Yes, you can move a Chicago laundry out of the basement, and for many households it is a welcome change. The new spot needs a water supply and drain, a dryer vent to the outdoors or a ventless dryer, the right power or gas, a floor stiff enough for a spinning washer, and protection against leaks. In Chicago, new plumbing and electrical work also needs a permit, and in a condo, your building’s approval comes first.
Why Chicago Owners Move the Laundry Out of the Basement
If your washer and dryer sit in the basement, every load means carrying a basket down the stairs and back up again. Most clothes live near the bedrooms, so a laundry close to them removes those trips. For many owners the stairs are also a long-term question: our guide to aging in place in Chicago suggests moving essential rooms, laundry among them, to the main floor to reduce stair use.
Water is the other reason. The City of Chicago explains that during intense storms, sewer mains fill up and water can push into basements through private sewer drains, and it is candid that nobody can guarantee a home will never flood. Appliances, and the clothes stored around them, are safer above that line.
Moving the laundry also frees space downstairs. The old laundry corner can become part of a family room, gym or guest suite in a broader plan for basement remodeling in Chicago.
Upstairs or the Main Floor
Upstairs is not the only answer. The National Association of Home Builders reports that 70% of new homes started in 2025 had laundry connections on the first floor and 27% on the second floor or higher, while basements held 1% or less, based on Census construction data. When NAHB surveys buyers, 58% want laundry on the first floor and 7% on the second floor or higher.
For your own home, choose the location that fits how you live. A main-floor laundry suits a busy household and anyone planning to stay for decades. A laundry near the bedrooms suits families whose laundry piles up upstairs.
Choosing the Right Spot in Your Home
Location drives every other decision in a laundry move, which is why it is the first conversation in any project for interior remodeling in Chicago.
Near the Bedrooms or the Back Door
Upstairs, a deep hall closet, part of an oversized bathroom or a small spare room can hold a stacked pair or a side-by-side set. On the main floor, a spot near the kitchen, mudroom or back entry pairs well with a utility sink for muddy gear. Our guide to mudroom design for Chicago winters covers that entry in detail.
Near an Exterior Wall and Existing Pipes
The best spots on either floor share 2 traits: a short path to an exterior wall for the dryer vent, and a short path to existing supply and drain lines. Every extra foot of vent or pipe means more opening of finished walls and ceilings.
What It Takes: Water, Drains, Vents and Power
Water Supply and Drain
A washer needs hot and cold water and a drain, usually a standpipe. GE Appliances’ washer instructions call for both a hot and a cold shutoff valve, and LG’s front-load washer manual says the drain must be installed to local codes and sets a height range for the drain hose. In Chicago, the city’s permit instructions call for a licensed plumbing contractor on this work, though in some cases owners may do it themselves.
Dryer Venting to the Outdoors
GE Appliances’ dryer installation instructions say a conventional dryer must be vented to the outdoors through 4-inch rigid metal duct, never with a plastic vent, and never into a wall, ceiling, attic, crawl space or other concealed space. In GE’s chart, the allowed length depends on the duct, the turns and the wall cap: with rigid metal duct and GE’s recommended wall cap, it drops from 120 feet with no 90-degree elbows to 55 feet with 5, and each elbow beyond that cuts another 10 feet. LG advises keeping the duct as short as possible, with no more than 4 right-angle elbows. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also advises venting clothes dryers to the outside where possible. That is why an upstairs laundry works best on or near an exterior wall.
Plan the vent so it can be cleaned. The National Fire Protection Association says the leading cause of home clothes dryer fires is failure to clean them. It advises cleaning the lint filter before or after each load, cleaning the vent pipe once a year or more often if drying takes longer than normal, and, in a Chicago winter especially, checking that the outdoor vent flap is not covered by snow.
Power or Gas for the Dryer
In GE’s instructions, an electric dryer connects with a 240-volt, 30-amp power cord, while a gas dryer plugs into a grounded 120-volt outlet and needs a gas supply line installed to local codes. The NFPA advises having gas dryers inspected by a qualified professional to make sure the gas line and connection are intact and free of leaks. For the washer, LG’s manual calls for a grounded outlet within 60 inches of either side. Under the city’s permit instructions, new electrical work calls for a licensed electrical contractor.
Floor Structure
LG’s manual calls for a level, solidly built floor that supports the washer without flexing or bouncing. It says concrete is best, a wood floor is sufficient if built to FHA standards, a floor with too much flex should be reinforced, and the floor under the washer must not slope more than 1 inch front to back or side to side. LG lists the model in that manual at 225 pounds before water or clothes, with a spin speed of up to 1,300 RPM.
In an older Chicago home, the joists under a second-floor closet may not have been framed with a spinning washer in mind. Have the framing checked before you commit to a location.
Leak Protection for an Upstairs Laundry
On an upper floor, a leak travels into the ceiling and finishes below. Plan several layers of protection:
- New hoses. LG advises installing new water inlet hoses with a new washer, never reusing old ones, and replacing them every 5 years. GE Appliances gives the same 5-year advice.
- Shutoff valves you can reach, not hidden behind the machine.
- A pan under the washer, connected to a drain where the layout allows. LG notes that with a pan, the leveling feet must sit firmly and evenly on it, or vibration and noise increase.
- A leak sensor or automatic shutoff valve. Our post on protecting your Chicago condo with leak detection explains how they work.
- A water-resistant floor, such as tile, so a spill is a wipe rather than a repair.
Speed matters. The EPA advises drying water-damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth, and a leak alarm helps you start sooner.
Chicago Permits for a Laundry Move
As of 2026, the City of Chicago says you need a building permit before beginning most construction work, and its list of work that needs no permit is narrow. For plumbing it covers repairs such as stopping a leak or clearing a stoppage, and it states that removing and replacing pipe with new material requires a permit. Its electrical exceptions are limited to minor and low-voltage work. A laundry move adds new supply, drain and power lines, so plan on a permit.
Some projects can use the city’s Express Permit Program for interior alterations. Within a single residential unit, it can cover electrical and mechanical work, and plumbing work that adds up to 5 water supply fixture units of demand. The city’s own example counts a washing machine as 2. Structural work and exterior work are not eligible. Applications include existing and proposed floor plans, and moving walls or doorways other than for closets requires drawings by an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer. Whether your move fits that program or needs a standard plan review depends on its full scope.
The city also notes that its no-permit exceptions may not apply to a proposed or designated Chicago Landmark, or a property in a landmark district. Rules change, so confirm your project with the Department of Buildings or your contractor.
Condo Laundry: Building Rules and Ventless Dryers
In a condo, the building’s approval comes before anything else. Our guide to obtaining condo board approval for a Chicago remodel explains how to prepare. The city’s Express Permit instructions also require a condominium association approval letter for work on condominium property, including work inside an individually owned unit.
Rules vary from building to building, so ask your management office early:
- Are in-unit washers and dryers allowed, and where?
- May you open the exterior wall for a vent, or use an existing one?
- Are a pan, a leak sensor or an automatic shutoff required?
- Which connections to shared pipes need the building engineer’s review?
Ventless Dryers
If a vent is not possible, a heat pump dryer may be. ENERGY STAR explains that a heat pump dryer works as a closed loop and does not release air outside, so it needs no dryer vent. The water it removes is drained, or emptied from a tank after each load if a drain is not feasible, and many manufacturers sell a device that lets some models use the washer drain. ENERGY STAR adds that heat pump dryers use around 70% less energy than conventional dryers. Confirm that your building allows the model you choose.
Layout and Storage That Make Laundry Easier
Plan the room around the tasks, not just the machines.
- Side by side or stacked. Front-loaders set side by side can sit under a counter for folding. A stacked pair saves width in a closet.
- Room to breathe. LG’s manual for its front-load model calls for at least 1 inch at the sides and 4 inches behind the washer for hoses and airflow. For a closet holding both a washer and a dryer, GE Appliances calls for louvered or ventilated doors with at least 120 square inches of open area.
- A place to hang and fold: a rod for shirts, a pull-out drying rack and a counter at a comfortable height.
- A sink, if the plumbing allows, for stains, hand washing and muddy gear.
- Closed storage for detergents and supplies, with good task lighting over the counter.
How a Design-Build Team Plans the Move
Areté has worked as a design-build firm in Chicago since 2002, with design and construction under one roof and an in-house interior design team. Each project is run by a Project Manager. A laundry move suits that model because the decisions are linked: the location sets the vent route, the vent route sets the appliance, and the appliance sets the power and drain.
- Choose the location around how your household lives, then test it against plumbing, venting and structure.
- Check what is behind the walls and floors: joists, drain paths, vent routes and electrical capacity.
- Select appliances before rough-in, since their instructions set the vent, power and drain.
- Secure approvals and permits, including the building’s approval in a condo.
- Sequence the work: rough-ins and inspections first, then floors, cabinetry and finishes, with leak protection in place before the machines arrive.
Our Chicago interior remodeling team can help you weigh the options for your home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Washer and Dryer Go on the Second Floor of an Older Chicago Home?
Yes, if the location can get water, a drain, a dryer vent or a ventless dryer, and the right power, and if the floor is level and stiff enough to carry the washer without flexing or bouncing. Have the framing checked first.
Do I Need a Permit to Move My Laundry in Chicago?
If the move adds new pipe or wiring, yes. As of 2026, the city’s no-permit list covers plumbing repairs, not new pipe, and its electrical exceptions are limited to minor and low-voltage work. Some single-unit projects can use the Express Permit Program.
What If My Condo Building Will Not Allow a Dryer Vent?
Ask whether a heat pump dryer is allowed. It needs no vent, according to ENERGY STAR, but its water must be drained or emptied from a tank.
How Do I Protect the Ceiling Below From a Washer Leak?
Use new hoses and replace them every 5 years, keep the shutoff valves easy to reach, and add a pan and a leak sensor or automatic shutoff valve.
Is Upstairs Laundry Good for Resale?
It depends on the buyer. In NAHB’s survey, 58% of buyers want first-floor laundry and 7% want it on the second floor or higher. A laundry that suits how you live still has real value while you own the home.
When you are ready to plan a laundry that works where you need it, contact Areté Renovators to schedule a consultation with our design team.
