Shower Curtain Size Calculator

The short answer

Measure the shower wall to wall and add 12 in: that’s the width of the curtain. Then measure from the floor up to the rod. The curtain hangs about 1 in below the rod on its rings and should end 2 to 5 in above the floor over a tub, or 0.25 to 2 in above it in a stall, so take the longest standard length that ends there.

A standard 60 in tub with the rod at 76 in takes a 72 × 72 in curtain, which ends 3 in above the floor.

How to measure

1. The width: measure wall to wall where the rod goes. Over a tub, that’s the tub’s long side; in a stall, its opening.
2. The rod: measure from the floor up to the rod. No rod yet? Measure to where you’d like it, and the result says where the rod goes for the curtain it picks.
3. The tub: measure from the floor to the top of the rim. Most tubs are 14 to 16 in high.
4. The showerhead: older homes have showerheads at 72 to 78 in and newer ones at about 80 in. With a high one, a longer curtain keeps the spray in.

How to use the calculator

1. Choose the shower: a tub with a shower, or a shower stall.
2. Enter the width and the rod’s height, and for a tub, how high it is.
3. Read the result: the curtain to buy, where it ends, where the rod can go and the liner to match. The lengths around it are listed as Fits, Tight or Doesn’t fit.
4. Save or share it. Copy link keeps your numbers in the address.

How we calculate

The calculator works from standard curtain sizes. If you already have a curtain, the size on its label comes first.

• The width: the shower wall to wall plus 12 in, so the curtain falls in folds and still covers the opening when it’s closed. A standard width up to 2 in narrower still counts, so a standard 70 in curtain fits a 60 in tub. The pick is the width closest to the shower plus 12 in. When you’re between sizes, take the larger one.
• The length: the curtain hangs about 1 in below the rod on its rings, or about 2 in on some hooks. Over a tub it ends 2 to 5 in above the floor, and at least 6 in below the tub’s rim, which keeps the water in. A stall has no tub to catch the water, so the curtain runs nearly to the floor, ending 0.25 to 2 in above it.
• Fits and Tight: a length that ends in that range Fits. One that ends closer to the floor, down to 0.25 in, or higher, as long as it stays 6 in below a tub’s rim or within 5 in of a stall’s floor, is Tight. Anything else doesn’t fit: a curtain that drags gathers mold and mildew, and one too long can trip you while one too short lets water spray onto the floor.
• The rod: for the curtain you pick, the rod goes at its length plus the rings plus the gap under it. For a 72 × 72 in curtain that’s 75 to 78 in, close to the standard 75 to 77 in. There’s no one right rod height: it depends on how far above the floor you want the curtain to end.
• The liner: the same size as the curtain or an inch or two smaller, hung inside the tub with the curtain outside. It should come close to the bottom of the tub without bunching on its floor.

Worked examples

Worked example

A curtain for a standard 60 in tub

What we know

• Shower: a tub, 60 in wall to wall
• Rod: 76 in above the floor
• Tub: 15 in high

How it works out

1. Width: 60 in + 12 in = 72 in; the closest standard width is 72 in.
2. Length: 76 in − 1 in for the rings − 2 to 5 in above the floor = 70 to 73 in; the longest standard length that fits is 72 in.

A 72 × 72 in shower curtain. The shower is 60 in wall to wall, so the curtain should be about 72 in wide: the shower plus 12 in, for folds that cover it when it's closed. A 72 × 72 in curtain hangs about 1 in below the rod on its rings, so it ends 3 in above the floor, 12 in below the tub's rim. For this curtain, the rod can go anywhere from 75 to 78 in above the floor. The liner hangs inside the tub and the curtain outside: take one the same size or an inch or two smaller, like a 70 × 72 in or 72 × 72 in liner.

Worked example

A curtain for a 36 in shower stall

What we know

• Shower: a stall, 36 in wall to wall
• Rod: 80 in above the floor

How it works out

1. Width: 36 in + 12 in = 48 in; the closest standard width is 54 in.
2. Length: 80 in − 1 in for the rings − 0.25 to 2 in above the floor = 77 to 78.75 in; the longest standard length that fits is 78 in.

A 54 × 78 in shower curtain. The shower is 36 in wall to wall, so the curtain should be about 48 in wide: the shower plus 12 in, for folds that cover it when it's closed. A 54 × 78 in curtain hangs about 1 in below the rod on its rings, so it ends 1 in above the floor. For this curtain, the rod can go anywhere from 79.25 to 81 in above the floor. The liner hangs inside the stall and the curtain outside: take one the same size or an inch or two smaller, like a 54 × 78 in liner.

Worked example

A rod raised to 90 in over a tub

What we know

• Shower: a tub, 60 in wall to wall
• Rod: 90 in above the floor
• Tub: 15 in high

How it works out

1. Width: 60 in + 12 in = 72 in; the closest standard width is 72 in.
2. Length: 90 in − 1 in for the rings − 2 to 5 in above the floor = 84 to 87 in; the longest standard length that fits is 84 in.

A 72 × 84 in shower curtain. The shower is 60 in wall to wall, so the curtain should be about 72 in wide: the shower plus 12 in, for folds that cover it when it's closed. A 72 × 84 in curtain hangs about 1 in below the rod on its rings, so it ends 5 in above the floor, 10 in below the tub's rim. For this curtain, the rod can go anywhere from 87 to 90 in above the floor. The liner hangs inside the tub and the curtain outside: take one the same size or an inch or two smaller, like a 72 × 84 in liner.

Shower curtain size chart

The common sizes, width by length, with the widest shower each one covers and how high its rod goes: over a tub, or in a stall for the stall sizes.

How high to hang a shower curtain rod

Long curtains run 79 or 84 in and extra-long ones 72 × 96 in, for a high rod or a high showerhead. For a rod near the ceiling, take the floor-to-ceiling height less 4 to 6 in for the curtain’s length. A curtain longer than the standard lengths is made to measure.

The rod’s length

• Over a tub, the rod spans the tub’s long side. A common adjustable rod covers 60 to 72 in.
• A tension rod goes up about 1 in longer than the space between the walls, so don’t buy one that only just reaches.
• A curved rod on a standard tub mounts about 3 in inside a straight one and gives more elbow room. It’s longer than a straight rod, so the curtain needs more fabric to fall in folds.
• Where it mounts: on the bathroom wall, not on a fiberglass tub’s sidewalls, and on drywall rather than tile where you can. A tension rod avoids drilling tile.

Clawfoot tubs

A clawfoot tub needs a curtain that wraps all the way around it: about 180 × 70 in, with 30 or more hooks against the standard 12. The rod goes about 75 to 80 in above the tub’s inside floor, so measure from the tub, not from the bathroom floor. You can also hang two curtains, with plastic liners inside the tub if you like.

Before you buy

• Hooks: a standard curtain takes 12 hooks or rings.
• Fabric curtains: cotton needs a liner, and fabric can shrink, so wash a long curtain before you hang it.
• Care: wash curtains and liners about once a month, follow the care label, and never put vinyl in the dryer, where it can melt. Spread the curtain out after a shower so it dries, and run the bathroom fan; the bathroom fan CFM calculator sizes one.
• Safety: use nonslip mats in the tub and on the floor outside it, and grab bars at the tub. Towel bars and soap dishes won’t hold someone in a fall. The bath mat size calculator sizes the mat outside the tub or shower.

Then find the vanity that fits your wall, and size the mirror over it with the vanity mirror size calculator.