Confirm the service scope, access route, site readiness, inspection process, and issue owner before the truck is dispatched.
Before office furniture ships, confirm exactly where it will be delivered, who will unload and assemble it, whether the building is ready, and how shortages or damage must be reported. At installation, compare the delivered product with the approved order and plan, then record unfinished work with an owner and next action. Keep delivery receipts, installation signoff, and commercial acceptance distinct in your records and clarify their contractual meaning before signing.
Use this checklist with the supplier's written instructions and your building's requirements. It is a project-control tool, not a substitute for product assembly instructions, trained installers, or contract review.
Before approving the delivery service
Do not rely on a service label alone. Ask for a written scope covering the actual route and tasks.
- Confirm the receiving address, suite, floor, dock location, and on-site contact.
- Identify whether service ends at the truck, dock, threshold, room, or fully installed position.
- Confirm unloading equipment and who brings the furniture into the building.
- Confirm whether assembly, placement, leveling, and required product attachment are included.
- Confirm who removes cartons, pallets, and packaging.
- Identify exclusions for existing furniture, electrical connections, data cabling, wall work, or other trades.
- Document any limits on stairs, walking distance, floors, elevator use, or delivery hours.
- Identify the party responsible for freight claims and damage documentation.
National Business Furniture's shipping policy illustrates the differences: its tailgate service leaves the customer responsible for bringing products into the location, while inside delivery moves them to a room of choice within stated limits. Assembly is described separately. Read the scope for your order rather than assuming “inside” includes installation. NBF shipping policy
Create a building access record
Have facilities or the property manager verify the delivery route. Give the supplier the requirements before it schedules its crew.
| Access item | Record or verify |
|---|---|
| Loading area | Truck access, appointment, vehicle limits, unloading location |
| Elevator | Reservation, interior dimensions, door opening, operating restrictions |
| Route | Doorways, corridor turns, stairs, floor transitions, obstructions |
| Building rules | Permitted work hours, labor requirements, security check-in |
| Insurance | Required certificate information and submission process |
| Protection | Responsibility for floors, walls, elevator interiors, and adjacent areas |
| Staffing | Building contact, purchaser's representative, supplier's project lead |
Ask the supplier to confirm that the largest packaged components can travel the route. A table fitting in the finished room does not establish that its top fits in the freight elevator. If disassembly or an alternate route is proposed, have the supplier validate the method and price it before delivery.
Branch's enterprise terms specifically ask customers for building hours, labor requirements, elevator bookings, and insurance-certificate requirements. Treat these as questions to resolve for any project, while checking the actual supplier's rules. Branch enterprise terms
Hold a readiness check before dispatch
Set a decision point with the supplier early enough to change the plan under the agreed terms. Confirm who has authority to say the site is ready and what happens if it is not.
- The current installation drawing and furniture schedule have matching revisions.
- Relevant construction, flooring, painting, and cleaning are complete enough for the agreed work.
- Rooms and travel routes are clear of stored materials and unrelated furniture.
- The supplier has safe access to the areas it needs.
- Required electrical and data work is coordinated with the responsible trades.
- Delivery and installation appointments are confirmed with the building.
- A secure staging area is available if the work is phased.
- The person authorized to approve changes will be reachable.
If the site is not ready, request a written recovery plan covering storage, handling, rescheduling, payment effects, and the new installation date. McAleer's terms identify potential storage, handling, and rescheduling charges when customer site conditions postpone delivery. The costs depend on the agreement; postponement should not be treated as automatically free. McAleer's terms
Prepare the receiving packet
Give the receiving representative the approved order, expected shipment list, room plan, supplier instructions, and reporting contacts. Make clear whether the shipment is complete or one of several planned deliveries.
Create a simple log with these fields:
- Purchase order and shipment reference
- Date and time received
- Expected and received carton or pallet count
- Visible packaging condition
- Product identifiers that can be checked without unsafe handling
- Photos and delivery-document notes
- Missing, incorrect, or damaged items
- Person notified and next action
Read the supplier's inspection and claim instructions before the truck arrives. Ask how to handle visible damage, concealed damage discovered after unpacking, and a driver who cannot wait for unpacking. Record the instructions rather than improvising a blanket rule to accept or refuse every damaged shipment.
Inspect and report promptly
Check quantities and visible condition at receipt to the extent safely possible. Record specific observations, photograph damage, and retain relevant packaging until the supplier or carrier confirms what it needs. Describe what you observed accurately; do not sign a statement that all items were inspected and undamaged if that is untrue.
Report issues through the required channel immediately. Reporting windows vary: Branch's enterprise terms specify 24 hours for delivery damage, while NBF's FAQ asks for notification within five days. These are examples from those suppliers, not a universal claim deadline or a statement of your legal rights. Branch delivery terms, NBF damage-reporting guidance
If the receipt form, carrier process, and sales agreement appear inconsistent, contact the supplier and the appropriate procurement or legal reviewer. Documentation supports a claim but does not by itself guarantee reimbursement or replacement.
Check the installation against the approved plan
Walk the space with the installation lead. Use product identifiers and room locations rather than a general statement that the office looks complete.
- Count installed furniture against the approved schedule.
- Check product configuration, finish, orientation, and accessories.
- Ask the installer to demonstrate adjustments and moving parts using the manufacturer's instructions.
- Confirm doors, drawers, locks, and supplied keys operate as intended.
- Check for visible damage, unstable furniture, or unfinished assembly; keep questionable items out of use until resolved.
- Confirm required attachment or stabilization work with the installer and responsible project professional.
- Verify that power and data work has been completed by the responsible parties.
- Check that cables and movable parts are coordinated throughout their intended operating range.
- Confirm room layouts and routes remain consistent with the approved plan.
Do not ask untrained staff to repair electrical components or improvise structural fixes. Record the problem and obtain the correct service response.
Use a punch list that can be closed
A punch list records work remaining after the initial installation. Give every issue a unique number and enough detail for someone who was not present to act.
| Issue field | Hypothetical example |
|---|---|
| Location and item | Room 204, desk D-07 |
| Problem | Specified cable tray missing |
| Evidence | Photo and approved quote line 18 |
| Responsible party | Dealer project manager |
| Next action | Confirm replacement order and return visit |
| Target and status | Date to be agreed; open |
| Closure evidence | Tray installed and checked by purchaser |
Separate safety or usability blockers from cosmetic issues, but retain both. Agree how open items affect contractual completion and payment rather than assuming every punch-list issue suspends the entire balance.
Complete handover
Collect final drawings, product and label records, care and adjustment instructions, warranty information, keys, spare parts supplied with the order, and service contacts. Confirm that packaging removal and any agreed cleanup are complete.
Give employees basic adjustment guidance and a route for reporting fit problems. Set a review date for open issues based on the supplier's promised actions. Close each item only when the correction is verified, and retain the records with the purchase file.
Sources and scope
Sources checked October 15, 2026. This checklist combines original project-planning guidance with public supplier examples. It is not an installation manual, inspection certification, or statement that any supplier's terms apply to all purchases.
- NBF Freight and Shipping Policies
- NBF Frequently Asked Questions
- Branch Terms and Conditions
- McAleer's Office Furniture Terms and Conditions
Related guides
Sources & editorial review
This is a research-based buying guide. It does not represent hands-on product testing. Prices, product specifications, supplier terms, and availability can change.