Investing in fitness equipment can have a significant effect on your wallet. This isn’t just because some types of fitness equipment can be expensive, but also you need to take into account a few other factors such as: 

• Purchasing any accessories for your equipment
• Enrolling in a virtual training membership program such as iFit or Swift
• Delivery and shipping fees
• Installation fees
• Maintenance plans or products

It’s also no secret that online shopping (especially gym equipment), has increased in popularity significantly since 2020. 

With an increase of online orders in the fitness world, it’s important to understand how much you should expect to spend on delivery and installation when purchasing gym equipment.

Since 1989, Akfit has operated as a Canadian specialty store that sells a large inventory of fitness equipment in-store and online to our residential and commercial clients. 

In this article, we cover what you should expect when it comes to the cost of delivery and installation of your gym equipment when shopping at Akfit.

In this article:

1. Delivery Services at Akfit for Residential Clients
2. Delivery Services at Akfit for Commercial Clients
3. Submitting a Delivery Request Form
4. Cost of Installation services at Akfit
5. Other Shipping Cost Factors Industry Wide
6. Reach Out to Akfit

Delivery Services at Akfit for Residential Clients

At Akfit, we sell a wide variety of fitness equipment that includes (but is not limited to):

• Cardio machines such as treadmills, ellipticals, exercise bikes, and rowers.
• Strength training equipment such as free weights, bars, benches, various strength machines, and more.
• A large inventory of fitness accessories including exercise balls, yoga equipment, and MMA equipment.
• Conditioning products such as suspension equipment, weight vests, and battle ropes.
• Gym supplies including flooring, mats, maintenance products, and storage. 

Some of these products aren’t as easy to transport compared to others. 

A motorized treadmill for example is a large machine that can weigh over 200lbs, and you may not have the space in your vehicle to transport it. Another issue could be that you don’t have a vehicle readily available to transport your equipment. If you live far from the warehouse in which your equipment is stored, then delivery may be a more convenient option for you as well. 

This is where Akfit’s delivery services come in to help. 

When you purchase products from our website, you have the option to set up a delivery or to pick up your brand new fitness equipment at our Sudbury warehouse. 

At Akfit, the cost of our delivery service depends on two major factors: 

• Product weight
• Local or out-of-town delivery. 

We do not add additional fees such as handling or labor from our warehouse to your delivery charges. Appointment fees are also included in the delivery fee.

Product Weight

The product weight is the overall weight of the product being delivered. The number of boxes does not change the delivery cost. 

Canada-wide, the residential delivery rates for product weight is measured as:

• 100lbs - 150lbs: $150
• 150lbs - 300lbs: $250
• 300lbs - 500lbs: $275
• 500lbs - 800lbs: $350

All products listed in the weight classes above may be delivered via LTL carriers such as Manitoulin. 

Any products under 100lbs are delivered via FedEx, Canpar, and UPS. 

When you purchase your product through our website, you can choose the delivery carrier. All residential deliveries under 100 lbs are quoted via these carriers at the time of purchase on our website. 

When setting up a delivery option, an appointment is required to ensure that someone will be at home to receive the equipment. Failure to do so can result in additional delivery charges. 

Local or Out-of-Town Delivery

When requesting delivery for your fitness equipment, fees can be determined by where the delivery destination is. 

This can be determined by two different formulas:

• Local delivery (25km within our Sudbury warehouse): $50
• Out-of-town delivery: $2.5 per kilometer traveled.

Delivery Services for Commercial Clients 

Alternatively, when delivering equipment to commercial facilities, Akfit will quote the client directly. These quotes are determined on a case-by-case basis. 

The product weight formula mentioned for residential clients can also apply to commercial clients, but other variables such as purchase history, the amount of equipment purchased, and any agreements set beforehand may apply to the final quote. 

Aside from these variables, commercial clients can be expected to be charged on three different factors:  

• Product weight
• Distance traveled
• Product dimensions

With this being said, there is no set-in-stone formula for all commercial deliveries in comparison to residential deliveries. However, the cost of commercial deliveries is typically lower than residential deliveries due to the following factors:

Shipping Methods

Some of our commercial clients at Akfit have their own shipping companies and will pay for the shipping costs themselves.

Loading Docks

Many large commercial businesses may have their own ports or loading docks. This eliminates the need to book an appointment in comparison to residential services as appointment fees are included within the Akfit delivery costs for residential services.

However, distance traveled is also a factor as many loading docks in rural areas may require further travel than those located in urban areas. 

Special Orders

There is no guarantee we will have all of our commercial equipment in stock at the time of order. This means that we are required to administer a special order to supply our products to meet our commercial client’s needs. 

This can increase the price of your delivery. 

Submitting a Delivery Request Form

Typically, a delivery request form is filled out at the time of purchase. Otherwise, you can also request delivery by submitting a delivery request form. 

The form will ask you to fill out the following details:

• Customer name
• Email address
• Desired delivery date
• Backup delivery date
• Delivery method
• Customer contact number
• Secondary customer contact number
• Delivery directions
• Nearest intersection
• Additional notes
• Type of residence
• Primary delivery point
• Secondary delivery point
• Delivery entrance
• Number of stairs
• Elevator available 
• Dimensions of smallest doorway and hallway
• Can the Akfit truck fit in the driveway

Other Factors that Affect the Shipping Cost of Gym Equipment (Industry-Wide)

While we at Akfit mostly charge the customer based on distance and product weight, that doesn’t mean every other fitness retailer follows the same formula. 

Some other factors that can affect the cost of shipping fitness equipment can include:

• Number of packages shipped
• Dimensional weight
• Shipping distance divided shipping zones
• Shipping time
• Insurance
• The carrier shipping your equipment
• Unexpected issues

For more information, check out our article on Factors that Affect the Cost of Shipping Gym Equipment Industry Wide.

Cost of Installation Services at Akfit

At Akfit, we don’t just offer delivery services, but our trained and insured fitness professionals can also install your fitness equipment and show you how to properly use it. 

You can request an installation here. 

For a cost breakdown, you can expect to spend the following amounts depending on the equipment being installed:  

• Bronze Installation: Racks, bikes, rowers - $125
• Silver Installation: Treadmills, ellipticals, striders/steppers - $225
• Gold Installation: Ascent trainers, basic functional trainers, plate loaded strength - $325
• Platinum Installation: Smith/functional trainers, large home gyms - $399

Reach Out to Akfit

We hope that our article has provided you with an expectation of the variables that can affect the cost of delivery and installation of fitness products at Akfit. Further, we hope this article informed you on other factors you should look out for when ordering gym equipment from a different retailer.

Over the last three decades, Akfit has been operating as a Canadian specialty fitness store. We are located in Sudbury, Ontario, serving clients in northern Ontario, the rest of Canada, and beyond.

We highly recommend you visit a local showroom or schedule a virtual visit to speak with one of our trained professionals. We offer not only high-quality fitness equipment, but our professionals will also offer their expert advice on your fitness related questions.

In the meantime, you can check out our large inventory of residential and commercial gym equipment here at our online shop. 

Speaking of commercial gym equipment, at Akfit, we also offer commercial gym services. With this, we will help design the layout and plan your commercial gym facility.

Whether your gym equipment is being used residentially or commercially, we also provide equipment servicing and sell preventative maintenance plans. Just fill out a service request here and our professionals will contact you regarding your request as soon as possible. 

Whatever your fitness-related goals may be, we are here to help you achieve them!