Shipping Policy

The shipping fee for each order is based on the package weight, package dimensions, delivery destination, and shipping method.

The shopping cart on Hydrobuilder.com automatically computes shipping costs and is linked directly to UPS’ calculators with the exception of freight shipments. We do not charge handling fees or pad our calculated shipping rates.

Hydrobuilder.com reserves the right to notify you of any additional shipping charges necessary to deliver your order. We do our best to ensure that shipping is accurately calculated in your shopping cart at the time of purchase, however, at times, it may not be possible to do so accurately (e.g. rural delivery locations, shipments requiring multiple pallets, living on an island, etc.). Should this occur, you’d be notified of any additional charges necessary to deliver your order. If you are notified of any additional charges, you will have the right to modify or cancel your order for a full refund.

Shipping Methods and Transit Times

Hydrobuilder.com strives for excellent fulfillment rates. Shipping from more than 20 warehouses cuts down on transit time to you, which means you get the products you need FAST. Orders always ship from the closest warehouse with stock available to the delivery address. Orders may be fulfilled directly by the manufacturer or distributor in an effort to reduce the shipping time.

If you order more than one item, we’ll make every effort to send available items together. Depending on availability, an order may ship from several locations. If we decide to break your order into multiple packages, you will NOT incur any additional freight/shipping charges. Tracking information will be sent to the email address provided on the order for each portion of the shipment.

When selecting shipping options, please be advised that these options are promised from the time of shipping, not from the time the order was submitted. Please understand that it takes time to process the payment, pick your order from the warehouse, securely pack it in a box, label it, and get it ready for shipping. The shipping times below refer to items labeled with an availability of In Stock – In Stock Items Ship Within 24 Hours.

Shipping MethodProcessing TimeDelivery Time
Standard Ground1–24 Hours1–6 Business Days (Average of 2-3 Business Days)
*Two-Day Air1–24 Hours2 Business Days
*Next Day Air1–24 Hours1 Business Days


*Any expedited order (2nd Day Air or Next Day Air) placed after 11 AM PST should be confirmed over the phone with a Hydrobuilder.com representative @ 888-815-9763 to prevent any unexpected delays caused by missing the same day shipping window. Some locations in Alaska and Hawaii require additional transit time.

What are the Different Shipping Options?

We ship via UPS, FedEx, and other common carriers that provide insurance and tracking. Small items and parts may be shipped via USPS. Some shipments must be signed for while others may be left at the driver’s discretion. Items shipped via standard ground are generally delivered within 2-3 business days but can take anywhere from 1-6 business days. Shipping times do not include up to 24 hours for processing.

  • Standard Ground Shipping (FedEx/UPS): 1-6 business days (average of 2 business days). Items qualifying for free shipping will be shipped via standard ground unless the shipment must be palletized.
  • Second Day Air: Shipment time is two business days.
  • Next Day Air: Shipment time is one business day. An item will be delivered the following business day if the carrier receives the item prior to their daily cut-off (varies by carrier).

UPS and FedEx will make three attempts at a successful delivery. If the receiver is unavailable to accept the delivery, the shipment will be returned to sender after the third attempt.

Curbside Delivery (Freight/LTL Shipping)

This shipping method is reserved for large, heavy, or oversized items like, flood trays, large tents, oversized reflectors, commercial air conditioners/dehumidifiers, etc. These select items are palletized, loaded onto a large truck for shipment and delivered by scheduled appointment with a lift-gate for to-the-curb service. All items must be inspected for damage incurred in transit and signed for prior to the driver leaving.

Shipment time is generally 3-7 business days. Please understand that some areas are not serviced daily.

Freight (LTL) Shipping offers:

Freight (LTL) orders over $3,500 ship for free.

*Some restrictions may apply; always check the shipping charge on the cart page after entering the ship-to zip code. Montana, Hawaii and Alaska do not qualify for free shipping offers.

Order Tracking

Once an order has been shipped, an order confirmation will be sent to the email address on file with the tracking number for the order. If your order is fulfilled from more than one location, you will receive multiple shipment confirmations with tracking for each portion of your shipment.

Click on the tracking link in the email to follow the shipment of the package on the carrier's website. If you did not receive a tracking number by email or need to confirm the tracking information, please contact us at support@hydrobuilder.com or call Hydrobuilder.com at 888-815-9763.

Order Processing

Immediately after placing an order with Hydrobuilder.com, an order confirmation will be sent to the email address provided.

We try our best to get orders processed on the day it is placed if the order is placed before 11 AM PST Monday through Friday. Most in-stock items are shipped within 24-48 business hours of the order being placed with the exception of select custom and built-to-order products. Orders placed over the weekend are received and processed as soon as possible on Monday morning.

Each order placed on Hydrobuilder.com goes through our processing department before it can be shipped. If two or more business days have passed since you submitted payment and you have not received an email with tracking information, please log in to your account to track your order(s) and/or contact us at 888-815-9763 or send a message to support@hydrobuilder.com.

First, please check that your email address was entered correctly. If it’s correct, please check your spam folder to make sure the order confirmation and tracking information weren’t filtered out of your main inbox by your email settings.

When Can I Expect My Order to Ship?

If you place an order for an in-stock item(s) before 11 AM PST Monday through Friday there’s a good chance we can process the order and ship it out same day for you. If not, the order will ship the following business day.

Custom products and built-to-order systems generally have lead times before shipment. Any applicable lead times will be stated on the product page under price and availability.

Refused Shipments

You will be responsible for full freight charges and applicable fees going both ways and a minimum 20% restocking fee for shipments that are refused for any reason other than the shipment was damaged in transit (not applicable to items damaged in storage) or if the shipping error was made by Hydrobuilder.com.

Shipping to an Alternate Address

Orders with different billing and shipping addresses may require longer processing times due to additional verification procedures. The added verification and processing time is in an effort to protect our customers and Hydrobuilder.com from online fraud in a card absent environment.

Providing inaccurate or false information may result in additional delays as we attempt to verify the provided information.

Discreet Order Packaging

We understand the importance of privacy for many of our customers. Most orders placed on Hydrobuilder.com are shipped in plain brown boxes without stickers, logos or identifying markings.

All palletized (LTL/Freight) shipments are blackwrapped for your privacy. Pallets of hydroponic trays (4’ x 4’ and larger) may be blackwrapped, overboxed in cardboard, or a mix of both in an effort to conceal the contents of the goods shipped.

Shipping Changes Fees (Address Intercept)

If a request to change the shipping address is made after the package ships, it will be subject to an Address Intercept Fee imposed by the shipping carrier. The amount of the fee varies according to the shipping carrier and the destination of the package. Please be aware that not all shipping carriers will accept address intercept changes. This policy is in accordance with the security measures and agreements made with our third party shipping companies.

If incorrect shipping information is given, it may result in your order being delayed to the desired destination.

Damaged Shipments

Please inspect all shipments carefully for damage or missing items prior to signing for them (if required). The freight carrier often denies claims after the shipment has been signed for. In the unforeseen event your shipment arrives damaged, please report any damages or missing items to the delivery driver, note any issues on the delivery receipt, and contact Hydrobuilder.com immediately.

If you sign your name on the freight bill without noting any damages, you are stating that you have received your shipment/order in acceptable condition. Once signed for, there will be no reimbursement of freight charges, order costs or any other charges incurred by you from Hydrobuilder.com.

Back-orders

In the unlikely event we are unable to ship your order completely, we reserve the right to ship the stock we have and back-order the items we’re unable to ship. You will not be charged additional shipping charges for the back-ordered item(s).

If an item you ordered is out of stock, we will attempt to contact you. We will let you know when the item is expected to be available again and will give you the option of waiting for the item to ship or having the order removed from your order for a refund.

Back-ordered items are charged in full at the point-of-sale, just like in-stock items. This reserves the item with the manufacturer, or, in some cases, to reserve an item that’s made to order.

To cancel a back-ordered item, contact customer service at 888-815-9763 or send an email to support@hydrobuilder.com and we can further assist you.

Signature Required

Due to the valuable contents of some shipments, Hydrobuilder.com may require a signature upon delivery. Such guidelines will not be overruled upon the customer's request. Please understand that this is a security measure taken by our company to guarantee excellent service and to ensure the safe delivery of each package to the correct recipient. Many of our third-party shipping carriers require signatures upon delivery to protect against fraud and theft. Customers may request a signature upon delivery by calling Hydrobuilder.com Customer Service at 888-815-9763.

Your Order Shows Delivered But You Don’t Have It

If your tracking number shows delivered on the shipping company’s website but you don’t have it, please do the following:

  • Check the area around your home for the package and ask anyone it may have been left with.
  • If the package is not found please contact us at 888-815-9763 as soon as possible.

Occasionally there may be a mix-up in the warehouse and you may have received an incorrect tracking number. If the tracking number is correct, we will contact the shipper to report a missing package.

Hydrobuilder can not be held responsible for packages stolen from the delivery address so please be sure to ship to a secure location!

Shipping Disclaimers

There are rare and unforeseen events out of our control that may effect shipping times. Severe weather conditions, catastrophic events, or failures by our delivery partners can cause unexpected delays.

Hydrobuilder.com ships anywhere within the contiguous 48 states, as well as to Alaska and Hawaii. We are currently unable to ship outside of the United States. Please consider using a freight forwarder if your desired delivery destination is outside of the United States.

Most carriers will not ship to PO Boxes. If you enter a PO Box for your shipping address, we may have to contact you for an alternate delivery address.

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All trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective trademark holders.

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