How to read a moving estimate, line by line
What an interstate moving estimate has to include, binding vs non-binding, and the lines where surprise charges hide.
The BoxTrack team · · 6 min read
Three movers came to look at the house before the move from Denver to Raleigh. A week later, three estimates sat on the kitchen table. One was nearly half the price of the other two. It was also the only one that said "non-binding" in small print at the top, listed no stairs charge for a third-floor bedroom, and had a box count that didn't match anything in the house.
A moving estimate is a contract waiting to happen, and on an interstate move federal rules decide what it has to say. Once you know where to look, comparing them takes about ten minutes. This guide walks through one from top to bottom.
Is it actually an estimate?
Start with what you were sent. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is clear that a "rate quote" from a website or a phone call isn't an estimate. A real estimate is based on someone looking at your things, in person or by video.
Under 49 CFR 375.401, an interstate mover has to do a physical survey of your household goods and give you a written estimate based on it. You can waive the survey, but only in writing, signed before your things are loaded. If a mover offers a firm price without seeing anything and without asking you to sign a waiver, treat the number as a guess.
Make the survey count. Show the surveyor every room, closet, the attic, the garage, the shed and anything in a storage unit. Whatever they don't see isn't in the estimate, and on moving day it becomes a reason for the price to change.
The top of the page: what kind of estimate
The most important words on the estimate are near the top. Federal rules require it to say on its face whether it's binding or non-binding.
| Binding | Non-binding | |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay | The quoted amount for the listed services | Final charges based on actual weight and services, by the mover's tariff |
| Most you can be asked for at delivery | The binding amount, plus any extra services you agreed to | 110% of the estimate, plus extra services and some unforeseen charges |
| If you add items | Mover can redo the estimate before loading | Price simply goes up with the weight |
| Cost of the estimate | Mover may charge for it | Must be free |
On a binding estimate, 49 CFR 375.403 says the price covers the services listed, and the mover can't collect more after loading except for extra services it tells you about first. You get at least an hour to decide whether you want them. If you add things before loading, the mover can write a new binding estimate, so do your purging before the survey, not after.
On a non-binding estimate, 49 CFR 375.405 requires a reasonably accurate figure, free of charge, clearly marked as not binding. The final bill follows the actual weight. At delivery, the mover can't make you pay more than 110% of the estimate to get your things, plus certain added charges. Our guide to spotting a moving scam covers that 110% rule in more detail, because it's the one bad movers count on you not knowing.
Some movers also offer a "not to exceed" or "guaranteed not to exceed" price: binding as a ceiling, lower if the shipment weighs less. That's a mover's product, not a federal category, so read its terms like any other.
The middle: what you're paying for
FMCSA says the estimate must include all charges: transportation, accessorial charges and advance charges. Go through each group.
Transportation. On an interstate move this is usually priced by weight and distance under the mover's tariff. Check the estimated weight against the list of what the surveyor saw. A weight that seems low for a full house is the most common way a cheap estimate gets cheap.
Accessorial charges. These are services beyond loading, driving and unloading. Common ones are packing and unpacking, packing materials, stairs and elevators, a long carry from the truck to the door, a shuttle when the big truck can't reach the house, disassembly of furniture, and appliance service. If your new place is on a narrow street or up three flights, and the estimate has no line for it, ask why before you sign.
Advance charges. These are bills the mover pays to someone else on your behalf, such as a third-party crater or a parking permit, and then passes on to you. Ask for them in writing.
Valuation. Somewhere on the estimate, or the paperwork with it, is the level of the mover's liability for loss and damage. That choice decides what a claim is worth if something breaks. Our guide to full value protection vs released value explains the two levels.
The bottom: dates, payment and fine print
Look for the pickup and delivery dates or windows, how payment works at delivery, and the company's name, address and USDOT number. Check that number on FMCSA's lookup before you book. The legal name on the estimate should match the name on the registration and, later, on the bill of lading.
Interstate movers must also give you FMCSA's booklet, Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move. If it didn't come with the estimate, ask for it. It's the plain-language version of the rules above.
Comparing estimates, in order
- Before the surveyPurge what you're not taking and list what's left
- The surveyShow every room, closet, attic, garage and storage unit
- Estimates arriveCheck binding or non-binding, weight, and every accessorial line
- Before you bookLook up the USDOT number and ask about anything missing
- Moving dayCheck the bill of lading matches the estimate before you sign
Put the estimates side by side
Lay them next to each other and compare four things: the type (binding or not), the estimated weight, the list of accessorial services, and the valuation level. Price comes last. Two estimates with the same total can be very different deals if one assumes a lighter load and leaves out the stairs.
Our free list of questions to ask movers covers what to ask each company before you choose.
Bring your own list to the survey
The surveyor's notes are only as good as what they saw. The easiest way to get accurate, comparable estimates is to hand every mover the same list.
BoxTrack builds that list as you go. Make a box in the app for each room or carton, snap a photo of what's in it, and AI lists the items. You can show the same list to every surveyor, check the estimates against it, and use it again on moving day to make sure every box comes off the truck. See how BoxTrack works for a move. Your first box is free.
Sources
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, How can I avoid unexpected moving costs?
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, What is a binding move estimate?
- Cornell LII, 49 CFR 375.401: Must I estimate charges?
- Cornell LII, 49 CFR 375.403: How must I provide a binding estimate?
- Cornell LII, 49 CFR 375.405: How must I provide a non-binding estimate?
- Cornell LII, Appendix A to Part 375: Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move
This is general information, not legal advice. It covers interstate moves in the US; moves within one state follow that state's rules. Read your mover's paperwork, and ask the mover or FMCSA if anything is unclear.
