The attached article provides information on standard dimensions for bathroom fixtures and clearances. There may also be code requirements.

[Key Bathroom Measurements[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/key-measurements-to-make-the-most-of-your-bathroom-stsetivw-vs~26567086)

We typically design to 5'x8'-8" for a standard bathroom with a 32" tub. You can make the bathroom smaller, but 7', I believe, would be too small.

I seriously think 5 foot x 7 foot bath is a bit on the tiny side, especially if your parents are elderly and plan to live there. They will need more room to maneuver, even without handicaps.

Our bathroom is 5'x6'4" so I would argue 5'x7' is doable. No idea if it would meet current (rather than 1940's) code. It has the same layout as MrsPete's post (sink and toilet flipped). However, it would be a challenge for anyone with any mobility limitations. It would be worthwhile to find space to expand it to 5x8, maybe revise/remove the stairs a bit to make the mudroom area larger? With this revision where will the new entry from the garage be? Will you move the door to the study to allow more direct access to the bath?

We have a 5x7 full bath (interior dimensions) in a house built a few years ago. It has a similar design to what was posted above, except the doorway is on the short wall. It is small, and it would certainly not be a good bath for people with mobility issues, as others have mentioned. 5x7 is certainly doable, but maybe you should clarify why the builder thinks it won't work in your space?

Here's another angle: if MY builder told me a 5x7 bathroom is impossible, I wouldn't force him into building one. Because he'll MAKE it impossible/impractical/unuseable to prove his point.

parents would be occasional, but long term visitors. Maybe 6 months every 3 years.. they dont have any handicaps, but NE winters tend to exacerbate arthritis, which makes climbing stairs a chore.. They live out of the country, so using our home as a place of respite in illness is out of the question due to healthcare costs..

builder said that we'll need 36"+ for a shower with the layout above.. i'm thinking 30" is fine. I have a similar sized bath in my parents home, which was built in 2006. This morning, i looked through some of the builders other plans and they have same sized bathrooms in other plans, there must be something I am missing that makes it impossible in that location. I'll have to ask again.

Personally I think its too small. I like small bathrooms, but I built a home six years ago with a bathroom that size. My now 17 year old son has outgrown it. In our new build we increased his to 7 X 9 and it seems like the perfect size for us. Our master bath will only be 9 X 8, but plenty of room to get around.

Littlebug, that thought crossed my mind too: If your contractor says, "It can't be done" ... it probably can't be done. By him.

Shaj, I wouldn't want a 30x30 shower, and I'm a small person with no mobility issues. Measure that out with painters tape. Raise your arms as if you're washing your hair. I hear you when you say your parents have no health issues at this point, but you're going to live in this house a while. Will that still be true in 5, 10, 20 years? No one can say.

I don't know that I'd say, like MsLindley, that I prefer small bathrooms. I'd say I prefer right-sized bathrooms.

My final thought: Beware of confirmation bias. It's a real thing.

Our guest bath is about 5x8. Not quite. I like it a lot but the in laws did not. Not enough counter space, not much room to manoeuvre.

I just want to agree with mrspete. If you had asked me 10 or 15 years ago if I had to worry about handicap accessible for my mother, I would have laughed at you. Even after my mother got parkinson's I would have laughed at you. She went to the gym 5x a week and with her exercising was able to keep doing everything she had done.

Then she a foot infection, had to stop exercising for a couple of months and when she resumed, the damage had been done. She started to decline after that, and walking was difficult. She needed a walker just to get in and out of the bathroom as well as anywhere else.

Please don't assume because your beloved parents are good now, they will always be so. Hopefully they will be. My beloved aunt just passed away at 95 and she only needed a walker for the last 18 months of her life, but in many ways she was a very tough exception to the rule.

jn3344, that is really nice! That extra foot (8 instead of 7) makes a difference, though. I think all the houses I saw growing up in the wayback days had essentially this layout with a 5 ft tub across the back. The shower and glass makes your room seem much bigger, though.

I wouldn't want to go as small as a 30" shower, but 36" works fine for average sized people.

Certainly people can and do make with spaces that are smaller. I've lived on boats where the shower and the toilet and the sink were in a space just a few feet across. But yeah, "possible" and "desirable" are not always the same.

Third cp and Mrs. Pete. My parents/inlaws are young (60's) and one of them went from "hmm my leg feels funny and sometimes just doesn't want to move - it's weird" to a cane and ultimately a wheelchair within a year. No my newly built house guest bath does not do well with a wheel chair. It's a 2 person event for her to use it. It was the furthest thing from my mind at the time. Had no idea. :(

We live with a 5x7 bathroom (only one in our 1920-built house), layout as above, door on the short side, 24" sink. It's cozy. :-)

I really love the use of JN's glass shower front to make space feel more open, just be aware that there is no place to safely mount grab bars/safety bars for accommodating parents with immobility issues. Make sure that there is a place to mount these when needed and also consider bulking up the framing to mount these before putting in the drywall. I've seen people use the shower handle or the towel rack to lift themselves up off toilet- bad idea.

I also like the glass ... but for safety's sake, I'd use a pony wall on the bottom half, which could hold grab bars ... and go with glass on the top half. No, it's not as attractive and open, but it's one of those situations where I personally would go with function instead of looks.

It would require a little over 7-6 (30" width for each fixture) to meet code in most jurisdictions.

Our guest bath/hallway bath is 4'10" x 7'10" and it's "my" bath. It's barely serviceable but I'm used to it.

My MIL complains ever. blessed. time. she's here!

With older folks with mobility issues, too much too close together is dangerous. You don't want to have to maneuver around objects. You need clear paths.

I will NEVER, EVER get another house with such small bathrooms (that really can't be enlarged even if we threw the money at it).

All interior, too.

@autumn.4: Yikes my 63 year old FIL has started complaining his legs have started to feel sore at times even when he hasn't exerted himself. Will have to watch carefully...

I am still confused about accessible bathrooms, and what some common possible layouts would be, within the smallest space possible. Layouts good for people with walkers vs layouts for people in wheelchairs vs layouts that are okay for people that just don't want to do stairs anymore. ADA complaint requires a LOT of space! (a 5' circle of space at all turning points?)

girlguinea - tingling and numbness to start and some burning sensations - neuropathy they say. We do not have that 5' circle. Our half bath is the long narrow with door in the middle. Toilet opposite sink. Sorry for the slighty OT but maybe it will help. Cane was okay. Wheelchair is just a no go and there is nothing for her to grip to pull herself up and we have the taller toilets.

If you like you can use the ADA as a guide but there is no reason to be concerned with technical compliance since the this Federal law does not apply to single-family residences. B e aware that it is sometimes a poor guide for a residence since the intent of the authors is to accommodate the wide range of disabilities anticipated in a building used by the public.

The worst design case is for a wheelchair but they are normally used for short recovery periods where assistance is possible. For longer term needs most people would use a motorized chair that can get into and turn around in tight spaces. A motorized chair is usually cheaper than extensive modifications.

The OPs parents come for 6 months max every 3 years and when they are healthy. I doubt they would stay for extended time in the US when they have severe health problems. It is not financially possible for a non US citizen to stay here and use the medical services by paying out of pocket. So for what the OP is asking - a small bath for non-stair climbing guests is definitely doable. I am sure your parents would not be complaining for the few months they are here when they have the chance to spend time with you and your family. I think they would only be thankful for the opportunity. That said, moving the laundry to 2nd floor(floor with MBR) is more practical for you.

I doubt they would stay for extended time in the US when they have severe health problems. It is not financially possible for a non US citizen to stay here and use the medical services by paying out of pocket. So for what the OP is asking - a small bath for non-stair climbing guests is definitely doable. I am sure your parents would not be complaining for the few months they are here when they have the chance to spend time with you and your family.

You are being very shortsighted. Just because someone has some mobility issues doesn't mean they can't travel. My aunt used a walker for the last 18 months of her life, yet still managed to go anywhere she wanted by walking and using public transportation in NYC. A walker still requires more space to maneuver.

Are you saying that the OP's parents won't be able to visit if they have a walker or a motorized scooter?