Store Policies
RETURNS
All sales are final except appliances, select HVAC equipment, ceiling fans, and some machines. These items may be returned within 21 days and must be accompanied by a receipt.
LOADING AND UNLOADING
We strongly encourage you to bring help to load large purchases. Please ask staff for assistance in loading stone countertops or masonry items. Our staff will help as time and resources allow but will not load large, bulky, and heavy items into inappropriate vehicles. Our courtyard and loading bays close a half hour before the store closes.
MOVING MATERIALS
Please ask at the front desk for help with moving kitchen cabinet sets and stone countertops, or if you find something you will need a ladder to reach. Do not handle stone slabs or remove safety chains on racks.
DELIVERY
We do not deliver materials. While we don’t have delivery partners or anyone that we endorse for delivery, a couple of hauling services have left their cards with us if you want to contact them. Please ask at the front desk.
FREE STORAGE
We provide courtesy storage for your large items for up to 5 days with a signed agreement. After 5 days, the item may be resold and you will be given 75% back in store credit. We do not store lumber or sheet goods. You may store masonry for up to 24 hours. You must provide your receipt and storage form to pick up your items. We will not hold unpurchased items for you.
CHILDREN & PETS
We welcome all family members at the reuse warehouse but parents or guardians must provide constant supervision. Pets must remain leashed at all times. Please do not allow your children or pets on the furniture.
ATTIRE
Shirts and close-toed shoes are required.
VEHICLE IDLING
Please turn off your vehicle’s engine when parked near any of the loading docks at our reuse warehouse.
POWER TOOLS
You may not use power tools on our property or in the parking area across the street.
If you would like to purchase lumber that is too long to fit into your vehicle, please inquire at the desk. Depending on our staffing levels that day, we may be able to provide simple, rough cuts for a minimal fee. However, we do not have the equipment to provide long rips, or detailed cuts for a custom project.
SHOPLIFTING
People who switch or remove price tags are shoplifters and will be prosecuted and banned from the store. Items with missing or damaged price tags will not be sold. Please note that our warehouse is monitored by video surveillance.
STAFF ONLY AREAS
Please do not enter areas marked “STAFF ONLY.” Materials in these areas are not yet available for sale.
PRICING
We put a lot of time and research into setting prices and staff will not haggle. However, if you feel there is a possible price error, please ask at the front desk, and a manager can investigate. Items with missing or damaged price tags will not be sold.
Your purchases support more than 30 full-time good green jobs with benefits for people in our community. Built into the price paid for something at Community Forklift is a myriad of goodness! You are supporting the people who work to identify reusable items, transport those items, inspect and fix those items, price and stock those items, clean and maintain the store so you can find those items, run the sales desk so you can buy those items, and so on.
We strive to price items fairly based on quality and we offer products at a range of price points. We also offer home essentials at no cost to those in need.
DISCOUNTS
Current discounts do not apply to past purchases. Subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on social media to receive email notification of discounts.
PAYMENT
We accept cash, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. We do not accept personal checks or American Express.
TIPS FOR VISITING THE REUSE WAREHOUSE
Dress for the weather. Our reuse warehouse is not climate controlled, so it will be about the same temperature as it is outside. You may get dusty while hunting for treasure, so don’t wear your best – and be sure to wear closed-toe shoes.
Bring measurements of your space and a tape measure. Knowing your measurements at home will help you determine whether something at the warehouse will work for your purposes. If you forget a tape measure, we can loan you one at the front desk in exchange for an ID.
Bring a sample of your own materials. If you are trying to match a specific color or material, bring a sample! Remember, there are no returns on most items.
Be mindful of your surroundings. This is a working warehouse. Please watch out for materials and other shoppers and keep an eye on children and pets.
Ask for assistance. Ask at the front desk for help with kitchen cabinet sets and stone countertops, or if you find something you will need a ladder to reach. Otherwise, it is a self-serve warehouse. You are welcome to use the shopping carts, dollies, hand trucks, and flat carts.
Educate yourself about lead paint hazards. Some building materials — especially painted doors, windows, and wood trim manufactured prior to 1978 — may contain lead paint. Removing lead paint in ways that create lead paint dust (dry sanding, using a heat gun over 1100 F, etc) or exposure to flaking lead paint can be hazardous, especially to children. EPA-approved “Lead Check” tests are available in most hardware stores. Learn more on the EPA website.
