Singapore’s newly minted Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment 2025 puts clearer numbers and friendlier language around what makes a toilet truly inclusive. Released by the Building & Construction Authority (BCA) in April 2025, the update raises the bar for wheelchair manoeuvring space, door widths, grab-bar positions, and future-proofing of homes and public conveniences. Whether you’re retrofitting an HDB bathroom or upgrading facilities in a café, understanding these rules early will save design headaches, speed up plan approvals and, most importantly, make daily life safer for everyone.
Why convert now?
Singapore’s population is ageing quickly, with one in four residents projected to be aged 65 or above by 2030. BCA’s studies show that falls in bathrooms remain a top cause of emergency admissions among seniors, while wheelchair users still report difficulty accessing smaller WCs in older estates.
The 2025 Code responds by tightening design minima and by explicitly covering retrofits in existing flats, shophouses and small strata units, something earlier editions only hinted at.
Key updates in the BCA 2025 Code
1. Bigger turning spaces
- Clear turning circle: 1500 mm is now the accepted minimum when space is confined, up from the 2019 code’s 1350 mm suggestion, giving wheelchair users a true 360-degree pivot.
- Straight-line travel: 900 mm x 1200 mm remains the minimum for approaching fixtures, but planners must also leave a 300 mm “transfer zone” beside the WC bowl for lateral shifts.
2. Friendlier doors & fixtures
- Doorway clearance: Accessible toilet doors must provide at least 900 mm clear width and swing outward (or be sliding) to simplify rescues.
- Grab-bar set-out: Horizontal bars between 800 mm and 900 mm AFFL, plus a vertical bar at the latch-side of the door, are now mandatory for both public buildings and new HDB units.
- Emergency call bells: One reachable from the WC (no higher than 600 mm) and another at the door handle height must connect to a staffed location.
3. Future-proofing residential bathrooms
Clause 7.3 of the Code spells out “conversion-ready” criteria: wider entrance walls for structural support, a 1000 mm obstruction-free route from the living room to the bathroom, and level thresholds that can accept linear drains.
Planning your toilet conversion
1. Measure before you hack
Begin with a simple scale plan showing existing walls, soil pipe positions and clear dimensions. Remember that tiling thickness and waterproof screeds eat into those millimetres; BCA assessors work off finished sizes, not bare wall measurements.
2. Rethink the doorway
Where space is tight, replace the swing door with a top-hung sliding track or an L-shape pull-out panel. Frame-free glass doors are acceptable as long as the leading edge contrasts visually with the surrounding tiles for people with low vision.
3. Re-site the pan and basin
If you cannot hit the 1500 mm turning circle, angle the WC at 45° in a corner to “borrow” space. Choose a pan with a 450 mm rim height (plus seat) to line up with typical wheelchair cushions. A wall-hung basin at 800 mm AFFL keeps knees clear.
4. Surfaces & drainage
Non-slip, matte tiles (pendulum value ≥ 36) paired with a minimum 1:100 fall to the floor trap satisfy the Code and National Environment Agency’s hygiene guide for public loos.
If you are hacking existing finishes and need wall plastering in singapore, insist on a waterproof cementitious render that bonds cleanly with new tiles.
5. Small but vital extras
Drop-down grab bars, mirror edges no higher than 1000 mm, and lever taps with 50 mm finger clearance all score points for Universal Design Mark submissions.
Meeting HDB and public-building rules
Homeowners must observe HDB floor tiling rules, including the three-year no-hack period for new BTO bathrooms and the requirement to re-apply waterproof membranes after removal.
For commercial premises, you’re obliged to submit amended building plans showing accessibility compliance under the Building Control Regulations. BCA’s Accessibility Fund can offset up to 80% of eligible retrofit costs for common areas such as restaurants, retail units, and offices.
Working with the right professionals
Appoint a BCA-registered architect or interior designer to prepare drawings, plus a licensed builder familiar with accessibility retrofits. Contractors like Leong Yik Engineering & Contractor often bundle hacking, plumbing, electrical diversions, and tiling, reducing site downtime.
Ask for:
- A pre-construction site risk assessment focused on trip hazards during works.
- Waterproofing warranties of at least five years.
- Material datasheets showing slip resistance and mould resistance.
Finally, schedule BCA inspections early. Inspectors can be booked up to four weeks out, and you’ll need their sign-off before applying for Temporary Occupation Permits in public buildings.
Conclusion
Ready to make your bathroom safer, smarter and fully compliant with the BCA 2025 Code? Leong Yik Engineering & Contractor offers end-to-end design, submission, and build services for homes and commercial spaces alike, so you get an accessible toilet that’s beautifully finished and approved the first time. Contact our team today for a site visit and quotation.