The measurement that stops a delivery is rarely the doorway. It’s the turn at the top of the stairs, or the diagonal of the elevator, or the fact that the hallway is narrower than the door it leads to. Furniture that fits the room perfectly can still fail to reach it.
Here’s what to measure before you order, and what each delivery service actually covers once the truck arrives.
Measure these five things
1. The narrowest doorway on the path. Not just your apartment door — the building entrance, any vestibule door, and the door into the room itself. Measure the clear opening with the door open, not the frame. If the door removes from its hinges, note that; it buys a couple of inches.
2. The hallway width, and every turn. A straight run needs less clearance than a corner. At each turn, measure the width of both hallways meeting at that corner. A piece longer than the narrower hallway’s width plus a bit of diagonal won’t pivot around it.
3. The stairwell — landing to ceiling. This is the one that fails most often in older buildings. Measure the width of the stairs, the width of the landing where the stairs turn, and the ceiling height above that landing. A tight turn with a low ceiling is the hardest constraint to work around, because there’s no way to tilt the piece.
4. The elevator, on the diagonal. Measure width, depth, and door opening — then measure corner to corner. Furniture often goes in diagonally when it won’t go in square. Note the ceiling height too; some pieces stand on end.
5. The route inside the apartment. Tight interior corners, radiators, and low light fixtures all narrow the path once you’re through the front door.
Write these down before you shop. Then check them against the specific configuration you’re considering — and remember that a slimmer arm style on the same model can be the difference between a piece that makes the turn and one that doesn’t.
The packaged size is bigger than the product
The dimensions on a product page describe the furniture. It arrives in a carton, which is larger.
Ask for packaged dimensions if your measurements are anywhere near the limit. And if the piece will only just clear a turn, ask whether it can be unboxed before the tight section — that’s often the difference between a successful delivery and one that stops in the lobby.
Which delivery service you actually need
We offer four levels, and the differences matter more in a New York building than almost anywhere else.
| Service | Includes | Doesn’t include |
|---|---|---|
| Curbside | Delivery to the curb | Bringing it inside, assembly, packaging removal |
| In-Home | Into the room of your choice, one flight up to 7 steps | Unpacking, assembly |
| White Glove | Into the room of your choice, debris removal | Setup or assembly |
| White Glove & Assembly | Into the room, up to 30 minutes of setup, debris removal | — |
Three details worth knowing before you choose:
Curbside means the curb. You are responsible for receiving the packages from the truck and getting them inside. For a sofa bed, arrange help in advance — these are not one-person items.
In-Home covers one flight, up to seven steps. Extra flights are charged at $25 per flight per item. If you’re in a fourth-floor walk-up, count your flights before selecting this option so the cost doesn’t surprise you on delivery day.
Both White Glove tiers include debris removal; only the second includes setup. Setup is capped at 30 minutes, which covers most of what we sell — and we’ll tell you in advance if your order needs longer.
Full terms are on our shipping page.
Truck access is its own constraint
Every service assumes the delivery vehicle can reach you: the route needs to accommodate a truck with a 48-foot trailer. On narrow residential streets, in buildings with loading restrictions, or where a building requires deliveries through a service entrance at set hours, flag it when you order rather than on the day.
If your building requires a certificate of insurance from the delivery company, or restricts moving to specific weekday windows, tell us at checkout — there’s a comments field for exactly this — or get in touch. We contact every customer within 24–48 hours after an order to confirm and arrange delivery, and that’s the moment to raise anything unusual about your building.
Timing
Orders usually leave the warehouse within 1–2 days. Items not in stock take 1–2 weeks to order, and special orders 4–6 weeks. Custom fabric orders are longer — 8–12 weeks for processing. Transit anywhere in the US runs 5–6 business days.
Once shipped, you’ll get tracking details by email. The carrier contacts you when the shipment reaches your local terminal and calls a day ahead to set the appointment. For In-Home delivery, drivers also call 30 minutes before arrival. Someone 18 or older needs to be home to sign.
Most freight companies deliver on weekdays only — worth knowing if you can’t take a weekday off.
Inspect before you sign
This is the step people skip, and it’s the one that protects you.
Inspect the product and the packaging at the time of delivery. If there’s any damage, or any reason to be concerned about damage, write “PRODUCT DAMAGED” clearly on the sheet you’re asked to sign. That one note makes any subsequent claim straightforward.
If something arrives damaged, don’t refuse it outright. Note the extent of the damage with the delivery person and on the delivery invoice, then contact us within 24 hours with a few photos. We’ll file the claim and get replacement parts out. Refusing the item instead makes you responsible for return shipping, the shipping of replacements, and any applicable cancellation fees.
If the measurements don’t work
A failed measurement doesn’t always mean a different model. Options, in rough order:
- Change the arm style. Slim, slope, and armless configurations reduce overall width on the same frame. Recast Plus and Cubed both come armless; Neah offers a slim arm intended for compact spaces; Carnell offers a space-saving slope arm.
- Drop a size. Several families come in more than one size on the same design.
- Consider a daybed. Zeal and Walis have smaller footprints and simpler shapes to maneuver.
- Ask us. Send your measurements and the building situation and we’ll tell you what makes the turn.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a sofa will fit through my door? Measure the clear opening with the door open, then check every other constraint on the route — hallway turns, stairwell landings, elevator diagonal. The doorway is rarely the tightest point. Compare against packaged dimensions, not just product dimensions.
What’s the difference between In-Home and White Glove delivery? In-Home brings the item to your room with one flight up to seven steps included, without unpacking. White Glove includes room-of-choice delivery plus debris removal. White Glove & Assembly adds up to 30 minutes of setup.
How much does a walk-up cost for delivery? In-Home delivery includes one flight of up to seven steps. Additional flights are $25 per flight per item.
Can furniture go up in an elevator diagonally? Often, yes — which is why you should measure corner to corner as well as width and depth, and note the ceiling height.
What should I do if my sofa bed arrives damaged? Write “PRODUCT DAMAGED” on the delivery sheet before signing, note the damage with the driver and on the invoice, and contact us within 24 hours with photos. Don’t refuse the delivery — refusing makes you liable for return and replacement shipping.
Measure before you shop, not after you order. If your building is awkward — narrow stairwell, tight turn, restricted delivery hours — send us the numbers and we’ll work out what fits. Browse all collections or get in touch.