Creating a toilet partition Revit family streamlines your design workflow and improves project accuracy. Most architects struggle with generic families that don’t match real-world specifications.
We at Partition Stalls see this challenge daily in commercial projects. This guide walks you through building custom families with proper parameters and realistic geometry.
What Makes Revit Families Work for Toilet Partitions
Revit families fall into two categories: system families built into the software and loadable families you create or download. System families like walls and floors cannot be modified outside Revit, while loadable families give you complete control over geometry and parameters. For toilet partitions, loadable families are your only option since system families lack the flexibility needed for commercial restroom designs. Component families, a subset of loadable families, work best because they support complex parametric relationships and can host other elements like hardware and accessories.
Essential Parameters That Drive Functionality
Successful toilet partition families require specific parameter types that match real-world installation scenarios. Instance parameters control individual partition behavior within a project, such as panel height adjustments from 58 inches to 82 inches or door swing direction. Type parameters define preset configurations like standard 24-inch depth versus ADA-compliant 60-inch depth stalls. Design errors commonly stem from incorrect parameter relationships between partition width, pilaster placement, and door clearances. We recommend you create separate type parameters for overhead braced, floor mounted, and ceiling hung configurations rather than combine them into complex conditional formulas that break during project coordination.
Smart Family Structure Planning
Structure your partition family around three core components: panels, hardware, and support systems. Nest individual door families within the main partition family to maintain separate control over swing direction and hardware specifications. This approach reduces file size compared to solid geometry models. Create separate families for pilasters and end panels rather than attempt to build universal components that handle every condition.
Your family template should start with the Generic Model Specialty Equipment category (not Furniture) because it provides better wall and floor intersection behavior. Plan for standard widths of 32, 34, and 36 inches with parametric controls that prevent impossible configurations like doors wider than their containing panels.
Template Selection and Category Setup
Choose your family template carefully since you cannot change the category later. The Generic Model template offers the most flexibility for toilet partitions, while the Specialty Equipment category provides superior cutting behavior in projects. Avoid the Furniture category because it limits your ability to create complex parametric relationships. Start with simple geometry to test your parameter structure before adding detailed components. This foundation approach prevents the common mistake of building complex geometry that fails when parameters change, forcing you to rebuild the entire family from scratch.
Creating the Toilet Partition Geometry
Reference planes form the foundation of any successful toilet partition family. You must establish them before you add any geometry. Start with a vertical reference plane at the centerline of your partition, then add planes at 16 inches on each side for standard 32-inch wide stalls. Place horizontal reference planes at floor level, 58 inches for standard panel height, and 82 inches for tall configurations.
Lock these dimensions to your family parameters immediately – you will face broken constraints that force complete rebuilds if you wait until after geometry creation. Your reference plane grid should include pilaster locations at 2-inch intervals from panel faces, door swing clearances at 32 inches minimum, and ADA compliance zones with proper clearance requirements beyond door openings.
Panel Construction with Parametric Control
Create partition panels with solid extrusions rather than in-place families because extrusions maintain better performance in large projects. Set your panel thickness to 1 inch for phenolic materials or 1.25 inches for powder-coated steel based on manufacturer specifications. Build door panels as separate nested families with swing parameters that prevent conflicts with adjacent walls or fixtures. Your door family should include standard 24-inch and 32-inch widths with automatic hinge placement that adjusts based on swing direction parameters. Hardware mounting points require precise placement – toilet paper dispensers mount 19 inches from floor centerline, coat hooks position 60 inches high, and door latches align 36 inches from floor level according to ADA guidelines.
Material Application and Finish Details
Apply materials directly to solid geometry rather than use material parameters that complicate family behavior. Create separate material parameters for panels, hardware, and pilasters because mixed materials on single elements cause rendering problems in project views. Phenolic materials should use 0.75-inch thickness with beveled edges, while stainless steel requires 0.063-inch sheet thickness with welded seam details. Your material library should include specific finishes like Bobrick B-2888 stainless steel or Scranton Products HDPE solid plastic rather than generic materials that don’t match actual products. Surface patterns must align with panel orientations – wood grain runs vertically on doors and horizontally on pilaster caps to match real-world installation practices. For projects requiring enhanced aesthetics, consider glass partitions that provide both elegance and privacy while maintaining functional requirements.
Hardware Integration and Mounting Systems
Hardware components require separate nested families that maintain independence from panel geometry. Create individual families for hinges, latches, and accessories (coat hooks, paper dispensers, and door pulls) to allow independent material assignments and replacement schedules. Mount hardware families to reference planes rather than panel faces to prevent constraint failures when panel dimensions change. Standard door hardware positions include hinges at 7 inches and 55 inches from floor level, with latch mechanisms centered at 36 inches height. Your hardware families should include manufacturer-specific models with accurate dimensions and mounting requirements to match real installation conditions.
These geometric foundations prepare your family for the parameter structure that controls flexibility and configuration options across different project requirements.
Adding Parameters and Flexibility
Parameters control every aspect of your toilet partition family behavior, and the wrong approach creates families that break during coordination. Instance parameters handle project-specific adjustments like panel height variations from 58 to 82 inches, door swing direction changes, and hardware positioning. Type parameters define preset configurations such as standard 24-inch depth stalls versus ADA-compliant depth requirements. Create instance parameters for panel height, door swing, and hardware visibility because these change frequently within projects. Build type parameters for stall depth, mounting system (overhead braced, floor mounted, ceiling hung), and material specifications because these remain consistent across partition groups. Never combine mounting systems into single parameters with conditional formulas – separate type families for each mounting method prevent constraint failures that force complete rebuilds.
Standard Size Variations Without Constraint Failures
Standard toilet partition widths include 32, 34, and 36 inches with parametric controls that prevent impossible configurations. Your width parameter must include minimum and maximum values – doors cannot exceed panel width minus 2 inches for proper clearance. ADA stalls require 60 inches wide minimum with depth of 56 inches for wall-hung toilets and 59 inches for floor-mounted toilets, while standard stalls work at 24-inch depth with 24-inch doors. Create separate type parameters for ambulant disabled stalls at 900mm width (35.4 inches) to meet international accessibility standards. Panel height parameters should range from 58 inches minimum to 82 inches maximum with 2-inch increments to match standard hardware positions. Your family must include automatic pilaster spacing that adjusts based on panel width – pilasters position 2 inches from panel edges regardless of overall stall dimensions.
Door Clearance and Swing Calculations
Door clearance calculations require 32-inch minimum swing radius with automatic conflict detection when doors overlap adjacent walls or fixtures. Set up your door swing parameter to control both left and right orientations while maintaining proper clearance zones. The family should automatically adjust hinge positions based on swing direction – left swing doors place hinges on the left pilaster, right swing doors reverse this placement. Include visibility parameters that show or hide door swing arcs in plan views to help designers identify potential conflicts during layout development.
Family Testing Methods That Prevent Project Failures
Flex your family parameters systematically by testing extreme values before deployment in projects. Start with minimum dimensions (32-inch width, 58-inch height, 24-inch depth) and verify all constraints remain locked to reference planes. Test maximum configurations (36-inch width, 82-inch height, 60-inch depth) to confirm geometry scales properly without gaps or overlaps. Change door swing direction while maintaining different stall widths to identify constraint conflicts between nested families.
Load your family into a test project with walls, floors, and adjacent fixtures to verify intersection behavior matches real installation conditions. Bradley Corporation families maintain constraint integrity across all size variations because they separate door hardware from panel geometry through nested family structures.
Final Thoughts
A successful toilet partition Revit family demands methodical planning and systematic testing. Start with proper reference planes, use separate nested families for hardware components, and create distinct type parameters for each mounting system. Never combine multiple mounting configurations into conditional formulas that break during project coordination.
The most critical mistake architects make involves creating complex geometry before they establish parameter relationships. This approach forces complete rebuilds when constraints fail. Test your family with extreme dimension values before project deployment, and always flex parameters systematically to identify potential conflicts.
Focus on manufacturer-specific dimensions rather than generic measurements. Bradley Corporation families succeed because they separate door hardware from panel geometry through proper nesting structures. Your toilet partition Revit family should include standard widths of 32, 34, and 36 inches with automatic pilaster spacing that adjusts based on panel dimensions. We at Partition Stalls provide high-quality commercial restroom solutions with the real-world dimensions and hardware details your Revit families need to match actual installation conditions.
