Frequently Asked Shipping Questions
Can I pick up tile at your warehouse to save on shipping?
Absolutely! For samples we charge a refundable deposit that can be paid at the time the samples are picked up at will call in the showroom.
Most of our tile is shipped from our warehouse, which is located in Northwest Portland, and a small percentage drop shipped directly from domestic studios.
The costs of shipping heavy tile
We completely understand that the shipping costs on a smaller order can be a large portion of the total cost, and this is especially true for "add-on" orders which is why we strongly suggest a minimum of 15% overage for a given project. Each box of tile weighs approximately 35-40 lbs and we shrink wrap and palletize all of our orders prior to shipping them via freight. This process is labor-intensive and costly, even if the size of your order is on the smaller side. Portland Direct Tile has learned the hard way that other shipping options have too high a likelihood of a large portion of your tile arriving cracked or broken, and due to this risk, we decided that for the client experience we will only ship online orders on palletized freight to secure every package properly.
Freight Damage Policy
When ordering tile, make sure you order a minimum of 10% extra for waste and breakage. Ceramic and porcelain tile is very fragile prior to installation and a small percentage of broken tile is to be expected in a shipment. We do our very best to pack shipments carefully for transit, however sometimes damages will occur during the shipping process. Since we use third party freight carriers to ship our products, we are held to their rules for filing claims.
For this reason, we ask that you inspect tiles upon delivery. If your order arrives with damages, please contact our customer service department immediately. Concealed damage claims must be filed within 5 days of delivery per the carriers. Please follow the steps below to file a freight damage claim so we can process your replacement tile order!
1. If your pallet or boxes arrived with obvious visual damages, please make a note on the BOL (Bill of Lading) before signing for the product.
2. Take several clear photos of the pallet and damaged tile. As part of the claims process, we ask for these photos so that we can file a claim with our shipping provider and ensure the issue is handled. Photos clearly depicting the damages are required by the freight companies. A lack of good pictures will cause the claim to be denied by the freight company.
3. Important: Please submit any concealed damage claim to us along with the pictures of damaged tiles within 5 days after delivery. We cannot accept your claim after the 5 days per the carriers’ rules. If your order shipped to a job site, you are responsible for making sure the shipment is inspected within this time frame.
4. Please be sure to retain the damaged material until our claims process has been completed, as the shipping companies may require an audit of the damaged shipment. Once we have received an email with your photos and the number of pieces damaged, please allow 1-3 business days to process and ship your replacement tile. (Please note: email submissions received after 5 pm EST on Friday will be responded to the following week.) If only a chip or broken corner of the tile is found, oftentimes you or your contractor can still use the tile. If you still feel that your damaged tiles cannot be used, follow the instructions above.