IKEA Pickup and Delivery in San Diego: What It Actually Costs

The IKEA in San Diego is in Mission Valley, and the flat-pack boxes are always bigger than they look on the showroom floor. A PAX wardrobe, a MALM dresser and a sofa will not go in a sedan, and they usually will not go in a mid-size SUV either.

Here is how to get an IKEA order home the same day without renting a truck.

Option 1 — IKEA's own delivery

IKEA delivers, and for a full room's worth of furniture it is often reasonable. Two things to check before you commit at the register:

• The delivery date. Same-day is not always offered, and the window is typically wide.
• Where they stop. Threshold or first-dry-area delivery means the boxes land inside the door, not in the bedroom, and nothing gets assembled or unboxed unless you paid for that separately.

Option 2 — Rent a truck or van

A cargo van rental plus fuel, plus your time loading and unloading, plus a second person to help carry a 130 lb wardrobe box up stairs. It works. It is rarely as cheap as it sounds once you add the hours.

Option 3 — Call us for the pickup

You buy at the store (or order for store collection), send us the receipt or a photo of the boxes, and we collect and deliver. You do not need to be at the store — most customers meet us at home instead.

What that includes:

• Collection from the Mission Valley pickup bay.
• Blanket wrap and straps in the truck.
• Carry to the actual room, upstairs included.
• Optional assembly on the same visit.
• Optional haul-away of whatever the new piece replaces.

What it costs

Delivery is a flat rate by weight plus $2/mile from mile one. Under 100 lbs is $120, 100–200 lbs is $240, and 200–300 lbs is $340. Most single IKEA items — a dresser, a bed frame, a bookcase — land in the first two tiers. Extra boxes on the same trip are discounted because the crew is already there.

Assembly, if you want it, is $100/hour billed in 15-minute increments, and the first 30 minutes are free when it is on the same visit as the delivery. A BILLY bookcase is minutes. A PAX with sliding doors is not.

Rough weight guide for common IKEA boxes

• Flat-pack bookcase or nightstand: under 100 lbs.
• Six-drawer dresser or a bed frame with slats: 100–200 lbs.
• Sofa, sectional section, or a full PAX wardrobe run: 200 lbs and up, often across several boxes.

Weight is what we price on, so a photo of the box labels gets you an exact number faster than a description.

Common mistakes

• Assuming it fits. Measure the car's cargo opening, not the trunk volume.
• Buying the sofa and forgetting the old one. Bundle the haul-away with the delivery and skip a second trip.
• Ordering assembly from a third party for a different day. Same visit is cheaper and simpler.

Send a photo of your receipt or the boxes to 619-738-4540 and you will get a flat quote before you leave the store.