Timber Frame Kit Delivery: Site Prep, Unloading, and Inventory Checklist

Delivery day is not the day to discover your driveway cannot fit a flatbed. We coordinate timing so you are ready — but readiness is yours. Use this checklist before the truck leaves Maine.

Before the truck arrives

Confirm access width, overhead branches trimmed, and weight limits on bridges or seasonal roads
Level staging area near the slab — timbers land where you can sort, not in the mud
Book crane or forklift for unload — required per our FAQ
Assembly drawings printed; lead person assigned
Weather plan — tarps and stickering lumber if raise is not immediate

What's on the truck

Cut-and-labeled timbers grouped by bent, plus braces, pegs, splines, and hardware to raise the structure. Engineer-stamped plans ship with the package — verify the tube or box before the driver leaves.

Unload order and protecting timber

Unload heaviest bents with rigging — do not slide timbers off the deck uncontrolled. Stack with stickers between layers, off ground, balanced for airflow. Kiln-dried Douglas Fir or Pine still deserves respect in sun and rain.

Inventory vs packing list

Cross-check piece marks against the packing list before signing receipt. Missing pegs or a short brace is fixable fast if caught early — harder after the truck is three states away.

Damage or shortages

Document with photos and call us promptly. Freight damage happens; honesty on both sides keeps raise day on track. We coordinate replacements for shop errors; carrier claims follow their process.

Storing on site

If raise week is later, cover stacks with breathable tarps tied against wind — Maine coastal gusts love loose poly. Plan raise within a reasonable window; long-term open storage is not ideal.

Full kit context: kits guide · Seasonal timing: New England build calendar · Shop: browse kits.

Communication with the driver and crane operator

Share one cell number for the person authorized to sign receipt. Crane operator, driver, and your lead should agree on unload order before the first strap comes off.

If raise is weeks after delivery

Long storage is workable with good stickering and cover — not ideal, but workable. Re-check timber moisture exposure before raise; call us if packaging or oil finish looks compromised after a long wait.

Delivery day is access, unload order, and inventory against the packing list — protect timbers on site until raise week.