What Is White Glove Delivery? Services, Costs and When You Need It

White glove delivery is the service people mean when they say they want an item "delivered and set up." It is the top level of last mile delivery, and it is the one most often chosen for furniture, appliances, fitness equipment, art and other large or valuable items.

This guide explains what white glove delivery includes, how it compares with threshold and room of choice, the difference between blanket wrap and crated shipping, what affects the cost, and when it is worth paying for.

What white glove delivery is

White glove delivery is a full-service last mile delivery. Instead of leaving the item at the curb or the front door, a two-person crew brings it into the home or business, puts it where the customer wants it, unpacks it, assembles it and takes the packaging away. The customer is left with a finished product and nothing to clean up.

Service levels: threshold vs room of choice vs white glove

Large item delivery is sold in steps. Knowing the difference helps you choose the right one for each product.

Curbside

The item is unloaded at the curb or driveway. Moving it inside is up to the customer.

Threshold

The crew brings the item through the first door, into a garage, entryway or lobby. It is a good fit for items the customer can move the rest of the way.

Room of choice

The crew carries the item to the room the customer picks and places it. There is no unpacking or assembly at this level.

White glove

Room of choice, plus unpacking, assembly, inspection with the customer and debris removal. It is the most complete service and the one that needs the most time at the address.

Curbside, threshold and room of choice are covered on our last mile delivery page; the full white glove service is on our white glove delivery page.

What white glove delivery includes

Two-person crew and floor protection

Two people carry the item so it is never dragged or dropped. Floors and doorways are protected on the way in so the home is left as it was found.

Room of choice placement

The item goes to the exact room the customer asks for, upstairs or down, and is set in position rather than left in a hallway.

Unpacking

The crew removes the carton, wrap and padding, so the customer does not have to wrestle a large box or find somewhere to put it.

Assembly

Beds, tables, desks and fitness equipment often arrive in parts. The crew assembles the item so it is ready to use. Where an item also needs installing, see our delivery and installation service.

Inspection with the customer

Before the crew leaves, the customer checks the item with them. The crew records photo proof of delivery and a signature, so the condition on arrival is clear to everyone.

Packaging and debris removal

Cartons, foam, plastic and pallets leave with the crew. For a large item this is often the part customers are most grateful for.

Blanket wrap vs crated or palletized

How an item travels matters as much as how it is delivered. There are two main options.

Blanket wrap

Blanket wrapped items are padded in moving blankets and secured in the truck, often without a full carton. Blanket wrap suits finished furniture and items that are handled piece by piece. It also means less packaging to remove at the customer's door.

Crated or palletized

Crated items travel in a wooden crate, and palletized items are strapped to a pallet. This suits fragile, heavy or high-value pieces such as art, stone tops, glass and equipment. At a white glove delivery, the crew uncrates or unstraps the item and takes the crate or pallet away.

Many shipments mix both. The right choice depends on the item, how it arrives from the manufacturer and how far it is traveling.

What affects the cost of white glove delivery

White glove delivery takes more time at each address than other service levels, so it costs more. The main factors are:

• The size and weight of the item
• How it is packed: blanket wrapped, boxed, crated or palletized
• Access at the address, such as stairs, elevators and narrow doorways
• How much unpacking and assembly is needed
• Where the delivery is and how it fits into a route
• Whether the item needs storing before delivery

The best way to compare is to send the same item details to each provider. Our quote form asks for exactly these.

When you need white glove delivery

White glove is worth choosing when one or more of these is true:

• The item is heavy or awkward and needs two people to carry it into the room.
• It arrives in parts and needs assembly before it can be used.
• It is fragile or high value and needs careful unpacking.
• The customer cannot move it or dispose of large packaging themselves.
• The delivery is part of your brand experience and needs to be done properly the first time.

If the customer can carry the item the rest of the way and there is nothing to assemble, threshold or room of choice is often enough.

How our crews deliver white glove

Every driver and helper at Professional Moving Solutions is background checked and drug screened. Crews work in two-person teams with on-site supervisors and daily crew audits, call ahead on the delivery day, and finish every job with an inspection and photo proof of delivery. We deliver nationwide.

Frequently asked questions

Get a free white glove delivery estimate

Send us the item, the packaging and the delivery address through the quote form for a free, no-obligation estimate, or call 1-866-216-7742, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Eastern.