Furniture delivery isn't one thing. Retailers use at least three distinct service tiers, and the difference between them is the single biggest source of delivery-day surprise — a shopper expecting a sofa placed in the living room and unwrapped, getting instead a box left at the curb. The tiers have real names; asking for one by name is the fastest way to know exactly what you're getting.
Threshold delivery
Threshold delivery — sometimes called curb or dock delivery — means the driver brings the item to your doorstep, driveway, or building lobby and stops there. It isn't carried inside, unboxed, assembled, or unwrapped, and packaging isn't hauled away. This is the tier most common with freight carriers and budget or discount retailers, and it's often the free or lowest-cost option specifically because it requires the least labor. If you live in a walk-up or don't have help available on delivery day, this is the tier most likely to leave you moving a heavy box up several flights alone.
Room-of-choice delivery
Room-of-choice delivery — sometimes called inside delivery — steps up from there: a two-person crew carries the item into the room you specify, typically does basic assembly like attaching legs or a headboard rail, and usually removes the packaging on the way out. It usually does not include hauling away an old piece of furniture unless that's arranged and paid for separately. This tier commonly runs $75 to $199 depending on distance and item size, though many retailers waive the fee above a purchase threshold — often $999 or $1,500.
White-glove delivery
White-glove delivery is the full-service tier: a crew brings the item inside, fully unpacks it, assembles it completely — including reattaching cushions or backs on a sectional, testing a recliner's motion mechanism — places it exactly where you want it, and removes all the packaging. Old-furniture haul-away is often included or available as a smaller add-on, typically $50 to $100. This tier usually requires a two-person crew minimum, sometimes three for a large sectional or heavy case good, and typically costs $150 to $400 depending on how many pieces and how far the truck has to travel. Many mid-to-upper retailers fold it into the price of higher-tier goods rather than charging separately.
What "assembly required" really means by piece
Assembly requirements vary predictably by category. Legs and feet ship detached on almost everything — it protects the frame in transit and keeps the box smaller — so expect to screw those on regardless of delivery tier. Headboards and footboards typically ship in parts and need real assembly. Dining tables often ship with the legs or base separate from the top. Sectionals with more than two or three sections usually need connector brackets tightened on-site, even at a white-glove tier, since it's part of the standard install rather than a defect. Mattresses need no assembly at all, but a boxed mattress needs to be unrolled and given time to expand — usable within hours, but not fully expanded to its final loft for 24 to 72 hours.
Lead times: in-stock vs. special order
A piece that's in-stock at a retailer's warehouse typically delivers within one to two weeks of order, at any service tier. A custom or special order — a sectional in a made-to-order fabric, a case good in a non-standard finish — is a different timeline entirely: 8 to 14 weeks is typical before the item is even ready to schedule for delivery, and that clock usually doesn't start until the order is fully confirmed. A retailer that gives a specific week range, rather than a vague "a few months," is one that's actually checked with its own supply chain.
Old-furniture haul-away
Haul-away of your existing furniture is usually a separate arrangement from delivery of the new piece, even at the white-glove tier — confirm it's included rather than assuming. Most companies will only haul away an item in the same general category as what you're buying (they'll take your old sofa if you bought a new sofa, not a random extra dresser), and it typically needs to be pre-arranged before the delivery date, not requested on the spot.
If you're not home, and what happens with damage
Most retailers require an adult to be present to accept a delivery and sign off on it — furniture generally isn't left unattended the way a parcel can be, especially at the room-of-choice or white-glove tier, where a crew needs someone to direct them and confirm placement. If your schedule genuinely can't accommodate the delivery window offered, ask about rescheduling policies before the date is locked in; some carriers charge a redelivery fee for a missed appointment, others don't.
Weather and traffic push delivery windows more than most people expect, particularly for freight-carrier threshold deliveries that route multiple stops across a wide area. A retailer that proactively texts or calls with a revised window, rather than leaving you guessing past the original one, is a good sign for how they'll handle problems generally — including the one that matters most: a damaged piece. Photograph anything that looks wrong before the crew leaves and before you sign any delivery paperwork, since a signature confirming "received in good condition" can complicate a damage claim filed afterward, even if the damage was real.
Questions worth asking before you buy
- Which delivery tier is included in the price, by name — threshold, room-of-choice, or white-glove?
- Is old-furniture haul-away included, or a separate paid add-on that needs to be arranged in advance?
- What's the actual delivery window — a specific date, or a multi-week range?
- Is this item in-stock, or a special order, and what's the real lead time before it even ships?
- What happens if something arrives damaged — is the inspection done with you present, before the crew leaves?
That last question matters more than it sounds like it should. At a proper white-glove delivery, the crew walks the piece with you before they leave, and any damage claim needs to be noted at that walkthrough — not discovered, and reported, after the truck has already gone.