UK Toilet Building Regulations Explained: Part G Water Efficiency & Part M Access
Two parts of the Building Regulations govern a new toilet in England, and they constrain different things. Furniture in Fashion explains that Approved Document G sets a whole dwelling water efficiency requirement of 125 litres per person per day, with an optional 110 litre standard where a planning authority imposes it, calculated across every fitting rather than at the WC alone. That structure allows a generous shower to be offset by efficient cisterns and taps. Approved Document M governs access instead, operating through M4(1) visitable dwellings with optional M4(2) and M4(3) standards, and its concern is clear floor space, approach and door operation. The report argues that space, not specification, is the binding constraint in most British homes, sets out typical sanitaryware projections against recommended clearances, and identifies the three mistakes that spoil compact cloakrooms: inward door swings, undersized basins and unplanned storage. Separate technical standards apply in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland....
