The Bed Has to Get Into the Room: Measure the Delivery Path Before the Truck Comes

When a bed is ordered for a home, the delivery crew is the first test of your planning. They will try the route you give them, and if the route is too narrow, they will leave the bed on the porch or in the driveway. Measuring the path yourself, with a tape and a notebook, is the cheapest way to avoid that moment.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Measure the route in order

Start at the curb or the driveway and walk the route the crew will walk. Measure the width of the front door, the entry hall at its narrowest point, every turn, the stair landings if there are stairs, the bedroom door, and the bedroom doorway's clear opening with the door open. Write each number down with the place it applies to. Pay special attention to a bathroom or closet door the bed has to pass, and to any light fixture, handrail, or railing that sticks out at head height.

What it costs: The Missouri median for non-medical in-home care is $33 an hour, per the CareScout (Genworth) Cost of Care Survey 2025 state data tables, released March 2026. New Plan Care's standard rate is $34 an hour with a four-hour minimum, so a visit starts at $136 (newplancare.com/services).

Ask the supplier for the real dimensions

Ask for the frame's length and width folded and unfolded, the overall height at its lowest and highest settings, and the weight of each section. Ask whether the head or foot section can be removed for transport and whether the crew will assemble it in the room. Ask whether the delivery includes carrying the bed up stairs or whether that requires a separate arrangement. These answers decide whether the route you measured is enough.

Measure the room the bed will live in

Once the bed is in the room, you need working space around it. Measure the open floor on each side of the bed, the space at the foot, and the distance from the bed to the nearest wall or piece of furniture. Check that a person can stand on each side with room to move, and that a wheelchair or walker can turn if one is in use. Mark the outlets, because the bed needs one close to the head, and check whether the cord reaches without crossing a walkway.

Run a dry test with tape

Lay out the bed's footprint on the floor with painter's tape or masking tape. Walk the full route with the tape marks in place. If a turn is too tight, decide now whether to move furniture, change where the bed sits, or use a different model. Doing this the day before delivery gives you time to change the plan without a rescheduled truck.

Confirm the day before

Call the supplier and confirm the delivery window, the route you measured, and the name of the person who will be home. Ask who removes the packaging and where the old equipment goes if you are replacing a bed. Write the confirmation in your notebook with the name of the person you spoke to.