UK Changing Room Cubicle and Stall Dimensions Guide
Guide
In the UK, a new team changing room should be at least 18 square metres excluding showers and toilets under FA ground grading rules, individual changing cubicles start at 1000mm x 1100mm, accessible cubicles need a minimum of 2000mm x 1500mm, and bench seating is planned at 500mm of width per person. This guide collects the UK dimensions that matter, drawn from FA ground grading requirements, ECB Guidance Note TS5, Sport England design guidance and Approved Document M, so you can size a changing building correctly the first time.
Note for US readers: this page covers UK sports changing rooms. If you searched for toilet partition or dressing stall sizes for American commercial washrooms, the ADA figures you need are different from everything below.
How Big Does a Team Changing Room Need to Be?
The FA sets the clearest minimum room sizes through ground grading, and the ECB sets an equivalent standard for cricket pavilions.
| Standard | Minimum Size |
|---|---|
| FA grading, existing changing rooms | 12 square metres per team, excluding shower and toilet areas |
| FA grading, new or refurbished changing rooms | 18 square metres per team, excluding shower and toilet areas |
| FA grading, match officials | 4 square metres minimum for existing rooms; 6 square metres, with provision for mixed gender officials, when building new |
| ECB TS5, cricket team rooms | 20 square metres per team for changing, benches and kit bag storage |
| ECB TS5, umpires | Separate lockable room for two umpires with its own shower, WC and basin |
Excluding wet areas means exactly that: the 18 square metres is clear changing space, so the building footprint is always larger once wet areas, lobbies and plant are added. Our sizes guide works through what that means for overall building dimensions, and every plan on our floor plans page lists its room sizes.
How Much Space Does Each User Need in a Changing Room?
Per-team minimums are only half the picture. Governing body guidance also sets space allowances per person, which is the quickest way to sanity check a room against the squad sizes it will actually serve.
| Facility Type | Space Per User | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rugby team changing (RFU) | 1.1 square metres per player minimum | Including a mandatory bench space of 650mm width x 400mm depth per player (RFU Facilities Guidance Note 5) |
| Rugby match officials (RFU) | 1.1 square metres clear floor space per person | Changing space for three match officials at a minimum of 0.85 square metres per person (RFU Facilities Guidance Note 5) |
| Football team changing (FA) | 12 to 18 square metres per team | 12 square metres for existing rooms, 18 square metres for new or refurbished, excluding showers and toilets (FA ground grading) |
| Football match officials (FA) | 4 to 6 square metres per room | 4 square metres for existing rooms; 6 square metres with mixed gender provision when building new (FA ground grading) |
| Cricket team changing (ECB) | 20 square metres per team | Covers changing, benches and kit bag storage (ECB Guidance Note TS5) |
| Bench seating, all sports | 500mm of bench width per person | 600mm per player is the ECB desirable standard; Sport England Accessible and Inclusive Sports Facilities guidance also uses 500mm minimum per person |
| Accessible changing and shower room | 4.4 square metres per room | 2200mm x 2000mm to Approved Document M; 2500mm x 2400mm where a WC is included |
| Changing Places facility | 12 square metres per room | At least 3.0m wide x 4.0m long with a ceiling height of no less than 2.4m (Sport England Accessible and Inclusive Sports Facilities, Part D) |
What Size Is a Changing Cubicle or Stall?
Where individual privacy cubicles are used, for example in flexible or mixed use facilities, UK washroom guidance works to these sizes.
| Cubicle Type | Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Single person changing cubicle | 1000mm x 1100mm minimum |
| Two person or parent and child cubicle | 1500mm x 1100mm minimum |
| Accessible changing cubicle | 2000mm x 1500mm minimum; 2600mm x 2000mm preferred |
| Self-contained accessible changing and shower room (Approved Document M) | 2200mm x 2000mm; 2500mm x 2400mm where a WC is included |
Accessible cubicles need an outward opening door with at least 875mm clear width, a cantilevered bench around 600mm deep set 480mm above floor level, and grab rails to the back and side walls. Sport England guidance is that disabled players should be accommodated within the team changing rooms rather than in a separate facility.
How Much Bench and Kit Storage Space Do Players Need?
Bench dimensions are consistent across Sport England and ECB guidance.
| Item | Dimension |
|---|---|
| Bench width per person | 500mm, or 600mm as the ECB desirable standard |
| Bench depth | 450mm |
| Bench height | 450mm above floor level |
| Clear space between opposite benches | 1.8m between front faces minimum; 2m desirable (ECB TS5) |
| Kit bag storage (cricket) | 12 spaces per room at 1200mm long x 450mm deep x 400mm high, one per player |
| Coat hooks | On rails above the benches, with lower hooks added where juniors play regularly |
How Many Showers Do You Need and How Far Apart?
| Item | Dimension |
|---|---|
| Shower heads per cricket team room | Three essential, four desirable (ECB TS5) |
| Shower head spacing | 750mm centres, with 450mm to 500mm between the end fitting and the side wall |
| Opposite shower walls | At least 2.5m apart, with a separate dry off area |
| Accessible shower room | 2200mm x 2000mm to Approved Document M |
The ECB desirable standard adds privacy screens or separate shower cubicles, which is worth designing in from the start given the move toward flexible and mixed gender changing across all sports.
How Many Toilets Does a Changing Room Need?
ECB TS5 asks for at least one WC and one wash hand basin with mirror per team room, with two of each as the desirable standard, and advises against urinals so rooms stay flexible for female use. In pavilions with four or more team rooms, toilets must be integral and exclusive to each room.
What Does This Mean for a Two Team Building?
Put the minimums together and a compliant new two team building needs two rooms of 18 to 20 square metres of clear changing space, each with three showers and a WC, plus separate officials’ accommodation. That is why most of our two team layouts sit around 30ft x 24ft and upward. See how this plays out by sport on our football, cricket and rugby pages, or go straight to the floor plans with room by room dimensions. For budgets, our cost guide and the individual plan pages carry the current guide prices.
Prefer this on paper? Download the SCR Changing Room Size Guide (PDF) with all of the tables above in a printable format.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Size Should a Football Changing Room Be?
Under FA ground grading, existing changing rooms must be at least 12 square metres excluding showers and toilets, and any new or refurbished changing room must be at least 18 square metres. Match officials need their own room of at least 4 square metres, or 6 square metres in a new build.
What Size Is a Standard Changing Cubicle in the UK?
A single person changing cubicle is a minimum of 1000mm x 1100mm, and a cubicle for two people or a parent and child is a minimum of 1500mm x 1100mm. Accessible cubicles start at 2000mm x 1500mm, with 2600mm x 2000mm preferred.
How Big Does an Accessible Changing Room Need to Be?
A self-contained accessible changing and shower room to Approved Document M is 2200mm x 2000mm, increasing to 2500mm x 2400mm where a WC is included. The door must open outward with at least 875mm clear width.
How Much Bench Space Does Each Player Need?
Allow 500mm of bench width per person, with benches 450mm deep and 450mm high and coat hooks on rails above. The ECB desirable standard is 600mm per player, and opposite benches should be at least 1.8m apart.
How Far Apart Should Shower Heads Be?
ECB guidance places shower heads at 750mm centres, with 450mm to 500mm between the end fitting and the side wall, and opposite shower walls at least 2.5m apart with a separate dry off area.
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