Our plan was to move the toilet over creating a 30" toilet space and create a larger frameless glass shower by removing the shower plumbing to a different wall and eliminating the 8" thick wall.

Our contractor opened the floor only to determine that the joists run the wrong way to move the toilet (he says it can't be moved) and the toilet appears to already be as far over within the joist as it can move. (see picture with black marker line that indicates center line of joist)

If we move the toilet to the other side of the joist (which is what our neighbor had done) the toilet space would be 28". We were hoping our joists were positioned differently but apparently they are not. DH and I are concerned with the thought of cutting joists. Don't know if we can do it to code (joists 9" tall) and not to mention we were ok with a 30" cozy toilet area, but 28" may be a little too tight (and for all we know not to code as well).

Trying to figure out other options. Would it look bad if the toilet was not centered. Does anyone have any pictures of this? We were thinking 35" toilet space with 20" on far wall side and 15" on the side to shower glass wall side.

What about off center toilet flanges? Are they code anymore? Any other suggestions? Thoughts? Should we just leave it as is at 40". Again, the desired end result is a larger shower and smaller toilet area, and no we can't make the room bigger....I wish!

Thanks!
PS: Don't you love our 1970's blue spin-art looking tile? Yikes!

We can't expand the other direction for the shower as that wall goes into our bedroom and the way the doors and an exterior window are positioned we can't move the wall any further into the room.

http://archive.org/stream/gov.law.icc.irc.2012/icc.irc.2012_djvu.txt

"SECTION P2705
INSTALLATION
5. Water closets, lavatories and bidets. A water closet,
lavatory or bidet shall not be set closer than 15 inches
(381 mm) from its center to any side wall, partition or
vanity or closer than 30 inches (762 mm) center-to-cen-
ter between adjacent fixtures. There shall be a clearance
of not less than 21 inches (533 mm) in front of a water
closet, lavatory or bidet to any wall, fixture or door."

It doesn't say anything about the two sides being equal, just that they need to be a minimum of 15" from center, or 30" total center to center. Now you may tell me it will look horrible, that's another story, but I am not sure if I am following why it isn't to code.

Here is a picture I found online of an off center toilet. It is a toilet stall, and I think it is closer to walls/partitions than we would be...but it was all I could find. I don't think it looks terribly bad and to be honest I think ours will be less noticeable since the wall to the left will be a glass wall to the floor...so it will feel more open. Thoughts?

Plan is to move plumbing and eliminate divider wall...freeing up an additional 8" of shower space. We also have room to make the shower another 2" deeper...so it will be 37" deep (including shower curb)

We were also hoping we could have also easily move the toilet over 5-10" figuring we only needed a 30" toilet area, not 40".....ultimately creating a 37" x 53" shower. However once we opened the floor we realized that is not feasible.

So now our choices are as follows:
1) Keep a 40" toilet space, which makes the shower area 37" x 43" (including shower curbs)
2) Make the toilet area 35" by making the shower area another 5" wider...thus creating a 37" x 48" shower area (including shower curbs). However this option creates an off center toilet.

I just want the shower to be as spacious as possible, but if 5" isn't going to make a noticeable difference maybe we won't bother and will just leave the toilet at 40".
Thoughts?