You've found the bath of your dreams. Now you need to make sure it fits.

Measurement mistakes are some of the most common – and costly – errors made during bathroom renovations. This is particularly the case for the bath, which is often the single most expensive item in the room.

In this guide we’ll walk you through the process of understanding the right size of bath for your space, and how to ensure your dream tub will fit.

Start with the room, not the bath

Don’t start browsing baths until you’ve carefully measured out the space that you’ll need yours to fit in.

If you’re replacing a bath in a specific spot this might be a simple matter of measuring that spot or your old bath. If you’re starting from scratch, choose your preferred placement, then measure the wall-to-wall distance or check the measurement on the blueprint.

If you use the blueprint it’s important to note that a 1700mm-wide room won’t necessarily fit a 1700mm bath once it’s tiled. You always need to give yourself some wiggle room.

You also need to note the position of existing plumbing (drainage and water supply) and how this might constrain where the bath can sit and what configuration makes sense.

Understand what bath dimensions actually mean

Almost all bath brands in Australia use the external length as the primary measurement, but width can be an important consideration too, particularly in compact bathrooms. Height also matters, but more for the comfort and usability of the bath than the fit.

In practice, bath sizes don't always perfectly align with what is on the spec sheet. A 1700mm bath might measure 1710mm or more at its widest point once the rim or skirt is included.

The dimensions of your bath are particularly important for inset/built-in designs that reach from one wall to the other, but less so for freestanding baths that simply need to be smaller than the width of the room.

Getting it into the room

You’ve chosen a perfectly sized bath… and now you can’t get it into (or perhaps even near) your bathroom. This consideration is easy to gloss over in the excitement of choosing a tub, but can turn into a big and expensive mistake.

To avoid that fate, measure doorways, hallways and any tight corners or turns on the path from your front door to your bathroom. If you’re early in your building journey you do have the option of bringing in the bath before your walls are up, but this will make it difficult to replace the bath in the future.

Freestanding baths in particular can be big and awkward, so carefully calculate the maximum size you can safely get into your bathroom before you lock in your choice.

Clearance around the bath

The dimensions of your bath don’t tell the full story of how much room you’ll need to house it. You also need enough room around it:

• Access: You need to ensure you can safely and comfortably enter and exit the bath.

• Cleaning: If your bath is away from the wall, you want to ensure you can comfortably clean behind it.

• Drainage: The placement of your drain could be the deciding factor for which bath you choose and how you position it. 
• Tapware: Will you mount your bath tapware to the floor, wall or deck? Wherever it is, you need enough room for it.

A freestanding bath can lose a bit of its visual appeal when it’s pushed up against a wall, so if you have the necessary space (and plumbing) it could be worth placing it more in the centre of the room, where clearance isn’t an issue and you can comfortably clean around it.

Quick checklist before you buy

• Measure room dimensions (finished, not raw)
• Check existing water supply and drain positions
• Choose your preferred placement (inc necessary clearance)
• Check delivery access: measure doors, hallways, corners
• Set maximum external dimensions of bath (inc rim and skirt)

Ready to find your perfect bath?

A quality bath is an investment in your home, family and lifestyle – as long as you choose correctly. Getting your measurements right is the first step toward a luxurious soak.

If you're still at the initial stages of your bathroom renovation, take a look at our fullbaths collection to compare styles across brands, or browse ourbath tapware to start planning the mixers and spouts that will fill your bath. You can also get some design inspo from our guide to the latest bathroom trends.

And if you'd like a hand narrowing things down, our passionate team is always here to offer expert advice.