sink centered, puts that sink about 15 inches from each wall: the code minimum, and 5 inches short of the recommendation. On a double vanity, ask us for the distance between the two sink centers before you order.

How deep and how tall should a vanity be?

Most vanities from HausRack are about 22 inches deep (21.5 to 22) and 34.5 inches tall overall. Three run slimmer:

So how deep is a 36‑inch vanity? Here, 22 inches on most models, 19 on the 36‑inch slim light wood vanity and about 18 on the 36‑inch compact fluted oak vanity. A shallower vanity gives back walking room in a narrow bathroom, at the cost of some counter and drawer depth.

On height, the NKBA guidelines say a comfortable sink height ranges from 32 to 43 inches, depending on who uses it. A freestanding vanity comes at its own height; a floating one can be mounted where it suits your household.

Should you choose a floating or freestanding vanity?

A floating vanity mounts to the wall and leaves the floor open underneath, so more of the floor shows and it’s easier to clean under. HausRack carries both:

Replacing a vanity in a La Grange Highlands home?

When you replace a vanity, the new one often goes where the old one stood, on the same drain and water lines.

So what size should a replacement vanity be? Start with the old one, then match the new vanity to what’s there:

• Same width or a little wider: flooring and paint often stop at the old cabinet’s edges, so a narrower vanity can leave a strip to patch.
• Drawers that clear the pipes: the sage green vanity and the oak and gold vanity use U-shaped drawers to leave room for plumbing.
• Pipe positions: bring the drain and supply-line measurements when you call, so the model you like can be checked against them.

If the plumbing moves, ask Cook County first; our guide to permits for cabinets and vanities in La Grange Highlands covers what the county’s page says.