How much to tip: Appliance Delivery & Installation
$10-20 per person for delivery-only; $20-40 per person if they also install and haul away your old appliance, given the extra labor and disposal effort involved.
Appliance Delivery & Installation quick reference
Who tips, and how
Tip each member of the delivery team directly in cash as they finish — for a two-person crew delivering a washer or refrigerator, splitting $20-40 total between them (or handing each their own amount) is standard. Installation work (hooking up a dishwasher's water line, venting a new dryer) that goes beyond simply carrying the box in warrants a higher tip given the added skill and time. Big-box retailer delivery crews are often contracted through a third-party logistics or installation company rather than employed directly by the store, meaning the price you paid for delivery and installation at checkout has little bearing on what these specific workers actually take home for the visit.
When to skip it
If delivery-only service is billed through a large retailer's contracted logistics company (common with big-box stores) and the crew is clearly just dropping the box at your door without any installation or haul-away, a smaller tip or none at all is reasonable — the scope of actual labor performed for you should drive the amount, not a fixed assumption. A small, light appliance (a countertop microwave, a small window AC unit) delivered in just a few minutes reasonably warrants closer to $10 than $40, since the physical effort involved is genuinely minor compared to a full refrigerator or washer/dryer set.
Cash vs. app
Cash handed directly to the delivery crew is the standard and most reliable method, since delivery fees paid to the retailer at checkout almost never route back to the individual crew members who show up at your door — a card payment through the store's app or website has no bearing on what these workers actually receive. A small number of higher-end appliance retailers now offer an app-based tip option specifically tied to the delivery confirmation, similar to furniture delivery services, though cash remains far more common and reliable in practice.
Regional notes
This is primarily a US custom; in the UK, most of Europe, and Australia, appliance delivery and installation fees are considered to fully cover the service, and tipping delivery crews for this kind of work isn't an established local expectation. Canadian delivery norms sit close to the US given the similar retail and delivery-contractor landscape across both countries.
Related reading
How this plays out in a few different countries, plus the wider category this situation belongs to.
Frequently asked questions
Should I tip more if the crew has to disconnect a gas line to install my new stove or dryer?
Yes — gas line work requires specific technical skill and carries genuine safety responsibility beyond simple electrical hookups, and leaning toward $40 per person rather than $10 fairly recognizes that added expertise and risk.
Does it matter if I bought the appliance online versus in-store at the same retailer?
No — the delivery and installation crew's tipping guidance is the same regardless of how the purchase itself was made, since it's the physical labor of the visit, not the purchase channel, that the tip is recognizing.
Should I tip if the delivery crew also hauls away the packaging and boxes?
Removing and disposing of all the packaging material is a genuinely helpful extra step beyond a bare-minimum delivery, and it's reasonable to factor that into a slightly higher tip, since it saves you a real chore afterward.
Is it different tipping for a built-in appliance, like a wall oven or built-in dishwasher, versus a freestanding one?
Built-in installations generally require more precise fitting, cabinetry adjustment, and technical care than freestanding units, so a tip closer to $40 per person than $10 better reflects that additional skill and time.
What if the old appliance they're removing is in poor condition or needs extra effort to move?
A difficult haul-away (a heavy, non-functioning old unit, awkward positioning, or narrow doorways) adds real physical effort beyond the new installation itself, and it's reasonable to factor that into a higher tip for the crew.
Do I tip differently for a simple drop-off versus full installation?
Yes — a crew that just carries a boxed appliance to your kitchen and leaves warrants a smaller tip ($10-20 per person) than one that also installs it (connecting water lines, venting, leveling) and hauls away your old unit, which involves meaningfully more time, skill, and physical effort.
What if the delivery is free with my purchase?
A 'free' delivery fee waived by the retailer doesn't mean the crew doing the physical work is being paid extra for it — tipping based on the actual labor performed (not what you paid, or didn't pay, at checkout) is the more relevant consideration.
Should I tip more if they have to navigate stairs or a difficult doorway?
Yes — physically demanding deliveries (multiple flights of stairs, tight hallway turns, disassembling a doorframe) genuinely warrant a higher tip than a straightforward ground-floor drop-off, similar to how movers are tipped more for difficult access.
Is a small appliance like a microwave or window AC unit tipped the same as a refrigerator?
No — a small, lightweight appliance delivered and set up in a few minutes generally warrants a smaller tip, or none at all, compared to a full-size refrigerator, washer, or dryer that takes real time and physical effort to maneuver into place.
Does the price I paid for installation at checkout affect how much I tip the crew?
Not directly — most appliance retailers contract delivery and installation out to a separate company, so the price paid at checkout usually doesn't translate into higher pay for the specific crew at your door. Tipping based on the actual labor performed is more relevant than what you were charged.
Sources: Consumer Reports appliance delivery service tipping guidance (checked 2026-06-13).