The most nervous moment in buying art online is not the checkout. It is the wait afterward, when a real painting you cannot replace is somewhere on a truck between our studio and your door. We ship a lot of original work, so this page tells you exactly how we pack it, how long it takes, what it costs (nothing, it is free), and what to do the moment the box arrives.
Every piece we send is an original, signed painting by a Vancouver artist, packed and shipped by us from the Vancouver studio. It travels free, fully insured, with a Certificate of Authenticity inside the box. If you want to browse the big pieces this matters most for, start with our large wall art collection.
How much does shipping cost, and how long does it take?
Shipping is free to every address in Canada and the United States, with no minimum order. There is no separate insurance fee either, because we insure every piece for its full value at our own cost. Here is what to expect once your order leaves the studio.
| Destination |
Typical delivery time |
Shipping cost |
| Anywhere in Canada |
3 to 7 business days |
Free, fully insured |
| Anywhere in the USA |
5 to 10 business days |
Free, fully insured |
| Large canvas over 120 cm |
Add 1 to 3 days for crating |
Free, fully insured |
These are business days after the painting is packed, not calendar days, and they do not count the day of a holiday backlog. A small piece often moves faster than the range above. A very large canvas that needs a custom crate takes a little longer to leave, because we would rather build the box right than rush it.
How do you pack a painting so it arrives safe?
We pack to gallery standard, which is a specific set of steps, not a marketing phrase. The face of the painting gets a layer of glassine or acid-free paper so nothing touches the paint surface. Corners get rigid protectors so a knock cannot dent the stretcher. The whole piece is wrapped in bubble and a moisture barrier, then floated inside a double-walled box with at least 5 cm of padding on every side, so the canvas never rests against an outer wall.
For a large canvas, roughly 120 cm and up, we build a rigid wood-edged crate or a hard-sided container rather than a plain carton, because a big surface flexes and a flexing canvas is how paint cracks. Small works ship flat and fully boxed. We do not ship any original rolled in a tube unless an artist made it on unstretched canvas and you ask for that on purpose.
What should I check when the box arrives?
Take two minutes at the door before you sign or before you break down the box. This is the honest part: damage in transit is rare, but it does happen, and a quick check makes any claim simple.
Look at the outside of the box first for crush marks, punctures, or a corner that took a hit. Open it with the painting facing up. Lift the piece out by its edges, never by the middle of the canvas. Check the paint surface in good light, then the corners and the stretcher bars. If anything looks wrong, photograph the box and the painting before you unwrap further and email us the same day. Because every piece is fully insured, a transit problem is our problem to fix, not a cost we pass to you.
The 14-day trial and who pays return shipping
A photo on a screen is not the same as the real thing on your wall, so you get 14 days to live with the painting in your own light. If it is not right, send it back within 14 days for a full refund. We pay the return shipping, both the cost and the arranging of it. You do not eat the freight for changing your mind, and you do not need a reason.
That is the whole promise, and we will be straight about the one condition: the painting has to come back in the same condition it left, packed as carefully as it arrived. Keep the original box and padding until you have decided. If you loved it and only want something different later, our Lifetime Trade-Back lets you return any painting in good condition, any time, for store credit toward another piece. "VanArtHub is built so the risk of buying an original online sits with us, not with you."
Do you ship large canvases and framed pieces?
Yes. Most of our statement pieces are large, and a large original is the one buyers worry about most, which is exactly why we crate them the way we do. Framed works ship with corner and glass protection, and where a heavy frame adds real breakage risk we will tell you before you buy and suggest shipping it unframed so you can frame it locally. "We would rather talk you out of a fragile shipping choice than send a piece we are not confident will arrive perfect."
Key things to remember
- Shipping is free and fully insured to every address in Canada and the USA, with no minimum order and no separate insurance fee.
- Canadian orders usually arrive in 3 to 7 business days and US orders in 5 to 10, with a little more time for very large crated canvases.
- Every piece is packed to gallery standard from the Vancouver studio, with a Certificate of Authenticity inside the box.
- Check the box and the painting the day it arrives, photograph anything wrong before unwrapping further, and email us the same day.
- You have 14 days to return it for a full refund and we pay the return shipping, plus Lifetime Trade-Back for store credit any time after that.
Frequently asked questions
Is shipping really free, and is the painting insured?
Yes on both. Shipping is free to every address in Canada and the United States with no minimum order, and every painting is fully insured for its full value at our cost. There is no separate insurance charge. If a piece is damaged in transit, that is our problem to fix, and you pay nothing.
How long will my painting take to arrive?
Canadian orders usually arrive in 3 to 7 business days and US orders in 5 to 10 business days, counted from when the piece is packed. A small work often moves faster. A very large canvas that needs a custom crate can take 1 to 3 extra days to leave the Vancouver studio, so it is built to travel safely.
How do you pack an original painting for shipping?
We pack to gallery standard. The paint surface gets acid-free paper, the corners get rigid protectors, and the piece is wrapped in bubble and a moisture barrier, then floated inside a double-walled box with at least 5 cm of padding on every side. Large canvases over about 120 cm ship in a rigid wood-edged crate.
What do I do if my painting arrives damaged?
Photograph the box and the painting before you unwrap it further, then email us the same day. Because every piece is fully insured, we handle the claim and either repair, replace, or refund at no cost to you. Damage in transit is rare with our packing, but if it happens, fixing it is on us.
Can I return the painting if I do not like it?
Yes. You get 14 days to live with it and send it back for a full refund, and we pay the return shipping. You do not need a reason. The one condition is that it returns in the same condition it arrived, so keep the original box and padding until you decide.
Do you ship large canvases across Canada and the USA?
Yes, and large originals are what we crate most carefully. Pieces over about 120 cm ship in a rigid wood-edged crate rather than a plain carton, because a big canvas flexes and a flexing canvas can crack paint. It still ships free and fully insured, with 1 to 3 extra days added for building the crate.
Ready to choose a piece? Browse the large wall art collection, learn the full policy on our buy with confidence page, or read how to buy original art for the whole process. When you are done here, head back to the Canadian art hub for the complete buying guide.
