White Glove Delivery and Storage: What It Covers and Costs

The truck is booked, the dining room still smells like fresh paint, and a solid cherry table is somewhere between the warehouse and your curb. The question isn't whether the piece is handsome. It's who carries it, where it lands, and whether it waits safely if the room isn't ready.

White glove delivery and storage is the practical answer when a heavy, fragile, or made-to-order piece can't sit in a carton while life catches up. Treat it as risk management for heirloom wood, not a courtesy upgrade.

What White Glove Delivery and Storage Really Means

Say a solid cherry dining table arrives on South State Street traffic and stops at the driveway. Left at the curb, the cartons are yours: the weight, the turns, the legs, the finish. Carried into the dining room, unwrapped, and set on its marks, the same delivery is a different job.

White glove is a defined service level. It sits above curbside drop-off and above standard inside delivery. It is not a vague premium label. A useful outside explanation of white glove packing and unpacking explained shows why the written list of tasks matters more than the name on the invoice. One carrier's "white glove" can stop at the doorway. Another includes assembly and haul-away.

Tyner Furniture has served Southeast Michigan since 1957, from the South State Street showroom in Ann Arbor. That local legacy is why delivery planning belongs in the same conversation as wood species and fabric.

Delivery service levels compared

Curbside is the right call for a light boxed lamp you can lift alone. Threshold delivery gets a mid-size piece through the front door and stops. You still place it and build it. White glove is the two-person path for a heavy table, a fragile finish, or a sectional that fights a hallway. White glove with storage adds a controlled hold when a renovation, a move-in date, or a custom build isn't ready.

Fees are set per order. Confirm the figure for your purchase with Tyner rather than treating a market average as your bill.

In-stock is only the beginning. A made-to-order Canadel dining table can change leg style, edge, and finish. Stressless recliners come in Small, Medium, and Large, and upholstery runs from a broad fabric range to the buttery feel of top-grain leather. Those choices set the delivery plan the day you order, because a bespoke size won't match a stock carton. Tyner covers everything from the Home Office to Outdoor Spaces, so the same service logic applies in most rooms, not only the dining room.

What Your Delivery Crew Handles at the Door

A complete white glove stop is a sequence, not a single lift. Ask for this scope before you treat the appointment as settled:

• Two-person carry: The crew moves the piece from the truck to the threshold together, so one person never takes the full load on a step.
• Room-of-choice placement: They set it in the room you named, not the foyer.
• Unpacking: Cartons, blankets, and corner guards come off under good light.
• Assembly: Legs, leaves, and hardware go on as the order requires.
• Surface protection: Floors, walls, and doorframes stay covered on the path. A short guide to protecting floors from furniture is worth reading before you pick runners.
• Haul-away: Empty cartons and packing debris leave with the truck.
• Walkthrough: You and the crew look over the piece before anyone signs and leaves.

Furniture accounted for about 49% of white-glove applications in 2023, roughly 74 million shipments, because large, heavy, delicate, or high-value pieces need more than curbside transport, according to Giorgi Bros. The same account notes that premium installation and setup were included in 98% of the contracts in that 2023 analysis, with typical pricing about $100–$250 per shipment, or about 20%–50% more than basic inside delivery. Your Tyner fee can differ. The point is that this is a mature service, not an optional courtesy.

Confirm these details in advance

• Existing pieces: Ask whether the crew will slide a current sofa or table out of the way.
• Removal: Ask whether old furniture leaves the house or stays for you to handle.
• Stairs and recliners: Ask how an upholstered or reclining piece is controlled on a turn.
• Full assembly: Ask whether every component of a dining set or sectional is in the labor, including leaves and power parts.

Feel the weight of a Stressless recliner on a narrow Ann Arbor staircase. Two people have to control the tilt so the headrest doesn't kiss the rail and the base doesn't rack. The truck got it to the curb. The crew decides whether the finish survives the last twenty feet.

Pro-Tip: Request the scope in writing before delivery day, including stairs, haul-away, and what "assembly" covers on your exact order.

How to Book and Schedule Your Delivery Window

Timing is part of the product. A 2025 Ryder survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers found that nearly one-third now schedule deliveries online, while more than 70% are willing to pay for premium services such as installation, setup, and haul-away, and 96% of consumers reporting a positive delivery experience said they were more likely to shop with that retailer again, per the 2025 Ryder Last Mile Study. A calm window protects a made-to-order finish as much as it protects your afternoon.

New homeowners can pair this call with a simple move-in organization list so the room is usable when the crew arrives.

Book the window in this order

1. Gather the order number, the item list, and the dimensions before you call, so nobody quotes labor against the wrong piece.
2. Measure the narrowest doorway, each hallway turn, the stair width, the landing, and the elevator interior, because a failed carry usually dies at the tightest point, not at the truck.
3. Name the room of choice and say whether the path crosses carpet or hardwood, so the crew brings the right floor protection.
4. Ask for the appointment window and confirm whether it is a span of hours or a fixed time, so you aren't waiting on a guess.
5. Confirm a two-person crew and the expected duration for the full order, because a dining set plus a recliner is not a ten-minute stop.
6. Ask about rescheduling, how much cancellation notice is required, and what happens if access is blocked on arrival, so a locked gate doesn't become a surprise fee.
7. Confirm the day-before contact and who must be home to sign, because an empty house can't approve placement or note a mark.

Don't assume a retailer policy you haven't heard confirmed. Write down the answers from this call.

Route check: Photograph the entryway and mark the carry path with painter's tape so the crew sees the plan the moment they step in.

Preparing Your Home Before the Truck Arrives

A recliner can clear the front door and still catch at the hallway turn when its base tilts. Before delivery day, clear the carry path and check the space where each piece will sit.

• Clear the route: Move shoes, plants, and side tables from the entry to the room of choice.
• Decide on the old piece: If it's leaving, clear the room first. If it's staying, move it aside so the crew can bring in the new furniture without lifting it twice.
• Protect the floor: Roll up rugs and lay down runners or clean cardboard on hardwood.
• Check the footprint and movement: Mark where the new piece will sit, then leave enough room for a recliner to tilt and a sofa's arms to clear nearby furniture.
• Leave dolly room: Keep a straight lane open, rather than forcing the crew to zigzag around a console.
• Free an outlet: A power recliner or motorized base needs a reachable plug before the crew sets it in place.
• Park pets and children: Keep them out of the carry path until the walkthrough is done.

If you haven't measured, use this guide to measuring furniture and room access to check that the marked footprint suits the piece you ordered.

Let the wood settle

A piece arriving cold after a Southeast Michigan winter or hot after a summer ride needs time to adjust indoors. Leave it sealed in a room near your usual living temperature for several hours before unwrapping it. A gradual change gives the finish and glued joints time to adjust instead of facing a sharp temperature swing all at once. For longer storage, follow the placement guidance in the storage section.

Keep the small parts: Hold on to the original tags and hardware bags until assembly is confirmed. They help you match bolts, care labels, and warranty details if a piece is short.

Insurance, Liability and Damage Claims Explained

You notice a fresh scuff on a table after the delivery crew has left. Before deciding who is responsible, identify when it may have happened: before delivery, during transit, or inside your home. Those three damage buckets help keep a claim focused on what needs to be documented.

A scuff that was already on the piece is a pre-existing mark. Transit damage occurs between the warehouse and your door. Site damage happens in the home, such as a mark on a stair nose or doorframe. Photos and clear notes help distinguish one from another.

The National Park Service's storage guidance recommends supporting heavy objects carefully, padding shelf edges, and avoiding direct placement on concrete, stone, or brick. On delivery day, the same care starts with clean, padded equipment and protected corners. Dragging a heavy solid-wood piece can put force on its legs, stretchers, and joints, so ask the crew to lift and carry it as the maker allows.

Before signing, inspect the piece and packaging under good light, photograph existing marks and the furniture's surfaces, and note any damage on the delivery paperwork. Check that drawers open, the piece sits level, and the hardware is present. If storage or acclimation conditions differed from what you agreed on, record that too.

Then check the written terms. Tyner's warranty information explains product coverage, while delivery and storage may have separate terms. Ask what coverage applies on the truck, inside the home, and during a storage hold; how soon and in what form you must report damage; whether photos are required; and whether custom-order terms differ from those for a floor sample. Keep the answers with your order paperwork.

Storing Furniture Safely Before Move-In or Renovation

A cherry drawer can slide smoothly before a move, then stick after spending a winter in an unheated garage. Wood responds to humidity: a change from 30% to 70% relative humidity can make it expand by as much as 2% across the grain, nearly half an inch across a two-foot panel, according to American Institute for Conservation furniture guidance. The strain may only become obvious later, as a tight drawer or a joint that complains.

Storage environment targets for furniture

Museum conservation guidance recommends about 40–60% relative humidity, with daily variation limited to about 5 percentage points, and temperatures around 15–25°C (59–77°F), with changes limited to roughly 4°C per day, according to the National Park Service wood-objects appendix.

A managed room with a calibrated thermo-hygrometer is safer for custom solid wood than an uncontrolled garage, attic, or basement. Southeast Michigan seasons can bring wide swings, and a cherry top responds even when its carton looks untouched. Made-to-order hardwood and custom-finished pieces deserve particular care: glued joints, veneers, and finish films can take stress before a mark appears. For day-to-day surface care after the piece is home, follow this guide to protecting wood furniture from scratches and stains.

Check the thermo-hygrometer when furniture goes into storage, then read it on a regular schedule and record the numbers. A changing reading can alert you to a problem before a drawer binds or a finish clouds. Keep wood away from direct sun, and photograph each piece before storing it. For more on storing furniture safely during home renovations, see the guidance on covers, airflow, and off-floor placement. Ask Tyner whether a storage hold is climate-monitored and whether temperature and humidity records are kept.

A stable room beats a “climate-controlled” sign on the door. Ask how often someone reads the meter.

Cost-per-Year Value and What Delivery Adds

A table can look expensive at checkout and modest when its cost is spread across years of use. Divide the purchase price by the years of service to get a simple annual comparison. Solid-wood furniture can remain in service for decades, so the sticker price alone gives an incomplete picture.

Why the joint matters

In a mortise-and-tenon joint, a shaped projection fits into a matching opening, creating a broad connection that adhesive can reinforce. Dovetail joints use interlocking, angled “fingers” to help keep a drawer's sides from pulling apart. Staples and cam-locks can hold parts together too, but the joint design and material affect how a piece handles repeated use. Tyner's Amish handcrafted solid-wood pieces are built with hardwood and traditional joinery.

Illustrative cost per year of delivery and furniture

The table's purchase prices are illustrative, not a Tyner quote. For example, a $100 delivery fee spread across 20 years adds $5 per year. The fee is one part of the comparison; for a costly, made-to-order piece, damage can mean a difficult replacement rather than a quick stock swap. A written delivery scope helps clarify what the crew will handle and where responsibility changes hands. If a renovation requires a holding period, storage budgeting tips for moving house can help you compare a short hold with an open-ended one.

Tyner's Low Price Promise pairs competitive value with local support. Compare the exact delivery fee on your order before calculating its yearly share.

Compare the yearly number: Set two options side by side using the same years of service, and include the delivery fee in each calculation.

Deciding Whether White Glove Fits Your Order

A narrow stair turn, a custom finish, or a long wait before move-in can change what delivery needs to cover. Use the scope of the order, the route into your home, and the timing to decide which service level makes sense.

Choose white glove when:

• The piece is heavy or fragile, especially solid hardwood with a custom finish.
• It is made to order or hard to assemble, so a missed cam or a racked leg could be expensive to undo.
• Replacement would be difficult, because the table or recliner is a significant purchase rather than a spare.
• The path is tight, with narrow stairs, a short landing, or a doorway that requires a controlled tilt.
• Your move-in date is delayed, and the furniture needs to be held rather than left in a garage.

Basic delivery can suffice when:

• The item is light and boxed, and one or two adults can place it without struggling on stairs.
• Assembly is simple, with no stone, glass, or complex power base.
• Minor marks are acceptable, because the piece is neither an heirloom nor a bespoke order.

Read the financing line

Tyner offers special financing subject to credit approval. A “no interest if paid in full” offer may use deferred interest rather than a true 0% APR plan. Interest can accrue from the purchase date, and an unpaid balance at the end of the promotional period may trigger retroactive charges on the original amount, as Money Crashers explains. Promotional periods can include 6, 12, 18, or 24 months, depending on the terms you receive. Ask for the APR, payment deadline, and whether custom orders qualify before treating the monthly figure as a savings. Tyner's Low Price Promise adds competitive pricing to the value picture, alongside a showroom that has served Southeast Michigan since 1957.

For a sit test, visit the South State Street showroom in Ann Arbor with your measurements and a sketch of the delivery route. You can also browse Quick Specs online and plan a special order from home, including Canadel combinations and Stressless sizes, before setting a delivery window.

Tyner pairs hand-crafted solid wood furniture and ergonomic seating with delivery and storage options. Bring questions about stairs, holding periods, and made-to-order finishes to the Ann Arbor showroom, or start with Quick Specs online. Visit Tyner Furniture to book a sit test or plan your order.