First-time furniture hire is straightforward once you know what information to have ready. This guide walks through each stage from getting a quote to collection, covering costs, delivery and damage.
First-time furniture hire is straightforward once you know what information to have ready. This guide walks through each stage from getting a quote to collection, covering costs, delivery and damage.
Your first furniture hire can feel uncertain. You have a guest count, a venue, and a rough idea of what you need, but the process between enquiry and collection is less familiar. This guide walks through each stage so you know what to prepare and what to expect.
Most hire companies quote online or by phone. To get an accurate quote back quickly, have these details ready before you make contact: your event date, the venue name and full postcode, a delivery time window such as 8am–10am, a collection time window, and a list of items with quantities.
Quotes are free. Most come back within a few hours for standard orders. Complex or large orders may take a full day. The quote will include the hire cost for each item, a delivery and collection charge calculated from your venue postcode, and any optional extras such as setup.
The hire company needs to know about access restrictions at the venue. Narrow entrances, steps without a ramp, no-parking zones outside the building and floors without a lift all affect how the delivery crew can work. Mention these at booking, not on the day of delivery. A two-person crew with a large trolley needs at minimum a standard double doorway and a clear route to the event space.
Most hire companies charge a deposit of 25–30% at the time of booking to reserve the stock and secure your delivery slot. The balance is typically due 7–30 days before the event. For bookings made close to the event date, full payment upfront may be required. Confirm the payment schedule when you receive the quote so there are no surprises in the days before the event.
The hire company will contact you 24–48 hours before delivery to confirm your time window. If your venue access details have changed since booking, call them as soon as you know. Give as much notice as possible if the collection time needs to move. Changes made the night before are harder to accommodate than changes made a week out.
A driver brings items on a trolley or sack truck. Larger orders arrive in a van with a two-person crew. Items are delivered folded, stacked or packed in crates: tablecloths come folded, crockery and glassware arrive in padded crates, chairs are stacked. The driver brings everything to your specified delivery point and you sign the delivery note to confirm what has arrived.
Setup is your responsibility unless you have booked a setup service. Check items against the delivery note before the driver leaves. Discrepancies are much easier to resolve in the first 30 minutes than after the driver has gone.
Hire companies draw a clear line between fair wear and tear and damage. Minor marks and scuffs from normal use are expected and not charged for. Breakage, large stains, burn marks and lost items are not. Expo Hire includes a damage waiver as standard, so accidental breakage does not result in a penalty charge at the end of your event. The waiver does not cover loss of items or deliberate damage.
At the end of the event, fold tablecloths loosely and return them to the crates or bags supplied. Stack chairs. Fold tables. Rinse crockery and glassware before returning to crates. You do not need to wash or polish items, just rinse them clean.
The collection driver arrives at the agreed time window and checks items against the original delivery note. If collection runs over the agreed slot due to your schedule rather than the hire company's, an extra day's hire charge may apply. If it is the hire company running late, they should not charge extra.
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