What to include in a large-item courier quote request

A useful large-item courier quote starts with a useful description. “Collect a sofa” leaves the courier guessing about its size, the stairs, the dates and the people needed to move it. A short, complete brief gives providers a better basis for pricing the work.

Use the template below for furniture, equipment and other bulky goods. If you are still deciding which service to use, read our guide to sending large items first.

Copy-and-fill quote request template

Items: [Name and number of items; include all separate pieces.]

Packed size: [Length × width × height in cm for each piece.]

Weight: [Weight per piece; clearly label estimates.]

Condition and packaging: [New or used; boxed, wrapped, palletised or unpacked; fragile areas or handling requirements.]

Collection area: [Town or postcode area; keep the exact address private.]

Delivery area: [Town or postcode area; keep the exact address private.]

Dates: [Collection availability, delivery deadline and flexibility.]

Collection access: [Floor, stairs, lift, doorways, parking and distance to vehicle.]

Delivery access: [The same details, plus the agreed drop-off point or room.]

Help and equipment: [Crew required; any confirmed on-site help; loading equipment available.]

Extra services: [List any packaging, dismantling or other work needed; ask the courier to confirm what they offer.]

Please confirm: [Complete payable price including applicable VAT and fees; service scope; dates; packaging requirements; updates and proof of delivery.]

Measure each piece, not just the assembled item

A dismantled bed can include a headboard, rails, slats, mattress and fittings. List them separately so the courier can assess space and handling. For an assembled item, include protruding handles and legs. Add packaging to the measurements if it changes the size.

If the weight is unknown, check product information or ask the seller. Avoid presenting a guess as a measured figure. If exact information is unavailable, explain that before accepting an offer and ask what the courier needs to confirm suitability.

Photograph the parts that explain the job

Useful pictures show the whole item, separate pieces, existing damage, packaging and difficult access. A narrow staircase or tight turn can matter as much as the goods themselves. Remove personal documents and other private information from photographs before sharing them.

Photos support the written description. They do not tell the courier the weight or confirm that a large item will fit through a doorway. Use our measuring worksheet for furniture and property access.

Be specific about where the delivery ends

“Deliver to the house” might mean an accessible entrance to one person and a bedroom upstairs to another. State the actual destination and ask whether the quote includes it. Describe any restrictions at both ends, including parking times and booked loading bays.

If you need a two-person crew, say so. If you are unsure, describe the load and access and ask the courier to specify the crew required. Do not assume friends, a seller or a recipient will help on the day.

Give realistic dates and explain appointments

Say when someone can release the goods and when someone can receive them. Include auction collection deadlines, seller availability or a required delivery appointment. Ask whether a proposed time is confirmed or an estimate.

If you can accept a wider window, state it. Flexibility may make the job easier to fit into a route, but availability and prices still depend on the participating couriers and the work involved.

A vague request, improved

Before: “Need a desk collected from Birmingham and delivered to Bristol. How much?”

After: “One assembled wooden desk, 140 × 70 × 75 cm, weight not yet confirmed. Collection from a ground-floor office in Birmingham; delivery to a ground-floor room in Bristol. Both locations have nearby loading access. Collection available Monday or Tuesday; delivery by Thursday if agreed. Please confirm the crew needed, protective handling, full payable price and delivery window.”

The improved version still needs the weight confirmed, but makes that uncertainty visible. It also gives the courier enough context to ask focused follow-up questions.

Check the offer against the brief before paying

Make sure the offer refers to your actual items, access and handling requirements. Confirm the complete total, including applicable VAT and fees, and ask about any unclear exclusion. If the job changes, agree the revised scope before collection.

Read how to source a courier for questions about suitability and communication, then use the quote comparison checklist to assess the offers.

Ready to use your brief? Post your delivery request on Deliverate. Keep exact addresses and contact details within the private booking process. If your job is a retailer return, check the separate supplier returns service before choosing a general courier request.