Appliances cause more moving day damage than almost anything else in the house. A fridge that’s tipped too far, a washer drum that bounces down the stairs unsecured, a dryer vent ripped out of the wall, a glass cooktop that cracks in the truck. They’re heavy, they’re awkward, they’re connected to water, power and sometimes gas, and the people who move them once every few years don’t usually know their quirks.
Moving Co.’s appliance movers handle fridges, freezers, washers, dryers, stoves, dishwashers and more across Toronto, the GTA and the rest of Ontario. Our crews unhook laundry machines and fridge water lines, move the appliances properly, and hook them up again at your new place. Anything on a gas line is coordinated with a licensed gas contractor, because that’s the law in Ontario.
Call 905-752-7787 or request a free quote and tell us which appliances are coming, where they are, and where they’re going.
What our appliance movers handle
- Fridges: standard, French door, side by side, counter depth, bar fridges and fridges with ice makers and water dispensers.
- Freezers: upright and chest freezers.
- Laundry: front load and top load washers, dryers, stacked laundry units.
- Kitchen: electric ranges and stoves, gas ranges once the gas is disconnected, dishwashers, microwaves.
- Other: window and portable air conditioners, dehumidifiers, wine fridges and commercial units that have been disconnected.
We move appliances as part of a full house or condo move, between floors in the same home, from a store or a seller’s home to yours, and from one city to another.
Disconnecting: what we do, and what needs a licensed trade
Every appliance has to come off its connections before it moves, and that’s where a lot of trouble starts. Here’s how we split it:
- Washers. Our crews turn off the supply valves, unhook the hot and cold hoses and the drain hose, and drain what’s left in the lines.
- Dryers. We unplug electric dryers and disconnect the vent duct without tearing it out of the wall.
- Fridges with water lines. We shut off the water and disconnect the line to the ice maker or dispenser.
- Gas ranges and gas dryers. In Ontario, work on fuel-fired appliances is done by TSSA registered contractors using certified gas technicians. Book one to shut off and cap the gas before we arrive, and to connect the appliance at your new home.
- Hardwired appliances. We don’t do electrical work. If a dishwasher, cooktop or wall oven is wired directly into a circuit, a licensed electrician needs to disconnect it, and reconnect it at the other end.
Then, at the new place, our crews hook the washer, the dryer and the fridge water line back up, so the laundry works on your first night.
Moving a fridge the right way
Fridges have a reputation for being fussy, and the reputation is earned. The compressor and its oil sit at the bottom of the unit. Lay a fridge on its side and that oil can move where it shouldn’t, which is why the manufacturers are specific about it.
GE Appliances says it’s best to keep a fridge standing upright, and that French door and bottom freezer models must always stay upright, though they can be tilted to get through a doorway. If a fridge does end up on its side, GE says to stand it up for as long as it was lying down before plugging it in, and for 24 hours if it was on its side for more than a day. Whirlpool ties the wait to the refrigerant type shown on the model tag: at least 15 minutes for newer units and at least 24 hours for older ones.
So we move fridges upright on an appliance dolly, tilted only as far as a doorway or a stair requires. A few things help on your side:
- Empty the fridge and freezer before moving day.
- If you can, unplug it the night before so the freezer can defrost, and leave a towel underneath.
- Take out or tape down loose glass shelves and drawers.
- Check the model tag or your manual for the manufacturer’s advice on plugging it back in.
Washers: the shipping bolts nobody remembers
Front load washers have a heavy drum that hangs on springs and dampers. When a washer leaves the factory, shipping bolts hold that drum still. Most people throw the bolts away the day the washer is installed.
Whirlpool says new shipping bolts must be reinstalled before a front load washer is transported, to avoid damage to the suspension and structure, and recommends having an authorized service technician install them. It also warns that the bolts must come out again at the new home, or the washer won’t run and will vibrate badly. LG advises keeping the bolts for exactly this reason.
If you still have your washer’s bolts, set them aside for moving day. If you don’t, check with your appliance dealer or the manufacturer about a replacement set before the move. It’s a small part that protects an expensive machine.
Stoves, dishwashers and dryers
- Stoves and ranges. Glass cooktops crack under point pressure, so they travel protected and nothing gets stacked on them. Oven doors and storage drawers are secured so they can’t swing open.
- Dishwashers. A built-in dishwasher has a water supply, a drain line and usually a power connection. Once those are disconnected, it slides out and travels like any other appliance. Expect a little water in the bottom.
- Dryers. Lint traps and vents should be cleaned before the move. Check that the new home has the right outlet and a vent in the right place, because dryer plugs and vent locations vary from one home to the next.
Measure before moving day
The most frustrating appliance problem is the one nobody checks: the fridge that doesn’t fit. It doesn’t fit through the new apartment’s door, or it doesn’t fit the space in the new kitchen, or it fits the space but the doors can’t open because there’s a wall beside it. A few minutes with a tape measure prevents all of it.
- Measure the appliance. Width, depth and height, both with and without the doors and handles. Many fridges get noticeably narrower with the doors off.
- Measure the route at the old home. Doorways, hallways, the tightest turn on the stairs, and any landing where the appliance has to pivot.
- Measure the route at the new home. The same again, plus the elevator interior and door if it’s a condo.
- Measure the new space. The fridge alcove, the gap between cabinets for the range, and the laundry area, including the room needed behind a dryer for the vent.
Send us the measurements and the photos when you book. If something won’t fit, it’s much better to find out now than in the hallway of your new building with the elevator booking running out.
Stairs, doorways and condo buildings
Most appliance damage happens on the way out of the house, not in the truck. We measure doorways and stairwells against the appliance before lifting, take off appliance doors when that’s what makes it fit, and take house doors off their hinges if that’s the only route. We protect floors, stair nosings and door frames along the path.
For condos and apartments, the service elevator usually needs a booking. You book it with your building, and we help with what to ask for. Our crews are insured, and we send the building a certificate of insurance ahead of the date if it needs one. We protect the elevator and hallways on the way through.
Laundry in the basement
In a lot of older Toronto houses, the laundry is in the basement, down a narrow staircase with a turn at the bottom and a low ceiling over it. Getting a washer and dryer in was hard enough the first time, and some were installed before a wall or a bulkhead was added. Taking them out means planning the route carefully: which way the machine faces on the stairs, where the people stand, and whether a stair railing or a door has to come off for a few minutes.
We’d rather spend two extra minutes looking at the stairs than ten minutes repairing a wall. If the only way out involves taking off a railing section or a door, we’ll tell you before we do it, and we put it back afterwards.
Setting up at the new place
Getting the appliances into the new home is half the job. Here’s what happens next:
- The fridge. We put it in place on a protected floor and connect the water line if it has one. Then follow the manufacturer’s advice on how long it should stand before you plug it in, and give it time to come down to temperature before you load it up with food. Your manual will say how long.
- The washer. We hook up the hot and cold supply and the drain hose. If it’s a front load model that travelled with shipping bolts, the bolts have to come out before it runs. It’s worth running a short empty cycle and checking behind it for drips.
- The dryer. We connect the vent and plug in an electric dryer. Check that the vent run is clear and not crushed behind the machine.
- Gas appliances. Your registered contractor connects the gas and checks the appliance.
- Hardwired appliances. Your electrician reconnects them.
Before we leave, look around the floors where the appliances were slid into place. We protect them, but you should be the one to say you’re happy.
Common appliance moving mistakes
Most of the appliance damage we hear about comes from the same handful of mistakes, usually made by friends helping out or by movers in a hurry:
- Laying the fridge flat in the back of a pickup and plugging it in the moment it arrives.
- Forgetting the water. A washer hose disconnected without closing the valve, or a fridge water line pulled off without shutting it off, can flood a laundry room quickly.
- Moving a front load washer without its bolts and bouncing the drum down the stairs.
- Dragging appliances across the floor, which tears vinyl, scratches hardwood and gouges tile.
- Using a furniture dolly instead of an appliance dolly, so the appliance can’t be strapped and controlled on stairs.
- Sending one person down the stairs with the appliance instead of enough people to control it.
- Not checking the new hookups until moving day, and finding the dryer plug or the gas connection doesn’t match.
None of these are complicated to avoid. They just need people who do this every week and aren’t trying to finish before lunch.
Moving a single appliance
Not every appliance move is part of a full move. You might be buying a used fridge from a seller across town, bringing a washer home from a store, moving a freezer from the garage to the basement, or giving a family member your old range. Those are single item moves, and they’re a regular job for us. Tell us where the appliance is, where it’s going, and the stairs at both ends, and you’ll have a price before you book.
Buying a used appliance? Before you pay, check the dimensions against your space and your doorways, and ask the seller to have it emptied, unplugged and, for a fridge, defrosted before pickup day. If it’s a front load washer, ask whether the shipping bolts are still around. It saves time and avoids a wasted trip.
How appliance moving is priced
When appliances move as part of your house or condo move, the work is billed as part of the regular hourly job, including the time it takes to unhook and hook up washers, dryers and fridge water lines. Our current rates are on the pricing page.
For a single appliance on its own, call us and we’ll give you a price up front. If any gas or electrical work is needed, that’s booked with a licensed contractor separately.
Coverage for expensive appliances
A new French door fridge or a matched laundry pair can cost more than the rest of a kitchen’s contents combined, so it’s worth knowing how coverage works before moving day. Our standard coverage is the industry standard of $0.60 per pound per article, and full replacement-value coverage is available as an upgrade. If you’re moving high-end appliances, ask about the upgrade when you book.
Our crews are insured, and we send a certificate of insurance to any building that asks for one before the move.
Landlords, renovations and stores
Appliance moves aren’t only for people changing homes. Landlords move appliances between units or swap a broken fridge for a working one between tenants. Homeowners in the middle of a kitchen renovation need the fridge and stove moved to the basement or garage for a few weeks, then back again when the cabinets are done. Stores and resellers need appliances delivered and carried into homes, sometimes with the old one going out on the same trip.
All of those are routine for us. For regular work, like a property manager with ongoing turnovers or a retailer with weekly deliveries, our enterprise logistics service sets up recurring terms so you’re not booking from scratch every time.
Appliances on long distance moves
We move across Ontario and across Canada. On long distance moves, the same crew always loads the truck, drives it and unloads it at your new home, so the people who disconnected and loaded your appliances are the ones who bring them in at the other end. Appliances ride upright and strapped in place.
Before a long move, it’s worth asking whether every appliance should come. Some homes come with appliances included. Some older units cost more to move than they’re worth. If you decide to leave something behind, our appliance removal service can take it away on moving day so it doesn’t become the new owner’s problem. See our long distance moving page for how we run longer moves.
What to have ready on moving day
- Fridge and freezer emptied, ideally defrosted overnight.
- Washer drained, and the shipping bolts on hand if it’s a front load model.
- Gas appliances already shut off and capped by a registered contractor.
- Hardwired appliances already disconnected by an electrician.
- The path cleared from each appliance to the door.
- At the new home: water shut-off valves you can find, and any gas or electrical hookups booked.
Areas we cover
We move appliances across Toronto, including downtown, North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke and East York, and across the GTA in Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Oakville and Burlington. We also handle appliance moves to and from Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Ottawa and the rest of Ontario, and across Canada as part of long distance moves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do your movers disconnect and reconnect appliances?
Yes. Our crews disconnect washers, dryers and fridge water lines at the old home and connect them again at the new one. Gas appliances have to be disconnected and reconnected by a TSSA registered contractor, and hardwired appliances need a licensed electrician.
Can a fridge be moved on its side?
It’s best to keep it upright. GE says French door and bottom freezer models must always stay upright, though they can be tilted through a doorway. If a fridge has been on its side, manufacturers say to let it stand upright before plugging it in; GE suggests the same length of time it was lying down, up to 24 hours.
Do I need shipping bolts to move my washer?
For a front load washer, Whirlpool says yes: shipping bolts should be reinstalled before transport and removed again at the new home. If you’ve lost yours, ask your dealer or the manufacturer about a replacement set before the move.
Can you move my gas stove?
Yes, once the gas has been shut off and capped by a TSSA registered contractor. We move the stove, and a registered contractor connects it at your new home.
How much does it cost to move appliances?
As part of a full move, appliance work is billed within the regular hourly job, including unhooking and hooking up washers, dryers and fridge water lines. For a single appliance on its own, call us for a price up front.
Can you move an appliance I bought from a store or a private seller?
Yes. That’s a single item move. Tell us the pickup address, the drop-off address and the stairs at each end, and we’ll quote it.
Are my appliances covered during the move?
Our standard coverage is the industry standard of $0.60 per pound per article, and full replacement-value coverage is available as an upgrade. If you’re moving expensive appliances, ask about the upgrade when you book so you know exactly what’s covered.
Do you move appliances in condos?
Yes. You book the service elevator with your building, and we help with what to ask for. We send a certificate of insurance ahead of time if the building requires one.
How long should I wait to plug in my fridge after the move?
It depends on the manufacturer and how the fridge travelled. If it stayed upright, the wait is short. If it was on its side, GE says to stand it upright for as long as it was lying down, up to 24 hours, and Whirlpool’s guidance depends on the refrigerant listed on the model tag. Check your manual.
Can you move a washer or freezer between floors in the same house?
Yes. Moving a freezer from the garage to the basement, or a washer and dryer to a new laundry room, is a single item job. Tell us the stairs and the route and we’ll quote it.
What if I don’t want to take an appliance with me?
We can remove it on moving day as part of our appliance removal service, so it’s gone before you hand over the keys.
Tell us which appliances are moving and we’ll plan it properly: unhooked, protected, carried and hooked back up. Request your free quote or call 905-752-7787.