Most appliance pickups that run long don’t run long because of the appliance. They run long because of a doorway nobody measured.
A full size refrigerator is commonly 35 or 36 inches wide. An interior door is commonly 30 or 32 inches. Those two numbers don’t work together, which is why refrigerator doors come off before the body goes anywhere. None of that is a problem when it’s expected. It becomes a problem when it’s discovered halfway down a hallway.
The three numbers worth having
The narrowest doorway on the path out. Not the widest, and not the front door. Measure the tightest point between where the appliance stands now and where it’s going. Measure the opening itself, not the trim, and check whether the door slab can come off its hinges if you need the extra inch.
The turn, not the stair. Stairs are rarely the limit. The landing at the top or the bottom usually is, because that’s where a tall appliance has to pivot. Stand at the turn and measure how much room there is to rotate something the size of a doorway.
The handrail. A handrail can take four inches out of a stairwell, and it’s the one measurement people leave out because they stop seeing it. If the stair is the route, measure between the rail and the opposite wall.
Write the numbers down when you book
A pickup planned around a 30 inch doorway is a different pickup from one planned around a 36 inch one. Noting the tight spot when you book means your two Loaders arrive expecting it, with the right approach already planned, instead of working it out on the day.
If the numbers are close, say so. Close is useful information. It’s the unmeasured hallway that turns a half hour into an afternoon.
