You're ready to order your new flooring, but you're not sure what comes next. Between checkout and install, there's a few key steps in the shipping and delivery process. This guide will show you exactly what to expect so your order arrives smoothly and safely.
For any order over 3 boxes of flooring, we ship via LTL curbside residential delivery. This is a freight service designed for large, heavy shipments that cannot ship through standard parcel carriers. Smaller orders - like samples, trim, or 1-3 boxes of flooring - ship via UPS and will arrive just like any regular package.
The difference between sample orders and large orders
Occasionally, customers will let us know that their samples or single boxes of flooring have arrived with corner damage or cracks in the locking mechanism. We've greatly improved our packaging over time, but smaller shipments through UPS move through high-volume conveyor systems, automated sorting facilities, and multiple handoffs. As with any parcel carrier, packages are sometimes handled roughly or dropped from heights, which can unfortunately result in superficial damage.
It's important to know that this is not representative of the safety or durability of your actual flooring delivery. Full flooring orders ship via LTL freight, which is a vastly safer and more controlled shipping method.
Every flooring order is shrink-wrapped securely, protected with corner guards, transported by experienced carriers, and insured so you're covered in the rare event of transit damage.
Placing your order
At checkout for large flooring orders (where LTL will be used), you'll need to give us some information regarding your delivery area. Please let us know if your location is on a narrow street, a steep hill, or if turning space could make things difficult for a large vehicle.
We will also ask for your preferred shipping date. We can hold orders for up to 90 days if you're not quite ready to receive your flooring.
If you have added concerns about the delivery location, or are planning to pick up your order from the local freight terminal, please contact our office as soon as you place your order so we can help.
Shipping your order
After we receive your information, we will book your order through one of our trusted freight partners.
Your order will leave one of our warehouses across the US in a truck fitting the needs of your order and your delivery area. When your order leaves our warehouse, you will receive an email from us with the name of the freight company, an ETA, your order tracking number, our installation guide, and instructions on what to do in the rare case your shipment arrives damaged.
Because LTL shipments travel on shared trucks and through freight terminals, transit times may vary, but you will always receive a delivery appointment call from the freight company before the shipment arrives.
The delivery
The day before delivery, you should receive a call from the freight company to confirm your scheduled delivery. Someone must be present to receive, inspect, and sign for the order.
It's important to note that all orders are curbside delivery unless you contact our office to make changes. Curbside delivery means that when your order is delivered, the driver will use a lift gate to lower the pallet to the ground. The pallet will be placed at the nearest safe, accessible point (usually the curb or end of your driveway). We strongly suggest having help (either hired or from friends) to move your order to a secure area as flooring boxes are quite heavy.
It's also necessary to note the importance of being specific in describing your delivery area at checkout. If you have any hesitation about a truck getting to your delivery area, please contact our office early so we can avoid any fees or delays due to making a redelivery if a vehicle isn't the appropriate size.
Promptly after delivery
Once the driver has unloaded your order, please take the time to verify that everything about your delivery is correct and undamaged. That means counting boxes, inspecting the packing for visible damage, and noting any issues before signing the delivery receipt.
If there are any problems, please contact our office and we will work with you to make any needed claims. Make sure to save your pallets until you have confirmed your order is correct and undamaged.
You may leave your order outside or in a garage until you are ready to install as our product is waterproof. However, your floor must acclimate in installation area for 48 hours prior to installing.
In case of damage
Damage during LTL shipping is rare, but we have a simple process if it occurs. If your order arrives with damage, please follow these steps to ensure we can make any needed replacements.
- Make sure the delivery person notes on the order that it arrived damaged.
- Make sure the delivery person leaves you with the delivery receipt signed, stating the product arrived damaged.
- Take multiple photos of the damage and email them to us along with a picture of the delivery receipt.
- Hewn will handle claims with the freight company. Most of the time, products can still be used for cut pieces during installation. If the damage is greater than 5% we will get new material headed to you as quickly as possible.
- Shipping claims have a 5-day window from when the product is delivered. Please get the related information over to us quickly so we can file a claim. Any claim filed outside the 5-day period will not be accepted.
We're here to help
We hope this guide makes your delivery process simple and stress-free. If you have any questions, concerns, or unique delivery needs, don't hesitate to contact our office. We're here to support you every step of the way.