TL;DR — how long does it take to install a washing machine?
- 60-90 minutes for a standard swap where the water, drain and outlet are already there.
- Closer to 2 hours for a stacked pair in a closet, a machine that needs new fill hoses and shut-offs, or an old unit that has to come out first.
- Half a day or more if the laundry room has no hookups yet, because the plumbing and the outlet are separate licensed-trade jobs.
- Gas dryers stacked with the washer add a TSSA-certified gas connection and a leak test, which is a 2-3 hour appointment.
How long does it take to install a washing machine? For most homes in the GTA, York Region and Simcoe County the honest answer is 60 to 90 minutes: disconnect the old machine, set the new one, connect hot and cold, seat the drain hose, level it, and run a test cycle. What stretches that window is almost never the washer itself. It is what the room gives you to work with. Below is what changes the clock, with three jobs from this summer as examples.
The standard install, step by step
A like-for-like replacement follows the same order every time. Shut the water off and disconnect the old fill hoses and drain. Move the old washer out. Set the new one, and on a front-loader pull the shipping bolts out of the back before anything else, because the drum cannot float on its suspension with them in. Fit new braided stainless fill hoses rather than reusing rubber ones. Connect hot and cold, seat the drain hose in the standpipe or over the laundry tub, and plug in. Level the machine on all four feet, since an unlevel washer walks across the floor on spin. Then run a short cycle and watch every joint for drips before leaving.
Done in that order by someone who does it weekly, that is a 60 to 90 minute appointment.
When the new washer is the problem, not the install
The Maytag above was photographed on an East Gwillimbury job in June. The hoses were connected, the machine was level, the film was not even off the lid, and the panel showed F5E3 with a “Contact Service” prompt. On Maytag and Whirlpool top-loaders that code points to the lid lock. It is a useful picture for one reason: an installation that takes 90 minutes can still end with a machine that will not run, and that is a warranty conversation with the manufacturer, not a sign the hookup was done wrong. The install itself is finished when the connections hold and the machine is level and tested. What the electronics do on the first cycle is a separate question, and a good installer stays for that first cycle so you find out while they are still in the house.
What adds time, and roughly how much
Old hoses, old valves
Behind a washer that has been in place for a decade you often find rubber hoses on tired shut-offs, or, as on a Mount Albert job in June, braided hoses screwed straight onto bare copper stubs with no lever valves in the frame at all. New hoses are a five-minute job. Adding proper shut-off valves is plumbing, and on the installation quote the hoses and valves are itemised up front rather than added afterwards. Allow extra time when the valves need attention.
Stacked pairs and closets
A washer and dryer stacked in a closet is the most common reason a “quick swap” becomes a two-hour visit. The dryer has to come off, the washer goes in and gets connected blind in a space with no side access, the stacking kit is fitted, and the dryer goes back on top with its vent reconnected. The Toronto closet below had roughly an inch to spare on each side of a Samsung pair. Every hose and the vent had to be attached before the machines were pushed home, then checked again after. Plan on 90 minutes to 2 hours for a stacked install, and 2 to 3 hours if the dryer is gas, because the gas connection and leak test are TSSA-certified work.
Removing the old machine
Disconnecting and hauling away the old washer is part of the appointment if you want it to be, and it is the step people forget when they estimate the time. A washer on a main floor comes out quickly. A front-loader out of a basement with a turn in the stairs is a two-person job and takes noticeably longer.
A first-time laundry room
If the room has never had a washer, the appliance install is the last and shortest part of the job. Hot and cold supply, a drain standpipe and a grounded outlet have to exist first, and that is plumbing and electrical work done under their own licences before an installer can connect anything. Do not book the washer install for the same morning as the rough-in.
Installing a washer and a dryer together? Two side-by-side electric units are usually a single 90-minute to 2-hour visit. Stacked, or with a gas dryer, plan on 2 to 3 hours.
What washing machine installation costs
So, how long does it take to install a washing machine? For a standard swap, 60 to 90 minutes. Here is what it costs. A standard washer, dryer, dishwasher, over-the-range microwave or freestanding range installation is $129 to $249. Gas appliance installation, which includes the TSSA-certified connection and a leak test, is $179 to $349. Hoses, cords, venting and shut-off valves are priced in the quote rather than appearing on the invoice afterwards. One thing worth knowing: the $89 diagnostic fee you may have seen on our repair pages applies to repairs, not to a straightforward install.
Want a firm time and price for your laundry room? Tell us the model, whether it is stacked, and whether the dryer is gas or electric, and you get a written quote before anyone arrives. Same-day appointments across the GTA, York Region and Simcoe County from our Bradford and Barrie locations.
Washing machine installation: quick answers
How long does it take to replace a washing machine?
Replacing one washer with another in the same spot is the 60 to 90 minute case, provided the shut-offs work and the drain is sound.
How long does it take to install a washer and dryer?
Side by side and electric, 90 minutes to 2 hours for the pair. Stacked, or with a gas dryer, 2 to 3 hours.
Can I install a washing machine myself?
A like-for-like electric swap is within reach for a careful homeowner: new hoses, shipping bolts out, level, test. The moment gas, new valves or a stacked pair are involved, it stops being a DIY job, and gas connections in Ontario are licensed work.
What if the new washer shows an error on the first cycle?
Do not keep running it. Note the code, leave the machine as it is, and call the retailer or manufacturer while it is still inside the return window. The East Gwillimbury Maytag above is exactly that case.
Do you take the old washer away?
Yes. Disconnection and code-compliant haul-away are part of the installation service when you ask for them.
Book a washing machine installation
Standard installs from $129, gas connections by TSSA-certified technicians, and a test cycle before we leave. If the machine is not new and simply stopped working, our washing machine repair team carries the common parts on the van and closes most repairs in one visit, with a written 90-day parts-and-labour warranty.
