Laundry Room Renovations
Laundry rooms and closets rebuilt for storage, drainage and ventilation — the three things they almost always lack.
- Typical timeline
- 3–7 days
- Permits
- Rarely required
- Live in during work
- Yes — a few days without laundry
What's Involved
Laundry, done properly.
The laundry room is the cheapest renovation in the house and the one people postpone longest. It is also where two of the most common causes of household water damage live, which makes it worth doing properly rather than prettily.
- Cabinetry, open shelving and folding counters
- Waterproof flooring and splash-protected walls
- Drain pans, braided hoses and accessible shut-off valves
- Dryer venting run in rigid duct to an exterior wall
- Dedicated circuits, GFCI protection and correct outlets
- Stacked, side-by-side and relocated configurations
What Moves The Price
Where the money actually goes.
Three things account for most of the variation between one laundry quote and another. Knowing which of them applies to you is most of the budgeting.
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1
Whether the hook-ups move
Working with the existing water, waste and vent is quick. Moving the laundry to another floor or across a room means new supply, new drainage and a new vent run — a different scale of job entirely.
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2
Cabinetry and counter
A folding counter over front-loaders with cabinets above is the difference between a utility closet and a room you do not mind using. It is also most of the material cost.
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3
Floor build-up
Waterproof flooring is inexpensive. Adding a properly formed floor drain or a tiled recessed pan is not, and depends on what is beneath the room.
Timeline
How a laundry project runs.
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Strip-out and plumbing
1–2 daysOld fittings out, supply and waste checked, shut-offs and drain pan fitted where they were missing.
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Electrical and venting
1 dayDedicated circuit confirmed or added, and the dryer duct run in rigid pipe to an exterior wall.
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Cabinets and counter
1–2 daysCabinetry, shelving and the folding counter installed and levelled to the machines.
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Flooring and finish
1 dayWaterproof floor laid, splash areas sealed, trim and paint finished off.
Worth Knowing
What goes wrong in laundry projects.
Not a sales pitch — these are the three failures we get called in to fix most often. Ask any contractor you are considering how they handle them.
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Venting the dryer into the house
Into a basement, a crawlspace or an attic — all common, all bad. It dumps warm moist air and lint where it will condense, and it is a genuine fire risk. The duct terminates outside, in rigid pipe, or it is not finished.
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No shut-off valves and rubber hoses
A burst washing machine hose is one of the most common household water-damage claims there is. Braided steel hoses and accessible quarter-turn shut-offs cost very little and prevent most of it.
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Running a dryer on an undersized circuit
Electric dryers need their own correctly rated circuit. Sharing one, or relying on old wiring that happens to fit, is a problem that only shows up under load.
How We Work
Four steps, no surprises.
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01
Walkthrough
We come to you, measure up and talk through what you actually want out of the space — and what it realistically costs.
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02
Fixed quote
A written, itemised scope with a fixed price and a start date. Nothing begins until you have signed it.
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03
The build
One project manager, one schedule, dust protection up and a tidy site at the end of every day.
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04
Handover
We walk the finished job with you, fix the snag list, and leave you the warranty in writing.
Laundry Questions
Answers before you ask.
Can I move my laundry from the basement to the second floor?
Usually yes, and it is one of the more popular changes we do. It needs supply, drainage, venting and a waterproof floor assembly with a pan — the last part matters, because a leak upstairs damages everything below it.
Stacked or side-by-side?
Stacked frees up floor space and suits a closet. Side-by-side gives you a counter across the top, which is genuinely more useful if you have the width. It comes down to the room rather than the machines.
Do I need a floor drain?
Not required in most residential situations, but a drain pan plumbed to a drain is cheap insurance in any laundry that sits above finished space. Where there is no drain to tie into, a pan with a leak sensor is the practical alternative.
How long will I be without laundry?
Typically three to five days for a straightforward refit. If the hook-ups are moving, plan for a little over a week. We can often reconnect the machines temporarily overnight if the timing is awkward.
Other things we do
Want a real number for your laundry project?
Free walkthrough, fixed written quote, no obligation to go ahead.