Understanding the Process of Shipping Furniturejob offer in a distant state — guess what? You have to move. While it’s an exciting time, moving is one of life’s most dreaded tasks. First, you pack every individual item into boxes for long-distance transport, but that’s just the beginning. What do you do about your furniture? Many people just give away their current furniture and make an IKEA trip in the new city. But it’s much more expensive to buy brand-new furniture compared with learning how to ship furniture across the country.
The last thing we want is for you to get overly stressed out about moving all those boxes and pieces of furniture. Don’t worry too much about moving the antique dresser your beloved grandmother gave you 1000 miles to the other side of the country.
We’ll admit there’s no way to guarantee you won’t stress about moving, but we can make your life a little easier. Moving furniture is like moving memories. You might get sentimental and sad, but the important thing is to remain calm about the future ahead. In this article, we’ll show you how to ship your furniture and make moving an easy process. We’ll make sure you get the 411 on everything and get some tips and tricks along the way.
How to Prepare Furniture for Shipping
The process of shipping furniture can be complex, but at the same time is quite simple. The task of packing things up and hauling them to another location sounds like the easiest thing in the world. However, when you think about it, it’s actually quite hard. You have to know where to pack what in each box. You have to make sure the furniture will fit inside the truck. You have to package things right so you don’t damage your furniture. There are a lot of moving parts to move.
Planning and Preparation for Furniture Shipping: Separate each room, packing the belongings of each room into one, two or more boxes. Label them with the room they belong to so you know where each box belongs.
Plan Ahead: Being on top of planning ensures your boxes and belongings are out of the way for movers to carry each item without any obstacles. Start packing a week or two in advance, starting with the items you use least.
Determining the Size and Weight of Furniture: One way to get an accurate estimate of your furniture shipping costs is to take the precise dimensions and weight of the piece. When the company requests that information, you’ll have it handy.
Packaging Materials for Furniture Shipping: During the move, furniture can get damaged if it isn’t covered with protective materials, whether bubble wrap, plastic sheets or blankets.
- Packing materials are particularly important when you’re transporting antique items.
- For antique furniture, it’s best to have a thicker material (maybe a tarp or big blanket of some kind) and then wrap it with plastic as an extra layer of protection.
- Couches, sofas and mattresses should be covered with a mattress or couch cover before being wrapped with packaging materials.
- Wrap larger items with plastic bubble wrap, especially around the edges.
- Plastic wrapping is perfect for mirrors and glass tables, as well.
- Mark any fragile items so that the moving company knows which to handle with extra care.
Disassembling Furniture Before Shipping
If you have large furniture items that can be disassembled, take the time do so. When large furniture pieces are broken down into smaller components, it’s easier to fit them in a smaller box. Sometimes it’s not possible to disassemble a piece of furniture or disassembly is extremely complicated — in those cases, look for ways to minimize the size of the furniture. Removing the legs from tables and couches, can be a surprisingly effective way to save space in the moving truck. You can always do this by yourself prior to the movers coming. However, if you choose not to do this, the movers can do this, but remember that you will pay them per hour, and the time to disassemble furniture can add up.
How to Choose a Furniture Shipping Service
Furniture Shipping Costs: What to Expect
The furniture shipping company will provide you with an estimated price for the move. After looking at multiple options, you’ll have to choose a moving company. Weighing their quoted cost with the type of service and benefits the company is your first step in making a decision. Shipping costs should be a reasonable price, but also aligned with the level of service you require — be wary of costs that are too good to be true but also keep an eye out for companies that dump hidden fees at the last minute.
Delivery Speed and Expedited Shipping Options
Speediness is a major factor that can determine the type of service and company to choose. Your furniture should be delivered in a timely manner, though the exact length of time depends on the schedule of the furniture shipping company. For an additional cost the furniture shipping company can provide expedited shipping, which is convenient when you’re in a move with a quick turnaround.
How to Check a Furniture Shipper’s Reliability
One of the most important qualities of a furniture shipping company is its reliability. After all, you’re not going to be very pleased if you arrive at your new home and your furniture delivery is a week late and you can’t get in touch with the transporter! Of course, sometimes events (like inclement weather and road closures) are beyond a transporter’s control — that’s why good communication is so important. One good way to check on the responsibility and reliability of a furniture shipping company is searching for reviews and feedback from previous customers. Join Facebook or social media groups related to furniture shipping — previous customers can share their experiences.
Beyond these factors. You should also look for companies with these qualities:
- They can ship any type of furniture.
- All rules and regulations required by federal and state governments are strictly adhered to.
- Regular updates provided and the transporters exhibit good communication skills.
- Excellent customer service means that the furniture shipping company will take care of your furniture as if it were their own.
Furniture Shipping Service Levels: Curbside, Door-to-Door, and White Glove
There are a few different service levels to consider when shipping furniture — from the most basic level of service to the best, cream of the crop service. Here’s a look at each option.
Basic Curbside Delivery: With curbside delivery, you get the most basic — and affordable — level of delivery. Furniture shipping companies transport your items and drop them off at the end of your driveway. They won’t provide installation services and they won’t assemble any furniture items. It’s your responsibility to carry the furniture inside and if necessary, assemble it. Basic delivery is the best option if you’re on a tight budget, have a small shipment of lightweight furniture, or furniture that doesn’t require a great deal of assembly/re-assembly.
Door-to-Door Delivery: Door-to-door delivery is the “medium-est” tier of furniture delivery. It’s not as basic as curbside, but also not as elaborate and fancy as white glove delivery. It’s the Goldilocks zone of delivery services, not too expensive, not too basic — just right.
White Glove Delivery: White glove delivery is the cream of the crop. It’s a service where the shipping company does all of the work — pack, unpack, and put everything in its new place. The term is typically associated with delivering new furniture items, but it’s also applicable to furniture shipping. Of course, this level of service is more expensive than the other options, but well worth it for furniture that’s complicated to disassemble and reassemble, extremely heavy or very fragile or valuable pieces. This delivery service is going to be more expensive than the others.
Home Delivery vs Pickup/Drop-Off
What should you choose? The obvious choice is home delivery. The furniture shipping company will deliver everything to your new place. Of course, this option costs a little extra, so if you want to save some money on moving costs, the other option you have is to drop off your furniture at the moving company’s headquarters and then pick it up at another location near your new house.
Bottom line recommendation: go for the home delivery! Nothing beats getting your belongings dropped off right at your new place instead of driving to pick them up and haul them back.
Dealing with Damaged Furniture During Shipping
When your furniture arrives damaged, what do you do? Make sure you talk to the moving company to see what your options are. But a recommendation we have is to be proactive.
- Take pictures of all the furniture and boxes, making sure you have documented evidence of all belongings before shipping.
- Make sure you get shipping insurance with the company or elsewhere to ensure you get your money back for any damaged goods.
Want to know exactly what your furniture shipment will cost? Listing on CitizenShipper is free. Describe your furniture, enter your pickup and delivery locations, and get real quotes from transporters — no obligation, no upfront fees.
How to Pack Furniture for Shipping
Proper packing protects furniture from scratches, dents, moisture, and impact during loading and transit. Before you begin, gather bubble wrap, furniture blankets, stretch wrap, corner protectors, furniture shipping boxes, and packing tape. You may also need cardboard sheets, plastic bags for hardware, and moving straps for larger pieces.
Step-by-step packing instructions
- Clean and inspect the furniture. Remove dirt and loose debris, then photograph existing scratches or damage before packing.
- Disassemble when possible. Remove legs, shelves, handles, drawers, and other detachable components. Put screws and hardware in a labeled bag and tape or secure it to the furniture.
- Protect delicate surfaces. Cover glass, mirrors, polished wood, and other fragile surfaces with bubble wrap. Add cardboard or corner protectors around vulnerable edges.
- Wrap the entire piece. Cover the furniture with thick furniture blankets, making sure corners and protruding sections receive extra padding.
- Secure the padding. Use stretch wrap around the blankets to keep them in place. Don’t wrap delicate finished surfaces directly with stretch wrap if the material could stick to or damage the finish.
- Box smaller pieces. Place removable parts, hardware, and smaller furniture items in appropriately sized furniture shipping boxes with cushioning around them.
- Seal and label everything. Use packing tape to secure boxes and clearly label bags containing hardware so reassembly is easier.
Tips for fragile furniture
For glass tabletops, mirrors, antiques, and delicate finishes, use multiple layers of protection rather than relying on a single blanket. Bubble wrap should cushion the item, while cardboard, corner protectors, and furniture blankets provide additional protection against impacts.
Avoid leaving drawers or cabinet doors loose during transportation. Remove drawers when practical and wrap them separately, particularly if they contain glass or delicate hardware.
Finally, make sure the transporter knows about any particularly fragile or valuable pieces before pickup. Accurate dimensions, photographs, and descriptions help the transporter determine the appropriate vehicle, equipment, and packing requirements.
How to Ship Specific Furniture Items
Different furniture pieces require different preparation. The goal is to reduce the item’s size where possible, protect vulnerable surfaces, and prevent individual components from moving during transportation.
How to Ship a Couch or Sofa
Start by removing the legs and any detachable cushions. Wrap the sofa completely in furniture blankets, paying particular attention to the arms and corners. You can add stretch wrap over the blankets to keep them secure, or use a sofa shipping box when additional protection is needed. Avoid relying on thin plastic alone to protect upholstered furniture from impacts.
How to Ship a Dresser
Empty the dresser completely and remove the drawers if possible. Wrap each drawer separately in furniture blankets or protective material, then secure the dresser itself with blankets and stretch wrap. Protect corners and handles with additional padding, and keep hardware in a labeled bag. Removing the drawers also reduces the weight and makes the main piece easier to handle.
How to Ship a Table or Desk
Remove the legs, hardware, and detachable shelving before packing. Wrap the tabletop or desktop first in bubble wrap, then add a furniture blanket around it for additional protection. Use corner protectors on all exposed corners and edges, which are particularly vulnerable to chips and scratches. Wrap the legs separately and secure the hardware in a labeled bag.
How to Ship a Chair
For upholstered chairs, cover the entire chair with furniture blankets and secure them with stretch wrap. Protect the legs and arms because these areas can easily be scratched or broken during loading. Office chairs are often easier to transport after partial disassembly, and a chair shipping box can provide additional protection when appropriate.
Regardless of the furniture type, photograph the item before packing and again after it has been prepared for shipment. This creates a useful record of its condition. Give the transporter accurate measurements and disclose fragile materials, unusual dimensions, or pieces that require special handling.
How to Ship Furniture Across Country or to Another State
Shipping furniture across state lines requires planning around distance, transit time, access, and transportation method. A coast-to-coast furniture shipment can typically take one to two weeks, although actual delivery times vary according to the route, transporter schedule, weather, and service level.
You generally have three main options. LTL freight can work well for properly crated furniture but typically requires you to handle preparation and may involve multiple loading and unloading points. Full truckload transportation offers more dedicated space and control but can be expensive when you’re shipping only a few pieces. A marketplace transporter can be a useful middle ground, particularly when a driver has available space on a vehicle already traveling your route.
For long-distance shipments, ask about insurance or cargo coverage before booking and understand what is and isn’t covered in the event of damage. Document the furniture’s condition with photographs before pickup and confirm the transporter’s terms.
How to Ship One Piece of Furniture
Shipping one piece of furniture doesn’t necessarily require hiring a traditional moving company. You can consider peer-to-peer transportation marketplaces such as CitizenShipper, LTL freight, or freight services such as FedEx Freight for appropriately sized items.
A single piece can cost roughly $150–$800 or more, depending on its dimensions, weight, distance, packing requirements, and delivery service. LTL freight can be economical for properly crated furniture, but you’ll generally need to handle the crating and coordinate curbside pickup and delivery.
For many single-item shipments, a marketplace can be the most cost-effective option because transporters with partial loads or available truck space can bid on the shipment. Instead of paying for an entire truck or a traditional mover’s minimum charge, you can compare multiple offers and select the transporter that best fits your budget and timing.
How Much Does It Cost to Ship Furniture?
Furniture shipping costs depend primarily on weight, dimensions, distance, service level, and access difficulty. A large, heavy piece that must be carried up stairs or picked up from a remote location will generally cost more than a small item with easy curbside access. White-glove service, expedited delivery, special packing, and unusually fragile furniture can also increase the price.
As a general starting point, furniture shipping may fall into these ranges:
| Shipment Type | General Cost Range* |
|---|---|
| Local | $150–$350 |
| Cross-state | $300–$800 |
| Cross-country | $500–$2,000+ |
*These are general estimates and should be verified against current market data before publishing.
| Option | Typical Advantage | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional Movers | Full-service handling | Large household moves and white-glove service |
| LTL Freight | Structured freight network | Properly crated furniture |
| CitizenShipper Marketplace | Competing transporter quotes | Single pieces and flexible shipments |
Traditional movers may provide packing, loading, delivery, and assembly, but those services can make them expensive for a single item. LTL can reduce costs but requires more preparation. A marketplace such as CitizenShipper allows you to pointer align-baseline whitespace-nowrap” tabindex=”0″ role=”button”>post your shipment for free and compare competing quotes from transporters, potentially reducing the cost of moving one or several pieces.
Because actual prices vary significantly by route and furniture dimensions, the best way to determine your cost is to get free quotes on CitizenShipper and compare the offers before booking.
Shipping Your Furniture with CitizenShipper
If you’ve looked at several popular companies out there and you’re not convinced about the quotes you’ve received, you should look for an alternative. Consider using a furniture moving marketplace like CitizenShipper. Because multiple transporters compete for your business, you can save up to 60-70% compared to those traditional moving companies!
Posting a listing and receiving quotes is easy:
- Create a listing on CitizenShipper. Add your contact info, details about the furniture, the pick-up and drop-off locations and your preferred transport dates. It’s free to post a listing and review quotes!
- Your listing is visible to a network of vetted furniture moving professionals.
- The drivers submit bids on your listing — usually bids are submitted within minutes (yep, it’s that fast)! It’s free to look over your quotes, chat with drivers and read reviews.
- When you choose the driver you like best, you can book your trip!
We take pride in having excellent customer service and making furniture shipping run safe, seamless and stress-free. All of those belongings will be in good hands with our qualified transporters, who can provide frequent updates through our internal messaging system.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much does it cost to ship furniture?
2. What is the best way to ship one piece of furniture?
3. How should I pack furniture for shipping?
4. How long does it take to ship furniture across the country?
A coast-to-coast furniture shipment typically takes one to two weeks, although the actual transit time depends on the route, transporter schedule, weather, and service level.
5. What should I look for in a furniture shipping company?
Patrick MacFarland has been a teacher, a candidate for public office, and a local tour guide. But now he dedicates his time writing full-time, currently at CitizenShipper and VeraContent.
