In plain English
Residential areas have narrow streets, no docks and customers at home, so the carrier adds a fee. Some carriers also treat home-based businesses, farms or churches as residential.
Because most homes have no dock, a residential delivery often needs a liftgate as well.
Why it matters when you ship
Tell the carrier when you request the quote. If a driver arrives at a home that was booked as a business, the carrier adds the charge later.
What it looks like in our data
From our own quote tests on one- to three-pallet shipments. Prices vary by carrier.
Example
Three pallets of landscaping stone go to a home. The quote includes residential delivery and a liftgate.
Related terms
Learn more
Residential delivery: common questions
Is a home business residential?
It often is, if the address is in a residential area or has no commercial dock. Carriers decide from their own address databases.
Cite this page
Cite as: Transportli, “Residential Delivery: Meaning and Cost in LTL”, https://transportli.com/glossary/residential-delivery/, updated November 11, 2026.
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