Best 10-inch rough-in Toilets

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If you’ve looking for a new commode, you’ve often heard that toilets come in all shapes and sizes.

While that’s true, it generally applies to toilets that install over a standard 12-inch drainpipe. If you have a 10-inch opening, the selection narrows significantly.

The best 10 inch rough in toilet is the KOHLER Highline. This comfortable commode delivers a strong flush but is also easy to install and maintain.

If you’re looking for something for a smaller bathroom or a more efficient toilet, we have that covered as well.

Below you’ll find six of the best 10-inch commodes along with a guide to help you find the right model for your home.

Our Best 10-inch Rough-in Toilets

6 Best 10-inch Rough-in Toilets Reviewed

A 10-inch rough-in toilet is only unique in a few ways from a standard rough-in toilet.

The selection is considerably smaller, although we found six models that are suitable for any bathroom regardless of the décor.


Best Overall

1. KOHLER Highline Comfort Height Toilet

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PROS

  • Class 5 flushing tech
  • ADA-compliant
  • Elongated bowl
  • Excellent MaP score

CONS

  • No seat included

Homeowners interested in a stylish toilet have always been partial to KOHLER and their extensive lineup of commodes.

While they have colors and sizes to suit everyone’s needs, the Highline comfort height toilet is our top choice in the 10-inch rough-in category.

While stylish, one of the best features of this two-piece toilet lies inside the tank with the Class Five flushing technology. 

It includes a 3.25-inch flush valve and a powerful siphon that leaves a clean bowl behind with every flush. The toilet has a MaP score of 1,000 but is one of the more efficient models on our list.

KOHLER’s engineers were able to achieve the score despite the fact the Highline only uses 1.28 gallons per flush.

The Highline is a comfort height toilet at 16.5 inches without a seat and has an elongated bowl. The company’s patented DryLock system ensures this toilet is a breeze to install.

It’s hard to find a fault with this two-piece toilet, which is one of the reasons it’s been so well-received by homeowners. The Highline has more than enough power to clear the bowl, is easy to install, and efficient.

You’ll need to pick up a seat, supply lines, and installation accessories for this 10-inch rough-in toilet, however.


Runner-Up

2. American Standard Cadet Pro Toilet

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PROS

  • Comfort height
  • PowerWash rim
  • 3-inch flush valve
  • 1.6 GPF

CONS

  • No seat or accessories

One-piece toilets have gained a lot of ground in recent years, but there’s something to be said for reliable, traditional styles.

That’s what you’ll find with the Cadet Pro from American Standard, an excellent 10-inch rough-in toilet.

This elongated toilet provides extra room in the front for men and women. It’s a classic two-piece toilet with a partially exposed trapway and chrome-plated trip lever.

There’s ample water surface area in the bowl, and their EverClean surface coating helps keep the inside and outside clean.

With a flush rating of 1.6 GPF, this toilet moves more water than most. The 3-inch flush valve helps the Cadet Pro achieve a MaP score of 1,000 as well. The toilet is chair height at 16.5 inches but does not come with a seat or wax ring.

While not the cheapest two-piece toilet from the company, the Cadet Pro 10-inch rough-in toilet has a powerful flushing mechanism and more than enough water in the bowl to keep it streak-free.

The build quality is top-notch, and homeowners found it as easy to install as our top choice.


Best Dual Flush

3. Swiss Madison Well Made Forever Ivy Toilet

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PROS

  • Streamlined design
  • Dual-flush mechanism
  • 3-inch trapway
  • Complete installation kit

CONS

  • Too small for some

One of the more affordable 10-inch rough-in toilets comes from Swiss Madison, a company known for its budget-friendly designs. The Ivy not only has an attractive price tag but comes with dual-flush capabilities as well.

The design of this toilet allows homeowners to save space and water. It’s dual-flush rated at 1.1 gallons per flush for liquid waste or 1.6 GPF when you need a full flush.

Swiss Madison’s Vortex flush system helps power this commode which has a 2-inch valve but a 3-inch trapway.

This 10-inch rough-in toilet is one of a handful sporting a modern design. The toilet tank flows into the bowl, and the trapway is fully enclosed.

It’s sleek, although not in the comfort height class. The Swiss Madison Well Made Forever Ivy is a little over 15.5 inches tall without the quick-release seat attached.

When you need a complete rough-in toilet for a 10-inch system, the Ivy is well worth a look. It’s easy to maintain and has a flushing score of 600, but it may not be large enough for some people considering its height and design.

This compact toilet comes with a soft-closing toilet seat, wax ring, caps, and a bolt kit.


Best Round Toilet

4. American Standard Cadet 3 Flowise Toilet

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PROS

  • Efficient at 1.28 GPF
  • EverClean glazing
  • Compact round bowl
  • The price tag

CONS

  • It doesn’t come with a seat
  • Could be too short

Taller toilets with extended bowls aren’t hard to find whether you want a standard rough-in toilet or one designed for a 10-inch drain.

When you want a toilet with a round bowl, the selection is slimmer, which is where the Cadet 3 Flowise stands out.

This is a round front toilet, so there’s more space between the front of the bowl and the wall. The round bowl is easier for children to use, but so does the height.

This version of the Cadet 3 is 15 inches without a seat making it ideal for people of average height or shorter.

The Cadet 3 10-inch rough-in toilet has a slightly different style than the Pro, although both are two-piece toilets with identical MaP scores.

It’s gravity-fed with a PowerWash rim, and WaterSense certified at 1.28 gallons per flush.

This American Standard toilet won’t break the bank and provides more space in small bathrooms than elongated models.

It’s also more efficient than the Cadet Pro if you live in an area with water restrictions or want to cut back on consumption in your household.


Best TOTO Toilet

4. TOTO Drake G-Max Toilet

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PROS

  • G-Max flushing system
  • Universal height toilet
  • 3-inch valve
  • SanaGloss Coating

CONS

  • No seat included

When looking for a well-built toilet with a modern style, TOTO has always been a brand homeowners can turn to.

They also have one of the larger selections of 10-inch commodes, including our favorite 10-inch rough-in toilet, the Drake.

This siphon jet toilet takes advantage of TOTO’s G-Max flushing technology. It has a computer-engineered trapway that’s fully glazed and a large water spot in the bowl.

SanaGloss coating keeps the bowl tidy, and there’s more than enough power to ensure waste is never left behind.

A 3-inch flush valve powers this toilet, which has a flush rating of 1.6 GPF. It packs a punch and is ADA compliant at 16.5 inches without a seat.

The elongated toilet bowl provides more room in the front while a chrome left-handed trip lever kicks the commode into action.

The Drake is stylish and one of the better choices for homeowners that want a strong flush from a comfort height toilet. It’s not the most efficient, but it is affordable and performs as advertised.

There is no seat with this version of the Drake, so you’ll need to pick up an elongated seat before putting it to use.


Most Compact Toilet

5. Fine Fixtures Dual-Flushing Toilet

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PROS

  • Dual-flush at 1.1/0.6 GPF
  • Slim and compact
  • Elongated bowl
  • Large trapway

CONS

  • The seat

Fine Fixtures produces a range of affordable bathtubs, sinks, and toilets. While the style is comparable to the Ivy from Swiss Madison Well Made, this toilet is slightly smaller with a better price point if your budget is tight.

You might mistake this toilet for the Ivy from a distance, but the differences are apparent up close. The access holes on the side are larger and not as sleek.

It’s not as curvy, although both are easy to clean, thanks to a concealed trapway. The seat is much slimmer, however, and it’s not as deep or wide as the Ivy.

On top of this one-piece commode is a chrome flush mechanism with two buttons. It produces 1.1 gallons of water for flushing liquids, while the full flush rating is 1.6 GPF.

It has a 3-inch trapway with a 2-inch valve and comes with a slimmed-down soft-closing toilet seat.

This dual-flush toilet is an excellent alternative if you like what the Swiss Madison Ivy brings to the bathroom but not the price.

The only complaints were in regards to the seat, which some consumers felt was ill-fitting or poor quality.


toilet seat decoration

How To Find the Best 10-Inch Rough-in Toilet

When choosing a 10-inch rough-in toilet, you’ll have to make a few concessions. The selection isn’t nearly as wide, even if the only thing that’s changed is the distance from the wall to the center of the drain pipe.

With that in mind, focus on these areas to find the best option for your home.

Comfort

Nobody wants to sit on an uncomfortable toilet bowl, whether you have a family of five using a single commode or plan to install a 10-inch rough-in toilet in a rental property.

That means you have to consider things like the seat, height, and shape of the toilet bowl

Elongated toilet bowls are the best option for homeowners looking for a roomy, comfortable bowl. This type of bowl is considered more sanitary, given there’s more room in the front for both men and women. 

An elongated bowl will increase the price of a toilet and can take up around two more inches of floor space in small bathrooms because of the length.

A smaller toilet bowl provides more stability for people with smaller frames. That includes children who struggle transitioning from a potty training seat to toilets with elongated bowls.

Commodes with a round bowl are cheaper and shorter, freeing up a few more inches of floor space as well.

Remember to keep the comfort of anyone who will use the toilet in mind, then consider the height of the bowl itself. 

Toilet Bowl Height

Have you ever struggled to get after a long session on a commode? That happens to millions of homeowners and is often related to the height of the toilet.

For decades, the standard height of a toilet was around 14 to 15 inches without a toilet seat. While adding a seat could bring a few extra inches of height, these commodes are designed for people of average height.

Homeowners over 6’ tall will appreciate how comfortable a taller toilet can be. Comfort height toilets start at 16.5 inches high in most cases.

Any toilet labeled as ADA compliant will provide extra height, which is ideal for the elderly and people with mobility issues that can struggle to sit or stand.

A comfort or chair height toilet will increase the price compared to a standard height commode. There are also “universal” height toilets around 16 inches tall without seats that can provide the best of both worlds. 

Water Consumption

Have you struggled with keeping the water bill down in your home? If so, you can choose a low-flow toilet to conserve water and decrease your water bills. 

Water consumption is something many homeowners don’t consider but can affect the price of a toilet and how much it costs to use over time. It’s a rating measured in gallons per flush, which is listed as GPM in the toilet industry 

All toilets sold today have a maximum flush rate of 1.6 GPF. The most efficient toilets use as little as 0.9 gallons per flush. While choosing a toilet with an efficient flush rate may seem like the best way to go, it’s not that simple.

Homes with heavy flushers that use a toilet of toilet paper may want a toilet that uses more water.

Streaky bowls are unpleasant, and while glazing helps, so does a powerful flushing system. The water level and toilet surface area are essential, although the power comes from the mechanism inside the tank.

Flushing Power

You can look for two things when considering the flushing power of a commode — the flushing system inside the tank and the MaP score.

Many consumers aren’t concerned about the technologies used by toilet manufacturers, so consider the size of the flush valve. Larger valves generally provide more power, although most have valves measuring 2 or 2.5 inches in diameter.

The most powerful flushing systems have 3 to 4-inch flush valves. Pressure-assisted toilets are more powerful but rare with a 10-inch rough-in toilet. Even commodes with a smaller flush valve can have a high MaP score, however.

MaP ratings come from a voluntary testing scale for toilet manufacturers that rates performance and efficiency. A toilet with a score of 500 is more than sufficient for most homeowners, but ultra-high-efficiency commodes can score up to 1,000.

Not every manufacturer includes a MaP score, but you can read more about the MaP testing procedures and what they mean on their official site. 

Installation 

10-inch rough-in toilets aren’t standard but commonly found in homes with older plumbing lines. That leaves many homeowners wondering if a 10-inch rough-in toilet is more challenging to install than a commode with a larger rough-in

The good news is any 10-inch rough-in toilet can be just as simple to install as a 12-inch rough-in toilet. 

The toilet’s dimensions are the most critical part of the installation process when space is tight in a bathroom. When purchasing a new 10-inch rough-in toilet, think of the bowl size and any cabinets or fixtures nearby. 

While the drain or rough-in hole on these toilets is smaller, they are full-sized commodes unless you opt for a compact design.

If you are uncomfortable installing a toilet or dealing with plumbing, it’s best to call in a professional to avoid leaks or problems down the road. 

You’ll also want to think about what’s included with the toilet and what you can use from your old system, or you could be making several trips to the hardware store. 

Choose a Toilet Seat and Wax Ring

One of the things we discovered when looking for the best 10-inch rough-in toilet was most do not come with a seat.

Depending on the brand and your preference, that might not be a negative as some seats are far more comfortable than others.

Toilets without a seat can significantly raise the cost, but they aren’t the only thing missing from the box of a new commode.

Wax rings are usually not included with a toilet and are just as essential as the seat. You can order one with the toilet or pick one up locally, like the anchor or Johni-bolts that hold a toilet to the floor.

A water supply line is another inexpensive accessory if you can’t use your existing ones. There should be matching toilet cap bolts in the box, although replacements are available if you want something more streamlined. 

The Verdict

Choosing the best 10-inch rough-in toilet for a home is no different from shopping for any other type of commode, providing you keep the budget in mind along with the key points from our guide. 

For most homeowners, the KOHLER Highline Comfort Height Toilet is the best choice given the efficient flush rate, although our runner-up is an excellent alternative if you want more water in the bowl or power. 

FAQ

How Much Space Can a 10-Inch Rough-in Toilet Save in a Bathroom?

That depends on the style, but these toilets sit 2-inches closer to the wall on average than commodes with a 12-inch rough-in.

Can I Replace a 10-Inch Rough-in Toilet With One That Has a 12-Inch Rough-in?

Yes. While it’s always best to match the toilet to the rough-in, you can use an offset flange to address these situations with 12 or 10-inch rough-in toilets.

How Do You Measure the Rough-in for a Toilet?

You need to measure from the back wall, not the baseboard, to the center of the capped bolts on the bottom of the toilet to get the rough-in measurements. . 

Are Parts Harder To Find for 10-Inch Rough-in Toilets Compared to a Standard Rough-in Toilet?

Not unless you need a replacement lid or the company uses a unique flushing system. Modern flushing systems are simple to acquire for 10-inch rough-in toilets. 

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