Furniture Assembly in Fort Collins
Flat-pack is not difficult, it is just long. What actually matters is that it ends up square and anchored, because a tall chest of drawers that is not fixed to a wall is a genuine hazard in a house with small children.
This is the least skilled job I do and one of the most requested, mostly because everybody knows exactly how their Saturday goes if they do it themselves.
What you are actually paying for
Not the assembly. The assembly is written down in the instructions. Three things:
Speed. Someone who has built a hundred of these builds yours in a third of the time, mostly because they are not re-reading a diagram to work out which way round a panel goes.
Square. A carcass that is assembled slightly out of square works fine on the day and then the doors stop lining up within a month. Checking square before the back panel goes on, and before it gets loaded, is the difference. Once it is full of clothes it is too late.
Anchoring. This is the one that actually matters.
Anti-tip anchoring is not optional
Furniture tip-overs injure and kill children every year, and the pieces that do it are exactly the ones people put in a child’s bedroom: a chest of drawers, a bookcase, a tall wardrobe. A drawer pulled out and stood on turns the whole thing into a lever.
Every piece of flat-pack tall enough to matter comes with an anti-tip strap in the box, and it is the single most commonly skipped part of the instructions. It gets fitted, into a stud, and it is included rather than an extra line.
Levelling
Floors are not flat. A unit that is not levelled will have drawers that slide open on their own and doors that will not stay shut, and people blame the furniture. Adjustable feet exist on most units for exactly this reason.
Playsets and trampolines
A different order of job. A trampoline or small playset is a half day. A large wooden playset is a full day and occasionally more. These go considerably faster with a second pair of hands, so if someone in the house can hold a beam steady now and again, the block goes further.
The cardboard
Flat-pack produces a startling volume of packaging. It goes with me. That is included, and it is the bit people are most pleased about.
If you are also having shelving fitted or a TV mounted, grouping it into one block is much cheaper than separate visits.
What is included
- Assembly of flat-pack furniture of any brand.
- Checking it is square and sitting flat before it gets loaded, not after.
- Anti-tip anchoring to the wall for anything tall, into studs.
- Levelling on uneven floors so drawers and doors sit right.
- Closet systems and modular storage.
- Outdoor playsets and trampolines.
- Breaking down and taking away all the packaging.
What it costs
| Job | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First item | $125 | Minimum call-out. Covers most single pieces |
| Additional simple items, each | $45 | Bedside tables, small shelving |
| Large wardrobe or complex unit | $150 to $260 | Two hours plus |
| Playset or trampoline | $340 to $640 | Half to full day depending on size |
| Anti-tip anchoring | included | Always, on anything tall |
Full rates, block pricing and the minimum call-out are on the pricing page.
What I do not do here
- Repairing furniture damaged in the box. Take that up with the retailer first.
- Anything with missing parts. I will get as far as I can and come back.
- Furniture removal and disposal of old items, unless agreed as a separate dump run.
- Modifying furniture to fit a space it was not designed for.
- Appliance installation involving gas, water or a new circuit.
Who to call instead: the retailer for damaged or missing parts, and a licensed trade for any appliance needing gas, water or new wiring.
The full list is on what I do not do.
How it works
- Send a photo. Text or email a picture. Most jobs get priced without a site visit.
- Get a flat price. Written and fixed before I start.
- I show up and finish. On the day I said, parts in the truck, swept up after.
Why a solo operator
The same person quotes the job, does the job and cleans up after it. There is no call centre, no dispatcher and no rotating crew who have not seen your house. The price you were given is the price, because the person who quoted it is the person holding the tools.
Related work
Furniture assembly questions
Is it worth paying someone for flat-pack?
It depends what your Saturday is worth. A wardrobe is genuinely three hours for someone who has not built that model before, and about an hour for someone who has. The parts where experience shows are getting it square and spotting a panel that is in backwards before you have loaded it, which is the mistake that costs the most time.
Do you anchor things to the wall?
Always, on anything tall, and it is included rather than an extra. Furniture tip-overs seriously injure children every year and a dresser full of clothes is heavy enough to be dangerous. It goes into a stud, not a drywall anchor.
What if a part is missing or damaged?
I will build everything that can be built and tell you exactly which part number to order. Then I come back to finish, and that return visit is not another full call-out. Retailers are generally good about sending single parts.
Can you take the boxes away?
Yes, that is included. Flat-pack generates an absurd volume of cardboard and polystyrene, and it goes with me rather than filling your garage until the next recycling day.
Can you do a playset or trampoline?
Yes. Budget a half day for a trampoline or a small playset and a full day for a large wooden playset. These are much easier with two people, so if there is someone who can hold a beam occasionally it goes faster and costs you less.