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Shipping & returns.
Straight answers — no gotchas, no surprise charges at checkout, no hidden restocking fees. Here's how shipping works, how returns work, and what to do when something goes wrong.
The short version
Everything you need to know in 5 lines
01
Free shipping over $75
Ground delivery, contiguous U.S. Subtotal after discounts, before tax.
02
$8.99 flat under $75
No weight surprises, no add-ons at checkout. One flat rate, that's it.
03
$99.99 freight on oversized
Long lumber, full sheets, heavy items. Marked on the product page before you add to cart.
04
Same-day shipping
In-stock orders by 11 AM Pacific / 2 PM Eastern, M–F. After cutoff ships next business day.
05
30-day returns
Unused, in original packaging. We pay return shipping if we shipped it wrong.
Shipping
How shipping works
Ground shipping rates
Most orders ship ground via UPS, FedEx, or USPS — we pick the carrier that gets it there reliably, you don't have to think about it.
Orders $75 and over
Free
Orders under $75
$8.99 flat
Freight / LTL items
$99.99 flat
One gotcha to know: the $75 threshold is calculated after discounts and before tax. A $76 order qualifies for free shipping. A $76 order with a 10% off code that drops it to $68.40 does not.
Freight and LTL
Heavy, oversized, or hazardous items ship via freight carrier instead of standard parcel. We charge a flat $99.99 freight fee on orders containing these items, regardless of the rest of the order's subtotal.
If a product ships freight, it'll say so on the product page before you add it to cart. You won't find out at checkout. Common examples:
- Long lumber and trim (over 8 ft)
- Full sheet goods (4x8 plywood, OSB, drywall)
- Bulk fencing materials
- Large appliances
- Heavy-duty tools over 150 lbs
- Pallet-quantity orders
Freight deliveries require an adult signature and a driveway or loading dock the truck can reach. Lift-gate service is included on residential deliveries. If you need inside delivery, white-glove placement, or appointment scheduling, contact us before ordering — we'll quote it.
Same-day cutoff
In-stock orders placed by 11 AM Pacific / 2 PM Eastern, Monday through Friday, ship the same business day. Orders placed after cutoff ship the next business day.
We don't ship Saturdays, Sundays, or U.S. federal holidays. Orders placed Friday afternoon, weekends, or holidays go out Monday (or the next business day).
Transit time
Once it's on the truck, ground transit takes 1 to 5 business days depending on where you are relative to the distribution network. Most U.S. addresses see delivery within 3 days.
Freight takes longer — typically 5 to 10 business days for the carrier to schedule a delivery appointment and complete the run.
Tracking info goes to the email on your order as soon as the label is created. If a package is delayed, lost, or shows "delivered" but isn't on your porch, contact us — we'll work it with the carrier.
Where we ship
We ship to all 50 U.S. states. Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories may have additional charges and longer transit; we'll quote those at checkout or contact you before processing.
We do not currently ship to international addresses, APO/FPO/DPO military addresses, or P.O. boxes for items requiring signature or freight delivery.
Free local pickup
Some products are available for free local pickup at participating partner stores in the NHG network. If a product is eligible, you'll see a pickup option at checkout with the nearest store.
Pickup orders are typically ready within 2 business days. You'll get an email when the order is ready, and a reminder if it sits unpicked. Please pick up promptly — partner stores hold limited inventory and your order is reserved on their shelf.
This isn't a coast-to-coast network yet — the partner store program is growing. If pickup isn't offered for your area, that means we don't have a partner store close enough to make it worth it.
Try local first · We'll wait
Some products are better bought local — and we'll tell you when
Power tools from brands like Milwaukee, Stihl, and DeWalt are authorized-dealer-only. Grills from Weber, Big Green Egg, and Traeger ship freight and cost more by the time it's all done. Paint, plants, lumber, and live products work better when you can see them.
If a product is marked "in-store exclusive" or "we recommend local," that's not us being coy — it's us telling you the honest answer. We support local hardware stores. We don't replace them.
Read why it's worth the trip →
Returns
How returns work
The 30-day window
Most products can be returned within 30 days of delivery for a refund to the original payment method. Items must be unused, in their original packaging, and in resalable condition.
Don't ship returns without contacting us first. Submit a return request from your account or by emailing us — we'll issue a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) with the correct ship-to address based on what you're returning. Returns shipped without an RMA may experience significant delays or be refused.
What can't be returned
- Custom-cut items (lumber cut to length, custom acrylic, etc.)
- Hazardous materials (paint, chemicals, propane) once opened
- Items returned outside the 30-day window
- Items damaged by improper use, installation, or storage after delivery
- Final-sale or clearance items (clearly marked at the time of purchase)
- Special-order items not held in normal inventory
Who pays return shipping
Wrong item, defective, damaged in transit
We pay
Changed your mind, ordered wrong size
You pay
Freight returns (any reason)
Quoted case-by-case
Restocking fees
We charge a 15% restocking fee on returns of unopened items returned for buyer's-remorse reasons (changed your mind, ordered wrong, didn't fit your project). No restocking fee on items returned because we shipped wrong, defective, or damaged.
Freight items have higher restocking fees because of the cost to return a pallet. We quote these case-by-case when you request the RMA.
Refund timing
Once your return arrives and is inspected (usually 2–3 business days), we issue the refund to your original payment method. Bank or credit card refunds typically post within 5–10 business days after we issue them — that's bank-side timing, not us.
If your refund doesn't post within 10 business days of our refund email, contact us and we'll trace it.
Damaged on arrival
If your order arrives damaged or with the wrong item, contact us within 7 days of delivery. Take photos of the packaging and the damage — they help us file the carrier claim and speed the resolution.
For freight deliveries, inspect the shipment before signing the bill of lading. Note any visible damage on the delivery receipt — this is what unlocks a carrier damage claim. Signing for a freight shipment clean and reporting damage later makes the claim very difficult to win.
Where to ship returns
NHG operates multiple warehouses, and the right return address depends on what you're returning. We'll route your RMA to the correct facility and provide the ship-to address on the authorization. Returns shipped to the wrong address may be refused or significantly delayed — always get the RMA first.
Need a real person
Talk to us
If anything's unclear or you need a shipping quote on something the calculator doesn't handle — we'll pick up.
The NHG promise
We support local hardware stores — we don't replace them.
Honest answers, real people, no scripted run-around. That's the whole brand.
Why it's worth the trip →