Washer and Dryer Dimensions (Size Guide)

Here we share our washer and dryer dimensions size guide to help you select the right model for your laundry room design.
A washer and a dryer is an essential part of any modern home. If you have space in your home plan for a separate laundry room, great, but if you do not, you might want to look into getting a stackable washer and dryer.

Standard washer and dryers have different dimensions from stackable washers and dryers. Most manufacturers will tell you what the width, height, and depth of their washer and dryer units right away. However, when determining the right size of washer and dryer for your space, you need to remember to add some clearance space.

Clearance space is basically extra room that is left at the sides and the back of a washer and dryer. This space is necessary as there needs to be air circulation around the machines to ensure that they work well.

Having some space around your washer or dryer also reduces the amount of noise that occurs when the machines are operating. If there is no clearance space, an operating washer or dryer could bang into its surroundings, damaging themselves and making a racket.

To ensure that there is proper clearance space around your washer and dryer, there needs to be one inch of space between the units anything placed beside it. It is also necessary to leave four to six inches of space between the back of the washer and the wall.

Standard Washer and Dryer Dimensions

Standard washers and dryers have a width of about 27 inches. If you are planning to have these units placed side by side, you will need about 54-inches of space. And let’s not forget, you need to add about an inch of space between the appliances and their surroundings so technically that is around 57-inches of space.

There is a bit more variation in the height that standard washer and dryers come in. A washer or dryer has a standard height of 35 to 43 inches.

When it comes to depth, a standard washer or dryer will come with a depth of 28 to 34 inches. Don’t forget to take the four or six inches of clearing space needed into consideration before deciding on the proper depth for your units.

Front Load Washer and Dryer Dimensions

A front-load washer or dryer is basically one that has a door on the front. To load or remove clothes from the units, you need to open them from the front.

Front-load washers and dryers come in the standard washer and dryer dimensions, though you can also get front-load washers and dryers in stackable dimensions.

If you are considering a front-load washer and dryer, there is one other dimension that you will need to take into consideration – the space in front of the washer or dryer.

You need to ensure that there is at least 24 inches of empty space in the front of your front-load washer and dryer to make sure that you can open the door fully.

Stackable Washer and Dryer Dimensions

Stackable washer and dryers are rising in popularity, especially for apartment and condo dwellers, because they occupy less space compared to having a separate washer and dryer unit.

There are two types of stacked washer and dryer units available, single unit and freestanding units. These are usually front-load washer and dryers, though a single unit washer and dryer might have a top-load washer paired with a front-loading dryer.

A single unit washer and dryer, also known as a unitized washer and dryer, is an appliance that is “stacked” and connected into one unit. You purchase this washer and dryer as one piece.

A single unit washer and dryer will usually have a width of 24-27 inches and height of 70-76 inches. The standard depth will be around 27-32 inches. However, you will need a deeper space of up to 40 inches to accommodate hoses and plugs.

Freestanding washer and dryer units are purchased as separate units, but they are designed to enable you to stack them on top of each other.

Stackable Washer and Dryer Kit

In order to use a freestanding washer and dryer as a stackable washer and dryer, you will need to use a staking kit.

Stacking kits fit between the washer and dryer and keeps them fixed together safely as one unit. They are designed to ensure that the weight of both appliances are property distributed. They also absorb the vibrations from the washer and the dryer when they are running.

If you use a stacking kit for your washing and dryer, you will basically end up with a unit where the dryer is on top and the washing machine is at the bottom. You need to use this configuration to ensure that the weight of your appliances are evenly distributed.

Washing machines, especially when they are in use and filled with wet clothes are too heavy to be on top. Also, when they are in operation, they tend to vibrate more so the entire thing will be more stable if the washer is on the bottom.

In general, you can stack any freestanding dryer and washing unit on top of another. You just need to make sure that the width and the depth measurements are equal. If one unit is a little bigger than the other, you should still be able to stack them as long as the bigger unit is on the bottom.

Because your washer is at the bottom, you will not be able to buy a top-loader washer unit. Most stackable washers are front-loading units.

You will be able to determine the total height of you stacked washer and dryer unit by adding the individual heights of each unit.

Are washer and dryer stacking kits universal?

While you may be able to find a few stacking kits in the market that can be used with a variety of washer and dryer models, most are actually designed specifically for use with washer and dryer models from a specific brand.

When you are buying a staking kit for your stackable washer and dryer, make sure that it is compatible with the units that you have.

For more related ideas visit our basement laundry room designs gallery.