How to hire a moving company
A moving company packs, loads, transports and unloads your belongings — and the single most useful thing to understand before booking is the difference between a binding quote and an estimate.
What the job usually involves
- Local moves, usually priced hourly with a crew and truck.
- Long-distance moves, usually priced by weight and distance.
- Packing and unpacking, with or without materials supplied.
- Single-item moves: a piano, a safe, a gun cabinet.
- Loading only, when you have hired the truck yourself.
What to ask before you agree to anything
- Is this a binding quote, a binding not-to-exceed, or a non-binding estimate?
- Is there a minimum number of hours, and when does the clock start and stop?
- What is the charge for stairs, long carries, or a shuttle truck?
- What insurance is included by default, and what does it actually pay per pound?
- Are you using your own employees or subcontractors?
- What is your USDOT number?
Warning signs
- A quote given over the phone for a whole house, sight unseen.
- A large deposit demanded to hold the date.
- No written inventory, and no USDOT number for an interstate move.
- A price dramatically below every other quote.
- Refusal to put the not-to-exceed figure in writing.
Common questions
What is the difference between a binding quote and an estimate?
A binding quote is the price, whatever the load turns out to weigh. A binding not-to-exceed can go down but not up. A non-binding estimate can go up, which is where most moving-day disputes come from. Ask which you are being given, and get it in writing.
Does a moving company insure my belongings?
Basic liability included by law is typically valued by weight, not by what the item is worth, which can be a small fraction of replacement value. Full value protection costs extra. Ask what is included, what it pays per pound, and what upgrading costs before you decide.
How far ahead should I book movers?
Several weeks for an ordinary move, and longer for month-end, the start of a month, or summer, which are the busiest windows. Booking early also gives you time to get more than one in-person quote.
How does Region Beacon work for moving companies?
You describe the job once. The first nearby business that takes it gets your details and contacts you; nobody else does. You deal with whoever you pick directly, and you pay them directly — Region Beacon never handles the money and takes no commission, so nothing is added to your price for using it.
How do I know if a moving company's quote is fair?
Get more than one. A single quote tells you what one business charges; three tell you what the job is worth where you live. Ask each for the same scope in writing, and treat a quote far below the others as probably missing something rather than a bargain.
Get quotes from moving companies near you
Describe the job once and the first nearby business to take it contacts you. Only that one gets your details, no commission is added, and your details are not sold on to anyone.