Removing your old toilet and finding out you have a 9-inch rough-in can be a big headache. As toilets today come only in 10, 12 and 14 inch rough-in sizes, it’s very difficult to find a toilet for 9-inch rough-ins in local stores or even on the Internet. I know few people who wanted a 9″ roughin toilet and fortunately I was able to find and recommend couple of 10-inch rough-in toilets that fit the 9 inch toilet rough-in. As this solved their problem, I thought should share them here too.
What are the best 10-inch toilets for 9 inch rough in toilet issue? The best toilets for 9-inch rough-in are:
- TOTO Drake CST744SF.10#01 Two-Piece Toilet, 1.6 GPF (link to its Amazon.com sales page #ad)
- American Standard Cadet 3 Round Front Toilet, 10-inch Rough-in (Amazon.com link #ad)
- Toto CST744EF.10No.01 Eco Drake Two-Piece Toilet, 1.28-GPF (Amazon page link #ad)
All three of these toilets are 10-inch rough-in toilets, but they can be installed even on a 9-inch rough-in. That’s because they leave a gap of around 1-inch between their tank back and the wall when installed on an exactly 10″ rough-in. (See toilet specifications sheets and diagram photos below for more details)
The TOTO Drake CST744SF.10#01 1.6GPF Two-Piece Toilet is usually the toilet of choice for people with 9″ rough-in. Toto is the best toilet brand and this is a well designed toilet. It uses the standard water flush rate of 1.6 gallons and flushes well. When I checked it online reviews on Amazon and other places, customer reviews are good. So I can recommend it.
The TOTO Drake CST744SF.10#01 1.6GPF Two-Piece Toilet and Toto CST744EF.10No.01 Eco Drake Two-Piece Toilet are the same toilet model. The difference between them is the Toto Eco Drake uses less water 1.28 Gallons per Flush (GPF) compared to the standard Toto Drake which uses the federal standard flushing water consumption rate of 1.6 GPF. So Eco Drake will save you more water and it is more environmentally friendly. Also, some states like California, Texas etc. require new toilets to use 1.28 GPF or less water per flush. If you are from such a state you’ll need to buy this model. It also has good reviews with high ratings on online stores.
I think you’ll like to see some proof that these 10″ roughin toilets will fit your 9-inch rough-in. So lets have a look at them in detail including their specification sheets, diagrams. I also included links to online reviews and comments made by people who have installed them on 9 inch rough in toilet situations and solved their problem.
1) TOTO 9-Inch Rough-In Toilet
The best 9″ rough-in toilet I have come across so far is the 10-inch rough-in Toto CST744SF.10#01 Drake Two-Piece Toilet (Amazon link #ad). Below is the diagram I took from its specification sheet. It shows the 1-1/8″ gap between the toilet tank back and the wall, when it is installed on a exactly 10-inch rough-in.
At the tank top the diagram shows a gap of only 7/8″, still you can shift the bolts on the toilet flange hole away from the wall off center and get your 9″ clearance. I have recommended this model to many people were looking for 9″ rough-in toilets. They bought this and solved their problem.
To further clear any doubts you might have whether this will fit your 9-inch rough-in, check this answer to a question on Amazon #ad by someone who installed it on a 9″ rough-in. Here is another Amazon review #ad that further confirms it fits.
If you do a Google search you will find many more online reviews and forum comments made by custoemrs and even plumbers who have bought and installed this Toto CST744SF.10No.01 Drake Two-Piece 10-inch toilet on 9-inch rough-in size.
Apart from fitting rough-ins of upto 9 inches, I have found this Toto Drake to be the best 10-inch rough-in toilet in the market today. Why I say this is because this toilet gives a good flush with its G-Max flushing system, uses a standard water rate of 1.6 GPF and has got a superior design and finish that is durable and easy to clean. I have also found this 10-inch Toto to have more reviews and better star ratings on online stores like Amazon than other 10-inch rough toilet models.
Here is the link to its specification sheet where you can find out everything you need to know about it.
Keep in mind 10″ toilets are more difficult to find and generally more expensive than 12-inch rough-in toilets. And TOTO toilets being a premium brand are normally a bit more expensive than other toilet brands. But still I think this toilet is a good deal for you considering it will probably save you from having to break the floor and install a offset toilet flange or extend the toilet drain outlet to make it into a 10 or 12 inch rough-in.
If I had to buy a toilet for a 9-inch rough-in I would buy this over others because of its good ratings, superior quality of the toilet design and inside parts, and my past good experience with Toto toilets. After all a toilet is a long term investment and you don’t want to buy a cheap toilet and keep experiencing a lame flush or deal with inside parts that wear and breakdown frequently from daily use.
2) American Standard 9-Inch Rough In Toilet
The only American Standard 9″ rough-in toilet I have found so far is the American Standard 270BB001.020 Cadet 3 Right Height Round Front Two-Piece Toilet with 10-Inch Rough-In (Amazon page #ad). This fits a 9″ rough-in because when installed on a exact 10-inch rough-in it leaves a gap of about 1-inch between the tank and the wall.
Below is the diagram from the spec sheet that shows the large tank-wall when its installed on a exact 10-inch rough-in.
The bigger gap shown in the diagram is only at the toilet bottom. At the tank top, the gap is about 3/4 inch only but you can shift the bolts on your toilet flange hole and get it to fit upto 9-inch rough ins.
Like the Toto this is also a 1.6 GPF water consumption toilet with a good flushing performance. Here is the specification sheet link where you can check more details about this model.
This Cadet 3 American Standard toilet is one of the smallest toilets available in the market. Its depth is only 25 1/4 inches from back to front. (The 26 1/4 inches mentioned on the diagram is when installed on a 10″ rough-in) So if you are looking for 9″ toilet for a small bathroom or space saving then this is better than the Toto.
Note: Based on the specification diagrams the Cadet 3 might appear to have little more space between the back of the toilet and the wall than the Toto Drake (~2″ v. 1 1/8″ gap). But in reality the gap between the tank and the wall is about same as the Toto Drake. It needs at-least a 9″ rough-in to fit.
(I heard about a customer who bought this Cadet 3 after looking at the spec sheet and thinking it had a 2″ inch gap and might fit even as a 8-inch rough-in toilet. He bought it to replace his old 8.5 inch rough-in toilet. But when going to install on his 8 1/2 inch rough-in, he found out the Cadet 3 tank hits the back wall and slants forward.)
KOHLER 9″ Rough In Toilets
I think many people who are KOHLER fans would like to have a Kohler toilet for their 9 inch rough-in. But despite my keeping an eye open for possible 9-inch toilets, I haven’t yet come across any Kohler toilet models that would fit a 9-inch roughin.
There are a couple of Kohler 10 inch rough-in toilets like Kohler K-3889-96 Highline Comfort Height 1.28 gpf Toilet, 10-inch Rough-In toilet. But if you check there specs you can see it has back clearance of about 3/4 inch only when installed on a 10″ rough-in. So at best it can be used as a 9 1/4 rough in toilet or 9 1/2 inch rough in toilet.
So Kohler doesn’t seem to have any with the back clearance from the toilet tank to the wall to be adaptable to 9″ roughs.
What About 9.5 Inch Rough In Toilet?
What if instead of a 9-inch rough-in, say you had a 9.5 inch rough in? What is the best toilet model then? Are the above two models the best toilets for 9.5 inch rough-in too? Yes they are ,specially the 10-inch Toto Drake toilet.
I highly recommend the Toto CST744SF Drake 10-inch rough-in toilet as the best 9.5 rough-in toilet as well as 9.25 inch rough-in toilet in the market today. This I know by the experience I’ve had by recommending it for my own customers as well as the number of forum comments and reviews I have come across on the Internet by people who have used it to solved their 9 1/2 rough in toilet issues and 9 1/4 rough-in toilet problems.
When you install the Toto Drake on a 9.25 or 9.5 inch rough-in you can get a small gap between the toilet tank and the wall. This is good thing as it gives a breathing space for the tank. Having a gap like this helps reduce tank sweating and dripping issues. It also allows you to clean the wall behind the tank using a thin cloth or other material and prevent mold growth that usually happens when the tanks are too close to the wall.
Conclusion
Like I mentioned above I have been keeping a eye out for possible 9-inch rough-in toilets. So far the two listed here are the only ones I’ve come across. Possibly there are more and if you find any other 10-inch toilets that adapt to 9-inch rough-in please share it in the comments below.
Meanwhile both the 10″ Toto Drake and American Standard Cadet 3 models are good quality toilets and have been used by hundreds of people to solve their 9-inch rough-in toilet problems.
The Toto model is the better choice toilet model of these two. But depending on your needs and preferences either can be a better choice than the other. For example, if space is an issue and you need the smallest toilet you can get, then the 10-inch American Standard Cadet 3 will provide you more space saving and legroom in a small bathroom setting.
Comments are also open. Your thoughts and feedback are valuable to me and will help hundreds of future readers here. So please take a moment to share you a comment about your 9-inch rough-in issue, and what you did or are going to do about it in the comments below. Thank you.
As you stated, I’m having a rough time finding a toilet with a 9 1/2 inch rough-in. Presently I have a Crane toilet with the 9 1/2 inch rough-in. The top of the bowl is actually touching the wall and when you install the tank, the lid touches the wall as well and mold builds up where the vent holes are. Experts tell me that I need to install a off-set flange adapter. What do you recommend
If yours is a 9 1/2 inch rough in, one of the Toto models I mentioned above will be fine for you. I know many people have bought them even for 9 inch roughins and are very happy with them after installation. As they fit even a 9 inch rough in, you will have some space at the back than the Crane toilet you have presently.
Gene, that’s interesting I was replacing a Crane (which was bought out by American Standard) with a 9.5 inch rough-in as well. I had no idea what I was getting myself into!
Yes, the TOTO 10″ fit my 9.5″ rough-in. I did have to cut away the bottom lip of my baseboard to squeeze it in. But the Tank and lid have a small gap (not looking at it now but I’d guess 1/2 inch) so you should have room up top… may need to make a small adjustment on the base of the toilet like I did. I would recommend doing this as opposed to installing an off-set flange adapter or even worse- having to modify the wall.
Have a Crane with 9 1/2″ to middle of hole in floor. However, the water shutoff comes out from wall about 2 1/2″. Looking for a comfort height and under $300. Recommendations.
I’m a contractor here in California…. Thanks for taking the headache out of finding a good cheap toilet for my drain issue …. much appreciated ?