Can a secondary suite share a laundry room with the main house in NB or does it need its own hookups?

Sharing laundry between a secondary suite and the main house is permitted under the National Building Code — there's no requirement that each unit have its own dedicated laundry hookups. However, the practical and code considerations around how that shared space is set up matter quite a bit.

The key issue isn't laundry specifically — it's fire separation. Under the NBC 2020 (now in effect for new applications in NB as of May 1, 2025), a secondary suite must be separated from the main dwelling by a minimum 45-minute fire-rated assembly. This means any shared access point, including a door to a shared laundry room, needs to maintain that fire separation. A door between the suite and a shared laundry space would typically need to be a solid-core, self-closing, fire-rated door — not just a standard interior door.

If the laundry room is accessed only from the main house side (not directly from the suite), that's a simpler arrangement from a code standpoint. The suite tenant would just pass through a common area. If the laundry is accessed from both units, you're essentially creating a shared common space, which needs careful detailing to maintain the fire separation on both sides.

Practically speaking, shared laundry works fine for owner-occupied setups where the homeowner lives in the main unit and rents the suite. For a fully independent rental suite, many tenants expect their own hookups — and landlords often find it reduces friction. Adding a washer/dryer rough-in (hot/cold supply, drain, and a dedicated 240V outlet for an electric dryer) during the renovation stage typically runs $800–$2,000 depending on how far you're running lines. That's much cheaper than retrofitting it later.

On the plumbing side, any new laundry hookup — whether shared or dedicated — requires a permit and must be done by a licensed plumber. Permits and inspections go through NB Dept. of Justice and Public Safety — Technical Inspection Services (TIS) at 1-888-659-3222. On the electrical side, a dedicated 240V dryer circuit requires a wiring permit through NB Power (1-800-615-0522) and a licensed electrical contractor.

Your most important first call is to your local building department, not TIS. Secondary suite zoning and building permit requirements vary across NB — Moncton, Fredericton, Saint John, and rural RSC areas all have different rules about what's permitted, what requires a development permit, and what fire separation details they'll accept. If you're in an unincorporated area, contact your Regional Service Commission. If you're in a municipality, go straight to their planning and development office.

Once you've confirmed zoning and permit requirements, browse the New Brunswick Construction Network directory to find licensed contractors, plumbers, and electricians who've done suite work in your area.