Outdoor furniture questions from the curb and the roof

Twenty questions operators ask before they put seats outside. Short answers, with links where the long version lives.

How long before my order ships?

Standard pieces: 14 to 21 business days until they leave us. Custom work, say a fabric off the option list or a special-order finish, can run to about 8 weeks. Transit lands on top of either number and is an estimate. If the patio opens on a fixed weekend, work backward from it and leave slack for unpacking.

What will freight cost?

That depends on where the truck goes and which services you add, so every delivery address gets a separate quote. The figure shows up in our confirmation email, before you pay a cent. Prices on the product pages never include freight. Several addresses on one order? Each gets its own figure, and you can still ship on your own carrier account if you say so when you submit.

Is a liftgate part of delivery?

No. The standard drop puts pallets at a dock or off the tailgate, business addresses only. Liftgate service costs extra. So do inside delivery, a limited-access site and a home address, and every one of them is booked as you submit the order. A sidewalk cafe without a dock nearly always wants the liftgate. A rooftop needs one more thought: drivers do not take freight on stairs, so line up the elevator or the crew.

Do the chairs show up assembled?

Plan crew time for unpacking and for whatever assembly a piece needs, because delivery covers neither. Nobody hauls the cardboard away for you either, so schedule a box cutter, a hand truck and a few strong backs. The product page lists each piece's dimensions and materials.

When do I pay, and how?

Not at checkout. A person reviews the order first. Our email then brings three things: the final order, the freight, the payment instructions. After that comes an invoice. Pay by card, meaning Visa, Mastercard or American Express. A wire, a check or a money order works too. Stock orders get paid in full before the truck is loaded. Custom orders start with 40% down as a deposit, and the rest is settled ahead of delivery day.

Is there a minimum order?

Yes: 8 pieces, counting tables and chairs together in any combination. Six chairs plus two tables gets you there. A single replacement chair falls short, so fold it into a bigger order or the next season's reorder.

Will you deliver to a house?

Yes. A home address travels with the residential delivery service, booked on the order at extra cost. Receiving at a front door works exactly like receiving at a restaurant.

We are tax-exempt and use PO numbers. Where does that go?

Both go in the order notes. Write the exemption, or that you buy for resale, in that box as you send the order, and add the PO number beside it. Saying it up front saves a round of email later.

Can I see the colors and tops before I commit?

Yes, free. Metal finish swatches, stain and finish samples, upholstery swatches and tabletop material samples all go out UPS Ground, with transit of 2 to 3 business days in most cases. Your request is confirmed by email inside one business day. Start on the samples page.

Can I get a seat fabric you do not list?

Anything beyond the listed fabrics counts as custom. Expect a longer wait, up to about 8 weeks. Confirmed custom work can be neither cancelled nor sent back. Hold the swatch in daylight before you sign off.

Which stool fits which table?

Three pairings cover nearly every patio. Dining: table about 29 to 30 inches, chair seat 17 to 19, knees get 10 to 12 inches. Counter: top about 34 to 36 inches, stool seat 24 to 26. Bar: top about 40 to 42 inches, stool seat roughly 29 to 31. On a rail, keep stools 24 to 30 inches apart, measured center to center.

Can the furniture stay outside all year?

Only what the listing marks for patio use goes outside: aluminum, resin, synthetic teak or coated steel. Even then, rinse it, let it drain, and cover it or store it dry once the season wraps. A handful of listings say covered patio only; keep those under a roof. If a listing does not say patio, it stays indoors, however sheltered the terrace looks. Outdoor furniture left without care falls outside the warranty.

How do I clean outdoor pieces?

Mild soap, water and a soft brush or cloth, then a clean rinse, then let everything drain and dry. Skip bleach, solvents and scouring pads unless the listing says otherwise; damage from the wrong cleaning agents is a warranty exclusion. After a dusty week or a wet one, a quick hose-down at close beats a hard scrub on Saturday. Our materials page goes material by material.

Can I mix frame colors, and match them next year?

Mix freely. Every color becomes a separate line, which keeps the paperwork honest. Matching later is the hard part. Color and finish lists change over time, so before a reorder get a fresh swatch in hand and confirm the shade. Hold it next to the chairs you already own, outside, in daylight.

We are furnishing three rooftops. How does a big order work?

Build one outdoor plan per roof and download the project sheets. Every rooftop address gets a separate freight quote. A big order can also arrive in several loads, and you receive each one with the same care. A callback with a specialist saves a lot of email on a job that size.

Do you ship to Canada, Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico?

Canada, mostly yes. Customs clearance is your broker's work, and the brokerage, the duties and the Canadian taxes are on you. Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico can take large orders. Begin with the specialist form and your project details, and our written reply names the route and the cost.

What if a pallet arrives damaged?

Every crushed or absent carton gets written on the bill of lading before your signature goes on it, while the driver is still standing there. Pressed for time? Sign subject to inspection. Then photograph it all. Damage you discover later inside a carton has to be reported within 24 hours. Short counts and defects have three days from receipt, in writing, subject line CLAIM. Keep the packaging, and we help with the carrier claim. More on the delivery page.

Can I cancel, return or change an order?

Cancel in writing while the order still waits, before production begins and before packing. Unused stock pieces in original cartons can come back, less a 35% restocking fee, with you paying freight in both directions; custom pieces cannot come back. Changing a confirmed order takes our agreement in writing and may bring added freight and restocking costs. The returns page has the arithmetic.

What does the warranty cover on patio pieces?

Defects in materials or workmanship that were there when the truck arrived. It is limited, it belongs to the first buyer, and it assumes ordinary commercial service. Patio chairs, tables and stools carry 6 months, solid wood tops 6 months, table bases 1 year; each product page states the period wherever it is clear. Tell us within three days of receipt. Read the warranty for what it leaves out.

How quickly do you answer email?

Inside one business day. Write to sales@outdoorrestaurantfurniture.com. Someone reads the inbox weekdays, starting at 8 AM Central and stopping at 6 PM, and a message sent late at night goes to the front of the next morning's queue in the order it arrived.