What Is A 1/4 Bath?

Homeowners love full and 3/4 bathrooms because full baths are spacious and a great addition to master bedrooms, while 3/4 baths give the feel of a full bathroom without taking up a lot of space. The next time you're shopping for a new home or remodeling your space, however, keep an open mind about the 1/4 bathroom. Even though full bathrooms are more appealing and 1/2 bathrooms may make more sense, 1/4 baths can actually be a nice feature if you have additional space.

A 1/4 bathroom has either a sink, shower, toilet or bathtub. This type of bath layout differs from a 1/2 bath because there is only one fixture in a 1/4 bath, whereas 1/2 baths have two. Homeowners who build 1/4 bathrooms typically build a bathroom with a sink and mirror combination or a hallway shower. This is ideal if you need more showers but don't have the space to build a full bathroom.

One-half baths usually have a toilet and a sink. They're perfect for homeowners who don't want visitors using the main bathroom.

A full bathroom has a sink, bathtub, shower and toilet. You can have more fixtures in a full bathroom, but to make it a full bath, it has to have at least one sink, one bathtub, one shower and one toilet. Full bathrooms are typically located in the master bedroom of a home because these areas have the space to accommodate all four fixtures.

Although full bath layouts can differ, depending on style and taste, the standard full bathroom design has the bathtub and shower located close to each other, close to a wall or window, and away from the door. You'll typically see a toilet placed opposite the sinks and situated in its own recess or corner. A 3/4 bath can have either a shower or a tub with one sink and one toilet. Homeowners love 3/4 bathrooms because they save space when there's insufficient room for a full bathroom, and they serve as extra bathrooms for midsized houses.

Because 3/4 bathrooms are smaller than full bathrooms, the layout needs to be more compact. Typically, you'll find the shower or bathtub near a wall or window as in a full bath. But, in contrast to a full bath, the toilet in a 3/4 bath is usually placed next to the shower or bathtub, which saves space. Sinks are typically placed closer to the bathroom door or entrance.

If you ever see a 1 3/4 bath, known as a 1.75 bath in a listing, this means that there should be two separate bathrooms in the home. Usually, you'll see a full bath with one shower, one bathtub, one sink and one toilet and a 3/4 bath with one shower or a bathtub, one sink and one toilet. The next time you see 1.75 bath in a listing, the real estate agency really means that there are two different bathrooms in the home.