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Furniture Lead Times and Ordering Calendar: When To Buy For On-Time Delivery

Furniture Lead Times and Ordering Calendar: When To Buy For On-Time Delivery

16th Jan 2026

If you are planning a room refresh or furnishing a new home, timing matters. Custom upholstery, Amish solid wood, and white-glove delivery all add steps to the process. Use this guide to plan backward from your target date and understand typical lead times for what we sell at Keck Furniture in Watertown, WI. Actual timelines vary by vendor, fabric or finish selection, and seasonality, but this overview will get you close.

Quick Lead Time Guide

  • Custom sofas and sectionals: 6 to 12 weeks

  • Custom recliners: 6 to 10 weeks

  • Amish dining tables, chairs, and benches: 10 to 16 weeks

  • Amish bedroom suites: 10 to 16 weeks

  • Occasional tables (coffee, end, console): 10 to 16 weeks

  • Lift chairs: often similar to recliners depending on upholstery selection. Often times in stock. 

  • Mattress and foundation: 1 to 3 weeks

Quick ship options: Many Amish and custom upholstery vendors offer curated quick ship programs that can shorten delivery to roughly 2 to 6 weeks. Ask us which styles, woods, finishes, and fabrics qualify today.

How To Build Your Ordering Calendar

  1. Pick your must-have date. Examples: move-in, graduation, Thanksgiving.

  2. Count back the category lead time from the list above.

  3. Add a buffer of 1 to 2 weeks for freight, weather, finishing queues, and delivery scheduling.

  4. Confirm in the showroom: we will check current vendor schedules and transit timing before you place the order.

Example: Need a custom sectional by Thanksgiving in late November

  • Lead time 6 to 12 weeks

  • Add 1 to 2 weeks buffer

  • Target order window: by late August to early September, or choose a qualifying quick ship frame or fabric for a faster timeline.

Category Details and What Affects Timing

Custom Sofas and Sectionals

  • What drives time: frame build queue, fabric-leather availability, trim and leg finish, freight routing.

  • How to speed it up: pick from in-line or quick ship fabrics and standard finishes. Avoid custom COM fabrics if your timeline is tight.

Custom Recliners and Lift Chairs

  • Typical timing: 6 to 10 weeks depending on mechanism and motor options.

  • How to speed it up: choose frames and covers designated as quick ship. Simpler feature sets usually move faster.

Amish Solid Wood: Dining and Bedroom

  • Typical timing: 10 to 16 weeks for build, finish, and cure.

  • How to speed it up: select from quick ship woods, sizes, and finishes the shops keep in their fast lane. Many programs deliver in 2 to 6 weeks.

Occasional Tables

  • Typical timing: 10 to 16 weeks, especially when you are matching wood species and finish to a dining or living set.

  • How to speed it up: use quick ship silhouettes and finishes or choose in-stock tops and bases where available.

Mattresses and Foundations

  • Typical timing: 1 to 3 weeks.

  • How to speed it up: schedule your delivery window when you purchase and confirm access details to avoid reschedules.

Variables That Can Add Time

  • Peak seasons and holiday surges

  • Special finishes, hand-planed tops, distressing, hardware upgrades

  • COM or COL approvals, fabric back orders

  • Weather and carrier capacity on long-haul freight

  • Delivery constraints at your home: stairs, narrow doors, elevator booking windows

Rush Strategies That Still Protect Quality

  • Choose quick ship frames, woods, and finishes. Many arrive in 2 to 6 weeks.

  • Mix in-stock accents with made-to-order anchors so rooms are usable sooner.

  • Keep customization simple when timelines are firm.

  • Let us re-map your selections if a fabric or finish goes on back order.

Delivery Prep Checklist

  • Measure doors, hallways, and stair landings at the narrowest point.

  • Clear a 36 to 42 inch path to the room.

  • Confirm parking and elevator access where applicable.

  • Protect floors and move fragile items before the crew arrives.

  • For recliners and motion pieces, verify outlet location and cord path.

Plan With Keck Furniture

Bring your date, room sizes, and must-have items. We will confirm current vendor timelines, identify quick ship options, and build an ordering calendar that lands your furniture on time with white-glove delivery.

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