Shipping & Delivery
Norpex ships to every province and every territory in Canada. The page below covers the full policy — small-parcel rules, LTL freight handling, lead times, accessorial charges, the damaged-on-delivery process, and how we handle tariffs and brokerage on cross-border product.
Small-parcel shipping (under 150 lbs)
- Free shipping on orders over $499 (subtotal before tax) anywhere in the contiguous provinces.
- Orders under $499 are quoted at checkout based on weight, dimensions, and destination.
- Carriers: Canada Post, Purolator, FedEx, UPS — chosen per lane for speed and reliability.
- Tracking is emailed when the label is generated, usually within one business day of order confirmation.
LTL freight (over 150 lbs)
Most refrigeration, ranges, fryers, dish machines, and other large equipment ship via Less-than-Truckload (LTL) freight. Freight quotes depend on origin warehouse, destination postal code, weight, dimensional weight, and accessorial requirements. Because no two lanes price the same, we quote freight on the order itself rather than guessing in advance.
What that looks like in practice:
- Add the item to your cart — see the product price.
- At checkout, request a freight quote by submitting your shipping postal code and any accessorial needs (liftgate, inside delivery, residential, limited-access).
- We return a freight number within one business day. You approve and we book.
- Standard transit is 5-10 business days for most lanes; longer for the territories or remote postal codes.
Accessorial services
LTL freight defaults to curbside delivery on a standard dock-height truck. If your site doesn’t have a loading dock or forklift, you’ll need accessorial services. Common ones:
| Service | What it does | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Liftgate | Hydraulic platform on the truck lowers the unit to ground level. Required if you don’t have a dock or forklift. | $95-$150 per shipment |
| Inside delivery | Carrier brings the crate past the threshold (first dry, ground-level room). Doesn’t include uncrating or placement. | $120-$250 per shipment |
| Appointment delivery | Carrier calls 24 hours ahead to schedule a window. | $25-$60 per shipment |
| Limited-access | Schools, hospitals, military, construction sites, residential streets — anywhere the carrier can’t roll in freely. | $60-$120 per shipment |
| Residential delivery | If the destination is a residence (uncommon for commercial equipment but happens). | $80-$150 per shipment |
If you’re not sure what you need, ask in chat or on the quote — we’d rather call out the surcharge up front than have it appear on a re-bill after delivery.
Lead times
| Item type | Order to ship | In-transit | Total to door |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-stock smallwares / parts | 1-2 business days | 2-5 business days | 3-7 business days |
| In-stock refrigeration / cooking | 1-3 business days | 5-10 business days | 6-13 business days |
| Special-order standard items | 5-15 business days | 5-10 business days | 10-25 business days |
| Custom-fabricated equipment | Quoted per project | Quoted per project | Typically 6-12 weeks |
| Northern territories (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut) | Same as above | Add 7-21 business days | Quoted per shipment |
Lead times are typical, not guaranteed. Carrier delays, weather, and supply chain hiccups happen. If a quoted timeline matters for your project (kitchen reno, opening date), tell us and we’ll flag risks before you commit.
Shipping zones
We ship to all ten provinces and all three territories. Standard transit and freight pricing apply across most postal codes. Remote and northern destinations (FSAs starting with X, Y, the remote prefixes of T, R, P, A, and parts of B, NL) typically carry surcharges and longer transit; we quote those lane-specific.
- BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL — full coverage, standard rates.
- YT, NWT, NU — covered, with longer transit and freight surcharges. Whitehorse and Yellowknife typically have weekly LTL service; Nunavut destinations often require sealift or air cargo coordination.
Damaged on delivery — read this before signing
Freight damage is uncommon but it happens. The way you handle it at the moment of delivery determines whether the carrier accepts the claim. Three steps:
- Inspect every crate before signing the BOL. Walk around the unit. Look at the corners, the top, the bottom of the skid. Punctures in the cardboard, dented panels, crushed corners, oil leaks — note them.
- Note any damage on the bill of lading (BOL). Write specifically what you see. “Box damaged, contents OK” is not enough — note “front-right corner dented, possible internal damage” or similar. If the unit looks materially damaged, refuse the shipment and write “REFUSED — DAMAGED” on the BOL.
- Photograph the damage and contact us within 48 hours. Email returns@norpex.ca with photos of the BOL annotation, the crate damage, and the unit damage. We’ll open the carrier claim and ship a replacement or arrange repair.
If you sign clean (no notations) and concealed damage shows up later, the carrier will usually deny the claim. We can still help, but the path is harder. The 60-second walkaround at delivery is the single highest-leverage moment in the entire freight process — don’t skip it.
Tariffs, duties, and brokerage
For Canadian-stocked product, our quoted price is delivered duty paid (DDP) into your dock. No surprise customs invoices.
For US-sourced product (some specialty refrigeration and certain manufacturer drop-ships), we handle customs brokerage and clear the goods on your behalf. Any applicable tariffs (currently relevant on certain steel-content equipment) are itemized in the quote so you see them before you commit. We don’t bury them in freight or markup.
Saturday and after-hours delivery
Standard freight runs Mon-Fri during business hours. Saturday delivery, after-hours delivery, and time-window guarantees are not standard but can be arranged for an additional fee. If your site only accepts deliveries certain days, tell us before we book — rebooking a missed appointment is more expensive than scheduling correctly the first time.
Order tracking
You’ll get tracking when the order ships — small-parcel and freight both. For freight shipments, we send the pro number, the carrier name, and a tracking link. If you can’t find your tracking, email hello@norpex.ca with your order number.
Need a quote?
One business day. No upsell theater. Tell us the equipment, the site, the timeline — we come back with a real number.