A moving quote can look affordable until the crew arrives and discovers two flights of stairs. By then, the lease may be ending, the truck is outside, and finding another mover is rarely practical. A few checks before booking can prevent that kind of last-minute decision.
Check Who Will Actually Move the Belongings
The Better Business Bureau found that people who reported losing money to moving scams through BBB Scam Tracker in 2024 lost a median of $754. That figure reflects reports to the BBB. It does not measure how often moving scams happen, but it shows what can be at stake when a booking goes wrong. Better Business Bureau moving scam report
Moving Scam Stories publishes customer accounts that can help households spot issues to ask about, such as a price changing after pickup or a different company showing up on moving day. Those accounts are useful prompts for questions. Official records are the place to confirm a company’s identity and authority.
Look Up the Company on the Estimate
For a U.S. interstate move, households can use the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s mover database to check the company’s registration, business type, and complaint history. The legal name and U.S. DOT number on the estimate should match the company in the database. A registration number alone does not establish that a carrier is authorized to transport household goods. FMCSA guidance on checking a mover’s authority
For a move within one state, the household can check with the relevant state or local agency. Requirements vary, so the credential needed for a move across town may differ from the one needed for a move across state lines. FMCSA guidance on local movers
Ask Whether the Company Is a Carrier or a Broker
A carrier transports the shipment. A broker arranges transportation with a carrier. Either can be involved in an interstate move, but the distinction matters when a delivery is late or a piece of furniture goes missing. A household booking through a broker should ask which carrier will handle the move, who will collect payment, and who will respond if a problem comes up. FMCSA guide to movers and brokers
Give Every Mover the Same Job to Price
Three written estimates are much easier to compare when all three companies have seen the same inventory and know the conditions at both addresses. An in-person walkthrough is a good opportunity to show the estimator what a room count misses: the packed garage, the narrow basement stairs, or the sectional that needs to come apart. If a video survey is used, the household should show those details on camera and confirm that they appear in the written estimate. FMCSA guidance on written estimates
A useful estimate answers questions about the actual work:
- Packing: Which rooms or items will the crew pack, and are boxes and materials included?
- Furniture: Who will take apart bed frames, remove table legs, and put them back together?
- Building access: Are there stairs, reserved elevator hours, parking restrictions, or a long walk from the truck to the door?
- Timing: What pickup and delivery windows will the mover commit to in writing?
- Storage: If the new home is unavailable on delivery day, where will the shipment go, and what will storage and redelivery cost?
Say one mover estimates $1,450 and another estimates $1,650. The lower estimate leaves furniture disassembly and a possible shuttle charge open. The higher one includes both. The useful next step is to ask the first mover to price those services in writing. Only then can the household tell what the $200 difference buys.
Find Out What the Estimate Can and Cannot Guarantee
Binding and Nonbinding Estimates Work Differently
A comparison of the types of moving estimates can help households spot a distinction that is easy to miss on the first read. A binding estimate sets a price for the shipment and services listed. A nonbinding estimate projects what the move will cost, and the final bill can change based on factors such as actual shipment weight and the services performed.
For a U.S. interstate move with a nonbinding estimate, the federal 110 percent rule generally limits what a mover can collect at delivery for the goods and services covered by that estimate. On a $2,000 estimate, that would be $2,200 for the listed work. The rule does not cap the final bill, and certain additional services can affect what is due at delivery. FMCSA rules on estimating charges
Even a binding estimate depends on the scope being accurate. If a household decides to take the patio furniture after all, the mover should address the change in writing before loading. The same goes for a newly discovered access issue, such as a truck that cannot enter the delivery street. A written revision gives both sides something concrete to review while there is still time to make a decision.
Check What Happens if Something Breaks
A company’s proof of insurance does not tell a customer how much the mover will pay for a damaged item. U.S. interstate movers must offer two levels of liability for household goods: Full Value Protection and Released Value Protection. Under Full Value Protection, the mover may repair a damaged item, replace it with a comparable one, or make a cash settlement, subject to the terms of the plan. FMCSA guide to liability and protection
Released Value Protection comes at no additional charge, but it generally limits the mover’s liability to 60 cents per pound per item. For example, if a 30-pound monitor is damaged beyond repair, the mover’s liability under that option is capped at $18, even if the monitor would cost hundreds of dollars to replace.
Before choosing, a household should ask about deductibles, items packed by the customer, and whether particularly valuable belongings must be listed separately. It also helps to ask how a claim is filed and who handles it. That answer is easier to get while the company is still competing for the job.
Slow Down When the Paperwork and the Sales Pitch Disagree
A mover might promise a Saturday delivery over the phone while the paperwork gives a delivery window that runs through Tuesday. That difference matters to a household arranging time off work, childcare, or a loading dock reservation. Any promise that affects the move should appear in the written agreement before the deposit is paid.
The FMCSA’s moving fraud guidance flags large upfront deposits, blank documents, and companies that refuse to put an estimate in writing. A household has good reason to walk away if a company says it will settle the price once everything is on the truck. Before paying a deposit, the customer should also know how much is refundable, when the balance is due, and which payment methods the mover accepts.
Keep the Documents Handy on Moving Day
The estimate, inventory, and bill of lading should stay accessible during the move. If an unfamiliar company arrives, the household can call the confirmed carrier using a number it has already verified before allowing anyone to load. If the crew presents a higher price, the household can ask for an itemized explanation and compare it with the agreed scope before the work begins.
At delivery, it helps to check off cartons and furniture against the inventory, photograph visible damage, and note missing or damaged items on the delivery paperwork. For an interstate move involving suspected fraud, the household can also file a complaint with FMCSA.
Choose the Mover Whose Plan Holds Up on Paper
Once the estimates cover the same work, the choice usually becomes clearer. A flexible household might accept a wider delivery window for a lower price. A family that can use its building’s freight elevator only on Tuesday morning might pay more for a mover willing to commit to that schedule in writing.
Before booking, the household should be able to answer three questions from the paperwork: Who will carry the shipment? What exactly does the price cover? Who will handle a problem if one comes up? If any answer still depends on a verbal promise, there is one more call to make before signing.
