Quick answer
A cloakroom is a small downstairs toilet with a hand basin — no bath or shower. It’s the compact “guest WC” most people picture under the stairs or off a hallway. They can be remarkably small: a workable cloakroom fits in around 0.8–1.2m², roughly 0.8m wide by 1.4m long, which is why even a hallway nook or under-stairs cupboard can often become one.
Cloakroom, WC or en-suite — what’s the difference?
The words get used loosely, so it helps to be clear. A cloakroom (or “downstairs loo”) is a small room with a toilet and basin only, usually on the ground floor for guests and convenience. A WC is the same idea — a separate toilet room. An en-suite includes a shower (and sometimes a bath) and serves a bedroom. The cloakroom is the smallest and simplest of the three, which is exactly why it slots into spaces a full bathroom never could.
Originally the name comes from a room where Victorian visitors hung their cloaks — over time it came to mean the little guest washroom near the front door. Today it’s one of the most-requested additions we fit, because the convenience of a ground-floor loo is hard to beat.
How small can a cloakroom be?
There’s no legal minimum, but there are sensible working dimensions. We design to these so the room stays comfortable rather than claustrophobic:
- Width: around 800mm minimum — enough to sit and stand without scraping the walls
- Length: around 1.4m, allowing a toilet plus a basin in front or to the side
- Door: outward-opening or sliding to save floor in the tightest rooms
- Basin: a compact cloakroom basin can be as little as 250–400mm wide, or a corner basin in a really tight spot
Get below about 0.8m² and you’re into a very tight squeeze — fine as a pinch, but not pleasant. We’ll always tell you honestly whether your space gives a comfortable room or a cramped one.
A compact corner basin and a slimline toilet make even a tiny nook into a genuinely usable cloakroom.
Where cloakrooms go in Plymouth homes
Half the fun of a cloakroom is finding the space. In the period terraces and post-war semis we work in across Plymouth, the same handful of spots come up again and again.
Under the stairs
The classic. We work with the sloping ceiling, putting the toilet where headroom is lowest and the basin where you stand. See putting a toilet under the stairs.
Off the hallway
A reclaimed cupboard or a slice of a wide hall makes a tidy guest WC right where visitors need it.
Beside the utility or kitchen
Often the easiest for drainage, since water and waste are already nearby — keeping the cost down.
Drainage is usually the deciding factor. If the soil stack is close, gravity drainage keeps it simple; if not, a macerator lets us put the WC almost anywhere. Either way it falls under our en-suite and cloakroom fitting service, and you’ll want to allow enough room — see how much space a downstairs toilet needs.
What does a cloakroom cost?
A cloakroom is one of the smallest jobs we do, so it’s usually one of the most affordable — well below a full family bathroom (which runs £4,075–£10,870 in Plymouth). The price hinges on drainage distance, whether a macerator is needed, and how much building work creating the room involves. Plymouth’s prices sit around 9% below the UK average, which helps.
As always, you get a single fixed written quote before we start. A downstairs loo also tends to be a genuine plus on resale — buyers love the convenience.
Common questions
Does a cloakroom need a window?
No — a cloakroom can be internal and windowless, but it must have adequate mechanical ventilation (an extractor fan) under Building Regulations to control moisture and odour.
Can a cloakroom have a shower?
Once you add a shower it becomes a shower room or en-suite rather than a cloakroom. A true cloakroom is toilet and basin only — that’s what keeps it so compact.
Do I need planning permission for a cloakroom?
An internal cloakroom doesn’t usually need planning permission, but Building Regulations apply to the drainage, ventilation and electrics. We handle that as part of the job.
Find the space
Thinking about a downstairs cloakroom?
Show us the spot you have in mind and we’ll tell you what’ll fit — then quote it as one fixed price.