Furniture assembly: what it costs and covers

Assembling a bookcase is an afternoon. Assembling a kitchen, a dressing room or a fitted library is a trade, and the difference shows in the joints and in doors that all close alike.

What the service covers

Carrying to the room, unpacking, assembly to the instructions, levelling against the real floor, wall fixing where required, adjustment of doors and drawers, and removal of the packaging. What usually falls outside is removal of the old furniture, carrying up stairs without a lift, alterations to clear pipework or service boxes, and any builder's or electrical work.

When not to do it yourself

With fitted furniture, where the fit depends on walls that are not square and has to be compensated millimetre by millimetre. With kitchens, because of the coordination with plumbing, electrics and worktop. With heavy pieces needing two people and specific anchors for the wall type. And whenever the manufacturer conditions the warranty on professional assembly, which is common in higher end furniture.

Wall fixing is not optional

Tall, narrow units, and any piece at risk of tipping, must be fixed to the wall. In a home with young children it is the most important safety measure of the whole assembly. The fixing type depends on the wall: hollow partitions need specific expansion anchors, and stone or marés walls need the right drill bit and, in demanding cases, chemical anchors.

A poorly executed fixing in a hollow wall holds less than half the load a correct one does, and that is not visible until it fails.

Preparing for the visit

An empty, clean room before the team arrives, because time spent clearing is charged. Confirmation that the opening dimensions match the furniture, with 2 centimetres of tolerance. Checked access: stairs, corridor turns and door widths. And somebody present who can make a decision, because in a fitted assembly a question always arises that the drawings did not anticipate.