Furniture Delivery vs. a Full Move: What Gene’s Actually Does
We opened in 1965 as a furniture store — Gene Kessler selling and delivering furniture in Marshfield before there was a moving crew to speak of. Delivery is the older half of this company and full-service moving is the newer one, and after six decades we still hear the two used interchangeably. They’re different jobs with different price tags, and knowing which one you need is the difference between paying for a crew and truck for six hours and paying for a one-piece delivery.
Both start the same way: our truck in your driveway. What happens after that is where they split.
What furniture delivery actually covers
Furniture delivery is a job measured in pieces, not rooms. It covers three scenarios we handle every week:
- Store pickup. You bought a sofa, a mattress, or a dining set; we collect it from the store and bring it to your house in Marshfield, Wisconsin Rapids, or any of the towns between.
- Private-sale and estate pickups. Marketplace finds, auction pieces, or a bedroom set from a relative — we load it where it sits and deliver it where it needs to be.
- Carry-in and setup. Getting a couch up a 1950s staircase is its own skill. We carry it in, place it in the room, and do basic assembly — legs on tables, bed frames put together, hardware back in its place.
What delivery doesn’t include: boxes, the kitchen, the closets, the basement. If you’re moving a household, that’s not a delivery — that’s a move.
How a delivery job is priced
Deliveries are priced per job, and four things set the number:
- What and how much. A single dresser and a loaded living-room set are different jobs.
- Floors and access. A second-floor walk-up changes the carry for every piece.
- Assembly. A bed frame or a table with eight legs adds time.
- Distance. A pickup across Marshfield is a different trip than one 40 minutes away in Stevens Point.
As a typical 2026 range in central Wisconsin: one to three pieces nearby runs $150–$400, and a full set costs more. As with every number in our business — your written estimate is the number that matters.
What a full move includes that delivery doesn’t
A full move is priced by the hour with a crew and a truck, and the scope is the whole house: every room, the basement, the garage, the boxes in the attic. The crew brings pads, dollies, and shrink wrap, and the day is planned around everything you own rather than three pieces of it. Most Marshfield households that call us for a move are paying for six to eight crew hours, and the packing state of the house decides whether it lands at six or at eight.
Delivery vs. move, side by side
| Furniture delivery | Full move | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | A few pieces | The entire household |
| Pricing | Per job | Hourly crew and truck |
| Packing | Not included | Your boxes move as packed |
| Assembly | Basic assembly of delivered pieces | Disassembly and reassembly of what needs it |
| Typical 2026 cost | $150–$400 for 1–3 pieces | $700–$1,800 for most 2–3 BR homes |
When it makes sense to combine the two
The most useful call we get sounds like this: “I’m moving apartments on the 14th, and I also bought a couch that needs picking up.” That’s one job with two parts — the crew moves your household and the truck stops at the store on the way. Combining beats paying for a separate delivery run, and it means your new couch arrives with the rest of your furniture instead of a week later.
The scheduling works in your favor here: delivery dates are usually easier to find than full-move dates, especially in May and the last week of any month. If you’re buying furniture before a move, tell us at the estimate — we’ll plan the pickup into the day.
The pieces that make up most delivery days
Some jobs repeat so often they’re worth naming. A sofa or sectional picked up at a Marshfield-area store and carried to a second floor. A bedroom set — headboard, rails, mattress — where the headboard comes apart and the rails travel separately. A dining table with the legs off and the chairs stacked. A dresser with the mirror unbolted from the frame. A recliner that has to come apart at a tight hallway turn. Each of these is a twenty-to-forty-minute job on its own, which is exactly why delivery pricing is per job: the weight, the floor, and the assembly decide the number, not an hourly clock that punishes a careful carry.
Frequently asked questions
Do you deliver furniture I bought myself, not from your store?
Yes. We pick up from stores, private sellers, and estate sales across central Wisconsin and deliver to your address. It’s the same job: collect, transport, carry in, set up.
Can you deliver a single couch?
Yes — single-piece deliveries are common. Pricing depends on the piece, the floor, and the distance; a typical nearby single-piece run falls in the $150–$350 range in 2026, and the written estimate is the number that matters.
Do you assemble what you deliver?
Basic assembly is part of the job: legs, bed frames, hardware. We bring the tools; you tell us where the piece goes.
How is delivery priced differently from a move?
A move is hourly with a crew and covers everything you own. A delivery is a per-job price on a specific list of pieces. If your list is “the whole house,” you need the move.
Not sure which one your job is? That’s the most common call we take. Describe the house and the pieces, and we’ll tell you which it is — and put a written number on it. Call (715) 384-5080 or request an estimate.
Get a written estimate before you commit to a date
Send the two addresses, the moving date, and anything that needs special handling. You get a real number in writing, one point of contact, and a crew that shows up when it says it will.