How to Specify a Children's Step Stool in a Public Washroom
Updated September 2026
We have read two institutional toilet accessory schedules cover to cover this year, line by line, looking for the word "step" or "stool." Both were American university standards, Northwestern's Section 10 2800 and the University of Arizona's Section 10810. Neither one had it. Grab bars, mirrors, soap dispensers, waste receptacles: all scheduled. Child access at the sink: nowhere. That is not because owners do not want it. It is because nobody put a line in Section 10 28 13 for it, and once a schedule is issued for tender, adding one means an addenda during bidding, or a change order once the contract is awarded.
Where the line belongs: Section 10 28 13
Retractable step stools schedule under MasterFormat Division 10, Section 10 28 13, Toilet Accessories, the same section that already carries grab bars, mirrors and dispensers. It sits under the broader Division 10 heading 10 28 00, so a specifier working from a project manual that only breaks out to the 00 level can still place it correctly by cross referencing 10 28 13 as the accessory line item. Do not look for a section numbered 10 28 10; it does not exist in current MasterFormat. The older 10810 designation is the 1995 MasterFormat number; it is not current, but some owners, including the University of Arizona, still use it.
What the dimensions actually require
The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design govern the lavatory required to be accessible, not the step stool, and they never mention a step stool in either direction. Four sections decide what that lavatory has to provide, and where a step stool has no place:
213.3.4: where lavatories are provided, at least one shall comply with 606.
606.2: that accessible lavatory needs a clear floor space, positioned for a forward approach, with knee and toe clearance complying with 306.
305.4: unless otherwise specified, that knee and toe clearance may be included as part of the required clear floor space.
606.3: the rim or counter surface of that lavatory is 34 in (865 mm) maximum above the finish floor.
606.2 also carries two exceptions written for children specifically: Exception 4 permits a 24 in (610 mm) knee clearance at lavatories used primarily by children 6 through 12, where the rim or counter surface is 31 in (785 mm) maximum; Exception 5 permits a parallel approach at lavatories used primarily by children 5 and younger. Those exceptions describe a dedicated children's lavatory. They do not change what 606 requires at the lavatory that a building must provide as accessible under 213.3.4.
That is exactly where a step stool belongs, and where it does not. It does not belong in the knee and toe clearance or the clear floor space of the lavatory required to be accessible under 213.3.4 and 606. It belongs at another lavatory in the same room, one that is not carrying that requirement. Where a building provides more than one lavatory, as most public washrooms do, a step stool at a second basin lets a child reach the tap without touching the clearance the code protects at the accessible one. Confirming that placement on a given layout is still the specifier's job, not a manufacturer's promise. No ADA section names a step stool or tells a specifier where to put one; the placement guidance above follows from what 213.3.4, 606.2 and 306 already protect at the accessible lavatory, and it is the rule Klimbo writes into its own specification.
Writing the three part section
Part 1, General
Require submittals before the product is ordered: product data sheets, shop drawings showing the anchor pattern and the deployed and retracted footprint, and CAD or Revit files for coordination with the millwork and finish schedule. Require a written warranty statement rather than a verbal assurance, since warranty terms differ by model.
Part 2, Products
Name one basis of design per article rather than stacking models under a single article: for new construction, the Klimbo K01, aluminum T6061 construction, a load capacity of 370 kg (815 lb) verified by laboratory test, a 5 year warranty covering both the manufacturing and the retraction mechanism, three masonry anchors for slab mounting, blackened 18-8 stainless hardware, with 316 stainless available on request for chlorinated environments such as a pool deck, and a factory powder coat finish in RAL 7047, standard, or one of 190 RAL classic colors and Axalta metallic finishes as a priced option. For a school or municipal project, the Klimbo Step K02 is the more typical basis of design: 1018 steel construction with an epoxy primer and powder coat finish, the same 370 kg (815 lb) laboratory verified capacity, a 3 year warranty covering manufacturing defects, and four 3/8 in x 3 3/4 in anchors installed against a supplied drilling template. Neither model claims a third party certification; the load capacity of both is verified by laboratory test, which is a statement about testing, not a certification to a named standard.
Write the or equal article around performance criteria that describe the two families Klimbo builds rather than a model number: either a floor anchored unit with automatic, foot actuated retraction, or a removable, freestanding unit with no anchoring and no mechanism; a load capacity declared on the manufacturer's data sheet of at least 363 kg (800 lb); a written warranty of at least 3 years; and a finish matched to the project's RAL or metallic palette. Writing the floor at 363 kg (800 lb) rather than Klimbo's own tested figure keeps the tender open to other products in the category rather than to Klimbo alone.
Part 3, Execution
Anchor to the structural concrete slab, per the manufacturer's technical data sheet. For the K02, follow the manufacturer's drilling template rather than field marking anchor holes, since the four point pattern is fixed. Coordinate the unit's location with the lavatory and the counter or millwork run before the rough in is finalized, and verify the required clearances at the design stage, on the drawing, rather than after the unit is installed.
The clearance check belongs to the specifier
A step stool sitting in front of a lavatory can intrude on the clear floor space the code requires at that fixture. The way to control that is a design stage check, not a manufacturer's promise: confirm the retracted unit sits outside the 30 in by 48 in (760 mm by 1,220 mm) clear floor space, and confirm the deployed projection does not block a required turning space. The one figure that governs that projection is 11 in (279 mm), measured from the counter with the tread in the lowered position, for both the K01 and the K02. That is a projection, not a step height, and it is the number to plot against your clearance diagram, not a guarantee that the unit passes inspection on any given layout.
Choosing a model for the schedule
The K01 suits new construction and premium finishes, where the aluminum body and the blackened stainless hardware read as a design element rather than an accessory. The K02 is the workhorse for schools, daycares and municipal buildings, priced and built for volume replacement across a portfolio of washrooms. Where the slab cannot be drilled, whether because of radiant heating, waterproofing or a leased space, specify the Klimbo Stair K03 instead: it has no mechanism, requires no anchoring at all, and can be repositioned or removed. All three are built for children roughly 2 to 8 years old and are offered in RAL 7047 standard, or 190 RAL classic colors plus Axalta metallic finishes as a priced option.
North of the border
In Canada, the National Building Code and the provincial codes that adopt it set the accessible lavatory height without a step stool provision either way; check the applicable article in force for the jurisdiction and edition governing the project rather than assuming a single number nationwide. CSA B651, Accessible Design for the Built Environment, is the standard specifiers reference for accessibility in public washrooms; consult it directly for what it requires on a given project.
Get the section without a form
The full three part specification, in both the brand neutral or equal format and the Klimbo named format, is available as a direct download, no account and no form: visit klimbo.co/en-specification for the page, or go straight to the plain text of the named section or the plain text of the or equal section. CAD drawings are available as a DWG set and Revit families as a Revit family zip, each showing the deployed and retracted footprint for anchor and clearance checks.
Frequently asked questions
Is a retractable step stool required by code?
No. The 2010 ADA Standards do not mention a step stool in either direction. What they do govern, at 213.3.4, 606.2 and 306, is the clearance and knee space that a specifier has to protect at the lavatory required to be accessible, including one with a step stool at a nearby basin.
Can this be written into a public tender?
Yes, using the or equal article rather than a named product. Write the requirement in performance terms, an automatic foot actuated retraction or a removable freestanding unit, a load capacity declared on the manufacturer's data sheet of at least 363 kg (800 lb), and any product meeting those criteria can bid.
Does the step stool affect required clearances?
It can, depending on the layout, which is why the check belongs on the drawing at design stage. A step stool has no place in the clear floor space or the knee and toe clearance of the lavatory required to be accessible; place it at another lavatory in the room, and confirm on the drawing that the 11 in (279 mm) deployed projection from the counter, with the step lowered, does not encroach on a required turning space there either.
Is the K01 or K02 certified to ADA or CSA?
Neither model carries a third party certification to ADA, CSA or UL. The load capacity of both, 370 kg (815 lb), is verified by laboratory test, which is a statement about testing, not a certification claim.
Working on a washroom project right now? Request a project quote and we will return a specification recommendation and budget figure. For the code figures behind the lavatory height itself, see ADA restroom sink height and the reach gap for children, and for the broader accessory category, see our commercial step stools page.
