Guide for furniture installation companies · checked 30 October 2026
How furniture installers run a project, from dealer PO to signed punch list
A commercial install is a dealer purchase order, a truck at a dock with a 20-minute limit, a freight elevator booked for after 5 p.m., cartons that arrive short or crushed, and a dealer project manager who signs off only when the punch list is closed. This guide covers the rules, the claim deadlines, the labour numbers and the software, with a source on every figure.
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Short answer
Commercial furniture installers usually run on a mix of tools: a dealer-industry system such as IQ Software for labour estimates, work orders and receiving, the dealer's CET or SIF files for the product list, a white-glove delivery tool such as DispatchTrack for retail routes, and spreadsheets for crew-days, freight elevator bookings and punch lists. What the software has to hold is installer-specific: the dealer PO line items and side marks, the labour hours per product line, the building's COI and move-hour rules, OS&D notes inside the 5-business-day concealed damage window, and a punch list the dealer project manager signs. Pick a setup that keeps those on one project record instead of five files and a group chat.
5 business days
To report concealed freight damage to the carrier under NMFC Item 300135-A, in writing, unless the carrier says otherwise
source: Draper Inc., Concealed freight damage (NMFC Item 300135-A)
9 months
The shortest claim-filing period a US motor carrier may set for loss or damage under the Carmack Amendment
10 days
Before entry, one Cushman & Wakefield office park wants the vendor COI naming the owner and manager as additional insured
source: Normandale Lake Office Park (Cushman & Wakefield), Tenant Services Guide
$385 vs $790
One Chicago installer's published price for a 6x7 to 8x8 ft monolithic cubicle, non-union vs union, daytime
source: Chicago Cubicles, office furniture installation price list (union and non-union)
How a job runs
One furniture installation job, from first call to paid
The order the work really happens in, and what has to be written down at each step so nothing is argued about later.
- 1
Receive the dealer PO and the spec
The dealer sends a purchase order for installation labour, plus the product list (often a CET export or a SIF file, where each line has a product number PN, description PD, manufacturer code MC, quantity QT and a side mark TG), the floor plans and the target move-in date. Log the dealer, the dealer PM, the end client, the building address, the floors and the PO number. The dealer PO is the contract; your work orders are how you deliver it.
- 2
Get the building rules before you price
Ask the building management office for the vendor COI requirements (limits, certificate holder, exact additional-insured wording), allowed move hours, freight elevator size and weight limit, dock rules, floor protection and whether union labour is required. One NYC tower allows moves Monday to Friday 9:00 to 4:30 only, with a freight car door of 2 ft 11.5 in by 7 ft 10 in and a 2,500 lb limit. These decide the crew size, the shift and the price.
- 3
Quote labour hours by product line
Count units by product line (panel workstations by size, benching, height-adjustable desks, casegoods, seating, storage, tables, demountable walls) and apply your hours per unit from past jobs. Add receiving, staging, debris removal, elevator wait and travel. Price each line at the right rate: straight time, overtime or after-hours, union or non-union, and prevailing wage where the client is public.
- 4
Split the project into phases and crew-days
Turn the quote into phases (receive and stage, floor 12 install, floor 14 install, electrical hookup by others, punch) and each phase into crew-days: date, shift window, crew lead, crew size, truck and elevator booking. Say a 60-station floor: that is not one job, it is about four nights of a four-person crew plus a punch visit (see the worked example below).
- 5
Book the building and send the COI
Reserve the freight elevator and dock for each crew-day, send the COI that names the owner and the manager exactly as asked, and file the approval. Some buildings want it 10 days ahead, others 24 hours. Without it on file, the crew is turned away at the dock.
- 6
Receive the freight and record OS&D
Check the delivery against the bill of lading and the PO line items, carton by carton. Write 'damaged' or 'short' on the delivery receipt before signing, photograph crushed cartons, and keep packaging. Concealed damage found while unpacking must be reported to the carrier in writing within 5 business days, with an inspection request. Log the replacement parts the dealer has to reorder.
- 7
Stage, install and photograph
Stage cartons by side mark to the right floor and zone, install to the plan (level, plumb and square, aligned with adjoining furniture), and photograph each area when done. Height-adjustable desks get a full up-and-down cycle test. Powered panels are fed by the electrician named in the scope, not the installer, unless your licence says otherwise.
- 8
Walk the punch list with the dealer PM
Clean and dust the furniture, remove packaging and debris, then walk the space with the dealer project manager. Each punch item gets a location, a photo, a cause (install, freight damage, manufacturer defect, missing part, site condition) and an expected completion date. A federal court RFQ for office furniture required exactly that: punch items noted with an expected date of completion.
- 9
Close the punch list and get the sign-off
Return for back-ordered parts and fixes, photograph each closed item and get the dealer PM's signature on the completed list. That signature is what the dealer releases payment against, and the dated record you point to if a warranty start date is ever disputed.
- 10
Invoice the dealer
Invoice the PO lines actually installed plus approved change orders (extra trips, after-hours, stairs, re-work for damaged freight), against the crew-days delivered. Attach the signed punch list and photos. Chase the dealer, not the end client, unless your contract says otherwise.
What to record
The fields every furniture installation job should capture
Project and PO
- Dealer, dealer PM, end client, building address, floors and suites
- Dealer PO number and line items (product number, description, manufacturer, quantity, side mark)
- Manufacturer and product line (Steelcase, MillerKnoll, Haworth, HNI/Allsteel, Knoll and others)
- Quoted labour hours per line and rate type (straight, OT, after-hours, union, prevailing wage)
- Change orders: reason, hours, approved by, date
Building and access
- COI sent: limits, certificate holder, additional insureds, date accepted by management
- Allowed move hours and freight elevator booking (date, window, car, size, weight limit)
- Dock rules (time limit, height, street-level delivery if no dock)
- Floor and elevator protection required (for example 1/4 in masonite or plywood)
- Union or jurisdiction requirements and the crew's local
Freight receiving and OS&D
- Carrier, PRO and BOL number, delivery date and time
- Cartons expected vs received, by PO line
- Over, short and damaged items, each with photos of carton and product
- Exception noted on the delivery receipt (yes or no) and signer
- Concealed damage notice date and inspection request (5-business-day clock)
- Claim amount, filed date, carrier response date
Install, punch and sign-off
- Crew-day log: crew, start and end time, elevator wait time, units completed
- Completion photos per area or workstation run
- Height-adjustable desk cycle test result
- Punch items: location, photo, cause, owner, expected completion date, closed photo
- Dealer PM sign-off: name, signature, date, and any exceptions
- Decommission: items removed, destination (resale, donation, recycling, landfill) and weight or count
Rules and standards
The rules that shape the work, with their sources
| Rule | What it means on the job |
|---|---|
| Concealed damage: 5 business days | NMFC Item 300135-A, effective 18 April 2015, asks for notice of concealed damage to the carrier within five business days of delivery unless the carrier specifies otherwise, confirmed in writing, with a request for inspection. Keep the product in its packaging. Report later and you must show the damage did not happen after delivery. source: Draper Inc., Concealed freight damage (NMFC Item 300135-A) |
| The window used to be 15 days | The NMFTA change cut the concealed damage reporting window for LTL shipments from 15 days to 5. Installers who learned the old rule still miss it. source: Trinity Logistics, concealed damage window cut from 15 to 5 days |
| Carmack Amendment: 9 months to file, 2 years to sue | A carrier may not set less than 9 months for filing a loss or damage claim, or less than 2 years to bring a civil action from the date it disallows the claim in writing. source: 49 U.S.C. § 14706 (Carmack Amendment), Cornell LII |
| Carriers must answer within 120 days | Under 49 CFR 370.9 a carrier must pay, decline or make a firm settlement offer within 120 days of receiving the claim, and update the claimant in writing every 60 days after that while it is pending. source: 49 CFR § 370.9, disposition of freight claims, Cornell LII |
| Building COI and move rules | At one Cushman & Wakefield office park, vendor certificates must arrive at least 10 days before entry and name the owner and its representative as certificate holder and additional insured; moves run 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. on weekdays or any time at weekends, on the service elevator only, with corridors protected by plywood or masonite at least 1/4 in thick. source: Normandale Lake Office Park (Cushman & Wakefield), Tenant Services Guide |
| What a Fifth Avenue tower asks for | Olympic Tower in New York asks movers and contractors for employer's liability of $500,000, general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, auto liability of $1,000,000 and an umbrella of $5,000,000, plus a signed hold-harmless, masonite on common areas and work only Monday to Friday 9:00 to 4:30. source: Olympic Tower, 641 Fifth Ave NYC, insurance requirements and entry protocol (PDF) |
| NYC: who unloads and who assembles | A jurisdiction agreement entered in the NYC Building Trades Green Book has Teamsters Local 814 unload and uncrate furniture, a composite Teamster and Carpenter crew move it on the floor, and the NYC District Council of Carpenters do assembly and final placement. Crew makeup on a union job is set by agreements like this, not by the installer. source: NYC Building Trades Green Book, Teamsters Local 814 vs NYC District Council of Carpenters (PDF) |
| Southern California: modular furniture is carpenters' work | The prevailing wage scope for Modular Furniture Installer (Carpenter) in 12 Southern California counties covers handling, uncrating, staging, assembly, disassembly, relocation and scrapping of office furniture systems and full-height demountable walls, plus clean-up and layout work. source: California DIR, Modular Furniture Installer (Carpenter) scope of work, Southern CA (PDF) |
| Chicago: furniture installation is in the carpenters' scope | The Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, which bargains for carpenters in Chicagoland, lists furniture installation in its members' scope of work. Ask the building and the dealer whether union installers are required before you price. source: Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, carpenters' scope of work |
| ADA: movable furniture and the 36 in path | Common use circulation paths in employee work areas must comply with 402 (36 in minimum clear width under 403.5.1), with an exception for areas under 1,000 sq ft defined by permanently installed furnishings. The Access Board advisory says modular furniture that is not permanently installed is not directly subject to these requirements, so the layout and the employer's accommodation duties carry the burden. source: US Access Board, 2010 ADA Standards ch. 2 (206.2.8 employee work areas) |
| ADA work surfaces: 28 to 34 in | Accessible dining and work surfaces must be 28 in minimum and 34 in maximum above the finished floor, with a forward approach and knee clearance. These scoping rules generally cover public and common-use surfaces, not each employee's desk; employee work areas must allow a wheelchair user to approach, enter and exit. source: US Access Board, 2010 ADA Standards ch. 9 (902 work surfaces) |
| ADA: approach, enter and exit | Under exception 203.9, employee work areas such as individual cubicles and personal offices need only be designed so people with disabilities can approach, enter and exit them; break rooms and other common-use spaces must be fully accessible. source: Georgia State ADA Coordinator, 203.9 employee work areas technical assistance (PDF) |
| ANSI/BIFMA and UL in federal specs | The GSA furniture systems specification tests panels to ANSI/BIFMA X5.6, freestanding worksurfaces and tables to X5.5, pedestals to X5.9 and electrical systems to UL 1286. It also asks for leveling glides with at least 20 mm of adjustment and at least three 20-amp circuits in the system. source: US GSA, General specification for furniture systems FCNE 87-441F (PDF) |
| Public install terms you will see | A federal court RFQ required certified installers following the manufacturer's instructions, components level, plumb and square, door and corridor protection, debris removed, products cleaned before the punch walk, a punch list with an expected completion date per item, work between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and Service Contract Act wages. source: US Bankruptcy Court W.D. Wisconsin, office furniture RFQ WIWB-090116 statement of work (PDF) |
| Decommission: most furniture is landfilled | EPA estimated 12.1 million tons of furniture and furnishings in US municipal solid waste in 2018, with 80.1% landfilled and 19.5% combusted for energy recovery. Clients with sustainability targets will ask where each item went. source: US EPA, Durable goods: product-specific data (furniture and furnishings) |
Rules vary by state, council and contract. Checked 30 October 2026; confirm against the source for your area before relying on it.
Numbers
Install labour rates, published, and a crew-day worked example
The first rows are one Chicago installer's published price list and one state contract's installer rates. They are not market averages. The last rows are a worked example of turning a quote into crew-days; use your own hours per unit from past jobs.
| Item | Figure | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Monolithic cubicle 5x5 to 6x6 ft, installed | $350 non-union day, $690 union day | Chicago Cubicles price list |
| Monolithic cubicle 6x7 to 8x8 ft, installed | $385 non-union day, $790 union day, $995 union OT | Chicago Cubicles price list |
| Frame and tile cubicle larger than 8x8 ft | $500 non-union day, $1,600 union OT | Chicago Cubicles price list |
| L-shape desk unit | $200 non-union day, $400 union day | Chicago Cubicles price list |
| Task chair | $35 non-union day, $75 union day | Chicago Cubicles price list |
| Minimum stop | $275 non-union day, $600 union day | Chicago Cubicles price list |
| Dismantle and move panel systems | About 25% less than install rates | Chicago Cubicles price list |
| Herman Miller dealer installation, Washington state | $54 to $65 per hour; overtime $85 to $97.50 | WA DES Contract 14422, rates effective 29 Jul 2022 |
| Worked example: labour hours | 60 workstations x 1.5 hrs (your own history) = 90 hrs, + 8 hrs receiving and staging = 98 hrs | Worked example |
| Worked example: usable hours per night | Building allows 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.; 4 installers x 8 hr shift less 1.5 hr elevator and dock time = 26 hrs | Worked example |
| Worked example: crew-days | 98 / 26 = 3.8, so book 4 nights plus 1 punch visit, and 4 freight elevator reservations | Worked example |
source: Chicago Cubicles, office furniture installation price list (union and non-union)source: Washington DES Contract 14422, Herman Miller subcontractor service rates, 29 Jul 2022 (DOCX)
Where it breaks
Where spreadsheets and generic software fall over
The quote lives in a spreadsheet, so labour hours per product line never get compared with the hours the crews actually spent. The next quote repeats the same mistake on height-adjustable desks or demountable walls.
Quote from a labour table by product line, and log crew hours against the same lines each crew-day, so every project updates the hours per unit.
Generic field service tools book one job for one visit. A 4-night install on two floors with a punch visit becomes six unrelated jobs, and nobody can see whether the project is on budget.
Use a project record with phases and crew-days underneath it, each carrying its own crew, truck, elevator booking and hours.
Concealed damage is found on night two, written on a carton, and reported to the dealer a week later. The 5-business-day carrier window has passed and the installer eats the re-work.
An OS&D form on the phone at unpacking, with photos and the BOL, that timestamps the find and starts a countdown to the carrier notice.
The COI is emailed to the wrong address or names the wrong management company, and the crew is turned away at the dock at 6 p.m. with a rented truck.
Store each building's exact COI wording, limits and lead time on the building record, and block the crew-day from going to Scheduled until the COI is marked accepted.
Punch lists are on paper or in a text thread. Items get closed without photos, the dealer PM disputes them, and the invoice waits.
Punch items with a location, cause, photo before and after, and a sign-off link the dealer PM signs on a phone.
Change orders (stairs because the freight elevator was down, a second trip for back-ordered parts, after-hours work the building imposed) are agreed verbally and never invoiced.
A change order record tied to the crew-day, approved by the dealer PM from a link, that flows straight onto the invoice.
Checklist
The furniture installation operations checklist
Print it, or hand it to whoever runs the office side.
- Dealer PO, product list (CET or SIF) and plans received and matched
- Building rules collected: move hours, freight elevator size and weight limit, dock time limit, floor protection
- COI sent with the building's exact additional-insured wording, and accepted, before the first crew-day
- Union or jurisdiction requirement confirmed for this building and city
- Labour quote by product line, with the rate type (straight, OT, after-hours, union, prevailing wage) on each line
- Project split into phases and crew-days, each with crew, truck and elevator booking
- Freight checked against BOL and PO lines; exceptions written on the delivery receipt before signing
- Concealed damage reported to the carrier in writing within 5 business days, with an inspection request
- Cartons staged by side mark to the right floor and zone
- Completion photos per area, desks cycle-tested, 36 in aisles kept on common paths
- Debris and packaging removed, furniture cleaned before the punch walk
- Punch list walked with the dealer PM, each item with cause, photo and expected date
- Dealer PM sign-off captured; change orders approved and on the invoice
- Decommissioned items logged by destination (resale, donation, recycling, landfill)
Software options
What software furniture installation companies actually use
Judge each one on whether it fits the way your jobs run, not on the feature list. Bring a real job to every demo.
IQ Software
Office furniture dealers and installers that want a system built for that trade
Built by and for office furniture dealers and installers. Lists labour estimation, proposals and quotes, SIF imports, vendor POs and acks, work orders, receiving, scheduling, daily progress, punch clock, time sheets, job costing and QuickBooks Online integration. The closest thing to an industry-standard install tool; check how it handles your own building rules, OS&D claims and multi-market crews.
Configura CET
Dealer designers who lay out the space and produce the product list
2D/3D design and specification software for commercial interiors, with over 175 manufacturers in its database. It is where the dealer's product list and SIF or XML export usually come from. It is not an installer operations tool: no crews, elevators or punch lists.
DispatchTrack
Retail and e-commerce furniture delivery and white-glove networks
Route planning around oversized items, driver skills and delivery windows, customer notifications and digital proof of delivery, sold to furniture and appliance retailers. Strong for last-mile routes; it does not describe assembly checklists or commercial project phases on its furniture page.
Moveware
Commercial and office movers, including relocation and storage
A moving-industry ERP and CRM covering commercial and office moves, quotes from required resources and tracking of reusable crates. Fits the office move and decommission side; check how it handles new-furniture installs from a dealer PO.
Procore punch list (or a spreadsheet)
Installers working inside a general contractor's project
Procore's punch list assigns items, due dates and photos, works offline and is what many GCs already run. Useful when the GC owns the project; it is a construction tool, so labour quoting, crew-days and freight claims sit elsewhere. Many installers still run all of this on Excel and a shared drive.
Questions to ask any vendor
- Can it import a dealer's SIF or CET export and keep the side marks and PO line numbers?
- Can I quote labour by product line with different rates for straight time, overtime, after-hours, union and prevailing wage?
- Does it model a project as phases and crew-days, each with its own crew, truck and freight elevator booking?
- Can each building hold its COI requirements and move hours, and can a crew-day be blocked until the COI is accepted?
- Does the installer app record OS&D with photos and start the 5-business-day concealed damage clock?
- Can the dealer PM approve change orders and sign the punch list from a link, without a login?
Bring one real furniture installation job. We show it running in Fieldproxy.
Get DemoHow Fieldproxy is set up for this
Furniture installation on Fieldproxy: built around how you already work
Fieldproxy is set up as an installer's operating system: the dealer PO comes in as a project, the project splits into phases and crew-days, and every crew-day carries its crew, truck, freight elevator slot and the building's COI. The installer app holds receiving, OS&D, install photos and the punch list, and the dealer PM signs from a link. Fieldproxy builds the screens, statuses and templates around your process, and most installers are live in weeks.
Module 1
Dealer PO and spec intake
Every project starts as a dealer PO with a product list, and retyping 400 lines is where errors start.
- Records: Dealer (account, PMs, billing terms), Project (dealer PO number, end client, building, floors, target move-in)
- PO lines imported from the dealer's SIF, CET export, PDF or spreadsheet: product number, description, manufacturer, quantity, side mark, area
- Statuses: PO received → Spec checked → Quoted → Accepted → Scheduled → Installing → Punch → Signed off → Invoiced
- Rule: a PO line without a product line mapped to the labour table is flagged before quoting
Module 2
Labour-hour quoting by product line
Installers sell hours, and the hours differ by product line, building and labour type.
- Labour table: product line (panel workstation by size, benching, height-adjustable desk, casegoods, seating, storage, tables, demountable wall) → hours per unit
- Rate cards: straight time, overtime, after-hours, union by city, prevailing wage by county
- Adders: receiving and staging, stairs, debris removal, elevator wait, travel, minimum stop
- Output: your own quote template as a PDF and a public link the dealer accepts
Module 3
Projects, phases and crew-days
One install is several nights on several floors, and budget is tracked per project, not per visit.
- Structure: Project → Phase (receive and stage, floor install, electrical by others, punch, decommission) → Crew-day
- Crew-day fields: date, shift window, crew lead, crew size, truck, elevator booking, units planned vs done, hours
- Quoted vs actual hours per product line, rolled up per phase and project
- Pricing for Fieldproxy itself counts project work in crew-days
Module 4
Building rules, COIs and access
The building, not the client, decides when you can work and who gets in.
- Building record: management contact, move hours, freight elevator cars with door size and weight limit, dock time limit, floor protection, union requirement
- COI record per building: required limits, certificate holder, exact additional-insured wording, lead time, sent date, accepted date, expiry
- Rule: a crew-day cannot move from Tentative to Scheduled until the COI is accepted and the elevator is booked
- Elevator booking log per crew-day with the confirmation from management
Module 5
Crew and truck scheduling
Crews, trucks and elevator windows are the three things that run out.
- Board by market and night: crews, installers with skills (demountable walls, union card, specific manufacturer training), trucks with capacity
- Conflicts flagged: same installer on two crew-days, truck double-booked, crew-day outside the building's move hours
- Partner and sub-installer crews scheduled on the same board
- Crew notices with address, dock, elevator slot, contact and plans
Module 6
Freight receiving and OS&D claims
Short and damaged freight is the most common reason an install overruns, and the claim window is short.
- Receiving form: carrier, PRO, BOL, cartons expected vs received per PO line, exception written on the receipt (yes or no)
- OS&D item: over, short or damaged, photos of carton and product, found at delivery or concealed
- Concealed damage clock: 5 business days from delivery to written carrier notice with inspection request
- Claim record: amount, filed date, carrier acknowledgment, 120-day response due, outcome; replacement part reorder tied to the punch list
Module 7
Installer field app
The crew is in a basement dock or an empty floor with no signal, and the proof has to come from them.
- Works offline: crew-day start and end, staging by side mark, completion photos per area
- Checklists: level, plumb and square, aligned runs, glides adjusted, height-adjustable desk cycle test, 36 in common aisles clear, debris removed
- Punch items from the phone: location on the plan, photo, cause (install, freight, manufacturer, missing part, site), owner
- Voice notes and photos become structured records
Module 8
Punch list, change orders and dealer PM sign-off
The dealer PM's signature is what payment waits on, and the dated proof the work was accepted.
- Punch list per project with expected completion date per item and closed photo
- Change orders: reason (stairs, extra trip, after-hours, re-work, scope add), hours, rate, approved by dealer PM from a link
- Sign-off link: dealer PM reviews photos and open items and signs on a phone, no login
- Signed punch list and completion report generated as a PDF from your template
Module 9
Dealer portal and partner installer portal
Dealers want status without calling; brand networks and subcontract crews need the same job without your whole system.
- Dealer portal: their projects, crew-day calendar, OS&D items, punch status, change orders and invoices
- Partner and sub-installer portal: accept crew-days, upload photos and time, close punch items, submit their bill
- Retail and e-commerce brand assembly: one work order per delivery address with photo proof and customer signature
Module 10
Decommission, invoicing and reporting
Margins are thin and leak through unbilled change orders and slow sign-offs.
- Decommission log: item, count, destination (resale, donation, recycling, landfill), receiving facility, weight where known
- Invoices by PO line installed, crew-days and approved change orders, with retainage where the dealer contract holds it; sync to QuickBooks or Xero
- Reports: quoted vs actual hours by product line, crew-days per market, OS&D by carrier and manufacturer, days from punch walk to sign-off, unbilled change orders
- Open API and MCP server so Claude or ChatGPT can query projects and punch lists
The AI agents, set up for furniture installation companies
| Agent | When | What it does | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Document intelligence agent | A dealer emails a PO with a SIF file, spec sheet PDF or product list | Reads each line, maps product numbers to your product lines and labour table, and flags lines it cannot map or quantities that do not match the plans. | A draft project with PO lines and a draft labour quote by product line, waiting for an estimator to approve. |
| Watcher agent | A crew-day is 5 business days out without an accepted COI or elevator booking, or a concealed damage find is 3 business days old with no carrier notice | Checks the building record, the COI dates and the OS&D clock against the crew-day and the delivery date. | An alert to the project coordinator naming the building, the missing item and the deadline, and the crew-day held at Tentative. |
| Vision agent | An installer photographs a damaged carton, a carton label or a delivery receipt | Reads the side mark, PO line and carrier PRO from the label, and describes the damage. | An OS&D item filled in against the right PO line, ready for the carrier notice and the dealer's reorder. |
| Dispatch agent | A phase is accepted and its crew-days need crews and trucks | Matches installers by market, skills (demountable walls, union card, manufacturer training), availability inside the building's move hours, and truck capacity. | Suggested crews and trucks for each crew-day for the scheduler to confirm. |
| Autopilot | A punch list is fully closed with photos but unsigned for 2 days, or an invoice passes its due date | Drafts the chase to the dealer PM with the sign-off link and the closed items, or the payment reminder with the signed punch list attached. | A drafted email or text a person approves before it sends. |
| Scheduler agent | Every Monday at 7 a.m. | Pulls next week's crew-days, open COIs and elevator bookings, open OS&D claims and quoted vs actual hours for last week's projects. | A weekly operations briefing emailed to the operations manager and each market lead. |
Straight answers
Furniture installation: FAQ
What software do furniture installation companies use?
Most commercial installers use a mix: a dealer-industry tool such as IQ Software for labour estimates, work orders and receiving; the dealer's CET or SIF file for the product list; a delivery tool such as DispatchTrack for retail white-glove routes; and spreadsheets for crew-days, elevator bookings and punch lists. Some run it all in one configurable platform such as Fieldproxy. The test is whether the PO lines, labour hours, building COI, OS&D claims and the dealer's signed punch list sit on one project record.
How do furniture installers quote labour?
By hours per unit for each product line (panel workstations by size, benching, height-adjustable desks, casegoods, seating, storage, tables, demountable walls), plus receiving, staging, debris, stairs, elevator wait and travel, priced at the right rate type. Published examples vary widely: one Chicago installer lists a 6x7 to 8x8 ft monolithic cubicle at $385 non-union and $790 union in daytime, and a Washington state contract lists Herman Miller dealer installation at $54 to $65 an hour. Your own history is the best labour guide.
What is the difference between a dealer PO and an installer work order?
The dealer PO is the contract between the dealer and the installer: what will be installed, where and for how much. The installer's work orders, or crew-days, are how that PO gets delivered: which crew, which night, which truck and which freight elevator slot. One PO often becomes several crew-days and a punch visit.
How long do I have to report concealed freight damage?
Under NMFC Item 300135-A, notify the carrier in writing within 5 business days of delivery unless the carrier specifies otherwise, ask for an inspection and keep the packaging. The window used to be 15 days. You then have at least 9 months to file the claim itself under the Carmack Amendment, and the carrier must pay, decline or offer a settlement within 120 days.
What does OS&D mean?
Over, short and damaged: the exceptions found when freight is checked against the bill of lading and the PO. Note them on the delivery receipt before signing, photograph them, and log each one against its PO line so the dealer can reorder and the carrier can be claimed.
What insurance does a building want before an install?
It varies by building, and the building's own exhibit controls. One New York tower asks for employer's liability of $500,000, general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, auto of $1,000,000 and an umbrella of $5,000,000. Most also want the owner and the managing agent named as additional insured in exact wording, and some want the COI 10 days before entry.
Do I need union installers in Chicago or New York?
Often, depending on the building and the client. In New York, a Green Book jurisdiction agreement has Teamsters Local 814 unload and uncrate furniture and the NYC District Council of Carpenters do assembly and final placement. In Chicagoland, the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council lists furniture installation in its scope. Ask the building and the dealer before you price: in one Chicago installer's published list, union daytime prices are roughly double the non-union ones.
How is a punch list closed on a furniture install?
The installer cleans the space and removes debris, then walks it with the dealer project manager. Each item gets a location, a photo, a cause and an expected completion date. The installer returns for parts and fixes, photographs each closed item, and the dealer PM signs the completed list, which releases payment.
Do ADA rules apply to office workstations?
Partly. Common circulation paths in employee work areas must meet the 36 in clear width, but the Access Board says modular furniture that is not permanently installed is not directly subject to those requirements. Accessible work surfaces in public and common areas must be 28 to 34 in high. Installers should still keep main aisles to 36 in and flag layouts that break that.
Which standards apply to office furniture?
ANSI/BIFMA standards cover product safety and durability: X5.6 for panel systems, X5.5 for desks and tables, X5.9 for storage and X5.1 for office chairs. Powered panel systems are evaluated to UL 1286. These are the manufacturer's to meet; the installer's job is to install to the manufacturer's instructions so the tested configuration holds.
What happens to furniture at decommission?
Most US furniture still ends up in landfill: EPA estimated 12.1 million tons of furniture and furnishings in municipal solid waste in 2018, with 80.1% landfilled. Installers that log each item's destination (resale, donation, recycling, landfill) can give clients the report their sustainability team asks for.
How long does it take to set up Fieldproxy for a furniture installer?
Fieldproxy does the setup: the labour table, rate cards, buildings, project and crew-day structure, OS&D forms, punch list and your quote and invoice templates. Most installers are live in weeks, with unlimited users, so every installer, partner crew and coordinator is included.
Related guides
All sources on this page (21)
- source: Draper Inc., Concealed freight damage (NMFC Item 300135-A)
- source: 49 U.S.C. § 14706 (Carmack Amendment), Cornell LII
- source: Normandale Lake Office Park (Cushman & Wakefield), Tenant Services Guide
- source: Chicago Cubicles, office furniture installation price list (union and non-union)
- source: Trinity Logistics, concealed damage window cut from 15 to 5 days
- source: 49 CFR § 370.9, disposition of freight claims, Cornell LII
- source: Olympic Tower, 641 Fifth Ave NYC, insurance requirements and entry protocol (PDF)
- source: NYC Building Trades Green Book, Teamsters Local 814 vs NYC District Council of Carpenters (PDF)
- source: California DIR, Modular Furniture Installer (Carpenter) scope of work, Southern CA (PDF)
- source: Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, carpenters' scope of work
- source: US Access Board, 2010 ADA Standards ch. 2 (206.2.8 employee work areas)
- source: US Access Board, 2010 ADA Standards ch. 9 (902 work surfaces)
- source: Georgia State ADA Coordinator, 203.9 employee work areas technical assistance (PDF)
- source: US GSA, General specification for furniture systems FCNE 87-441F (PDF)
- source: US Bankruptcy Court W.D. Wisconsin, office furniture RFQ WIWB-090116 statement of work (PDF)
- source: US EPA, Durable goods: product-specific data (furniture and furnishings)
- source: Washington DES Contract 14422, Herman Miller subcontractor service rates, 29 Jul 2022 (DOCX)
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