The most requested laundry change in the GTA right now, for a simple reason: clothes live on the bedroom level, so laundry should too. It means new supply and drain lines, a dryer vent, electrical and, most important, a drain pan plus leak detection. Skipping the pan upstairs is a decision homeowners regret exactly once. A stacked pair needs a footprint of roughly 36 x 36 inches plus clearance in front.
Extremely popular in homes with a side or rear entry, because the functions belong together: wet coats, muddy boots and sports gear arrive and get dealt with in one place. A typical combination includes a bench with boot storage, hooks and closed upper cabinets, durable tile or vinyl plank flooring, and machines behind doors or under a counter. Where space allows, add a drying rod for wet outerwear; it earns its keep every winter.
The classic upgrade, and still the most satisfying for households that do a lot of laundry. A continuous counter over front-loaders gives a folding surface at working height, a hanging rod catches anything that should not go in the dryer, and a tall pull-out and lower cabinet hold supplies and baskets. It turns laundry from a scattered activity into a contained one.
For condos, townhomes and houses without a spare room. A well-designed closet does most of what a full room does in roughly eight to ten square feet: stacked machines, a shelf above, a supply pull-out, a small drying rod, and bifold or pocket doors so nothing swings into the hall. Depth matters, typically 30 to 32 inches for machines plus connections. In a closed closet the dryer also needs make-up air, such as louvred doors, and a properly routed vent.
| Key point: Every laundry space needs three things: a folding surface at counter height, a place to hang items immediately, and a home for supplies that is not the top of the dryer. Miss any one and the room will still generate piles. |
Not every household can move laundry upstairs, and the basement is still the practical answer in many older GTA homes. The difference now is finishing it properly: a sealed and finished floor, painted drywall, recessed lighting instead of a bare bulb, a counter and enclosed storage. The cost is modest; the change in how the task feels is substantial.
After years of being designed out, the utility sink is back. A deep basin handles hand washing, soaking, paint brushes, buckets and anything you would not rinse in the kitchen sink. Where plumbing is already present, adding one is inexpensive. A single deep basin with a high-arc pull-down faucet is more useful than a shallow double.
One of the fastest-growing requests, especially for medium and large dogs. A tiled, curbed bay of roughly 30 x 48 inches with a handheld sprayer, a drain and a step or ramp, placed in a laundry room or mudroom near the entry, intercepts a wet dog before it reaches the living room. It doubles as a rinse station for boots and gear.
Common in main-floor renovations where laundry sits beside the kitchen: machines on one wall, pantry shelving on the other and a shared counter between. It works well with good ventilation; dryer heat and food storage are not natural companions without airflow.
For open-concept main floors and smaller homes where the machines would otherwise be on display. The washer and dryer disappear behind cabinetry matching the surrounding millwork. Pocket or fully retracting bifold doors are worth the upcharge; a swinging door in a narrow hall blocks the machines you are trying to use.
Increasingly common with a legal basement suite or multi-generational living. A second set of machines, usually in a closet, makes the suite self-contained. Each unit in a two-unit house generally needs access to laundry under the Building Code, and in-suite laundry is a meaningful factor in rentability, so design it in from the start rather than adding it later.
| Configuration | Typical GTA Range |
| Basement laundry, finished properly | $6,000 to $16,000 |
| Laundry closet build-out | $4,000 to $10,000 |
| Full laundry room with counter and cabinetry | $10,000 to $25,000 |
| Laundry and mudroom combination | $12,000 to $30,000 |
| Upper or main floor laundry relocation | $9,000 to $27,000 |
| Utility sink, plumbing already present | $1,200 to $3,000 |
| Pet wash station | $3,500 to $9,000 |
| Hidden laundry cabinetry with pocket doors | $3,000 to $8,000 |
| Second laundry point for a basement suite | $5,000 to $12,000 |
Ranges exclude appliances and HST and vary with plumbing distance, electrical scope, structural conditions and finish level.
Laundry is one of the few renovations where the payoff is measured in how much less you dread a weekly chore. Get the folding surface, hanging rod and storage right, and the rest is finish selection.
Maple Leaf Quality Renos designs and builds laundry rooms, mudrooms and full home renovations across the GTA, including upper-floor relocations and basement suite laundry. You get licensed trades, full permit management and an itemized estimate before any work begins. We are CGL insured and WSIB compliant, with a written workmanship warranty, and financing is available through Financeit.
Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.
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