Measure the closet, alcove or wall where the washer and dryer go. You get whether the pair fits with the gaps the makers’ installation instructions ask round it, which pairs do, the shelf over them and the laundry room it takes.
Your laundry space
A full-size front-load pair fits side by sideit needs 57 × 39½ × 56¾″ (wide × deep × high) with the makers’ gaps · 3″ to spare across, ½″ in depth
Quick answer: a full-size washer and dryer are 27″ wide, about 38¾″ tall and up to 33¼″ deep; stacked they stand 76½–78½″ tall. With the gaps the makers’ installation instructions ask, a side-by-side pair needs a space 57″ wide and 39½″ deep, a stacked pair 29″ wide, 39¾″ deep and 84½″ high, and a compact 24″ pair side by side 50¼″ × 31⅛″.
How to use the washer and dryer size calculator
- Measure the space: wall to wall, the back wall to the front of the closet or alcove, and up to the ceiling or the shelf over it.
- Pick the pair: full-size front-load, a top-load washer beside a dryer, or compact 24″ (apartment size).
- Side by side or stacked, and whether a closet door closes it.
- Read the answer: whether the pair fits with the makers’ gaps, which pairs do, the shelf height over them and the laundry room it takes.
The rules behind the numbers
Two makers’ installation instructions, the larger of each
Every size and gap here is the larger of two makers’ own drawings, so either one’s pair fits the space the calculator names: Whirlpool’s front-load washer instructions (W11156977, for Whirlpool and Maytag models), its electric dryer and top-load washer instructions, and Samsung’s spec sheets for a full-size and a 24″ compact dryer. Whirlpool: “All dimensions show minimum spacing allowed.”
The gaps round the machines
1″ at each side and between them and 1″ in front (Samsung; Whirlpool’s washer asks ¼″ in front and adds 1″ “on all sides of washer to reduce noise transfer”). Behind: 5¼″ side by side (Samsung) and 5½″ stacked (Whirlpool’s dryer), for the dryer’s vent. Whirlpool: “Most installations require a minimum of 5″ (127 mm) clearance behind dryer for exhaust vent with elbow.” Samsung’s compact pair asks 3″ behind.
Above them
A stacked pair: 6″ to the ceiling (both makers). Side by side in a closet, Whirlpool’s dryer asks 18″ over it at least, 34″ recommended; Samsung’s compact pair 17″. Over a top-load washer, Whirlpool’s cabinet sits 17″ above the washer and is no more than 14″ deep, so the lid opens. Under a counter, Whirlpool asks 39″ to its underside, higher than a 36″ kitchen counter.
A closet door
“If a closet door or louvered door is installed, top and bottom air openings in door are required” (Whirlpool): 48 in² at the top and 24 in² at the bottom, each 3″ from the end. Samsung: “the closet front must have two unobstructed air openings for a combined minimum total area of 72-inch²”. And “No fuel-burning appliance may be installed in the same closet as the dryer.”
Room to use them
Whirlpool: “Space must be large enough to allow door to fully open.” The calculator keeps a path in front as wide as the IRC’s hallway, “not less than 3 feet (914 mm)” (R311.6); the washer’s open door takes about 23⅜″ of it.
Washer and dryer dimensions, as the makers print them
| Machine | Width | Height | Depth | Door open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whirlpool / Maytag front-load washer | 27″ | 38⅝″ | 31⁹⁄₁₆–33¼″ | 51⁵⁄₁₆–56½″ |
| Samsung full-size dryer (DVE45B6300) | 27″ | 38¾″ | 31⁵⁄₁₆″ | 52⁹⁄₁₆″ |
| Whirlpool top-load washer | 27″ | 43″ | 27½″ | lid: 17″ above |
| Samsung 24″ compact dryer (DV22K6800EW) | 23⅝″ | 33½″ | 25¹³⁄₁₆″ | 44¼″ |
Stacked, a full-size pair stands 76½″ (Whirlpool) to 78½″ (Samsung); Samsung’s compact pair 66¹⁵⁄₁₆″.
The space each pair needs
| Pair | Space (wide × deep × high) | Laundry room to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Full-size, side by side | 57 × 39½ × 56¾″ | 57″ × 74½″ |
| Top-load washer + dryer | 57 × 39½ × 60″ | 57″ × 74½″ |
| Full-size, stacked | 29 × 39¾ × 84½″ | 29″ × 74¾″ |
| Compact 24″, side by side | 50¼ × 31⅛ × 50½″ | 50¼″ × 66⅛″ |
| Compact 24″, stacked | 25⅝ × 31⅛ × 73″ | 25⅝″ × 66⅛″ |
The laundry room’s depth is the gap behind, the deepest machine and a 3-ft path in front.
Four worked examples
A 60″ × 40″ laundry closet. A full-size front-load pair fits side by side with 3″ to spare across and ½″ in depth.
The same closet, 36″ deep. The full-size pair is 3½″ too shallow: a compact 24″ pair fits side by side (31⅛″ deep), or deepen the closet to 39½″.
A 32″-wide closet. A full-size pair stacked fits, 29″ wide and 84½″ high with 3″ to spare across.
A top-loader under a shelf at 58″. 2″ too low: the lid needs the shelf at 60″. A front-load pair fits under it.
Common laundry space mistakes
- Measuring the machines, not the space. Two 27″ machines need 57″ with the gaps, not 54″.
- Pushing the dryer to the wall. Its vent needs 5–5½″ behind it.
- A solid closet door. It needs 48 in² of air at the top and 24 in² at the bottom.
- A shelf too low over a top-loader. 17″ above the washer, and no deeper than 14″.
- No room for the open door. A front-load door swings about 23″ out.
Planning the rest of the room? The mudroom bench and coat hook calculator sizes a drop zone beside it, the closet size calculator a closet for the clean clothes, and the free 2D planner lays out the laundry room to scale.
A mudroom beside itRead next
- Laundry room layout ideas
- Stacked laundry room ideas
- Laundry room ideas for a small space
- Laundry room cabinets
- Laundry room storage solutions
Washer and dryer size questions
What are standard washer and dryer dimensions?
27″ wide each. A front-load washer is 38⅝″ tall and 31⁹⁄₁₆–33¼″ deep (Whirlpool and Maytag), a full-size dryer 38¾″ tall and 31⁵⁄₁₆″ deep (Samsung); a top-load washer 43″ tall and 27½″ deep (Whirlpool).
What are stackable washer and dryer dimensions?
A full-size pair stacked is 27″ wide and 76½–78½″ tall; with the makers’ gaps it needs a space 29″ wide, 39¾″ deep and 84½″ high. A compact 24″ pair stacked is 66¹⁵⁄₁₆″ tall and needs 25⅝ × 31⅛ × 73″.
What are apartment size washer and dryer dimensions?
A compact pair is 23⅝″ wide, 33½″ tall and 25¹³⁄₁₆″ deep each (Samsung). Side by side they need a space 50¼″ wide and 31⅛″ deep; stacked, 25⅝″ wide.
How deep should a laundry closet be?
39½″ for a full-size front-load pair side by side (39¾″ stacked): the machines, 1″ in front and 5¼–5½″ behind for the dryer vent. 31⅛″ for a compact 24″ pair.
How high should a shelf be above a washer and dryer?
At least 56¾″ from the floor over a full-size front-load pair (18″ over the dryer, Whirlpool; 72¾″ recommended). Over a top-load washer, 60″ and no more than 14″ deep, so the lid opens.
What size should a laundry room be?
For a full-size pair side by side, at least 57″ × 74½″ (4′9″ × 6′2½″): the machines’ wall and, from the back wall, the vent gap, the machines and a 3-ft path to stand and load. Stacked, 29″ × 74¾″.
How much space do you need behind a washer and dryer?
5¼″ side by side (Samsung) and 5½″ stacked (Whirlpool’s dryer) for the dryer’s vent; Whirlpool: “Most installations require a minimum of 5″”. A compact pair, 3″.