How Much Does a Dishwasher Weigh?

The type of machine sets the weight before any other factor does. A built-in carries a steel tub and insulation inside a cabinet; a portable carries all of that plus its own finished body and wheels.

Built-in 24-inch (undercounter)

About 77 lb (35 kg), most between 65 and 95 lb. This is the US standard size, and the weight comes from a stainless steel tub, full sound insulation and often a third rack. It slides into a cabinet opening and is screwed to the counter above.

Slim 18-inch built-in

About 60 lb (27 kg), most between 50 and 75 lb. The construction is the same as a 24-inch machine in a narrower cabinet, so the savings come from less steel and less insulation. The trade-off is capacity: an 18-inch unit holds roughly 8 to 10 place settings against 12 to 16 for a 24-inch.

Freestanding

Close to the 24-inch built-in figure, a little more for the outer shell that lets the machine stand on its own in a kitchen. Under the panels it is the same appliance, with the same tub and insulation.

Portable on wheels

About 108 lb (49 kg), most between 90 and 135 lb, which makes it the heaviest of the home types. The casters, the hose and coupler hardware, and the finished cabinet that lets it sit in a kitchen all add weight. It is also the type most often moved, which is the awkward part.

Countertop

About 47 lb (21 kg), the lightest of the group. A small tub, a plastic or thin steel body and no cabinet keep it down. Most models land between 25 and 45 lb.

Commercial undercounter

150 to 230 lb. Heavier gauge steel, bigger pumps and heating elements, and a build made for continuous use. Larger commercial machines, the conveyor and flight types used in dish rooms, are heavier still.

Two machines of the same size can differ by 30 lb or more. The gap comes from a handful of parts and materials, and each one adds a predictable amount.

• Tub material. A stainless steel tub adds roughly 10 to 15 lb over a plastic tub.
• Sound insulation. Quieter models, the ones rated at a lower dBA, carry more insulation and damping material. This is a real part of the difference between two same-size machines.
• Third rack and extra baskets. A few pounds.
• Control location. Top-control models tend to run heavier than front-control ones.
• Panel-ready door. A custom-panel model adds the weight of the door panel, roughly 10 to 15 lb.
• Motor and pump size, tall tub design. Smaller effects on their own, but they add up.

Heavier usually means more steel and more insulation, which often means a quieter machine. It does not by itself mean better built. A heavy machine and a light one can last the same number of years, so weigh the noise and the feel of the door, not the number on the scale.

A dishwasher is heaviest in the middle of a cycle, when the tub holds water and the racks hold dishes. Water weighs about 8.34 lb per gallon, and a standard dishwasher uses at most about 3.2 gallons per cycle under the federal energy standard, with compact models at about 2.0 gallons. A full fill is therefore roughly 25 to 27 lb of water at peak.

Dishes add roughly 20 to 30 lb for a family load. Put it together and a 77 lb built-in runs at roughly 110 to 130 lb while washing. That is the figure that matters if the machine sits on a raised floor or a weak spot.

A countertop unit follows the same math on a smaller scale: about 47 lb empty, a couple of gallons of water and a light load of dishes, for roughly 70 to 80 lb in use. A portable at 108 lb empty approaches 140 to 160 lb during a cycle.

The assembled weight, also called product or net weight, is the machine itself. That is the number to use for lifting, for a dolly rating and for checking what your floor carries.

The packaged or shipping weight includes the carton, the foam and sometimes a pallet. It typically runs 5 to 15 lb more, and more than that for a large portable with a heavy carton. Shipping weight tells you what the delivery driver handles, not what you will carry into the kitchen.

The real number for a given model is on the manufacturer's spec sheet or in the installation manual, and often in the retailer listing's assembled weight field. When the retailer listing and the manual give different figures for the same machine, the spec sheet wins.

A 24-inch machine sits on a footprint of about 24 inches wide by 24 inches deep, roughly 4 square feet. At about 120 lb loaded, that works out to about 30 lb per square foot. Residential building codes set the kitchen floor live load at 40 lb per square foot, so a normal kitchen floor handles a dishwasher easily.

Upper floors and older joists are worth a look before a heavy machine goes in, and large commercial units are a different matter that calls for a structural check. For a home kitchen, the floor is rarely the problem.

Countertop machines put their load on the counter instead. About 47 lb empty plus water and dishes is roughly 70 to 80 lb on the counter. Place the unit over a cabinet, not over an open span, and keep it off a weak or overhanging section of the countertop.

Anything 24 inches or larger is a two-person job. A countertop unit can be carried by one person. For the rest, an appliance dolly rated for the load, with a strap, does most of the work.

• Tape the door shut and drain the water before the machine leaves the kitchen.
• Wrap it in a blanket to protect the door and the sides.
• Lift by the frame, never by the door, the control panel or the racks.
• Tip the machine as little as possible. If it has been on its side, stand it upright for about two hours before hooking up the water.

Installation needs a rough opening about 24 inches wide, 24 inches deep and 35 inches high, leveling legs set so the machine sits square, and support from the cabinet or counter above. A portable over 100 lb is a two-person job on stairs, wheels or not.

A refrigerator runs around 300 lb, a washing machine around 170 to 205 lb, a dryer around 124 lb and a range around 160 lb. A dishwasher at about 77 lb is one of the lighter major appliances in the house. That is why two people can move one, and why a dolly is enough for the job.