Could Bidets Become Standard in UK New Builds? What Building Regulations Say Now
- Current UK Building Regulations (Part G) set standards for sanitary conveniences but do not require bidets — they are optional in new builds and renovations.
- Part G was last substantially updated in 2010 and is subject to ongoing review; water efficiency and accessibility requirements are likely to tighten in future revisions.
- Japan and several European countries have moved toward bidet inclusion in accessibility standards — the UK is behind this curve but the direction of travel is clear.
- For homeowners and developers installing bidets now, WRAS-compliant fittings under the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 remain the only legal requirement.
What UK Building Regulations Currently Say About Bathrooms
Building Regulations in England and Wales are set out in a series of Approved Documents. The one most relevant to bathroom fittings is Approved Document G — Sanitation, Hot Water Safety and Water Efficiency. Part G requires that new dwellings include adequate sanitary conveniences (toilets and washbasins), hot and cold water supply, and fittings that meet water efficiency standards. It does not require bidets, either standalone or integrated. A developer building a new flat or house in England today has no obligation under building regulations to include any form of bidet fitting — it remains entirely optional.
Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their own building standards frameworks, which similarly do not mandate bidets. The Scottish Building Standards Technical Handbook and Wales's Building Regulations broadly follow the same approach on sanitation as England, with accessibility requirements addressed through separate guidance rather than as a bidet-specific mandate.
Part G and Water Efficiency: The Direction of Travel
Part G was last substantially updated in 2010. Since then, the UK government has increasingly emphasised water efficiency in new construction as part of broader net-zero and sustainability commitments. The Future Homes Standard — which sets out how new homes built from 2025 onwards should meet higher environmental performance targets — focuses primarily on energy and heating, but water efficiency sits alongside it as a policy priority. The government's National Infrastructure Commission has flagged water scarcity as a growing concern, particularly in the South East of England, where demand is projected to exceed supply by the 2050s without significant demand reduction.
In this context, fixtures that reduce water consumption — or that reduce the water-intensive manufacturing of toilet paper — are increasingly relevant to policy discussions. Bidets use approximately 0.5 litres per use; toilet paper production requires orders of magnitude more water per equivalent use when manufacturing is factored in. This argument is beginning to appear in sustainability assessments, though it has not yet translated into regulatory requirements.
Accessibility Regulations: Where Bidets Are Most Likely to Appear First
The more immediate regulatory pathway for bidets in UK buildings is through accessibility rather than water efficiency. Approved Document M (Access to and Use of Buildings) sets out requirements for accessible toilet provision in new dwellings and non-domestic buildings. Current guidance specifies space planning, grab rail positions, and fixture heights for accessible toilets — but does not mention bidets. However, the Equality Act 2010 requires that reasonable adjustments be made for disabled people, and occupational therapists routinely recommend bidet sprayers and integrated bidet seats as assistive technology for people with limited mobility, arthritis, Parkinson's disease, and post-surgical recovery needs.
Several European countries — including Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands — have moved toward incorporating bidet provision into their accessibility standards for public buildings and social housing. Japan's JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) for accessible toilets include bidet function as a standard specification. The UK is behind this trend, but the direction of travel in accessible bathroom design internationally suggests that UK standards will eventually follow.
If you are specifying a bathroom for a new build or major renovation and want to future-proof for potential accessibility requirements, rough in a 15mm cold water supply point adjacent to the toilet position during the structural phase — before tiles go on. Adding the supply point during construction costs almost nothing; retrofitting it through finished tiling costs considerably more. A bidet sprayer can then be connected at any point without further building work.
The Water Supply Regulations: The Only Current Legal Requirement
While building regulations do not mandate bidets, the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 are legally binding for any bidet installation that does take place. Bidet sprayers are classified as Fluid Category 5 — the highest risk category for backflow contamination — because the spray nozzle is in proximity to toilet waste. This means a WRAS-compliant double-check valve or equivalent backflow prevention device is a legal requirement for every installation, in new builds and existing properties alike. WaterRegsUK (waterregsuk.co.uk) maintains the approval database where specific products can be verified.
This requirement applies to developers installing bidets in new builds, to homeowners fitting a sprayer themselves, and to commercial premises. Non-compliance is a breach of the Regulations and could affect insurance coverage in the event of a water contamination incident. Reputable UK bidet kits include a compliant check valve as standard — verify this before purchasing.
New Build Developers: The Commercial Case for Including Bidets Now
A small but growing number of UK developers are including bidet sprayers as standard in higher-specification new build flats and houses. The unit cost at developer scale is low — a quality handheld sprayer kit can be specified for under £50 per unit, with installation taking a plumber around 20 minutes per bathroom during the fit-out phase. The marketing value exceeds the cost: "bidet sprayer fitted as standard" is a differentiating feature in a competitive new build market, particularly for buyers familiar with bidet use from travel or international background.
For social housing developers and housing associations, the accessibility case is equally relevant. A bathroom specified with a bidet sprayer from the outset is more usable across a wider range of residents — including elderly tenants, those managing chronic conditions, and those recovering from surgery — without the need for later adaptation. This reduces the cost of future occupational therapy referrals and home adaptation grants.
What Would a Regulatory Mandate Actually Require?
If the UK were to follow other countries in moving toward bidet inclusion in building standards, the most likely pathway would be through an update to Approved Document M (accessibility) rather than Part G (sanitation). A mandate in accessible dwellings and public accessible toilets would be a smaller initial step than a whole-market requirement, and would align with existing international precedent. For developers and architects, this means the design principles for accessible bidet integration — adequate space, supply point provision, appropriate controls — are worth understanding now rather than waiting for a regulatory requirement to force the conversation.
The Practical Position for Homeowners Today
For existing homeowners, the regulatory picture is simple: there is currently no requirement to install a bidet, and no barrier to doing so other than the Water Supply Regulations' backflow prevention requirement. A WRAS-compliant handheld sprayer installed via a T-connector on the existing toilet supply is a fully legal, low-cost, reversible addition to any UK bathroom. Whether or not building regulations eventually catch up with the rest of the world on bidet provision, installing one now is straightforward and incurs no regulatory risk.