1. Give Every Mover the Same Move Details
Create one written move brief before requesting estimates. Include origin and destination addresses; move date or date range; residence type; room count; stairs, elevators, long carries, gates, docks, and parking constraints; and the work you expect the crew to perform. Attach the same itemized inventory to every request, including approximate box counts and oversized, fragile, or unusually heavy pieces. Specify whether furniture disassembly, packing, unpacking, appliance preparation, loading, unloading, or storage is required. If one quote excludes work that another includes, the totals are not directly comparable. Use the moving inventory for quotes guide at /resources/moving-inventory-for-quotes/ to build a consistent list. If your scope is still changing, review available planning options at /services/ before asking companies to revise their estimates.
2. Normalize Labor, Minimums, Travel, and Access Charges
For an hourly quote, record the proposed crew size, hourly rate, billing increments, minimum billable time, and when the clock starts and stops. Ask whether travel time, mileage, fuel, dispatch, equipment, or stair and long-carry charges are separate. A lower hourly rate may not produce a lower bill when the minimum, travel policy, or crew configuration differs. For each estimate, identify charges connected to packing materials, packing labor, elevator delays, shuttle vehicles, restricted truck access, waiting time, extra stops, or changes to the scheduled date. Confirm who is responsible for elevator reservations, loading areas, and any property requirements. Raleigh publishes rules for temporary right-of-way closures when activity affects a public street or sidewalk, so do not assume ordinary curb access covers every move. Source: City of Raleigh — Temporary Street Closures, https://raleighnc.gov/transportation/services/temporary-street-closures. Build a comparison sheet with one row per cost component. Mark each item as included, excluded, conditional, or unclear, and obtain written clarification for every unclear entry.
3. Compare Valuation, Storage, and Change Terms
Do not place valuation in the same column as price. Valuation concerns the mover’s contractual liability for loss or damage and is not necessarily third-party insurance. Compare the available valuation options, stated limits, exclusions, deductibles, documentation requirements, and claim deadlines. For more context, see /resources/moving-valuation-vs-insurance/. If storage could be needed, ask where the goods will be held, whether storage is temporary or open-ended, how charges are calculated, whether handling-in and handling-out are separate, and what happens if the delivery date changes. Confirm whether the original valuation terms continue while items are stored and during final delivery. Also review how scope changes are authorized. Added boxes, extra stops, inaccessible entrances, or unplanned packing can change the work. The estimate should explain how additional services are approved and documented before they are performed.
4. Read Cancellation and Claims Provisions Before Choosing
Compare deposits, rescheduling rules, cancellation deadlines, refund conditions, and charges that may apply if closing dates or building access change. Note whether the mover can substitute a date, arrival window, crew arrangement, or service method, and ask what remedies the written agreement provides if plans change. For claims, identify the reporting deadline, required photos or inventory records, repair or inspection process, and where a claim must be submitted. Keep the estimate, order documents, inventory, valuation selection, receipts, and delivery paperwork together. Finish by comparing five things: matched scope, likely total under your known conditions, unresolved contingencies, valuation and claim terms, and cancellation flexibility. If an estimate is incomplete, request a corrected written version rather than filling gaps with assumptions.