By John England CBO, MCP The question has come up in class and in emails several times as to gender neutral restrooms. All the while the code is silent on this. Given time the code revisions will be proposed and adopted that will help clarify the intent of the code.
Code Revisions take years to promulgate, and the issue is what do you do now, when confronted with such a question. A gender-neutral or all-gender restroom is a facility that anyone can use, regardless of gender identity. While these restrooms are becoming more common, the legal framework governing them is a patchwork of federal, state, and local rules.
Better Bathroom Design It's easier than you think to incorporate code-compliant all-gender restrooms into a facility, even when you're working with an existing building. The second will allow gender-neutral multi-stall bathroom designs, where each toilet is in a private compartment, with shared sink areas. These updates are intended to improve restroom accessibility for transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, people with disabilities and their caregivers, and families with small children.
Good news: the 2018 International Building and Plumbing Codes include new code provisions for gender-neutral restrooms that were first proposed by the AIA. You can view the approved new language here (search for "P40-15" or scroll to page 51/257 for the original proposal and page 52/257 for its modification by Public Comment 2). Learn about two types of gender.
A recent Supply House Times article noting how the two main plumbing codes have accepted the concept of all-gender restrooms also observed how many of the design considerations for gender-neutral bathrooms also address mitigating infectious disease transmissions, brought to the forefront in 2020 when " toilet plumes " became a headline. An Unexpected Ally of Gender-Neutral Restrooms: Building Codes The 2018 International Plumbing Code will update signage requirements for single. California Plumbing Code All.
Other code requirements, such as those found in plumbing and accessibility codes, may present conflicts with the gender-neutral bathroom requirement. For example, some state and municipal plumbing codes mandate that all bathrooms be gender specific.
