White-glove delivery: what the service level actually includes
White-glove delivery means placement in the room, unpacking, assembly and debris removal. How it differs from threshold and curbside service, and what to confirm before the truck is booked.
By Idan Mann, founder of NYA
The short answer
White-glove delivery means the crew brings the item into the room it belongs in, unpacks it, assembles or places it, and removes the packaging. It sits above threshold delivery, which stops at the first dry space inside the door, and curbside, which stops at the kerb.
"White glove" is a service level, not a guarantee, and vendors define it differently. The word that matters on a quote is not white-glove — it is whichever verbs follow it: carry, unpack, assemble, place, remove.
The three service levels
| Level | Where it ends | Typically includes |
|---|---|---|
| Curbside | The kerb or driveway | Offload only — you move it |
| Threshold | Just inside the entrance | Into the first dry space, still boxed |
| White glove | The room of use | Carry, unpack, place or assemble, remove debris |
What to confirm before booking
- Stairs and floors — many crews charge per flight above the first, and some will not carry above a certain floor without a lift.
- Assembly, specifically. Placement and assembly are different scopes and one is often quoted as the other.
- Debris removal, including whether crating leaves with them or waits in the garage for you.
- Access constraints measured in advance: doors, lifts, turns, ceiling heights. A sofa that will not turn a stairwell is a return, and a return is a restocking fee.
- Who inspects and signs. If your receiving warehouse already inspected, the site signature covers site damage only — say so on the paperwork.
On a full install, white-glove from the receiver usually beats white-glove from each vendor: one crew, one day, one point of responsibility, and everything unpacked and inspected before it enters a finished room.
Common questions
- Does white-glove delivery include installation?
- Assembly and placement, usually. Installation in the trade sense — hanging, anchoring, electrical connection, wall-mounting — is generally a separate scope with different insurance, and should be quoted as one.
- Should white-glove be billed to the client?
- It should at least be visible to them. Whether it is passed through at cost or marked up is a contract choice, but a delivery charge that appears for the first time on a final invoice is the kind of surprise that costs more in goodwill than it collects.