A 14" rough-in is a toilet flange that measures 14" from the back wall to the center of the drain.
A 14" rough toilet will have about 3/4" of an inch behind the tank.
A 12" rough toilet will have about 2-3/4" behind the tank.
Most 14" rough toilets consist of a 12" bowl and a thicker tank.
The bowl winds up sticking out just as far.
There are some kits (Toto Unifit) for some types that let you move the 12" bowl back toward the wall. These types come in the elongated bowl only.
Expamples of these would be the Toto Vespin, Carlyle, Carrollton and some others.
Will a 12" rough toilet work? Yes.
Toto Vespin II CST474CEFG with SS114 Softclose seat.
This bowl was installed on a 13-1/2" rough-in using the 14" Unifit adapter.
The water shutoff can be as close as 5-1/2" to the left of center, unless it's higher off the floor, and then it can be even closer to center.
This shutoff had been replaced with a new 1/4 turn valve with brass nipple through the wall.
Installation was by James Love of Love Plumbing & Remodel 206-949-5683
In some of the older Seattle homes, the old toilets had been wall mounted tank toilets.
Those typically are 14" rough-in and need a flange repair to use standard closet bolt connections at the flange.
Everything is on the truck for that.
The Vespin comes with a standard 12" adapter or you can order a 10" or 14" adapter depending on your rough-in distance.
