The Appliance Delivery Checklist: What to Confirm Before You Buy
Most appliance delivery failures are preventable a week before the truck arrives. A checklist built from years inside multi-location appliance retail operations.
By ApplianceIQ · Last updated Jul 5, 2026
Why deliveries fail
Having spent years on the operations side of Canadian appliance retail, I can tell you the most common delivery failures are almost never the product — they are the site. The unit is fine; the house was not ready. Every item below is a real, recurring failure mode.
The week-before checklist
Path and clearance. Measure every doorway, hallway pinch point, stair turn, and railing on the route in. Standard interior doors are 30–32 inches; many fridges are 36. Doors can come off hinges; railings sometimes cannot come off walls.
Old unit disconnected. Haul-away crews remove appliances — most are not licensed to disconnect gas, and many will not disconnect hardwired units. Gas dryers and ranges need the line shut and capped before the truck arrives.
The hookups exist and are correct. Electric dryers in Canada need a 240V outlet that matches the cord type; gas appliances need a shutoff valve within reach; dishwashers need a supply line and drain path; fridges with ice makers need a water line — which very few homes have exactly where the new fridge goes.
*Someone measured the new unit's spot with doors open.* A dishwasher door needs to clear the island. A range needs the anti-tip bracket anchored — it is a safety requirement, and installers should not leave without it.
Floors protected, path cleared, pets contained. Delivery teams are on a clock. Every minute they spend moving your furniture is a minute of risk to your walls.
What to confirm with the retailer
Delivery fee vs. installation fee (they are different services), haul-away terms, what "installation" actually includes for your category, and the damage-inspection window — inspect before signing, because signed-clean claims are hard to reverse.
Every ApplianceIQ product page lists what your specific category requires for installation, with the required items flagged — check it before checkout, not on delivery morning.
Big models to measure for
Measure the doorway and the full delivery path before the truck arrives for large appliances like these:
