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Most of the work happens before the truck arrives. Someone has to confirm the piece will fit through the doors, up the stairs and into the elevator, book the building's elevator if you live in a condo, agree how far into the home the crew carries it and whether the packaging leaves with them, and, for used furniture, make sure nothing unwanted comes along.
Below: store and private-seller pickups, measuring the route, delivery service levels, condo bookings, inspection on arrival, bed bugs in used pieces and what comes after. For a whole household, see our movers page.
Furniture pickups from stores, warehouses and online marketplace sellers
For a private sale, send the crew clear photos, the pickup address, the floor the piece is on and whether the seller will help carry, and settle the price with the seller before anyone arrives. The crew moves the piece; it can't vouch for its condition or confirm it matches the listing, so inspect it yourself, or by video call, before you pay.
- Store and showroom pickups: the crew collects a paid order, so share the receipt or order number and confirm the item is ready before booking the truck.
- Warehouse and pickup-counter orders: boxed and wrapped pieces released from a loading bay, often during hours the store sets.
- Online marketplace purchases: a sofa, dresser or table bought from a private seller, where you arrange payment and timing and the crew handles the carry.
- Estate sales, auctions and consignment shops: pieces that must be collected by a deadline, sometimes from a basement or an upper floor.
Measuring doors, stairs, hallways and elevators before a furniture delivery
Most failed furniture deliveries fail at a doorway. Measure the piece and the route before you buy, or at the latest before the crew is booked, and send both to the delivery company.
- Note the piece's height, width and depth, plus the diagonal depth of a sofa or armchair, which decides whether it can be tipped on end through a door.
- Measure each door opening on the route with the door fully open, since the door slab and hinges take up part of the width.
- Check stairways for low ceilings, tight landings and turns, and for railings or light fixtures that stick out.
- In an apartment or condo, measure the elevator cab's inside height and depth and its door opening, not only its floor area.
- Look at hallway corners and the doorway into the final room, which are often tighter than the front entrance.
- Ask whether legs, cushions, a headboard or doors come off, since removing them is often what gets a piece through.
White-glove vs room-of-choice vs threshold furniture delivery: what each includes
Stores and delivery companies give their service levels different names, so compare what is actually included rather than the label. Confirm in writing how far the crew will carry the piece, whether stairs are part of it, what counts as assembly and who takes the packaging.
- Curbside or threshold delivery: the piece is left at the curb, the front door or the lobby, and getting it inside is up to you.
- Room-of-choice delivery: the crew carries the piece into the room you name, usually still in its carton.
- White-glove delivery: the crew unpacks, places the piece, handles light set-up such as attaching legs, and removes the packaging.
- Haul-away: some crews take the sofa or mattress being replaced, which is worth asking about when you book.
Condo elevator bookings and building rules for furniture deliveries
A condo building may treat a single sofa like a small move. Many ask that large furniture come up the service elevator during set hours, booked ahead through the management office or concierge, and some want the delivery company's certificate of insurance before the crew is let in. In Ontario, the Condominium Authority of Ontario explains that condo rules are made by the board and must be reasonable and consistent with the Condominium Act, the declaration and the by-laws, so ask the manager for the current delivery rules.
Book the elevator first, then confirm the delivery window around it, and give the crew the booking details and a building contact. Warn them about a low parking garage entrance or a loading dock that a larger truck can't use. If the truck has to stop on the street, city rules apply: in Montreal, a temporary permit to occupy the public domain is required in several situations, including when a sidewalk or bike path is blocked.
Inspecting furniture on delivery: what to check before you sign
The moment the crew sets a piece down is your best chance to catch damage. Once the delivery slip is signed without comment, showing when a scratch appeared gets much harder.
Ask before booking how the company handles damage and whether it's insured for the goods it carries. When the delivery is done by a mover, the Office of Consumer Affairs notes that basic mover liability is calculated by weight rather than value, so a light but costly chair may be covered for little of its worth. In Quebec, the Office de la protection du consommateur outlines a written repair estimate and a formal notice before going to court when a company won't settle.
- Unwrap the piece, or at least open the ends of the carton, while the crew is still there, and check corners, legs, glass and upholstery in good light.
- Open drawers and doors, sit on seating and rock tables gently to find loose joints or a wobble.
- Photograph any damage beside the packaging and write it on the delivery slip before signing.
- Check the walls, door frames and floors along the route too, and note any fresh marks the same way.
- Report hidden damage found later in writing, with photos, within the deadline in your delivery contract or the store's policy.
Bed bugs in second-hand furniture and mattresses: checks before a delivery comes inside
Used furniture is one of the easiest ways for bed bugs to reach a home. Health Canada advises being very cautious with second-hand or refurbished items, checking every item you bring home for the first time, including new furniture and pieces from garage sales or antique stores, and never taking a mattress or sofa from the curb. It also warns that new mattresses are often delivered in the same truck that carries away old ones, and advises insisting that a new mattress be sealed before delivery.
- Inspect a used piece at the seller's, before it goes on the truck, shining a flashlight along seams, tufting, joints, drawer runners and the underside of the frame.
- Pass on any piece showing live insects, pale shed casings or clusters of small dark spots.
- Health Canada also advises checking items before they go into a vehicle, so ask the crew to keep used upholstered pieces wrapped and away from other customers' furniture.
- If you suspect bed bugs after a delivery, call a licensed pest control professional rather than moving the piece to another room.
After furniture delivery: assembly, anchoring and packaging
Delivery and assembly are often sold separately. A white-glove crew may attach legs or a headboard, but a wardrobe, a storage bed or a desk that arrives as a stack of flat-pack boxes is a job for an assembler, and our furniture assembly page explains what careful assembly involves. Tall dressers, bookcases and wardrobes also need anchoring against tip-overs, which Health Canada recommends, so decide who does it before the crew leaves.
- Ask whether the crew takes the cartons, foam and plastic away or leaves them flattened for your recycling collection.
- Keep the instructions, spare hardware and any anti-tip kit together with the product label and receipt.
- Once the floor protection is lifted, move the piece only on sliders or by lifting it, so feet and casters don't scratch a finished floor.
Furniture Delivery: frequently asked questions
Can I hire someone just to pick up furniture I bought online?
Yes. Delivery crews regularly collect pieces from private sellers. Send photos, both addresses, the floors involved and whether the seller will help carry, and pay the seller directly once you're satisfied with the piece.
What's the difference between white-glove and threshold delivery?
Threshold delivery leaves the piece at the door or in the lobby. White-glove delivery brings it into the room, unpacks it, handles light set-up and takes the packaging away. Names vary, so confirm what's included in writing.
What happens if the sofa doesn't fit through the door?
A crew can often remove legs, cushions or a door, or use another entrance. If it still won't fit, the piece goes back on the truck, which is why measuring the route before buying matters so much.
Do I need to book the condo elevator for a single piece of furniture?
Often, yes. Many buildings want large furniture brought up the service elevator at booked times. Check your building's rules with the management office before you confirm the delivery window.
How do I avoid bringing bed bugs home with used furniture?
Inspect it before it goes on the truck, skip anything taken from the curb, and keep used upholstered pieces wrapped. Health Canada advises being very cautious with second-hand and refurbished items.
Sources
- Bedbugs: how do I prevent an infestation? — Health Canada
- Furniture, appliance and television tip-overs — Health Canada
- Rules — Condominium Authority of Ontario
- Parking a moving truck — Ville de Montréal
- Moving advice — Office of Consumer Affairs, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
- Moving: damaged furniture — Office de la protection du consommateur
Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Reviewed by Zubair Afzal on September 10, 2026. How we write and check our guides