Drag an orange dot to resize; a dashed line shows when it snaps to a common size. Click a dot, then use the arrow keys to nudge 1/8″ (hold Shift for 1″). Every size can also be typed in the panel.
Checks
- The joist passes the sag check.
- The top between joists passes the sag check.
- Check the washer’s installation guide for pedestals or platforms before you build. Some makers require their own.
- Put anti-vibration pads under every foot and level each machine. The front lip stops a walking washer going over the edge; it does not replace leveling.
Shopping list
| Qty | Item | Est. |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2×4 stud, 12′ (board) | $14.40 |
| 1 | 2×4 stud, 10′ (board) | $6.00 |
| 1 | 2×2 furring, 8′ (board) | $4.00 |
| 1 | 1×4 pine board, 6′ (board) | $6.60 |
| 1 | 3/4″ birch plywood, 4×8 sheet (sheet) | $68.00 |
| 1 | 3″ exterior screws (box of 75) | $12.00 |
| 1 | 2 1/2″ wood screws (box of 100) | $10.00 |
| 1 | 1 5/8″ wood screws (box of 100) | $9.00 |
| 1 | Wood glue (bottle) | $5.00 |
| 1 | Anti-vibration pads for washer/dryer (set of 4) | $18.00 |
About $153 · rough estimates, check the store
Parts
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Material | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Top | 1 | 29″ | 35 1/2″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| C | Rim Two per frame, front and back. | 4 | 29″ | 3 1/2″ | 2×4 stud |
| D | Joist 3 per frame. | 6 | 32 1/2″ | 3 1/2″ | 2×4 stud |
| E | Post | 6 | 11 5/16″ | 3 1/2″ | 2×4 stud |
| F | Front lip | 1 | 29″ | 1 1/2″ | 2×2 furring |
| G | Face trim | 2 | 29″ | 3 1/2″ | 1×4 pine board |
Cut list
3/4″ birch plywood, sheet 1 of 1
2×4 stud, 144″ → D 32 1/2″ · D 32 1/2″ · D 32 1/2″ · D 32 1/2″ · E 11 5/16″
2×4 stud, 144″ → D 32 1/2″ · D 32 1/2″ · C 29″ · C 29″ · E 11 5/16″
2×4 stud, 120″ → C 29″ · C 29″ · E 11 5/16″ · E 11 5/16″ · E 11 5/16″ · E 11 5/16″
2×2 furring, 96″ → F 29″
1×4 pine board, 72″ → G 29″ · G 29″
Kerf 1/8″ included. Every cut runs edge to edge.
Have the store cut it
Most home centers rip sheets on their panel saw. Show them this; do the short crosscuts at home.
- 3/4″ birch plywood: rip into strips 29″, keep the rest.
Steps
- Tape measure
- Speed square
- Pencil
- Drill/driver
- Clamps
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Dust mask
- Circular saw and a straight edge (or have the store cut the sheets)
- Sander, 120 and 180 grit
1Before you start
Read every step once, start to finish, before you buy or cut anything. Each step names the parts it uses by letter; the parts list gives their sizes.
Set up somewhere flat with good light. A pair of sawhorses with a sheet of plywood on top makes a fine work table.
Wear safety glasses whenever a tool is running, hearing protection for saws, and a dust mask for sanding and for cutting treated wood or sheet goods. Tie back long hair and loose sleeves. Keep children and pets out of the work area.
- Tip At the store, pick straight boards: hold each one up to your eye and look down its length. Skip boards that bow, twist or have big knots near the ends.
- Tip Measure twice, cut once. Most mistakes are a misread tape, not a bad cut.
2Cut and label the parts
Cut every part on the cut list. Cut the longest parts first: if one goes wrong, it can still become a shorter part.
To mark a cut, hook your tape on the end of the board, make a small V with its point exactly at the measurement, and draw a square line through the point with a speed square. Put an X on the waste side.
Cut on the waste side of the line, so the blade's kerf (about 1/8″) comes out of the scrap, not your part. Cut sheets with the good face down when using a circular saw: the blade splinters the top face.
Write each part's letter in pencil on a face that won't show, and stack the parts by letter.
Sand the faces before assembly while they're flat and easy to reach: 120 grit, then 180.
✓ Lay the parts out and count them against the parts list. Measure a few: if one is off by more than 1/16″, recut it now.
STOP. Let the saw reach full speed before it touches the wood, keep both hands clear of the blade's path, and never reach under a board you're cutting. Support long boards on both sides of the cut so the blade doesn't pinch.3Check the washer manual
Look in the washer’s installation guide for "pedestal" or "platform". Note any height limit.
STOP. Confirm the washer maker allows a platform or pedestal. If the guide says no, do not build this: it can void the warranty or let the machine walk.4Check the hookups reach
The machines will sit 12″ higher. Check the water hoses, drain hose, power cords and dryer vent will reach with slack to spare. Buy longer ones now if not.
✓ Every hose and the vent will reach without pulling tight.
5Build two frames
Screw two rims (C) to the ends of 3 joists (D), 13 3/4″ apart on centre: 2 screws, 3″, per joint.
Build a second, identical frame.
✓ Diagonals of each frame match within 1/8″.
6Join the frames with posts
Lay the bottom frame on the floor. Stand a post (E) beside each joist end, narrow edge against the rim, wide face against the joist.
Set the top frame on the posts, flush with the post tops.
At each frame, screw through the rim into the post (2 screws, 3″) and through the post into the joist (2 screws, 2 1/2″).
✓ The top frame is 11 5/16″ off the floor at every corner.
7Add the top and lip
Glue and screw the top (A) to the top frame, edges flush: 1 5/8″ screws every 6″ into the rims and joists.
Predrill the front lip (F) and screw it along the front edge, flush with the front, every 8″. Use 3″ screws: they pass through the lip and the top into the front rim.
✓ The top does not flex when you stand on it.
8Add the face trim
Screw one trim band (G) across the front, flush with the top surface, and one at the floor: 1 5/8″ screws every 8″ into the rims.
9Lift the machines on
Shut off the water. Unplug the machine. Disconnect hoses and the vent only as far as you must.
Put the anti-vibration pads where the feet will sit. Lift each machine onto the platform behind the lip.
Reconnect everything. Level each machine with its feet. Run a short spin with a towel load and watch for walking.
✓ Each machine is level, rocks on no foot, and stays put through a spin.
STOP. Two people to lift. A washer weighs 150–200 lb empty. Keep hoses and the dryer vent connected and slack, never crushed or kinked. A gas dryer: have a pro move the gas line.10Finish
Ease every sharp edge and corner with 120-grit sandpaper so nobody gets a splinter.
Sand all over with 180 grit, always along the grain (the direction the wood fibres run). Scratches across the grain show through stain.
Wipe off the dust with a barely damp rag and let it dry.
Paint, stain or a clear coat (water-based polyurethane is the easiest). Apply thin coats with the grain, let each dry fully, and sand lightly with 220 grit between coats.
Let it dry for the time on the can before using it.
- Tip Try your finish on a scrap of the same wood first: stain looks different on every board.
Conceptual layout, material estimate and assembly guide from the sizes you entered. Not engineering, not a building plan, not stamped or approved. Confirm measurements on site; follow local codes and product instructions; anchor tall pieces before use. Using this plan means you accept the Terms of Use.