Bathroom Plumbing Points: Heights & What to Decide First
Concealed fittings are chosen before the walls close, not after tiling. The plumbing point heights for an Indian bathroom, the five decisions you must make before rough-in, and what is still possible if the tiles are already on.
Updated 2026-08-31 · Padmavati Ceramics - Authorized Jaquar Dealer
Short answer
Decide your bathroom fittings before the plumber closes the walls, not after the tiles are on. Every concealed fitting needs a brass valve body buried in the wall during rough-in, and once the tiling is finished, changing your mind means breaking tile. The points that must be fixed before plastering: basin hot and cold at 500–550 mm from floor, WC water inlet at 200–250 mm, health faucet at 300–400 mm, shower diverter at 1,000–1,200 mm, overhead shower arm outlet at 2,000–2,100 mm, and bath spout at 150–200 mm above the tub rim. Get these wrong and you are not choosing between fittings — you are choosing between the fittings that happen to fit.
In detail
Why this is a shopping decision, not a plumbing one
An Indian bathroom is built in a sequence that gives you exactly one chance:
- Walls chased, pipes laid, concealed valve bodies fitted
- Pressure test
- Plastering
- Waterproofing and tiling
- Fittings installed
Your fitting choice has to be made at step 1. By step 4 the wall is closed and the geometry is fixed — the valve body in the wall determines which exposed parts kits will fit it, and there is no adapter.
This is why we ask customers whether their walls are tiled before quoting anything. If they are, half the catalogue is already unavailable. See concealed vs exposed shower systems for what remains possible after tiling.
The measurements
From finished floor level (FFL) — meaning after tiles, not the bare slab. This is the single most common error: points set from the slab end up 20–40 mm low.
Two heights people get wrong.
The overhead shower arm at 2,000–2,100 mm assumes a wall-mounted arm and an average user. If anyone in the house is over 6 feet, add 50–75 mm. And if you are planning a large rain shower head, remember the head hangs below the arm — a 300 mm head on an arm at 2,100 mm puts the spray face at roughly 2,000 mm, which is fine, but the same arm with a downward-angled head is not.
The diverter at 1,000–1,200 mm should be positioned so you can reach it without standing under the water. In a small Mumbai bathroom that usually means offsetting it toward the entry side of the shower zone rather than centring it under the shower.
Decide these five things before rough-in
1. Concealed or exposed? Concealed looks cleaner and lets you change the finish later without breaking tile. Exposed is cheaper, retrofit-friendly and easier to service. This decision drives everything else. Full comparison in concealed vs exposed shower systems.
2. How many outlets does the shower wall feed? One (shower only), two (overhead + hand shower), or three (overhead + hand shower + spout). This determines the valve body, and the body cannot be changed later.
- 1 outlet → a plain wall mixer or ALD-CHR-227-class body
- 2 outlets → a 2-way body such as ALD-CHR-079N or ALD-CHR-065M
- 3 outlets → a 3-way body such as ALD-CHR-783N or ALD-CHR-193N
3. Thermostatic or not? Thermostatic bodies are physically different and larger. Decide now — retrofitting one means re-chasing. Whether you should is in the thermostatic mixer guide.
4. Wall-hung or counter basin? A wall-hung basin needs its inlets and waste in the wall at specific heights, and needs a wall-mounted mixer or a basin with a tap hole. A counter basin can take a deck mixer and hide everything in the vanity. See wall-mounted vs deck-mounted basin taps.
5. Ceiling shower? A ceiling-mounted overhead shower needs a point in the slab, and that decision has to be made before the false ceiling and before waterproofing. It cannot be added later without opening the ceiling.
The rough-in checklist to hand your plumber
Print this, fill in the fitting codes, and give it to the plumber before chasing starts.
The valve body column is the one that matters. Every concealed point needs one, it must be bought before chasing, and it is almost always an Allied (ALD-) code — details in the exposed parts kit guide.
Five mistakes we see every month
Points set from the slab, not FFL. Everything ends up 20–40 mm low. Tell the plumber the tile thickness plus the bed — usually 25–40 mm — before he marks anything.
The health faucet point put on the wrong wall. It needs to be reachable while seated, on the side of your dominant hand, not behind you.
No stop valve on the washing machine point. A ₹520 valve that means you can change a hose without shutting the flat's water.
Concealed body fitted at the wrong depth. Every Jaquar concealed body has a marked finished-wall depth range. Set too deep, the exposed kit will not reach; too shallow, the flange will not sit flat. The plumber must read the body's own template, and this is not something you can correct after tiling.
Buying the exposed kit before tiling and storing it on site. Cement dust and acidic tile cleaner will dull a PVD flange before it is ever fitted. Buy it, take it home, fit it last.
If the walls are already tiled
Not a lost cause, just a narrower one:
- Exposed wall mixers and diverters mount on the surface and need only the existing pipe stubs.
- Deck-mounted basin mixers work with any counter basin.
- Exposed shower arms in any length adjust the head position without moving the outlet.
- Adhesive-mount accessories avoid drilling, except grab bars and towel rails.
What you cannot do is add a concealed diverter, move a point, or add a ceiling shower.
Buying from us
Padmavati Ceramics is an authorized Jaquar dealer in Borivali West, Mumbai, and this is the stage where a dealer is worth more than a website. Every order carries a GST invoice, free pan-India delivery on prepaid orders, and free replacement within 7 days for damaged, defective or wrong items.
Send us your bathroom layout before the plumber starts chasing. Message +91 79770 04273 on WhatsApp with a rough sketch or a photo of the bare walls, and tell us how many outlets you want in the shower. We will send back the point heights and the exact valve bodies to buy — free, and whether or not you buy the fittings from us. A ₹4,010 valve body in the wrong place costs a day of tile work to fix.
Related products
- Jaquar concealed valves & exposed kits
- Valve compatibility finder — what fits which body
- Guide: Concealed vs exposed shower systems
- Guide: Jaquar exposed parts kit explained
- Guide: New flat bathroom fittings checklist (Mumbai)
FAQ
What height should bathroom plumbing points be?
From finished floor level: basin hot and cold at 500–550 mm, WC inlet 200–250 mm, health faucet 300–400 mm, shower diverter 1,000–1,200 mm, overhead shower arm 2,000–2,100 mm, bath spout 150–200 mm above the tub rim and bib tap 700–800 mm.
When do I need to choose my bathroom fittings?
Before the plumber chases the walls. Every concealed fitting needs a brass valve body buried during rough-in, and the body determines which exposed kits will fit. Once tiling is done, changing your mind means breaking tile.
Can I still change fittings after tiling?
Partly. Exposed wall mixers and diverters, deck-mounted basin mixers, different shower arm lengths and adhesive-mount accessories all work on tiled walls. You cannot add a concealed diverter, move a point, or add a ceiling shower.
Need help choosing? Talk to a real dealer.
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