Laundry room remodel cost

A laundry room remodel costs $2,500 to $15,000, typically around $6,000. Refreshing an existing laundry room with cabinets, a counter and better lighting is at the bottom. Creating one where none exists, with new plumbing, drainage and a dryer vent, is at the top.

Moving laundry from a basement to an upper floor is the version that costs real money, and it is also the change people are most pleased with.

What it costs

Moving laundry upstairs

This is the project most often asked about and it has one real risk: a washing machine on a floor with living space beneath it.

What makes it safe:

A drain pan under the machine, plumbed to a drain. Not a pan sitting on the floor collecting water. A pan with an outlet that goes somewhere.

Braided steel supply hoses, not rubber, and a single-lever shut-off valve you can reach. Rubber hoses are a leading cause of household floods and they fail at the worst time, which is while nobody is home.

A leak detector with an automatic shut-off valve, $150 to $400, which closes the supply when it senses water. On an upper floor this is the best money in the room.

Waterproof flooring carried up the wall a few inches at the edges.

Floor structure checked for the weight. A front loader on a spin cycle exerts real dynamic load, and a floor that bounces will transmit it through the house.

Add sound insulation in the walls and a solid-core door while the walls are open. It costs $300 to $1,000 and is the difference between a laundry room you use in the evening and one you do not.

Stacked, side by side, or a pedestal

Stacked takes 30 inches of width and suits a closet. It puts the dryer controls high and makes the washer awkward to unload for shorter users.

Side by side takes 56 to 60 inches and gives you a counter across the top, which is the most useful surface in the room.

Pedestals raise front loaders about 15 inches, add drawer storage, and cost $250 to $600 each. They make loading much more comfortable and they raise the top of the machine above a comfortable counter height, which is worth checking against your own height before buying.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a floor drain?

Not required everywhere, and strongly worth having on any floor above a finished space. Where a drain is impractical, a pan plumbed to a nearby drain or a leak detector with automatic shut-off is the alternative.

How long is the dryer vent allowed to be?

Typically 35 feet maximum, less 5 feet for every 90 degree bend, though check local code. Long or convoluted runs are why dryers take two cycles to dry a load, and lint buildup in a long run is a genuine fire risk. Rigid metal duct, never flexible foil.

Can a laundry room go in a garage?

Commonly yes, and in a cold climate the supply lines need protection from freezing and the machine will run slowly in winter. Check whether local code requires a gas appliance in a garage to be elevated.

Is a utility sink worth it?

More than most people expect: hand washing, soaking, filling buckets, and somewhere for the washer drain to discharge into where a standpipe is not available. If there is room, it is $400 to $1,200 well spent.

Does a laundry room add value?

An upstairs laundry near the bedrooms is a feature buyers actively look for in family houses. A tidy laundry room in a basement does not add much on its own but does remove an objection.