Countertop Over the Washer and Dryer: Build It Yourself or Buy One?

The short answer: yes, you can build one. Most of the DIY builds we read rest a plywood or butcher block top on wood strips fastened to the wall. Plan on a weekend to build it and four to seven days of finish coats. At time of posting the parts ran about $112 with a plywood top, about $226 with a butcher block slab 25 inches deep and about $336 with one deep enough to reach the wall, plus about $92 if you need a saw and a sander. A ready-made OfficeSimpli countertop costs $197 in the Standard size at time of posting and skips the saw and the sealing: it arrives finished, sits on the machines on rubber pads, and lifts off when you need the hoses. Build it if you want one counter from wall to wall or real wood. Buy it if you want it in place within about a week.

Can you build your own countertop over a washer and dryer?

Yes, and there are two common ways to hold it up. In three of the four builds we read, the top rests on wood strips along the back wall, and often the side walls, screwed into the wall studs (the wood posts inside the wall) or held with wall anchors where there is no stud. The top runs to the wall, so socks cannot drop behind the machines, and some builders stand a support panel on the floor between the machines to hold up the middle. The other way, the one SlabWise's butcher block guide recommends, lets a sealed slab rest right on the machines, with a 2x4 screwed to the wall behind it so it cannot walk when the washer spins.

How much does it cost to build one?

Here is what the parts cost on Home Depot's website at time of posting, for a 6 foot top over a side-by-side pair. Prices vary by store.

Two things push the price up. The first is depth. Most of the butcher block slabs on the site were 25 inches deep (9 of the 11 listed at time of posting). A top that runs from the wall out over the machines can need more: two of the builds we read were cut 32 and 32 1/2 inches deep, and one builder bought 39 inch deep slabs to get there. Slabs also come in set lengths, so you buy the next size up and cut it to fit. The second is tools. If you own neither a circular saw nor a sander, the least expensive corded ones on the same site came to about $92 at time of posting.

How does that compare with buying one ready-made?

At time of posting our Standard size costs $197. That is about $29 to $139 less than the butcher block parts above, or about $121 to $231 less if you also buy a saw and a sander. You also skip the three to five hours of work SlabWise estimates for the build, and the four to seven days of finish coats. Plywood is the exception: its parts cost about $85 less than ours if you already own the tools, and about $7 more once you add a saw and a sander.

What tools and time does it take?

The builds we read, and SlabWise's guide, name the same basic tools:

• A tape measure and a level, to set the strips straight at the same height on every wall.
• A stud finder, to find the wood posts inside the wall that hold the screws.
• A drill, to drive the screws.
• A circular saw, to cut the top to size, plus a jigsaw for notches and cutouts, such as around pipes. One builder had the lumber yard cut the sheet to size.
• A sander, to smooth the top before the finish goes on.

One builder called it a project you can finish in one weekend. The finish is what takes the time. SlabWise's advice for a laundry room is three to four coats of polyurethane (a clear coat that seals the wood), which takes four to seven days with proper drying between coats, and not to stop at two.

Plan on help with a butcher block top, too. One builder called it "VERY heavy" and said to lift it as a team; another switched to plywood rather than lift the slab on and off several times while fitting it.

Plywood or butcher block: which top works in a laundry room?

Both work in a laundry room as long as they stay sealed. Here is how they differ.

• Plywood is the lighter of the two and costs less. The layers show on the front edge, so builders cover it with a strip of trim, and the cut edges need sealing like the top. One guide used 3/4 inch birch plywood with trim on the front, a stain and two coats of polyurethane.
• Butcher block gives a warm wood look, and it is heavy. SlabWise's rules for a laundry room: seal all six sides before you install it, and leave 1/8 inch at each end where it meets a wall, hidden with caulk or trim, because butcher block moves 1/8 to 1/4 inch with the seasons. With a polyurethane finish, SlabWise says most people go five to ten years before a full refinish; an oil finish needs a fresh coat every one to three months.

SlabWise sums up butcher block in one line: "It loses when you want zero maintenance and maximum water resistance."

What goes wrong with a built-in countertop?

Most of the trouble comes from the room, not the wood:

• Walls are not straight. One builder cut the top an inch deeper than needed, then trimmed the back to follow the wall.
• The stud is not where you need it. Where there was no stud, one builder used toggle bolts, anchors that open up behind the drywall.
• Pipes and cords sit behind the machines. A top that runs to the wall has to fit around them. One builder cut an opening about 25 by 4 inches for the pipes and cords, then hid it under a cover.
• You will need to get back there. Washers and dryers get serviced and replaced. Two of the builders left the top loose on purpose so they could reach the backs of the machines later.
• A top that rests on the machines can walk. A washer on a fast spin shakes. SlabWise says the risk is the slab "shifting or walking off the machines over time," and fixes it with a strip on the wall behind it; rubber pads under the slab also dampen the movement.
• The machines are not level with each other. SlabWise says front-loaders are "rarely level with each other out of the box," so check with a level before you cut anything.
• Water finds bare wood. SlabWise again: "The failure always starts at a gap in the finish." A missed underside or a raw cut edge is where swelling starts.

What does a ready-made countertop do differently?

A ready-made countertop solves the same problem with no build. Ours, the OfficeSimpli Washer Dryer Countertop, works like this:

• It sits on the machines. Rubber pads on every corner grip the machine tops, so it stays put through the spin cycle with nothing screwed to the wall or the machines.
• It keeps things from falling behind. Raised edges on the back and both sides stop socks and dryer sheets from dropping into the gap behind the machines. The front stays open for folding.
• It lifts off. Need the hoses? Lift it off, then set it back. Replacing the machines? It moves to the new pair if they are side-by-side front-loaders it fits.
• It arrives finished. The top is a laminate surface with a clear protective coat, so a dragged laundry basket, detergent splashes, damp clothes and the dryer's heat will not mark it. There is nothing to stain, seal or wait on. Underneath is an engineered wood board, so, like any wood-based top, it is water resistant, not waterproof: wipe up water that pools at an edge.
• It is sized to the machines, not the room. Measure across the two machines, not wall to wall. In a nook wider than the pair, the board sits on the machines and its raised side edges keep things from dropping down the sides.
• Setup takes minutes. The raised edges attach with a few screws and a Phillips screwdriver.

This was the easiest fix instead of adding a permanent quartz countertop!ACP, customer review, December 2025

It costs $197 for the Standard at time of posting, and most orders are at your door within the week: it ships in 2 to 3 business days, with free shipping to the continental US and free 30-day returns, and it is made in the USA. For how it compares with other ready-made toppers, see our comparison of ready-made countertops.

Worth knowing: a ready-made countertop covers the two machines, not the whole wall. It is made for side-by-side front-load pairs and does not work on stacked machines, on a top-load washer (the lid opens up into it) or on machines with curved tops. If you want one counter that runs wall to wall or wraps around a utility sink, build it.

Should you build it or buy it? The pros and cons

In short: build it if you want a custom size, a top that runs wall to wall, or real wood, and you have the tools and a free week. Buy it if you have a side-by-side front-load pair and want it done in minutes, with nothing to cut, stain or seal.

You will need a Phillips head screw driver. A no-brainer install.Milrose, customer review, August 2025

Countertops over a washer and dryer, questions answered

Can you put a countertop on top of a washer and dryer?

Yes, two ways. A ready-made countertop like ours rests on the machine tops on rubber pads. A built-in top rests on strips fastened to the wall, or sits on the machines with a strip behind it. Either way you want front-load machines: a top-load washer's lid opens up into the countertop.

What can I put above my washer and dryer?

A countertop right on top gives you a place to fold. Shelves or cabinets go on the wall above it. Leave room between the countertop and anything above it for your hands; our sizing guide shows how to measure that gap.

What are good laundry room countertop ideas?

The builds we read show the range: a stained birch plywood top with a trim edge, 2x6 boards stained to match the shelves beside them, and a butcher block top with panels that run down to the floor at both ends. A ready-made board comes in wood looks and plain white, black or gray, flat or two-tier with a shelf that keeps detergent up off the folding surface. For finished rooms to copy, see laundry room makeover ideas from real customer laundry rooms.

How deep should a countertop over a washer and dryer be?

For a built-in top, measure from the wall to where you want the front edge and buy an inch more, so you can trim the back to the wall; two of the builds we read were cut 32 and 32 1/2 inches deep. A ready-made board sits on the machines and stops at or just behind the control panel, so the buttons stay clear; our sizing guide shows how to measure for it.

Is butcher block a good idea over a washer and dryer?

It can be, if you seal all six sides before you install it, wipe up water when it lands, and keep up the finish. SlabWise puts it at five to ten years between full refinishes with polyurethane, a fresh coat every one to three months with oil. Plan on two people for the lift.

What is the least expensive countertop to build for a laundry room?

Of the tops we priced, plywood. A sheet of 3/4 inch birch plywood, two 2x4s and a quart of clear finish came to about $112 at time of posting, or about $204 if you also need a saw and a sander.

Does a laundry room countertop need to be sealed?

A wood top does: plywood and butcher block both need a finish that seals every side, cut edges included. A ready-made laminate countertop arrives sealed on top; wipe up water that pools at its edges.