Our planner gives a stacked pair of 27 in machines a spot about 29 × 37 in, from Samsung’s sheet: the machines plus about 1 in at each side and 5¼ in behind for the hoses and the dryer vent. A side-by-side pair takes about 57 × 37 in. Your own machines’ installation instructions set the real figures. In our planner the smallest rooms that hold one are 5 × 7 ft for a half bath with a stack, 5 × 9 ft for a full bath with a tub and a stack, and 7 × 8 ft for a shower bath with the machines side by side.
Four bathroom laundry layouts, drawn to scale
The dashed boxes are the clear spaces: the code’s in front of each bathroom fixture, and room in front of the washer and dryer to open their doors. Open a plan in the layout planner, which now has a washer and dryer in its fixture list.
- Clear in front of the vanity: 39 in
- Sink centerline to the side: 42 in
- Toilet centerline to the side: 15 in
- Clear in front of the toilet: 24 in
- Clear in front of the washer and dryer: 41 in
Layout A: a full bath with a stack
The tub fills the 5 ft end, a 24 in vanity sits on the long wall, and the far end holds the toilet beside a stacked washer and dryer, with 41 in of floor in front of the machines. The door comes in at the middle of the long wall.
- Best for: adding laundry to a hall bath one foot longer than the usual 5 × 8 ft.
- The trade-off: the toilet is at the code’s 15 in from the stack, with 24 in of floor in front of it.
- Clear in front of the shower: 24 in
- Clear in front of the washer and dryer: 26 in
- Toilet centerline to the side: 15 in
- Clear in front of the toilet: 33 in
- Clear in front of the vanity: 26 in
- Sink centerline to the side: 18 in
Layout B: side by side, with a shower
A 36 in square shower takes one corner and the washer and dryer run down the same wall next to it, so both share a wet wall. The toilet and a 30 in vanity take the other side of the room, with the door in between.
- Best for: full-size machines at waist height, with a counter above them.
- The trade-off: 26 in of floor in front of the machines, enough to open the doors but tight for a laundry basket.
- Clear in front of the washer and dryer: 47 in
- Clear in front of the vanity: 33 in
- Sink centerline to the side: 15 in
- Toilet centerline to the side: 21 in
- Clear in front of the toilet: 30 in
Layout C: a laundry half bath
No tub or shower: a stacked washer and dryer and a 24 in vanity share the far wall, and the toilet sits on the side wall with 21 in on each side. There’s 47 in of floor in front of the machines.
- Best for: a powder room near the kitchen or the back door that doubles as the laundry.
- The trade-off: guests share the room with the laundry.
- Clear in front of the shower: 24 in
- Clear in front of the washer and dryer: 30 in
- Clear in front of the vanity: 25 in
- Sink centerline to the side: 15 in
- Toilet centerline to the side: 15 in
- Clear in front of the toilet: 42 in
Layout D: a compact stack with a shower
A 36 in square shower and a 24 in compact stack share one long wall, and the vanity and the toilet sit across the far end, 30 in apart center to center. A compact stack is about 66½ to 67¾ in tall, a foot shorter than a full-size one.
- Best for: a shower bath with laundry in the same footprint as Layout A.
- The trade-off: 24 in machines hold less per load, and most of the spacing is at the code minimum.
The smallest room for each combination
| 27 in stack | 24 in compact stack | 24 in washer-dryer combo | 27 in side by side | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half bath | 5 × 7 ft | 5 × 6 ft | 5 × 6 ft | 5 × 9 ft |
| With a 36 × 36 in shower | 5 × 10 ft | 5 × 9 ft | 6 × 7 ft | 7 × 8 ft |
| With a 60 in tub | 5 × 9 ft | 5 × 9 ft | 5 × 8 ft | 6 × 10 ft |
From the BathDraft layout planner, trying every room from 4 to 8 ft wide and 5 to 10 ft long, with an elongated toilet, a 24 in vanity and a 30 in door that opens into the room. Each machine’s spot includes the makers’ clearances: about 1 in at the sides and about 5 in behind.
How much space a washer and dryer need
| Machines | Spot on the floor | Height | Doors open out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 in pair, stacked | About 29 × 37 in | 78 to 79½ in | 21 to 25 in |
| 27 in pair, side by side | About 57 × 37 in | About 39 in | 21 to 25 in |
| 24 in compact pair, stacked | About 26 × 30 in | 66½ to 67¾ in | 17 to 21 in |
| 24 in washer-dryer combo | About 26 × 27 in | About 33 in | About 17 in |
From LG, Samsung, GE and Bosch spec sheets (see the sources). Full-size front-loaders are 27 to 28 in wide and 30 to 32 in deep with the door shut; stacking takes the maker’s kit. The spot is the machine plus the side and back clearances its maker asks for; a closet or cabinet opening, room to reach the hookups and the swing of the doors come on top, so plan with the installation instructions for the machines you buy.
Two things decide where the machines can go, and both are jobs for licensed trades. A washer needs hot and cold water and a drain, so it’s cheapest on a wall that already has plumbing, like the shower’s in Layout B. A vented dryer must send its exhaust outdoors through its own duct; condensing and heat-pump dryers need no vent, which is why compact stacks and combos suit inside bathrooms. If the machines go in a closet, its doors may need vents: GE asks for at least 60 sq in of openings for a dryer, 120 sq in with a washer too, and other makers set their own figures, so check yours.
Questions people ask
Can you put a washer and dryer in a bathroom?
Yes, if the room has the floor for them and their doors, a drain and water supply, and either an outdoor vent for the dryer or a ventless dryer. The plans above all pass the code’s bathroom clearances with the machines in place.
How much space do you need for a stackable washer and dryer?
About 29 in wide and 37 in deep for full-size 27 in machines, and 78 to 79½ in of height; about 26 × 30 in for a 24 in compact stack. Leave room in front to open the doors, about 25 in. Check the clearances in your machines’ installation instructions.
What is the smallest bathroom with a washer and dryer?
In our planner, a 5 × 6 ft half bath with a 24 in compact stack or a combo, a 5 × 7 ft half bath with a full-size stack, and a 5 × 8 ft full bath with a 24 in washer-dryer combo.
Does a dryer in a bathroom need a vent?
A vented dryer must exhaust outdoors through its own duct (IRC M1502). Listed condensing and heat-pump dryers are exempt, but they still drain water, into the washer’s drain or a tank you empty.
How much room do you need in front of a washer and dryer?
Enough to open the doors, about 21 to 25 in, and 36 in to work comfortably. For an accessible layout, the ADA asks for a 30 × 48 in clear space in front of the machine, long side along it.
Sources
- Washer and dryer sizes and clearances: LG WM4000H (27 × 30¼ in, 55 in deep with the door open, 78 in stacked), Samsung WF45B6300 washer and DVE45B6300 dryer (1 in at the sides and between, 5¼ in behind, 78½ in stacked), GE GFW148 24 in washer (66½ in stacked) and GFQ14 24 in washer-dryer combo, and Bosch WGB24600UC (23½ in wide, 67¾ in stacked) spec sheets
- 2021 International Residential Code, section M1502: a clothes dryer vents outdoors on its own duct; listed condensing (ductless) dryers are exempt. GE’s GFD55 dryer sheet: in a bathroom the dryer must vent outdoors; closet doors need at least 60 sq in of openings, 120 sq in with a washer too
- 2010 ADA Standards, section 611: a 30 × 48 in clear floor space for a side approach, centered on the washer or dryer (a benchmark: private homes aren’t covered)
- NKBA Kitchen & Bath Planning Guidelines, 4th edition summary: walkways at least 36 in wide
- 2021 International Residential Code, chapter 3 (R307.1 fixture clearances, R305.1 ceiling height) and chapter 27 (P2705.1 fixture spacing, P2708.1 showers), read in Colorado’s adoption without amendments on UpCodes
- Kohler Underscore alcove tubs, 60 × 30 in and 60 × 32 in spec sheets
- Toilet depths from the wall: Kohler Cimarron round and elongated spec sheets
Checked October 19, 2026. All plans and the smallest-room table were worked out with the BathDraft layout planner; centimeters are converted from inches.