Large Furniture Delivery Day Checklist: What to Check Before You Sign
After weeks in transit, the last step for cross-border furniture is the local carrier bringing it to your home. A few minutes with this checklist on delivery day makes any follow-up much smoother. It's split into before delivery, at signing, and after delivery.
Before delivery: booking and preparation
Watch for the carrier's call
Once your shipment clears customs and reaches the local carrier, they'll contact you by phone, text or email to book a delivery time. Make sure the phone number and address on your order are correct, and keep an eye out for unfamiliar numbers and emails so you don't miss the booking.
Check your building's rules
If you live in an apartment or managed building, check ahead whether:
- the loading dock or freight elevator must be booked
- the elevator can be used, and at what times
- the building requires a Certificate of Insurance (COI) from the carrier
Clear the path
Clear the entrance, hallways, stairs and the spot where the furniture will go. Re-check the door, hallway, stair and elevator sizes you measured before ordering, remembering that packages are usually bigger than the furniture itself. See our furniture size guide for how to measure.
Need to reschedule? Tell us early
Contact us as early as possible. If storage, return or redelivery costs arise from a wrong address, a missed appointment, or access conditions not mentioned when ordering, we'll explain the reason and basis before charging anything.
Which delivery level did you choose?
| Level | Where it goes | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Standard: door-to-door | Front door of a house, or the lobby / first safe, dry area of an apartment building | No carrying inside, stairs, assembly, placement or packaging removal |
| Upgrade: room of choice | The agreed room | Whether stairs, elevators or long carries are included, and their cost, must be confirmed before payment |
| Premium: white glove | The agreed room | Unpacking, basic assembly, placement and packaging removal, as included in your order |
Room-of-choice and white-glove delivery must be available locally and confirmed before payment; anything already confirmed as included won't be charged twice. With standard delivery, have people or equipment ready to move the furniture inside.
At signing: five checks before you sign
The proof of delivery (POD) is the carrier's record of the delivery and any exceptions. Before you sign:
- Count the boxes: check items and shipping labels against your order.
- Inspect the packaging: look for damaged, wet, crushed or split crates, cartons or pallets.
- Note problems on the POD: write down any exception, for example "1 box damaged."
- Take photos: the packaging, shipping labels, the whole item and close-ups of any problem.
- Keep packaging and parts: don't throw away packaging, labels, hardware or accessories until any issue is resolved.
If you can't check everything on the spot, don't worry: signing for delivery, not having an unboxing video, or not reporting within two days does not by itself waive your rights for shipping damage or quality problems. Recording things early just makes them easier to investigate.
After delivery: damage, missing or wrong items
Email sales@yeswoodhome.com as soon as you can with:
- your order number and delivery date
- photos of the packaging and shipping labels, if possible
- photos of the whole item and the problem
- the number of boxes received, and a list of missing or wrong parts
- any exception notes on the POD
Videos, packaging and delivery records help the investigation but aren't a hard requirement. Please don't send anything back or arrange outside repairs until we've confirmed a solution. When a quality issue, shipping damage, wrong or missing item is verified, we cover the reasonable cost of resolving it, through replacement parts, repair, replacement, agreed compensation, or a return and refund.
Assembly and wrap-up
- After unpacking, check all parts and hardware against the instructions before you start assembling.
- Hold on to the packaging for a while: besides serving as evidence for delivery problems, standard items can be returned for any reason within 30 calendar days of delivery, and returns need packaging that's safe for shipping back (14 days for oversized items marked before payment).
- Keep solid wood furniture away from heaters, direct sunlight and damp areas; see Warranty for care and coverage.
Full delivery, inspection and return rules are on Shipping & Returns. Still planning your order? Read how long it takes to ship furniture from China to the U.S.