Cabinet Door Shipping Nationwide: How We Do It

How I Learned to Ship Doors Without Breaking Them

The first time I shipped doors outside of Florida, three of them arrived damaged. Cracked corners, dented rails, one with a gouge right through the center panel. The contractor was furious. I was embarrassed. And I learned that shipping cabinet doors isn't like shipping most things.

I remember getting that phone call. The contractor sent photos before I even had a chance to ask for them. Three doors, wrecked. His timeline for the project, also wrecked. My reputation with a new out-of-state customer, definitely wrecked.

Doors are flat, heavy, and surprisingly fragile. They don't forgive being thrown around, dropped from conveyor belts, or crushed under heavier freight. The edges are vulnerable. The faces scratch easily. The corners crack if they hit anything solid. Get the packaging wrong and you're paying for replacements, eating the shipping both directions, and absorbing the damage to your reputation.

That experience is why we spent months developing our shipping process. Tested different packaging materials. Tracked damage rates by carrier. Figured out what worked and what didn't through painful trial and error. Now we ship to all 50 states with less than 1% damage rate. Here's how we got there and what it means for your orders.

The Challenge of Shipping Cabinet Doors

Cabinet doors present unique shipping challenges that most people don't think about until something goes wrong.

Weight distribution: A stack of 20 cabinet doors can weigh 150+ pounds. That weight concentrated on a relatively small footprint means doors want to tip, shift, and crush themselves during transit.

Surface vulnerability: Painted or primed surfaces scratch easily. Even doors rubbing against each other during transit can create marks that show through finish coats.

Edge fragility: MDF edges are the most vulnerable part of the door. A solid impact to a corner can crack or crush it, requiring replacement even if the rest of the door is perfect.

Dimensional sensitivity: Doors need to arrive flat. Any warping, bowing, or twisting from improper storage or handling during shipping means they won't fit properly.

Value density: A single order of cabinet doors often represents $1,000-$3,000 or more. Damage rates that might be acceptable for lower-value freight are unacceptable for doors.

These challenges explain why so many suppliers have damage problems. They're shipping cabinet doors like they ship everything else, and cabinet doors need special handling.

Our Shipping Options

We offer three shipping methods, each optimized for different order sizes and urgency levels.

LTL Freight (Orders of 10+ Doors)

LTL (less than truckload) freight is the standard for larger door orders. Your doors share truck space with other freight, keeping costs reasonable while providing professional handling.

What to expect with LTL:

• Doors are crated or palletized for protection
• Full tracking from pickup to delivery
• 3-7 days transit time depending on distance from Sarasota
• Freight terminal handling (doors stay on pallet)
• Lift gate delivery available for residential addresses
• Best value per door for larger orders

LTL works well for orders of 10 doors or more. The cost per door drops significantly compared to small parcel, and the crating provides excellent protection for the longer journey.

LTL considerations:

• Delivery appointment required (carrier calls ahead)
• Someone needs to be present to receive and inspect
• Pallet jack helpful but not required for most orders
• Inside delivery available for additional fee

Small Parcel: Ups/fedex (1-9 Doors)

For smaller orders, UPS and FedEx make more sense than freight. Individual boxes move through their system efficiently, and residential delivery is straightforward.

What to expect with small parcel:

• Each door individually boxed with corner protection
• 2-5 days transit for ground service
• Overnight and 2-day options when you need speed
• No appointment required for residential delivery
• Easy tracking through carrier apps
• Can redirect to different address if needed

Small parcel is ideal for replacement doors, sample orders, or small jobs where freight minimums don't make sense.

Small parcel limitations:

• Size restrictions on very large doors
• Cost per door higher than freight for larger quantities
• Less control over handling during transit

Local Pickup (Florida)

For customers close enough to our Sarasota facility, pickup eliminates shipping entirely.

Benefits of pickup:

• No shipping cost
• Inspect doors before you leave
• 72-hour production to pickup for rush needs
• Load directly into your vehicle
• No carrier handling whatsoever

I always tell contractors: if you're within a reasonable drive, consider pickup. You can inspect every door before it leaves our facility. You're not trusting a carrier with your timeline or your doors. And you save the shipping cost.

We've had contractors drive from Tampa, Naples, even Orlando for larger orders. When you factor in shipping cost and the peace of mind of inspection, the drive often makes sense.

Packaging That Actually Protects

Here's what happens to every order before it leaves our facility. This process evolved through years of testing and tracking what prevented damage.

Corner Guards on Every Door

Corners are the most vulnerable point on a cabinet door. A corner impact that might not damage a solid wood door will crack MDF. We use molded corner guards on every single door, regardless of order size or shipping method.

The corner guards add cost to our packaging. Worth it. A damaged corner means a remake, reshipping, and a delayed project. The corner guard costs a fraction of what a damaged door costs everyone involved.

Blanket Wrap for Door Sets

When multiple doors stack together, the surfaces can rub during transit. Even with cardboard separators, vibration during a multi-day truck ride can cause marks. For orders shipping via freight, we blanket wrap door sets to prevent surface contact.

The blanket wrap also adds cushioning that absorbs impacts. If the pallet gets bumped during handling (and it will), that cushioning protects the doors inside.

Cardboard Separators Between Doors

Every door gets separated from its neighbor with cardboard. This prevents face-to-face contact, isolates any doors that might have finish issues, and adds structural rigidity to the stack.

Some suppliers skip this step to save packaging cost. We don't. The separators cost pennies. A scratched door costs hundreds.

Crating for Large Orders and Long Doors

Orders above 30 doors or including doors longer than 48 inches get crated. A proper wooden crate provides:

• Structural protection from crushing
• Secure anchor points for forklift handling
• Weather protection if the load sits outside
• Tamper evidence if something goes wrong

Crating costs more than palletizing. For the orders that need it, there's no substitute. We're not going to save twenty dollars on packaging and risk thousand-dollar damage claims.

Stretch Wrap to Secure the Load

The final step before freight leaves is stretch wrapping. Multiple layers of heavy-duty stretch wrap lock everything together so nothing shifts in transit. Combined with proper corner protection and banding, this creates a unit load that handles like a single piece.

Is this more packaging than some competitors use? Yes. Does it cost more? A little. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

That 1% damage rate didn't happen by accident. It happened because we treat every order like it's going to someone who's counting on it. Because it is.

Tracking Your Order

Every shipment includes comprehensive tracking so you're never wondering where your doors are.

What you receive when your order ships:

• Carrier name and tracking number (emailed and texted)
• Estimated delivery date based on carrier transit time
• Direct link to carrier tracking portal
• Our contact info for questions

What we monitor:

• Shipment scan events (pickup, hub transfers, out for delivery)
• Transit exceptions (delays, weather, reroutes)
• Delivery confirmation

If tracking shows something unusual, we'll often call you before you notice. Packages sitting at a hub too long, unexpected delivery exceptions, missed delivery attempts. We watch for these because catching problems early means fixing them faster.

Delivery confirmation:

• Carrier signature capture
• Photo proof of delivery when available (varies by carrier)
• Notification when delivery completes

You shouldn't have to wonder where your doors are. If you do, call us. We'll track them down and give you a straight answer.

When Damage Happens

Even with careful packaging and carrier selection, things occasionally go wrong. Carriers make mistakes. Forklifts hit pallets. Boxes get crushed under heavier freight. It happens, and we have a process for it.

Step 1: Document with photos immediately

Before you sign any delivery receipt, inspect the packaging. If you see damage to the packaging, open it and check the doors. Take photos of everything before the driver leaves.

If you sign without noting damage and then discover problems later, carrier claims become much harder. "Damaged" or "Subject to inspection" noted on the receipt protects everyone.

Step 2: Contact us within 24 hours

Call or text as soon as you find damage. We respond same day, usually within hours. Send photos to document what you're seeing.

I know your project can't wait for us to research what happened. We'll deal with the carrier later. Your immediate need is replacement doors.

Step 3: We ship replacements via rush

Damaged doors get replaced via rush production, no charge. We don't make you wait for claim resolution, don't charge you rush fees for our error or carrier error, and don't ask you to jump through hoops.

Your timeline matters more than who's technically at fault. We'll figure out fault later.

Step 4: We handle the carrier claim

Filing freight claims is tedious. Documenting damage, filling out forms, waiting for adjusters. That's our headache, not yours. We deal with carriers constantly. You shouldn't have to learn their claims process for a single shipment.

If there's any cost to you from the damage, whether it's your time, delayed project penalties, anything measurable, let me know. I can't always fix everything, but I'll try.

Transit Times by Region

Here's what to expect for ground transit from our Sarasota, Florida facility:

Region	States	Transit Time
Florida	FL	1-2 days
Southeast	GA, AL, SC, NC, TN	2-3 days
Mid-Atlantic	VA, WV, MD, DE, NJ	3-4 days
Midwest	OH, IN, IL, MI, WI, MN	3-4 days
Northeast	NY, PA, MA, CT, NH, VT, ME	4-5 days
South Central	TX, OK, AR, LA, MS	3-4 days
Mountain	CO, AZ, NM, UT, NV	5-6 days
West Coast	CA, OR, WA	5-7 days

Add these transit times to our 2-week production time for total delivery. Rush production (3 days) plus expedited shipping can get doors anywhere in the continental US within a week.

These times assume standard ground service. Expedited options are available when you need faster delivery. They cost more, but when a project is on fire, the cost is usually worth it.

Shipping Cost Factors

What affects your shipping cost? Several things:

Order weight and dimensions: More doors cost more to ship. Larger doors cost more than smaller doors because dimensional weight kicks in.

Distance from Sarasota: Longer distances cost more. A shipment to Atlanta costs less than a shipment to Seattle.

Shipping method: LTL freight has minimums that favor larger orders. Small parcel costs more per door but has no minimum.

Service level: Ground is cheapest. Expedited costs more. Overnight costs significantly more.

Delivery requirements: Residential delivery costs more than commercial. Lift gate adds cost. Inside delivery adds more.

We quote shipping upfront before you commit to an order. No surprises on the invoice. If the shipping cost seems high, ask me about alternatives. There's often a way to reduce cost if you have flexibility on timing or delivery method.

What I Learned Expanding Beyond Sarasota

When I started this business, I figured I'd mostly serve local contractors. Sarasota, Bradenton, maybe Tampa. Shipping seemed like a hassle for a small operation.

But word got around. A contractor told another contractor. Someone found us online. We started getting orders from Georgia, then Tennessee, then Texas, then across the country.

Scaling up shipping while keeping quality consistent was harder than I expected. Different carriers, different routes, different handling at different terminals. What worked for a Florida-to-Georgia shipment didn't work for Florida-to-California.

I made mistakes. Damaged doors, unhappy customers, lessons learned the expensive way. Each mistake taught us something about packaging, carrier selection, or process.

Now our process is tight. Whether you're in Miami or Montana, you get the same packaging, the same care, the same commitment to your timeline. The systems we built through painful experience now work automatically for every order.

Related Resources

• 21-day delivery guarantee: What our timeline promise actually means and what happens if we miss it
• On-time delivery and your reputation: Why reliable shipping matters for your business
• Fast cabinet door delivery: Full program details

Get a Shipping Quote

Call 941-417-0202 with your zip code and order size. I'll quote shipping before you commit. No surprises when the invoice comes.

Shipping shouldn't be an afterthought. It's part of the service, and I treat it that way. Your doors deserve to arrive in the same condition they left our shop.

Because that's the only way they're any good to you.