Safe Delivery, Placement and Anchoring

A safe is heavy, top-heavy and awkward to move. Most delivery problems can be avoided by planning the route, the spot and the anchoring before you order. This guide covers what to measure, how delivery works, where to put the safe and how to bolt it down.

Questions about a specific model or address? Call us at (330) 422-3991.

How your safe is delivered

Freight truck. Most safes ship by LTL freight truck. Standard curbside delivery is free on eligible items to the 48 contiguous US states; some remote or limited-access addresses carry a surcharge, which we tell you before your card is charged. We can't ship to Alaska, Hawaii, PO boxes, APO/FPO addresses or outside the US.
Appointment call. The carrier calls you to book a delivery appointment, which is why we need a phone number at checkout.
Curbside means curbside. The driver brings the safe as close to the curb or the end of your driveway as the truck can safely get, using a liftgate where available. The driver doesn't bring it inside. Moving it in is up to you.
Timing. Typical transit is 5 to 8 business days once the safe leaves the manufacturer. Many safes are built or finished to order, so lead times vary by model. We confirm the lead time and delivery details with you by phone before your card is charged.
Hard-to-reach addresses. If your street or driveway is difficult for a large truck, such as a steep grade, a narrow lane or a gravel road, tell us when we confirm your order so we can check the options and any surcharge.

Curbside vs. inside delivery

If you don't want to move the safe yourself, upgraded delivery can be quoted per order where available. Options can include inside or threshold delivery, placement in the room you choose, anchoring and debris removal, at extra cost.

To get an accurate quote, have this ready:

The safe model and its weight
The number of outside steps, and whether there's a slope or a long walk from the street
Whether the safe goes up or down stairs, and how many
The floor surface at the final spot
Photos of the path from the street to the final spot

At delivery: inspect before you sign

Cut the banding and lift the carton off, then inspect the safe and its packaging with the driver present.
Write any damage on the delivery receipt (the bill of lading) before you sign. If the packaging is damaged and you can't fully check the safe, write that down too.
Take photos of the safe, the packaging and the receipt.
Contact us within 24 hours, or within 5 days for damage you find after delivery that wasn't visible. We file and manage the claim with the carrier and the manufacturer and arrange the remedy the claim provides.

Refusing a delivery for any reason other than visible transit damage noted on the delivery receipt is charged freight both ways, even though delivery was shown as free, plus the manufacturer's restocking fee. See our refund policy and shipping policy for full details.

Measure before you order

Most failed moves happen at a doorway, a stair or a tight turn. A tape measure and ten minutes can save a lot of trouble.

Get the full outside dimensions. Overall depth should include the handle, dial or keypad, and hinges. If a spec sheet only lists body depth, ask us.
Measure every opening on the route: doorways (measured at the narrowest point, including trim and door stops), hallways, gates and stairways. Taking a room door off its hinges can gain a little width.
Check the turns. A tall safe tilted back on a dolly needs extra room to pivot at landings and corners, and extra headroom on stairs.
Count the steps, inside and outside, and note any slope, soft ground or landscaping between the street and the door.
Check the final spot. Leave room for the safe's door to swing fully open so you can reach every shelf, and note where the nearest outlet is if you plan to run a dehumidifier.

Floor load: slab vs. upper floors

A concrete slab, such as a garage, a basement or a slab-on-grade ground floor, is the simplest place for a heavy safe.

Wood-framed floors need more thought. US residential building code sets minimum design live loads of 40 lb per square foot for most living areas and 30 lb per square foot for sleeping rooms. Those figures assume weight spread across the room. A 1,000 lb safe with a 30 by 24 inch footprint puts about 200 lb on each square foot it sits on.

That doesn't mean the floor will fail, since framing is built with safety margins, but it's well beyond what those minimums describe. Before you put a heavy safe on an upper floor or a floor over a crawlspace, have a building contractor or structural engineer look at the framing and the best spot.

Tile: drilling anchors through ceramic or porcelain tile can crack it. Ask a contractor about anchoring through to the subfloor or to wall studs instead.
Carpet: make sure the safe sits level and anchor through to the subfloor.

Choosing the spot

Keep it out of view from windows, doors and the street.
A corner or closet leaves less room for a pry bar on the sides.
A cool, dry, climate-controlled room is easier on guns and documents than an unconditioned garage or basement.
In a basement, avoid spots where water collects, and keep your sump pump in working order.
A garage makes delivery easier, but the safe may be visible when the garage door is open, and temperature and humidity swing more.

Anchoring to concrete

Bolt every safe down. Anchoring helps keep it from tipping over, makes it much harder to carry away, and makes it harder for a thief to tip it onto its back to pry the door. Most safes have pre-drilled anchor holes in the floor of the safe. Some include anchor hardware and some don't, so ask us.

Make sure the slab isn't post-tensioned. Post-tensioned slabs have steel cables inside them under very high tension, and drilling into one can be dangerous and expensive. Look for a stamped warning in the garage or small round caps or patches along the edge of the slab. If you're not sure, ask your builder or have the slab scanned. Also check for heating tubes, plumbing or wiring in or under the slab.
Position and level the safe. Use plastic shims if the floor isn't flat, so the safe sits firmly without rocking.
Mark the holes. Lift out the floor panel or carpet inside the safe to reach the anchor holes, and mark the floor through them.
Drill. Use a hammer drill and a masonry bit of the size your anchors call for.
Clean the holes. Vacuum out the dust so the anchors seat properly.
Set and tighten the anchors. Concrete wedge or sleeve anchors are common. Tighten evenly and don't over-tighten.
Replace the floor panel.

On a wood floor, use the manufacturer's wood-floor anchoring hardware and follow its instructions. If you're not comfortable drilling, a local safe technician or locksmith can do it, or ask us about anchoring as part of an upgraded delivery where it's offered.

Humidity and dehumidifiers

Safes aren't airtight, but their door seals and fire insulation slow the flow of air, so moisture can build up inside, especially in basements and garages.

Aim for about 30 to 50 percent relative humidity, a range commonly recommended for firearms. Too dry can crack wood stocks. A small digital hygrometer inside the safe tells you where you stand.
Electric dehumidifier rods gently warm the air so it circulates. They need power, so look for a safe with an outlet kit or a cord hole.
Rechargeable desiccant units need no power while in the safe. Recharge them as the instructions say.
Skip calcium chloride moisture absorbers inside a safe. They turn into a corrosive liquid.
Protect the base on bare concrete. Sealing the floor or using a thin rubber mat helps keep moisture away from the bottom of the safe.
Let cold guns warm up. A gun brought in from the cold collects condensation. Let it reach room temperature and wipe it down before you store it.

Moving a safe safely

A safe that tips or slips can cause serious injury and damage. Treat every move with care.

Empty the safe first, remove any shelves designed to come out, then close and lock the door so it can't swing open and shift the weight.
Use an appliance or safe dolly rated well above the safe's weight, with straps, and have enough people to control it.
Lay down plywood or hardboard to protect floors from the dolly wheels.
Never stand on the downhill side of a safe on a ramp, slope or stairs.
For stairs, hire professional safe movers. They have stair-climbing equipment and know how to control the load. This is not a do-it-yourself job.
If you move the safe later, unbolt it first and follow the same rules.

Before you close the door for the first time

Find the combination, keys or factory code in the paperwork, and test the lock several times with the door open. Keep the paperwork somewhere other than inside the safe.