- Handyman
- Installation & Setup
- Moving & Settling In
Furniture Assembly
No time to put together the new flat-pack furniture you just bought, or need furniture taken apart and reassembled before or after a move? Following the manufacturer's instructions, your handyman can assemble bed frames, wardrobes, desks, dressers, sofas, children's beds, wall beds (Murphy beds), fitness equipment and outdoor furniture for you, complete any anti-tip or wall anchoring the instructions require, then adjust and test everything and leave the work area clean and tidy.
- Service area
- Vancouver, Burnaby and Richmond
Common issues
New furniture has arrived and needs assembling
One piece or several, or a full bedroom or dining room set, can be arranged by the number of pieces and how complex they are; large pieces such as wardrobes and bunk beds take longer.
A tall cabinet needs to be anchored to the wall
The instructions for many tall cabinets, dressers and wardrobes require them to be anchored to the wall, and this is handled as part of the assembly; the hardware supplied in the box may not suit every wall, so your handyman chooses suitable anchoring hardware for the wall on site.
Taking furniture apart before a move and reassembling it after
Large wardrobes, bed frames, bunk beds or Murphy beds may not be movable in one piece; they can be taken apart first, with the hardware kept safe, and reassembled at your new home.
You assembled it halfway yourself, or put it together wrong
Your handyman can check the parts already done, undo the steps that went wrong following the instructions, then finish the assembly; panels that were already damaged or stripped screw holes may not be fully repairable.
A crib or bunk bed
Assembled and tightened using only the manufacturer's original parts, following the instructions, with the guardrails and ladder rungs checked; if original parts are missing, they need to be requested from the manufacturer first.
Fitness equipment or outdoor structures
Large products such as treadmills, home gyms, gazebos, pergolas and playsets usually need two people or more time, and outdoor products also need to be anchored to suitable ground following the instructions.
What the pro will do
- 1
Your handyman finds out the furniture brand, product name or model number, the number of pieces and boxes, the room and floor it's going in, the type of wall and whether anchoring is needed, and whether anything needs taking apart or packaging taken away; if you have the instructions, a product link or photos, please share them too.
- 2
On site, your handyman checks the parts, the placement, and the wall and floor conditions, and confirms the work and the price. If extra anchoring hardware, a second handyman or a return visit is needed, your handyman confirms the details and price with you first; work outside the scope needs to be arranged separately.
- 3
Your handyman assembles the furniture following the manufacturer's instructions and completes any anti-tip, wall or floor anchoring the instructions require; if parts are missing or damaged, your handyman records the part numbers and first completes whatever can be safely completed.
- 4
Your handyman levels the furniture and tightens the hardware, and tests doors, drawers and moving parts; powered furniture is tested after its own plug is connected to an existing outlet. Your handyman cleans up the work area, leaves the packaging tidied up or takes it away as agreed, and explains care and how to keep the spare parts.
Good to know
Have your product information ready
Keep the instructions, product name or model number and order details; if you can share a product link or a photo of the label on the box, your handyman can estimate the time and people needed in advance.
Put the boxes in the room where the furniture will go
Many retail assembly services require the product to already be in the room where it will go; clearing a work space in advance can cut down on carrying and waiting time.
Anchor tall furniture
In homes with young children, tall cabinets, dressers and bookcases should be anchored to the wall following the instructions; BC earthquake preparedness guidance also recommends securing tall furniture to a wall stud with metal brackets.
Get permission first for rental or strata units
Before drilling into walls for anchoring — especially for a Murphy bed, which needs to be drilled into the wall and floor — please check with your landlord or strata whether permission is needed.
Check a second-hand crib first
A second-hand crib, or one more than ten years old, should have a date-of-manufacture label and its instructions; also check for missing parts, looseness or cracks. Cribs made before September 1986 should not be used.
Outlets for powered furniture
Powered furniture should be plugged into a suitable outlet or surge protector following the instructions; don't daisy-chain multiple power bars. If a treadmill or similar product needs a dedicated circuit, or its plug doesn't fit the outlet, a licensed electrician must be hired separately.
Keep spare parts and retighten regularly
It's common to have extra screws left over in the box; please keep them for future use. Cribs, bunk beds and playsets should be checked regularly and their hardware retightened.
Local tips
Cardboard and foam shouldn't go in with garbage
Metro Vancouver disposal facilities ban cardboard and polystyrene foam packaging from being mixed in with garbage, and loads above the allowed proportion are charged a surcharge.
Recycling rules vary by city
Several cities' curbside recycling requires cardboard to be flattened and cut down, and oversized or unflattened cardboard isn't collected; polystyrene foam and plastic film generally need to go to a recycling depot. Rules vary by city and housing type, so please follow your city's guidelines.
Old furniture pickup depends on your city and housing type
Some cities offer bookable large item pickup for eligible households, with limits on the number of items, housing type and item condition; Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver and White Rock have no municipal curbside large item pickup, and Port Moody charges a fee. Some cities don't take disassembled furniture or cabinets that were once wall-mounted, so please check your city's rules before taking old furniture apart.
Building move arrangements
Some strata buildings regulate moves and deliveries through their rules and may charge a reasonable fee; before moving large furniture in or out of the building, you can check with the building management office whether you need to book the elevator or a time slot.
Replacement small parts from IKEA
IKEA small hardware can be requested online for free and generally arrives in about 7 to 10 business days; larger parts require a receipt and must be within the warranty period.
This service only assembles, disassembles or reassembles flat-pack furniture and similar ready-to-assemble products that you've already obtained, including any anti-tip, wall or floor anchoring the instructions require, and connecting powered furniture to an existing outlet using its own plug. It does not include custom or built-in work, kitchen and bathroom cabinet installation, adding anchoring to other existing furniture or TVs, furniture repair, modifying children's beds, substituting non-original parts for the manufacturer's original parts, assembling cribs made before September 1986, electrical work such as adding outlets or circuits, gas connections, moving and transport, removal of old furniture and mattresses, baseboard, wall or floor repair, outdoor foundation or deck work, or hazardous materials handling. How sturdy the finished product is depends on the product design, the wall, the floor and the anchoring hardware; anti-tip anchoring can reduce the risk of tipping over but cannot guarantee it will be fully prevented. Children's beds, bunk beds and outdoor structures missing the manufacturer's original parts can only be completed once the replacement parts arrive; wear on panels caused by repeated assembly and disassembly or by earlier assembly may not be fully repairable. Permission to drill in a rental or strata unit, and permit or zoning requirements for outdoor structures, are subject to confirmation for the actual address with the relevant landlord, strata or municipality.
Post this job in the app
Describe the job, add photos and get quotes from pros nearby. Posting is free for clients, and you don’t have to hire anyone.