The Best Furniture Assembly Services of 2022

Photo: istockphoto.com

New furniture is an exciting purchase—that is, until you’re staring at hundreds of pieces strewn across the floor, trying to sort out a box nail from a common nail, and losing hope in the endless steps of an instruction manual. Assembling furniture can be a pain, but it’s easy to call in one of the best furniture assembly services to save time, effort, and headaches.

Several furniture assembly services offer on-site or in-home assembly, whether for complex jobs—such as a multipart desk or exercise equipment—or relatively small jobs, like a kitchen stool or coffee table. Some retailers may even allow customers to book assembly services at the time of purchase as an extra perk. Furniture assembly pros have the tools and expertise to provide extra assurance that items are constructed safely and correctly. Keep reading to learn about the best furniture assembly services customers will want to consider.

1. BEST OVERALL: TaskRabbit
2. BEST AGGREGATOR: Thumbtack
3. BEST FOR FURNITURE UPDATES: LoadUp
4. ALSO CONSIDER: Handy

Photo: istockphoto.com

What to Consider When Choosing One of the Best Furniture Assembly Services

When you purchase furniture from one of the best online furniture stores, a box full of parts may soon arrive at the doorstep instead of an intact furniture piece. That could yield frantic online searches for “how to assemble a desk,” “how to assemble a bed,” or possibly even “TV stand assembly service near me.” Several national companies or handyman services specialize in furniture assembly and will come to a person’s home to put any items together. To find the best pro or company up to the task, consider several factors beyond price, such as the ease of scheduling, retail partnerships, technician liability insurance, and more.

Service Area and Scheduling

Many furniture assembly companies can readily be found nationwide. Still, a customer will want to double-check that the company they’re interested in offers services specifically to their ZIP code. Some companies advertise that they are available in a specific state, but they may only be available in one metro area in that state. Most services will have a ZIP code search feature that allows a customer to identify if a service can travel to their location.

Many furniture assembly companies offer scheduling of their services online or via mobile apps for extra convenience. Also, many of these online or mobile platforms allow potential customers to promptly communicate with a pro or customer service representative to answer any questions, which can be particularly helpful when deciding which company to use.

Retailer Partnerships

Several in-store or online retailers may offer furniture assembly as an add-on service at the time of purchase through partnerships with furniture assembly companies. These company partnerships mean service providers have expertise in putting together these furniture brands. Customers will also find it convenient to purchase the furniture and hire pros to assemble it all at once.

Pricing Structure

Furniture assembly companies differ in how they charge customers. Some may charge hourly or they may charge a flat rate per furniture item. Discounts may be available when customers need multiple items assembled at once. Service providers who charge per hour may require a minimum number of hours that must be met. So even if a task doesn’t take as long as that minimum, customers will still be on the hook for the total cost. That could result in higher bills for smaller assembly jobs. Service providers should be able to provide details about their fee structures and may provide price estimates or even up-front pricing guarantees.

Additional Services

Many companies offer services beyond just furniture assembly, such as junk removal. These services could come in handy if a customer’s assembly job involves replacing an old piece of furniture and needing to remove that item to make room for the new piece. Some furniture assembly companies also may offer moving assistance, such as packing or unpacking services. These extra services could prove beneficial for customers in managing multiple appointments under one platform—and possibly all in one appointment time.

Technician Liability Insurance

Accidents can happen when setting up furniture or handling heavy, bulky objects. Liability insurance adds an extra layer of protection for the technician and the customer in case anything goes wrong during the assembly process. Also, many companies may offer a labor guarantee, vowing to stand by any work completed by their professionals and offering free repairs in case any mistakes are made.

Cancellation Policy

Life can send curveballs, and appointments may need to be rescheduled or canceled. Consider checking the company’s cancellation policy in case an appointment unexpectedly needs to be postponed. In some cases, customers may still have to pay the bill—or a portion of it—even if appointments are canceled 24 hours before.

Our Top Picks

The following companies are our top picks for furniture assembly. Some companies provide customers more choice when using their platform by offering a list of reputable pros. Other companies will assign an assembler from their team after a customer makes an inquiry. Use this guide to find some of the best furniture assembly services.

Photo: taskrabbit.com

Why It Made the Cut: TaskRabbit offers flexibility to customers in finding a pro to assemble their furniture, including partnerships with major brands like IKEA, and has a convenient mobile app to connect with top-rated pros.

TaskRabbit helps customers check tedious items off their to-do list—including assembling furniture. From the TaskRabbit app or website, users can detail the type of service they need and will then be instantly matched to a list of service providers. Based on bios, reviews, and rates, customers can then choose who to hire. TaskRabbit identifies top-rated and frequently hired pros on its site so customers can feel confident in hiring experienced providers. However, since service providers set their own rates, higher-rated pros charge higher rates. Customers also have an additional 15 percent service fee to factor into the total price. Conversely, TaskRabbit’s average prices for furniture assembly tend to be more affordable than the national average, so customers can still get a great deal by finding the right service provider at a good rate.

The company partners with IKEA, allowing customers to book furniture assembly services at the time of an online purchase to coordinate delivery and assembly at once. This is a significant perk, considering some IKEA furniture can be notoriously difficult to assemble. Customers looking for additional services like moving, packing, and unpacking can also hire a provider from TaskRabbit.

Specs

• Service area: Select metro areas in 35 states and Washington, D.C.
• Scheduling: Online, mobile app
• Pricing structure: Hourly; $18 to $28/hour average
• Additional services: Shopping and delivery, general handyman services, moving help, cleaning, yardwork, prep for a new baby, virtual and online tasks, parties and events
• Cancellation policy: Free cancellation up until 24 hours before appointment; fee equivalent to 1 hour of service for cancellations within 24 hours of appointment

Pros

• Relatively affordable cost
• Client-controlled hiring process
• Top-rated, frequently hired professionals recognized and highlighted
• Furniture assembly available to IKEA customers at the time of online purchase
• Moving, packing, and unpacking services offered

Cons

• Potential for relatively high rates for high-quality service
• Relatively high 15 percent service fee

Photo: thumbtack.com

Why It Made the Cut: Thumbtack provides a one-stop, comprehensive list of service professionals and companies who can help with furniture assembly.

Thumbtack users can plug in their ZIP code, provide the type of furniture and number of items to be assembled, and then obtain a list of nearby service providers. Customers also can view ratings and reviews for each pro listed and learn more about their services. The site highlights top-rated pros, so customers looking for the highest-quality service can easily find those providers. (Thumbtack notes that only 4 percent of its pros earn this top-rated status.)

Thumbtack users will need to communicate directly with an individual service provider to get a quote, which can slow down the booking process. Customers can cancel appointments without penalty, and there’s only a $15 fee for cancellations made within 24 hours of an appointment.

Specs

• Service area: 50 states and Washington, D.C.
• Scheduling: Online, mobile app
• Pricing structure: Individual quote per project
• Additional services: Cleaning, general handyman services, general contractors, parties and events
• Cancellation policy: Free cancellation up until 24 hours before appointment; $15 fee for cancellations within 24 hours of appointment

Pros

• Client-controlled hiring process
• Top-rated professionals recognized and highlighted
• Generous cancellation policy with $15 fee for cancellations within 24 hours of appointment

Cons

• Customers must reach out to professionals individually to obtain quotes

Photo: goloadup.com

Why It Made the Cut: LoadUp offers up-front pricing guarantees and charges per item to help customers avoid any costly surprises, and its furniture removal service is ideal for customers who are swapping out an old piece for something new.

LoadUp is known for furniture and junk removal services, but it also offers furniture assembly. This makes LoadUp an excellent option for customers who need old furniture hauled away while getting new furniture assembled. LoadUp offers guaranteed up-front pricing and charges per item of furniture, not per hour. So even if a furniture item takes longer than expected to assemble, customers will still pay the original quoted price.

Customers must book online, as LoadUp doesn’t offer a mobile app. Customers needing assembly service shouldn’t book an appointment unless they are confident they will not need to cancel. LoadUp does have a penalty for backing out of scheduled appointments, even if an appointment is canceled more than 24 hours prior. However, customers can still reschedule appointments with no fee. Customers also will want to check that LoadUp serves their area, as the website may not be up to date in its coverage. For customers who fall in LoadUp’s service area, though, it’s a service they should be sure to consider.

Specs

• Service area: 47 states and Washington, D.C.
• Scheduling: Online
• Pricing structure: By item
• Additional services: Junk removal
• Cancellation policy: 20 percent of total cost for cancellations more than 24 hours before appointment; 50 percent of total cost for cancellations within 24 hours of appointment

Pros

• Guaranteed up-front pricing
• Furniture disassembly and removal services also offered

Cons

• No mobile app
• No free cancellation
• Unclear service area

Photo: handy.com

Why It Made the Cut: Handy partners with a wide range of popular retailers to make the furniture shopping and assembly process smooth and easy.

Handy is an online platform for customers to book home and handyman services, including furniture assembly. Customers can book appointments via its online or mobile app. Handy mainly operates in metro areas but serves many suburbs as well. Handy allows customers to book furniture assembly services at times of online purchase for major brands like Costco, Crate & Barrel, Wayfair, and Walmart.

Handy charges hourly for its services and requires a minimum of 2 hours, even if assembly takes a shorter amount of time. Free cancellations are permitted as long as they are done so 24 hours before an appointment. Customers have a brief 72-hour window to flag any defects or damages after a Handy service provider has completed a task. Because of this short window, customers will want to promptly and carefully inspect items following their appointment. Handy also isn’t transparent with its service providers’ insurance status, so concerned customers may want to reach out to Handy’s customer support. Customers looking for additional services like moving help can hire a Handy provider for those needs too.

Specs

• Service area: Select cities across the U.S.
• Scheduling: Online, mobile app
• Pricing structure: Hourly; 2-hour minimum
• Additional services: Cleaning, general handyman services, moving help
• Cancellation policy: Free cancellation up until 24 hours before appointment; $25 fee for cancellation 2 to 24 hours before appointment; full cost for cancellations within 2 hours of appointment

Pros

• Furniture assembly available to Costco, Crate & Barrel, Wayfair, and Walmart customers at the time of online purchase
• Moving services offered

Cons

• Minimum appointment length of 2 hours
• Relatively short complaint-filing window of 72 hours after the service was provided
• Insurance information for hired individuals not readily available

Our Verdict

TaskRabbit takes the top spot for our pick as the best furniture assembly services in part because of its ease of scheduling. Using a convenient mobile app, customers are instantly connected with top-rated pros in their area. Customers also have more choice with TaskRabbit in selecting whom they want to hire for certain tasks. Thumbtack is another choice that allows customers to choose their preferred pro and offers a generous cancellation policy if a customer’s plan changes.

How We Chose the Best Furniture Assembly Services

Numerous services are available for furniture assembly. To judge the varied offerings, we considered services like the ease of scheduling, retail partnerships, and technician liability insurance, as well as the availability of any additional services, like junk or furniture removal, which often goes hand in hand with furniture assembly (hauling out the old to make room for the new). Pricing is another significant factor. In determining the affordability of services, we gathered quotes from each company for different types of furniture. We also compiled and compared pricing across several regions nationwide. This helped us determine the rate structure and pricing for each company included in this guide.

Before You Hire One of the Best Furniture Assembly Services

Self-assemble furniture can be a time-consuming chore. Generic searches like “furniture installers near me” may yield some results for help, but customers will want to carefully vet the company and its services. Customers may find that the retailer they’re purchasing their furniture from may already partner with an assembly service. This could be a convenient option to use pros who are likely more familiar with that brand’s products.

Customers will also want to explore multiple assembly companies’ pricing structures to determine which is most suitable for the task. For example, customers with larger or complex assembly jobs may find a company with a flat-rate or per-item pricing fee more advantageous to avoid higher bills in case an item takes a long time to put together. On the other hand, customers may find a per-hour pricing structure a more affordable option for smaller jobs. Additionally, customers may want to consider whether any additional services are needed, such as disassembling and removing old furniture, and seek out companies that offer these services.

Cost of Hiring One of the Best Furniture Assembly Services

The cost of using one of the best furniture assembly services can vary greatly by project scope. National data shows that assembly man services range from $120 to $175, depending on the item’s size and the task’s complexity. For example, at the low end, assembly of a basic chair costs about $40, while at the high end, assembly of an L-shaped desk averages $525.

The Advantages of Using One of the Best Furniture Assembly Services

Leave it to the pros to assemble, and earn back time; this way a customer doesn’t have to take on the burden of this task. Furniture assembly services offer some of the following benefits.

• Experienced assemblers with the skills, knowledge, and tools already on hand to assemble whatever items are needed.
• Technician liability insurance and labor guarantees offer assurance that items will be put together correctly and safely.
• Relief from the time and stress involved in deciphering complex instruction manuals, allowing the customer to just focus on enjoying their new furniture.

FAQs

Furniture assembly companies can simplify the task of putting items together. Read answers to these frequently asked questions about selecting a company.

Q. Where can I find people to assemble furniture?

Furniture assembly services are readily available nationwide. Some retailers have partnerships with furniture assembly companies and may offer it as an add-on service at the time of purchase. Some of the best furniture assembly services can send out a pro after a customer makes an inquiry on company’s website or mobile app. Other companies may aggregate a list of service providers nearby to offer customers more choice of who they want to hire for a particular task.

Q. What does IKEA charge for furniture assembly?

If do-it-yourself assembly of your new IKEA piece doesn’t seem enticing, there are companies willing to help. On average, customers can expect to pay between $80 to $100 for IKEA furniture assembly. But costs vary depending on what needs to be assembled. For example, a bed may cost an average of $63 to $127, while a closet may cost between $150 to $225. The item’s size and complexity and the customer’s location all can affect pricing.

Q. How much does hiring someone to assemble a table cost?

The average cost to assemble a table is $75. That cost is comparable to the professional assembly of other items like a chair, shelf, and coffee table. Larger items that often consist of more pieces could cost significantly more, like an L-shaped desk, which could average $525, or an entertainment center for $425.