5 Best 11-Inch Rough-In Toilet Models And Options

Recently, I spent a lot of time looking for suitable toilets for a 11-inch rough-in. It was not an easy task, since toilets today come stating only the standard rough-in sizes of 10, 12 and 14 inches. However, I found about five 12-inch rough-in toilet models that fits on a shorter rough-in like 11 inches.

11 Inch Rough in Toilets Comparison Table

Here is a comparison table of the 12-inch rough-in toilets I found, that can be installed on a 11-inch rough-in.

• 
• TOTO Drake CST744SL#01 Toilet (ADA Comfort Height)
• Price: $$
• Rough-in Size: 12" (fits 11" too)
• 1.6 GPF
• Shape: Elongated Bowl
• 17" Seat Height (Comfort Height)
• Dimension: 28.62" long x 19.5" wide x 30.75" tall

Check at Amazon #Ad

• 
• TOTO Drake CST744S#01 Toilet (Standard Height)
• Price: $$
• Rough-in Size: 12" (fits 11" too)
• 1.6 GPF
• Shape: Elongated Bowl
• 15.6" Seat Height (Standard Height)
• Dimension: 28" long x 19.5" wide x 28.5" tall

Check at Amazon #Ad

• 
• American Standard 2988101.020 Cadet 3 FloWise Toilet
• Price: $$
• Rough-in Size: 12" (fits 11" too)
• 1.28 GPF
• Shape: Round Bowl
• 17"+ Seat Height (Comfort Height)
• Dimension: 28.25" long x 15.75" wide x 30.75" tall

Check on Amazon #Ad

• 
• Kohler Cimarron K-3619 One-Piece Toilet
• Price: $$$
• Rough-in Size: 12" (fits 11" too)
• 1.28 GPF
• Shape: Elogated Bowl
• 17" Seat Height (Comfort Height)
• Dimension: 29.6" long x 19" wide x 28.6" tall

Check at Amazon #Ad

The best 11-inch rough-in toilet is the 12″ TOTO Drake CST744S#01 Elongated Bowl Toilet (link to its Amazon.com page) The below diagram from its specification sheet shows that it can be installed on a rough-in as short as 11 inches. Customer replies on its Amazon.com page here and here further confirms this Toto Drake’s suitability for a 11″ rough-in.

Similar to this Toto Drake diagram, all the toilets listed above, when installed on a exact 12-inch rough-in, leave a gap of around 1-inch between the back of the toilet and the wall. Due to this gap, they can be installed on a 11 inch rough in. When you install them on a 11 inch rough in they won’t have a gap. The toilet’s back will be touching the wall.

Note: Before we look at more details about the above listed 12-inch rough-in toilets that fit 11-inch rough-in’s, let me draw your attention to some other available solutions for 11-inch rough-in situations. In all there are about four solutions for replacing a 11″ rough-in toilet. They are as follows;

1. Using a 12″ Rough-in Toilet that fits a 11″ Rough-in
2. Using a 10″ Rough-in Toilet for 11″ Rough-in
3. Using a Offset Toilet Flange to adjust 11″ Rough-in into a 12″ Rough-in
4. Wall Renovation (Chip/move wall back and make the rough in a 12 inches.)

Out of these four options, most people prefer installing a 12″ toilet for a 11″ rough-in situation. So I’ll first share details about the 12″ toilets, as well as possible issues you need to be aware of. Below are details of those most preferred and best 11″ rough-in toilets.

1) Use 12-Inch Rough-in Toilets for 11-Inch Rough-In

So far, I have come across four good 12-inch rough-in toilet models that can be installed on a 11-inch rough-in. Three of them are Toto Drake series models and the fourth model is a American Standard Cadet series model.

These four toilet models leave a one inch or larger gap between the tank and the wall when installed on an exact 12-inch rough-in. Because of this gap, you can install them even on a shorter 11″ rough-in. Similarly, these toilets are good use as 11.25 inch rough-in toilets or 11.5 inch rough-in toilets.

I) TOTO Drake Elongated Toilet CST744E (1.6 GPF)

The first and most suitable 12″ toilet for 11″ roughin is the TOTO Drake Elongated toilet (check price on Amazon.com) It’s a very popular 12″ model and has been selling like hot cakes on online stores for decades. Fortunately for us, it can be installed in rough-in sizes as short as 10-7/8 inches.

Here is its specification sheet which shows when installed on a 12 inch rough-in, it has a 1 3/8 inch clearance at the base and 1 inch clearance at tank level from the wall. It was further confirmed by comments and review on its Amazon sales page here and here which confirmed it just fits 11″ roughin. So you can get this one without fear as a 11 inch rough toilet.

If the drain hole is large you can even pull the bolts forward, maybe get it to fit even a 10 3/4 inch rough in. This is usually the preferred choice by experienced plumbers for 11 inch rough in settings. I prefer this Toto Drake for its bigger clearance than other toilets mentioned here. And you won’t go wrong with its performance and quality construction.

II) TOTO Drake ADA-Height Elongated Toilet CST744SL (1.6 GPF)

The next best for 11″ rough is the TOTO Drake ADA-Height Elongated Toilet CST744SL (Amazon link). This has a taller comfort level seat so its preferred by taller people and elderly. As for its rough in size, its specification sheet here shows it has a gap of 1 1/8 inch (27mm) when installed on a exactly 12″ rough in. This is further confirmed by this reply by TOTO USA its Amazon page Q&A section which says it may fit 11″ rough in, but it will be a close call. I found several more confirmation comments on other Internet forums left by buyers and plumbers who say they have installed this Drake CST744SL on 11″ rough-ins.

III) American Standard Cadet 3 Concealed Trapway Toilet (1.28 GPF)

Here is the only American Standard toilet I found that fits a 11″ rough-in. It’s the 12″ rough-in American Standard Cadet 3 Concealed Trapway Right Height toilet 2988.101.020 (Check Amazon). According to its specification sheet, it has a 4″clearance at the base and 1 1/8″ at the top, which allows you to install it on a 11″ rough. Both a seller and purchaser in this Amazon Q&A replies confirm it can be installed in a 11″ rough-in but it will be a tight fit.

I also noticed it’s more often referred to and used by those seeking 11″ toilets. I think the reason is because it not only is a good lower water usable (1.28 GPF) toilet but also has a nice skirted design that makes it aesthetically more pleasing to the eye. Because it’s also more widely available than Toto its a better known 11″ toilet model.

It is very popular as a 12″ toilet and sold a lot because of its concealed skirted design, so the pipes at the base aren’t visible. Performance is also not bad. The toilet is 28.2 inches long and comes with a taller and comfortable Right Height seat level. It has lower water consumption rate of 1.28 GPF which is good for saving water. It’s also a round front toilet which saves space than many other American Standard toilet models.

IV) TOTO Eco Drake toilet (1.28 GPF)

And here is the final 12″ toilet I found that fits eleven inch rough in. The TOTO Eco Drake CST744E with 1.28 GPF (link to Amazon sales page). It is a high efficiency toilet with a lower water consumption rate. It uses just 1.28 Gallons of water instead of the usual 1.6 gallons which results in saving of thousands of gallons of water for you every year. So its very Eco-friendly, hence the name Eco Drake. It is also very comfortable toilet with an elongated and taller ADA seat and comes in five colors. However, this model is not as popular as the previous Drakes we discussed above.

This Eco Drake specification sheet shows it has a clearance of 1 3/8 inch at the base and 1 inch at the tank level. There were some comments in forums and other websites that said they have used the Eco Drake on 11 inch rough in settings.

Important Note: Please double check you got the rough-in size exactly right. These 12″ toilets I recommend just barely fit a 11″ rough in. If your rough in is less than 11 inch like a 10 7/8 or a 10 3/4 inch rough in, you’ll probably not be able to install the 12 inch toilets you buy. Rough-in size is measured from the wall and not from any baseboard or molding. So to get the correct rough-in length make sure you measure from above the baseboard or molding. You are almost a toilet expert if you know how to measure the rough-in size.

2) Best 10-Inch Rough-in Toilet for 11-Inch Rough-in

I think installing a 10″ rough-in toilet on 11″ rough-in is a better option than installing a 12″ inch rough. That’s because if you can find a 10″ rough-in toilet that fits exactly on 10″ inches then installing it on 11″ rough-in will give you a back clearance only 1″ which is not too big a gap. This gap will prevent mold development on wall and toilet tank sweating/dripping in humid conditions when a heaters is on.

So to find the 10 toilet with the smallest tank-wall gap, I checked all the 10 inch toilet models currently on sale in the American market. I found the model that will have the shortest gap is the American Standard 221CB004.020 Colony 2-Piece Elongated Toilet (Amazon link) When you check its specification sheet here you can see it leaves a 1/2 inch gap when installed on a perfect 10-inch size rough in. So when installed on a 11-inch rough-in, the Colony toilet will leave a gap of 1-1/2 inches (1.5″). 1.5-inch gap is a noticeable gap to have behind a toilet tank but still won’t look weird and is passable.

The next smallest gap toilets I found are below two models;
* American Standard 270DB001.020 Cadet 3 Round Front Two-Piece Toilet (Amazon link)
* TOTO Aquia 2-Piece 0.9/1.6 GPF Dual Flush Elongated Toilet (Amazon link)

According to their specification sheets, both these models leave a gap of 3/4″ inch between wall and tank when installed on a 10 inch rough-in. So on a 11 inch, they’ll leave a gap of 1-3/4″ (1.75 inches).

However, the best 10 rough-in toilet I have experience with and can recommend as a very good toilet is the 10″ Toto Drake CST744EF Toilet (Amazon.com link). However when you install this toilet on a 10 rough-in it has a gap of about 1 inch between the tank and the wall. So when you install it on a 11 inch rough-in you will get a gap of about 2 inches. Practically two inch gap is not that big deal. It even allows to clean and wipe clean the tank back.

For this post I tried to find a 10″ rough in toilet that fits a 10″ roughin without leaving a gap between the tank and wall. So when you install it on a 11″ rough-in, it leaves a gap of only 1 inch which is not that bad and allows you to clean gap and avoid mold developing on the wall. Unfortunately so far I haven’t come across any model.

Almost all 10″ rough in toilets are designed to fit smaller roughin like 9.5 or 9 inches. So when you install them on a 11″ rough you will get at least a 1.5″ or more gaps which for some might be a big deal and for others a advantage as they can clean like I said above.

What To Lookout for When Buying 12″ Toilet for a 11″ Rough-in?

Here I will like to share some finer points I learned about buying and installing 12 rough-in toilets for 11 inch rough-ins. Buying a 12 inch rough-in toilet that fits a 11 inch rough-in is a challenge and you don’t want to make any mistakes that could cost you extra time and money. So it’s best I share with you here all the information I know about 11 inch toilets and situations, so you can make an informed decision with confidence.

Rough-in Size: After all this is the most important specification you need to look at when buying any toilet. In toilet language, matching rough-in size is like a shape matching game. Get it wrong, your toilet won’t fit. Toilet makers know not all rough-ins are full 12 inches long. Many toilets are designed to fit a rough-in smaller than the intended size. Toilets we discuss here have a one inch or more rough tolerance level so they allow us to install them on a 11 inch rough.

Wall tilt: Sometimes walls aren’t perfectly vertical. So if it’s 11 inches at the floor, and the wall leans a little into the room, there could be issues fitting one of these 11 inch toilet that doesn’t have a gap between the back of the tank and the wall. So check to make sure your wall is relatively vertical. The 10 7/8 rough-in Toto Drake might allow some leeway, but the American Standard model will require perfectly vertical walls.

Toilet tilt: Since these listed toilets here just fit 11″ toilets (specially the American Standard toilet) a slight tilt on the toilet can have a significant impact on whether the tank hits the wall. But if you like, you can control the tilt with shims (spacers/wedges). Put your shims in place before dropping a toilet on wax seal. Don’t raise a toilet once squished on wax.

Tank to wall gap: If there’s no gap between the toilet tank and wall, mold can grow on your wall if it’s not tiled. Unfortunately when you install these 12 inch toilets in your 11 inch setting they will probably be touching the wall (even the Toto Drake that supports 10-7/8 inch rough in). Applying a waterproof paint to the specific wall area that will be covered by the toilet tank can prevent mold growth. For 11 1/2 inch rough in and 11 1/4 rough toilet recommend will have good gaps which allow occasional cleaning by running through a thin cloth behind the tank to prevent mold and mildew development.

KOHLER 11″ Rough in Toilets

I know many people love KOHLER and you might like to get Kohler 11 inch rough toilet. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any from Kohler toilet model that might fit a 11″ rough in. I found some forum comments and these replies on Amazon that imply the KOHLER Cimarron toilet can be installed on a 11 inch rough in. But the Cimarron specification sheet says it’s got only a tank to wall clearance of 7/8 inches when installed on a exact 10″ rough. So I’m not 100% sure about this. If you have a 11 1/8 inch rough in or 11 1/4 roughin this will be a good buy.

The next widest gap Kohler I found was for the Kohler Wellworth K-3987-0 which leaves a gap of 3/4 inches between tank and wall. So it can be used as a 11.25 rough in toilet. The beautiful KOHLER Memoirs K-6669-0 has a 1/2 inch gap, so will fit up to 11.5 inch rough in.

American Standard 11″ rough in toilet

The previously discussed American Standard Cadet 3 Concealed Trapway Right Height toilet 2988.101.020 (Amazon link) is the only American Standard toilet that fits 11″ rough I have found so far.

TOTO 11 Inch Rough-in Toilets

Above, we had a look at 3 Toto toilet models that fit in a 11″ rough-in. All 3 toilets belong to the Toto Drake toilet line. They can all be installed in rough-in sizes starting from 10-7/8 inches or more. As for Toto Drake series toilets quality, flush performance, I can recommend them without reservation. All Toto Drake toilets have great flush ratings. Some even joke that if you can clog a Toto Drake to take pictures and brag about it, as people who know Drake would consider it an accomplishment! However you need to be aware they can be a tight fit and leave no gap between the wall and tank.

What about best toilets for 11 1/4 inch rough in?

If you have got a 11 1/4 inch rough in setting then any of the above mentioned toilets will be the best toilets for you as they will leave a gap of at-least 1/4 inch at the back. However non of the above a small compact toilets for small bathroom. If you need a small 11″ toilet for saving space, checkout this below 26.5 inch Toto Drake. Is 1.5 inches shorter than the 11″ fitting toilets mentioned here.

26.5 inch long small TOTO Drake Round toilet that fits 11.25 inch rough-in

If you are looking for a small 11.25 inch rough in toilet to save space in a small bathroom then this TOTO Drake Round Bowl toilet CST743S (Amazon page link) might help you. It is a small compact toilet with a depth of 26.5 inches (1.5 inches shorter than the other elongated bowl Drakes mentioned above). This 1.6 GPF toilet is one of the best selling compact toilets for small bathrooms in the market today.

Regarding fitting 11 inch rough in, it’s spec sheet here shows a clearance of 1 3/8″ at the base and 3/4″ at the top between the toilet and wall. The clearance at the top tank level, indicates its not enough for 11″ rough in but enough for 11.25 rough in and larger. Still I found some claims they installed it on a 11″ rough. See this Amazon review here where a verified purchaser of this model claims they installed in on their 11″ roughin with some space to spare! I think this maybe due to the Toto drake’s toilet horn (opening) at the bottom is 2-5/8″ going into a 3″ drain. If your drain hole is big there is some room to fudge a bit at that point. But you won’t know for sure what you have until your old toilet bowl is pulled out.

What about 11.5 inch rough in toilets?

If you have a toilet rough in 11.5 inch rough in or even 11.25 inch rough in you have many more options than for rough in’s that measure just 11 inches or 11.25 inches. However the Toto Drake which I mentioned above is one of the best toilets you can find the market today so highly recommend you get it. If you get it for a 11 1/2 inch rough in you get the added advantage half inch or more gap between the tank and wall, which will prevent possible wall molding and tank perspiration issues.

3) Use Offset Toilet Flange to make 11″ rough-in into 12″ rough-in

After buying a 12″ toilet if you find out your rough in is shorter than 11″ you will need to use a 1-inch toilet offset flange and move the toilet drain hole to install it. Offset Toilet Flange are cheap and can be order on Amazon here. Plumbers use these offset often to adjust irregular rough in sizes. (In some situations like when you find yourself with 8 inch rough in where there aren’t any toilets that fit them you inevitably have to use a offset flange or remove flooring and correct the length of the drain hole to 10 or 12 inches by increasing the drain pipe length.)

If you have to use a offset flange please check with your area building codes because some don’t allow offsets. If you can use a toilet offset flange on a 11-inch rough-in to make it 12-inch it will also help you avoid the tight fit issues we discussed above or no gap between tank and wall that cause wall mold growth too.

4) Wall Renovation (Chip/move wall back to fit a 12″)

Finally you have the fourth solution for a 11″ rough in. You can renovate your wall bying chipping or moving it a bit inside atleast behind the toilet and thereby increase the rough-in distance between the toilet’s drain and the wall surface to 12 inches. However since you can install a 10″ toilet you would normal not need this option unless you buy a 12″ toilet and find out you not only can fit it but also you can’t install a offset flange either. For this option I highly recommend you consult a professional for assistance. The only types of walls that you can move without professional assistance are non-load-bearing walls (also called partition walls).

Additonal Notes no 11″ rough-in…

Note 1: I know some people might be looking for 11 inch rough in dual flush toilet, small 11 inch toilet but unfortunately I couldn’t find any dual flush or compact toilet that will fit a 11 inch rough-in.

Note 2: When you look for Toto drake you might find a newer version saying Toto Drake II. Bub note, Toto Drake and The Drake II are very different. Drake II series toilets won’t fit 11″ rough in as they don’t have much clearance in the back as the original Drake series models mentioned here.

Note 3: If you are planning for a new build or a remodel, always plan for a 12 inch rough-in. That’s the most common of the 3 rough-in sizes of 10, 12 and 14. You will find that you won’t be lacking of choices when you are shopping for a toilet.

Conclusion

So folks that’s the end of a long explanation about 11 inch rough toilets. I think I covered lot of things you will need to know about 11″ rough in situations, maybe even more than you wanted. Its good to know everything before you dive in right? 🙂

So what have you decided? Will you buy one of the 12 inch rough in toilets for your 11 inch rough in? Or are you going to buy a 10 inch rough in toilet? Please fire away any questions, concerns and experience with 11 inch rough-in toilets in the comments below. I love to hear what you think 🙂