Things to Ask a Moving Company Before You Hire Them

A moving-company quote can be difficult to compare because companies may estimate weight, volume, labor hours, travel time, stairs, packing, storage, long carries, shuttle service, bulky items, and insurance or valuation coverage differently. Before hiring, understand exactly who is moving your belongings, how the price is calculated, what could increase it, and how damage or delays are handled.

Interstate and local moves may be regulated differently, and consumer-protection requirements vary by location. Verify required registrations, licensing, insurance, written estimates, and complaint resources through appropriate official sources for your move.

Things to Ask About the Moving Company

Start by confirming the legal business you are hiring. Some websites are brokers that arrange another company to perform the move.

Ask directly whether the company you are speaking with will put its own crew and truck at your home.

What is the legal name of the company?
Are you the actual mover or a moving broker?
Will your own employees perform the move?
Will any part be subcontracted?
What licenses or registrations apply to this move?
Can I verify them?
What insurance do you carry?
How long have you been operating?
What name will appear on the truck?
Who should I contact if the crew or truck is different from what I was promised?

Things to Ask About the Estimate

Ask what information the estimate is based on. A phone quote based on a few rooms may be much less reliable than a detailed inventory or in-home survey.

Understand whether the estimate is binding, nonbinding, hourly, weight-based, volume-based, or another structure.

How was this estimate calculated?
Did you include every room and storage area?
Is the estimate binding?
If not, what can change the final price?
Is the move priced by weight, volume, labor hours, or a fixed amount?
Does travel time count as labor?
Is fuel included?
Are tolls included?
What taxes or administrative fees apply?
What is the realistic range for the final total?

Things to Ask About Extra Charges

Moving bills can increase through charges for stairs, elevators, long carries, heavy items, packing materials, waiting, shuttles, storage, or difficult access.

Ask about those charges before moving day.

Is there a stair fee?
Is there an elevator fee?
What is considered a long carry?
What does a long carry cost?
What happens if the truck cannot park close to the building?
When is a shuttle required?
What does a shuttle cost?
Are bulky-item charges possible?
Are there charges for disassembly or reassembly?
What materials are billed separately?
What waiting-time charges apply?
What same-day change can create the largest surprise charge?

Things to Ask About Packing

Packing can be full-service, partial, or entirely your responsibility. If the mover packs, understand materials, labeling, and the price.

If you pack yourself, ask whether certain items require mover-approved boxes or special handling.

Do you offer full packing?
Do you offer partial packing?
How is packing priced?
Are boxes and materials included?
What items must the movers pack themselves?
Are televisions or artwork handled specially?
How are fragile items packed?
How are boxes labeled?
Can I pack most items myself?
What packing mistake could affect damage coverage?

Things to Ask About Furniture

Large furniture may need to be disassembled, wrapped, protected, and reassembled.

Clarify what happens with beds, tables, mirrors, glass, exercise equipment, and modular furniture.

What furniture will be disassembled?
Is reassembly included?
How is upholstered furniture protected?
How are wood surfaces protected?
How are mattresses protected?
How are glass tabletops handled?
Do you move exercise equipment?
Do you move safes or unusually heavy items?
What item requires a specialty mover?
What should I disassemble before the crew arrives?

Things to Ask About Items Movers Will Not Take

Movers may restrict hazardous materials, flammables, chemicals, plants, food, valuables, medications, or other items.

Get the prohibited-item list before packing.

What items are prohibited?
Can you move cleaning chemicals?
Can you move paint?
Can you move propane tanks?
Can you move plants?
Can you move refrigerated or frozen food?
Should medications stay with me?
Should jewelry and important documents stay with me?
What should never go on the moving truck?

Things to Ask About Pickup and Delivery

For local moves, delivery may be the same day. Long-distance moves can involve a delivery window rather than one guaranteed date.

Ask what the company actually commits to.

What time will the crew arrive?
How large is the arrival window?
How many movers will be on the crew?
Will my belongings stay on the same truck?
Will they be combined with other customers' shipments?
What is the delivery window?
Is any delivery date guaranteed?
How will I receive updates?
Who do I call if delivery is delayed?
What happens if I cannot accept delivery on the first offered date?

Things to Ask About Storage

Storage-in-transit can be useful when closing dates or lease dates do not align, but it adds handling and cost.

Ask where belongings are stored and how they are inventoried.

Do you offer storage?
Where is the facility?
Is it climate controlled?
How is storage priced?
How long can items remain there?
Will my shipment be unloaded and reloaded?
How are items inventoried?
Can I access belongings while they are stored?
What coverage applies during storage?
What fees apply when storage ends?

Things to Ask About Damage Coverage

Moving coverage is often not the same as ordinary full replacement insurance. Different valuation options may apply depending on the move.

Ask for the written explanation and understand what you are choosing before signing.

What standard liability or valuation coverage is included?
What upgraded coverage is available?
How is damaged property valued?
Is there a deductible?
Are high-value items handled differently?
Do I need to declare valuable items in advance?
What damage is excluded?
Does owner-packed property receive different treatment?
What deadline applies to claims?
What documentation should I keep?

Things to Ask About Inventory

A detailed inventory can help prevent disputes about what was loaded and the condition of major items.

For long-distance moves, ask how inventory numbers or labels work.

Will you create a written inventory?
Will furniture condition be noted?
Will boxes receive numbered labels?
Do I receive a copy before the truck leaves?
How do we correct an inventory mistake?
Should I photograph furniture before loading?
How are missing items handled?
Who checks the inventory at delivery?

Things to Ask About Payment

Be cautious when a mover demands unusually large cash deposits or changes payment requirements unexpectedly.

Understand deposit, balance, payment methods, and cancellation terms.

What deposit is required?
Is it refundable?
When is the balance due?
What payment methods are accepted?
Is cash required at any stage?
Can the final amount change before delivery?
What happens if I dispute an extra charge?
What cancellation policy applies?
What happens if my moving date changes?

Things to Ask About Problems on Moving Day

Access problems, bad weather, elevator restrictions, absent building staff, broken-down trucks, or additional inventory can disrupt a move.

Know who has authority to resolve the problem.

Who is the crew leader?
Who can approve a change to the estimate?
What happens if the truck is late?
What happens if the crew is short-staffed?
What happens if furniture does not fit through a doorway?
What happens if building access is delayed?
What happens if weather makes the move unsafe?
Who should I call if I disagree with an unexpected charge?

How to Compare Moving Estimates

Compare the same inventory, origin, destination, dates, stairs, elevators, packing, storage, and access assumptions.

A very low estimate may simply omit work that another company already included.

Read reviews for patterns involving unexpected charges, damaged property, missed delivery windows, claims, and whether the company that sold the move actually performed it.

Are the companies pricing the same inventory?
Are both actual movers rather than brokers?
What extra charges does each estimate allow?
What packing is included?
What coverage is included?
What delivery commitment is stated?
Which estimate explains potential changes most clearly?
Which company is easiest to verify?

Know who is moving your belongings before the truck arrives.

A clear moving agreement identifies the actual carrier, the pricing method, possible extra charges, pickup and delivery expectations, coverage, and claim process.

Things to Ask About Building and Elevator Requirements

Apartments, condos, and high-rise buildings may require certificates of insurance, reserved elevators, loading docks, time windows, or deposits.

Coordinate those requirements before moving day.

Does my building require a certificate of insurance?
Can you provide it in the required format?
Do I need to reserve an elevator?
What loading-dock rules apply?
Can your truck fit the loading area?
Does the building limit moving hours?
Who pays a building move-in or move-out deposit?
What happens if the crew misses the reserved elevator time?

Things to Ask About Long-Distance Delivery

Long-distance shipments may not travel directly from one home to the other. They can be transferred, stored, combined with other shipments, or delivered within a multi-day window.

Ask how the carrier's actual process works.

Will my shipment be transferred between trucks?
How many times could it be handled?
Will it be stored in a warehouse?
How is my shipment separated from other customers' belongings?
Who is responsible once the shipment leaves the origin crew?
How will I know when the truck is approaching the destination?

Things to Ask About Preparing for Moving Day

A clear preparation list prevents delays that turn into extra labor charges. Ask what needs to be boxed, disconnected, emptied, labeled, reserved, or accessible before the crew arrives.

What must be completely packed before the crew arrives?
Should drawers be emptied?
Should appliances be disconnected?
Who disconnects washers, dryers, or refrigerators?
Should lamps be boxed?
How should electronics be prepared?
What should be clearly labeled?
What pathway needs to remain clear?
Where should I keep keys, documents, medications, chargers, and valuables?
What is the most common preparation mistake that delays the crew?

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I ask a moving company before hiring?

Ask whether they are the actual mover or a broker, how the estimate is calculated, what extra charges apply, packing rules, delivery timing, storage, damage coverage, inventory, payment, and cancellation.

What is the difference between a moving company and a broker?

A mover transports your belongings. A broker may arrange transportation through another carrier. Ask who will actually perform the move and verify the applicable registration or licensing.

Should I get multiple moving estimates?

For a significant move, comparing detailed estimates can help you identify differences in inventory, pricing method, extra charges, packing, coverage, delivery timing, and who performs the work.