Home & Property

Movers: what to ask, what it costs, and one number to call

Updated June 2026 · By the Mobile Phonebook editorial team · How we research pricing

Quick answer: Call to get connected with a moving company for local or long-distance moves, and learn the three things that protect you before you book anyone. Typical jobs run $400 – $12,000 depending on scope (full breakdown). One free call to (800) 555-0199 connects you with a local moving company after you enter your ZIP.

One number for movers (800) 555-0199

Enter your ZIP when prompted · Availability varies by area · Calls are free to you; the independent provider who answers may pay us for the connection. How we make money.

Movers handle everything from a one-bedroom apartment across town to a whole house across the country, plus partial services like loading your rented truck or moving just the heavy stuff. You need one when the move is bigger than friends-with-pizza, when stairs and pianos are involved, or when a job relocation puts your entire household on a truck driven by strangers.

Calling gets you to a quote conversation, and in this industry more than any other on this site, what you know before that call protects you. Moving has a genuinely dark corner: brokers posing as movers, lowball internet quotes that double on moving day, and the hostage-load scam where your belongings are held until you pay an inflated bill. All of it is avoidable with a few checks that take ten minutes. This page gives you those checks.

What should you have ready before you call?

Both addresses with the annoying details: stairs, elevators (reservable?), parking distance to the door, HOA or building move-in rules and certificate-of-insurance requirements
Your inventory, roughly: bedrooms, big pieces, appliances, and anything special like a piano, safe, gym equipment, or artwork
Your dates and flexibility. Mid-month, mid-week moves price meaningfully better than month-end weekends.
Whether you're packing or they are, and if you'll need boxes and materials
What's NOT going on the truck. Movers can't take propane, gasoline, or many chemicals, and you should keep documents, meds, jewelry, and chargers with you.
For interstate moves: a few minutes on the FMCSA mover-search site to check each company's USDOT number, broker-vs-carrier status, and complaint record
Storage needs, if any. Storage-in-transit changes the quote and the liability terms.

What should you ask before hiring? The 9-question script

This is your script. Nobody expects you to be an expert. Sound like someone who asks the right questions, and anyone good will answer all of these without flinching.

Are you the actual carrier, or a broker who'll sell my move to someone else?

The foundational question for any long-distance move. If they're a broker, you don't yet know who's touching your stuff. Verify the answer yourself against their USDOT number in the FMCSA database; broker vs. carrier status is right there.

What's your USDOT number?

Every interstate mover must have one and provide it readily. Hesitation, excuses, or a number that doesn't check out in the FMCSA lookup ends the conversation. For local moves, ask for the state license number instead.

Is this estimate binding, non-binding, or binding not-to-exceed?

Non-binding means the price can grow with the 'actual weight.' Binding not-to-exceed is the consumer-favorable gold standard. Get the type stated on the written estimate itself.

Will you do an in-home or video survey before quoting?

No legitimate long-distance mover prices a household sight-unseen. The survey is what makes a binding estimate possible. Refusing one means the number is bait.

What deposit do you require, and how is it paid?

Reputable movers take modest deposits, often nothing or a few hundred dollars, on a card. Large cash or wire deposits are the signature of companies you'll never see again.

What valuation is included, and what does full value protection cost?

The free default pays 60 cents per pound per item, which is almost nothing. A good answer explains released value vs. full value protection clearly and prices the upgrade without dodging.

Who actually shows up: your employees, or day labor and subcontractors?

Crews vary even at good companies, but you want to know if the company on the contract is the company carrying your dresser, and who's liable for damage.

What's the delivery window, and what happens if you miss it?

Long-distance deliveries quote a window (often several days to a couple of weeks). Ask about delay compensation in writing. Vague 'we'll get it there when we can' answers predict your stuff sitting in a warehouse.

How do you handle claims if something is damaged or missing?

You want a real process: issues noted on the inventory at delivery, a claims window (federal rules give you nine months on interstate moves), and a named contact rather than 'just call the office.'

How much do movers cost in 2026?

Local moves bill hourly; interstate moves price on weight, distance, and services. Broad 2026 national ranges. Season, dates, access (stairs, carries), and packing services move every number.

Typical job	National range	What moves the price
Local move, hourly crew rate	$100 – $250/hour	Two to four movers plus truck; big metros at the top
Local move, studio/1-bedroom	$400 – $1,200	A few hours of work; stairs and carry distance matter
Local move, 2–3 bedroom house	$800 – $2,500	Full day with a bigger crew
Long-distance, 1-bedroom (1,000+ miles)	$2,000 – $5,000	Weight and mileage; consolidated shipping at the low end
Long-distance, 3-bedroom (1,000+ miles)	$5,000 – $12,000+	Cross-country full-service can exceed this with packing
Full packing service	$500 – $2,500+ on top	Materials plus labor; partial packing (kitchen only) is a common middle path
Piano or safe	$200 – $1,000+	Stairs are everything; uprights cheaper than grands
Full value protection (valuation upgrade)	Commonly ~1% – 2% of declared value	Versus the free 60-cents-per-pound default; deductibles vary
Storage-in-transit	$50 – $300+/month	Plus handling fees in and out; confirm liability terms while stored

These are typical 2026 U.S. ranges for planning purposes; your market, season and job specifics can land outside them. Always get the price for your job confirmed on the call and in writing. Ranges compiled June 2026 from national cost data and industry sources (methodology).

When you don't need to call anyone

We get paid when you call, so take this section as seriously as we do. Sometimes the honest answer is that you can handle it yourself or fix it cheaper first:

Local move, modest household? A rental truck plus hourly load/unload labor often runs a third of full-service movers.
Studio or one-bedroom? Friends, pizza, and a cargo van remain undefeated on value.
Long distance with flexibility? Portable container services price between DIY and full-service, and you pack on your own schedule.
Whoever you hire, don't skip the valuation question. The included coverage is typically 60 cents per pound, nearly nothing for anything valuable, which matters in the DIY-versus-pro math too.

How the moving business works

Local moves (usually under 50–100 miles, defined by state rules) are priced hourly: a crew and truck at roughly $100 to $250 per hour depending on crew size and market, with a typical 2-bedroom local move landing between $500 and $2,000. Long-distance interstate moves price on weight (or sometimes cubic feet) plus mileage and services. A 2-3 bedroom cross-country move commonly runs $4,000 to $12,000+. Stairs, long carries from door to truck, packing services, and specialty items (pianos, safes, treadmills) all add. Summer and month-end dates cost more because everyone moves then.

The first distinction that protects you: broker versus carrier. A carrier owns trucks and employs crews. A broker is a sales operation that books your move and sells it to whatever carrier takes it, sometimes a good one, sometimes whoever's cheapest. Many of the worst moving experiences start with a slick website that turns out to be a broker. For interstate moves, every legitimate company has a USDOT number, and the FMCSA (the federal regulator) runs a free public lookup where you can see whether a company is registered as a broker or carrier, its complaint history, and whether its authority is active. Run every company you talk to through it. That's the single highest-value ten minutes in your move.

Second: estimate types. A non-binding estimate is a guess. The final bill is based on actual weight and can legally exceed the estimate (with limits on what you must pay at delivery, but the balance still follows you). A binding estimate fixes the price for the listed inventory. Binding not-to-exceed is the best of both: the price can go down if the load weighs less but can't go up. Scammers love non-binding quotes given over the phone, sight unseen, because the 'estimate' is bait. Insist on a written binding or not-to-exceed estimate based on a real inventory, meaning an in-home or video survey. Any serious long-distance mover will do one. Refusal to look at your stuff before quoting is itself the red flag.

Third: the hostage load, and the insurance illusion. The hostage scam works like this: lowball quote, your goods get loaded, and mid-route the price 'recalculates' to double or triple. Pay, or the truck doesn't unload. It's illegal, the FMCSA has rules limiting what you can be charged at delivery on top of an estimate, and it's almost always preceded by the warning signs above (broker, non-binding phone quote, big cash deposit). On 'insurance': movers don't sell insurance, they offer valuation. The free default, called released value, pays 60 cents per pound per item, meaning your shattered 50-pound TV is worth $30. Full value protection costs more but makes the mover liable for repair or replacement. For a long-distance move with real furniture, the upgrade or third-party moving insurance is usually worth pricing out, and high-value items should be declared in writing.

Red flags & good signs

Red flags

A quote hundreds or thousands below everyone else's. That's not a deal, it's the setup for the moving-day price 'recalculation.'
Sight-unseen quotes for a long-distance move: no survey, no inventory, just a low number on the phone
Large deposit demanded in cash, wire, or payment app before anything happens
The company can't or won't give a USDOT number, or the FMCSA lookup shows them as a broker while they claim to be the mover
Generic trucks and paperwork. No company name on the vehicle, estimates on blank or unbranded forms, the 'company' answering the phone with just 'Movers.'
Pressure to sign blank or incomplete documents, or an inventory the foreman won't let you review at delivery
Mid-route price increases with your goods on the truck. That's the hostage pattern; document everything and contact FMCSA, and know that disappearing-window delivery promises usually preceded it.

Good signs

They volunteer their USDOT/state license number and survive the FMCSA lookup as an active carrier with a clean record
An in-home or video survey before any number is quoted, producing a written binding or not-to-exceed estimate with the type stated on it
Clear, unprompted explanation of released value vs. full value protection, with prices
Modest or no deposit, paid by card, and a real delivery window with delay terms in writing
A physical address, branded trucks, and the federally required 'Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move' booklet provided for interstate moves

Frequently asked questions

How much do movers cost?

Local moves bill hourly. Figure $100 to $250 per hour for a crew and truck, so $400 to $1,200 for a one-bedroom and $800 to $2,500 for a 2–3 bedroom house. Long-distance moves price on weight and mileage: roughly $2,000 to $5,000 for a one-bedroom going 1,000+ miles, and $5,000 to $12,000+ for a full house cross-country. Packing services, stairs, and peak summer dates add.

What's the difference between a moving broker and a carrier?

A carrier owns the trucks and employs the crews. A broker sells your move to a carrier you've never vetted. Brokers aren't all bad, but the worst moving scams are broker-shaped: glossy website, lowball quote, and your move handed to the cheapest taker. The FMCSA's free public lookup shows whether any company's USDOT number is registered as broker or carrier. Check before you book.

What's a binding vs. non-binding moving estimate?

A non-binding estimate is a guess; the final charge follows actual weight and can come in higher. A binding estimate fixes the price for the inventoried goods. Binding not-to-exceed is the best for you, since the price drops if the load weighs less but can't rise. Insist on binding or not-to-exceed in writing, based on a real in-home or video survey, for any long-distance move.

What is the moving hostage-load scam?

A company gives a lowball quote, loads your belongings, then 'recalculates' the price mid-route, often double or triple, and won't deliver until you pay. It's illegal, and federal rules limit what an interstate mover can demand at delivery beyond the estimate. It's also predictable: nearly every case starts with a sight-unseen non-binding quote, a big cash deposit, and a broker. If it happens, document everything and file a complaint with FMCSA. If goods are being unlawfully withheld, local police and your state attorney general are also options.

Is moving insurance worth it?

Know what you're choosing between. The free default ('released value') pays 60 cents per pound per item, so $30 for a 50-pound TV. Full value protection, typically around 1–2% of your declared shipment value, makes the mover repair, replace, or pay out damaged items. For a long-distance move with furniture you care about, full value protection or third-party moving insurance is usually worth pricing. Declare high-value items in writing either way.

How far in advance should I book movers?

Four to eight weeks ahead for long-distance moves, and longer if you're moving in summer or at month-end, the industry's rush hour. Local moves can often book two to four weeks out, sometimes less midweek and mid-month. Booking early doesn't just secure the date; it gives you time for surveys and to actually compare three written estimates.

What won't movers take on the truck?

Hazardous items are universally refused: propane tanks, gasoline, paint thinner, many cleaning chemicals, fireworks, and often opened liquids. Movers also typically won't take (or you shouldn't let them take) cash, jewelry, documents like passports and titles, medications, and irreplaceable items. Those ride with you. Perishables and plants are usually out for long-distance. Ask for the company's non-allowables list while planning.

How do I check if a moving company is legitimate?

For interstate movers, get the USDOT number and run it through the FMCSA's free mover-search tool: confirm active authority, carrier (not just broker) registration, and check the complaint history. For local movers, check your state's licensing body. Add the basics: a real physical address, branded trucks, a survey before a binding written estimate, and a modest card-payable deposit. A company that fails any of these has plenty of competitors that don't.

Related services

Ready? You know what to ask now.

One call, your ZIP code, and you're talking to a local moving company.

(800) 555-0199

Calls are free to you; the independent provider who answers may pay us for the connection. How we make money.