Risk Factors, Skills & Tools
No one wants a crushed hand or ruined door frame.
The nature of a gun safe — a big, heavy object — makes them difficult to install. Even what we categorize as small gun safes are typically 300 pounds (or more). Safely maneuvering an object of that size into a home or business isn’t as simple as carrying some storage boxes, a couch, or even a refrigerator.
Large gun safes easily weigh upwards of 1,000 pounds. That’s more than triple the average refrigerator. This is not the kind of moving job you use a six-pack and pizza to coax your buddies into helping.
We’re not here to scare you away from installing a gun safe in your home. Heck, selling and installing safes is what we do, and we’ve been doing it since 1988. Rather, this post will help you understand the cost of installing a gun safe and what to look for when considering your delivery options. We’ll cover:
Top Five Cost Factors of Installing a Gun Safe
1. Size & Weight of the Safe
The bigger and heavier a safe, the more it costs to move. If you’re buying an entry level safe that can hold a few guns, it’ll cost you less to buy and less to install. It’s also not a safe designed for high security.
Likewise, if you’re buying a high-end safe designed to defend against the threat of fire and burglary, that safe will undoubtedly weight more and cost more to install.
2. Delivery Path
Where your safe is installed is also a big factor in the delivery cost. Going up or down stairs costs more. Taking a safe over challenging terrain will cost more. Simply put, the more difficult the installation, the more resources it requires.
2. Expertise
Installing a gun safe isn’t like loading a moving van. It’s a big, heavy object that needs to be carefully moved into place so that neither the safe nor the home it is moved into is damaged. As with any job, experience comes with an elevated price point.
Every member of our delivery crew undergoes thorough, hands-on training. They start on-site training in the back and on our showroom floor. We then invest months of training making deliveries. Generally, each member of our delivery crew undergoes one year of training before they become a lead.
4. Professional Tools
If you talk to our founder, David A Ballestrasse, he’ll likely tell you stories of the creative ways he devised to get heavy safes into difficult locations. Those were the early days of NW Safe and they often required faith and a whole lotta luck.
Many delivery crews still operate this way, continuing to use outdated equipment and techniques that are unacceptable and dangerous. This includes using moving straps that slide under the safe and allow two men to support the weight of the safe on their shoulders. This may work okay for light weight safes. But, it is not practical with a safe heavy enough to offer real security or fire protection.
Over the decades we have developed tools and techniques to get the job done safely and efficiently. These tools include:
Door Jamb Protectors — Heavy-duty cloth covering your door jamb, helping protect against dings and nicks.
Floor Protection — Rather than rolling wheels over your tile, hardwood, and carpet floors, we use a track system to glide heavy safes above your floor. This system spreads the weight over a larger area and eliminates the damage small wheels can cause to your delicate floors.
Our specialized Slick Sticks span 36 inches at their longest. They are made of wood, UHMW plastic, and a foam pad, creating a smooth surface over which our crew can slide a safe. Not only do they protect your floor from scratches, but they also help evenly distribute the safe’s weight.
Ultra Lift Motorized Hand Trucks — We work directly with Ultra Lift to customize their heavy-duty, motorized hand trucks. Each hand truck costs upwards of $5,000 and needs to be replaced or repaired almost yearly due to the intense loads they carry.
This investment is one of the critical tools that allows our highly skilled operators to bring 1,000+ pound safes gently up and down stairs. With our specialty Ultra Lifts, our crew can traverse your stairs without placing excess stress on them. Additionally, it provides a much safer process for our staff and your home.
5. Transportation Expenses
Transportation costs have increased dramatically in recent years. Not only does it cost more for safes to be delivered to warehouses, it costs substantially more for delivery crews to operate. These expenses include:
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Fuel
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Maintaining Vehicles & Purchasing New Vehicles
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Insurance
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Labor
Cost of Rush Gun Safe Moves & Specialty Deliveries
While most customers don’t need a rush delivery for a new gun safe, it’s not uncommon for a customer to need help moving a safe same-day. Nor is it uncommon for a customer to need their safe delivered to a unique and difficult-to-reach location. At NW Safe, we’re big believers in stepping up to the plate. If it’s possible to do, we’re going to do it.
However, any and all of these extraordinary factors can increase the cost of delivering your gun safely.
Moving a Gun Safe Same-Day
Home owners and businesses will often need help moving a safe the day they call in order to meet a deadline — such as vacating a space. One of the most common reasons we receive this call is the moving company they hired is not qualified to move a safe — despite stating they were.
In cases like this, a same-day move may be necessary. Whenever possible, we accommodate rush moves. If you need help immediately, we recommend calling us directly. If you are outside of our service area, we have contacts throughout the country and can help you find the best alternative.
Unique & Difficult Gun Safe Deliveries
Over the years, we’ve accomplished countless of unique and challenging gun safe deliveries. These are some of the highlights:
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Graded Gravel Walkway: In June, we took a 1,851-pound safe down a gravel walkway, through a wood fence, and through a slide glass door.
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Cranes: We have used cranes to move both safes and vault doors into place. This is especially common during the build of a home, when an extra large door or safe is needed but won’t fit through any existing doorways.
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Barges: In order to reach remote lake homes, we have barged safes to a waterfront entrance.
Risks of Installing a Gun Safe
Anytime you are moving a large, heavy item, it’s not without risks. Gun safes, in particular, are extremely heavy for their size. Our crews are careful and methodical to prevent injuries and protect your home. Some of the potential risks for installing a gun safe include:
Crushed Extremities
When you’re dealing with even a few hundred pounds, extremities can be significantly injured if a gun safe smashes them. Feet can be crushed under the weight of a safe. Hands can be shattered if pinned between a wall and a safe.
Back Injuries
Attempting to lift a safe without the proper tools and expertise can place excess stress on your back. The damage of this excess stress can range from mild discomfort to an extremely debilitating injury.
Property Damage
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Flooring: The weight of a safe can damage flooring, especially wood, tile, and carpet. Common issues include scratches, cracks, and warping.
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Walls: Wall damage is another primary concern, as a safe can cause structural damage or holes if it runs into a wall.
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Door Frames: Doorways are typically the narrowest part of a home. In some instances, large safes may have just one inch of clearance. This leaves little room for error and a much higher likelihood a moving safe will hit the door frame.
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Staircase Stress: Remember the Ultralift we talked about earlier. This specialized equipment helps mitigate staircase stress, so your stairs are not damaged when moving a heavy safe up them.
Improperly Installing
We always recommend leveling and anchoring your safe. Anchoring prevents your safe from being pushed over, a tactic many thieves will use to try and pry it open. However, when anchoring your safe, you need to be sure not to drill into electrical wiring or plumbing.
Leveling your safe is another safety feature, as it allows your safe to maintain a proper door swing so that the door doesn't try and shut on you. It also helps reduce moisture from building within your safe.
3 Common Types of Gun Safe Delivery & How They Compare
1. Curbside Delivery
Curbside delivery is precisely what it sounds like — your safe is delivered to the curb. This leaves you trying to maneuver a safe into your home. It’s not uncommon to discover that your safe has been damaged when it’s placed on the curb, as curbside delivery crews are typically unfamiliar with maneuvering such a heavy, bulky object.
Additionally, if you discover you’re unable to move your safe, then your only option is to leave it exposed to the elements until you find someone who can move it into place. If you’re in the greater Seattle area, we’re here to help. You can call for an emergency move, and we’ll help you move your safe as quickly as possible.
2. Ground Floor Delivery & Installation
Ground floor installation is a more common delivery option provided by many big box stores like Costco and Tractor Supply. With ground floor installation, your safe is delivered and installed on the ground floor of your home or garage.
It’s important to keep in mind that:
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These crews are not necessarily equipped with professional tools to protect your home.
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Ground floor typically means they will not go up even a stair (or two).
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It’s unlikely these crews will level, bolt down, and set up your safe.
3. Full-Service Delivery & Installation
When a retailer says they offer full-service delivery and installation, this typically means a white glove service. This includes:
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Clean and Professional Delivery Crew
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Clean and Professional Vehicle(s) with Minimal Branding*
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Expert Tools
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Clear Communication About Scheduling + Check-In Two Days Prior to Delivery + Confirmation of Delivery Window 30 Minutes Prior to Arrival
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Complete Setup and Walk Through
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Thorough Cleanup After Installation
*We know that anonymity is important to many of our customers. Delivery trucks are required by state and federal law to have some identifying information on them. Our trucks have the minimum required logos to be as inconspicuous as possible.