Price the finished furniture
Home & living
Separate assembly, installation and delivery when comparing flat-pack furniture costs.
Compare the cost of furniture you can actually use, not a box price against an assembled price.
Name each job
List the exact furniture model and quantity. Delivery moves the package; assembly puts the components together; mounting or installation can require another service. Ask which tasks are included rather than treating those words as interchangeable in a seller’s short message.
IKEA Philippines provides an assembly service and directs kitchen-related work to separate installation charges. This distinction is a useful reminder to check scope. We are not reproducing its current fee table or assuming an independent assembler follows the same pricing structure.
Compare the totals
In an invented example, furniture at ₱4,800 plus ₱600 delivery and ₱700 assembly costs ₱6,100 before any other agreed work. An assembled alternative at ₱5,900 delivered could be lower overall, provided size, materials and installation needs are genuinely comparable. These figures are not provider quotes.
Ask whether the quote includes packaging removal, fixing hardware, access charges and a return visit if parts are missing. Confirm what needs to be ready in the room. Do not remove a required safety attachment simply because it was not included in the cheapest quote.
Decide before arrival
For self-assembly, read the exact manual before choosing that option. Check the required people, tools and floor area. A low labour charge is not necessarily wasteful if you cannot safely complete the work yourself; a high charge is not proof of better workmanship.
Keep the item codes and agreed tasks in one written order. Inspect completion against that list and the manufacturer’s instructions. We have not assembled or load-tested the furniture, and this guide is not an endorsement of a particular contractor.
AI-assisted writing and source checking; no independent human editorial review, product test or site visit is claimed.
Sources and scope
The sources support the factual statements; examples and advice are identified separately. We do not claim hands-on testing or first-hand visits.