Hiring movers: A step-by-step guide to a smooth moving day

Q: How far in advance should you hire movers?

Book four to eight weeks before your move date for most moves, and even earlier, up to twelve weeks, if you are moving between May and September, at the end of a month, or on a weekend, when demand peaks. Last-minute bookings shrink your options and raise prices. Once your closing date is firm, start collecting quotes immediately.

Q: How do I know if a moving company is legitimate?

Verify the company's USDOT number through the FMCSA's free lookup tool for interstate moves, and check state licensing for local moves. Read reviews across Google and the Better Business Bureau, confirm they carry insurance, and insist on a written estimate after an in-home or video survey. Red flags include cash-only demands, large deposits, no physical address, and quotes far below competitors.

Q: How much does it cost to hire movers?

Local moves typically run about $1,000 to $2,500 depending on home size and hours, while long-distance moves commonly range from $2,500 to well over $7,500 based on distance and shipment weight. Packing services, specialty items like pianos, and peak-season dates add cost. Get binding or not-to-exceed written estimates from at least three companies so you can compare true totals, not hourly teasers.

Q: Should you tip movers, and how much?

Tipping is customary but not required. A common guideline is $4 to $10 per mover per hour, or roughly 15 to 20 percent of the bill split among the crew for exceptional service on a big move. Adjust for difficulty, stairs, heavy items, brutal weather. Cash handed to each mover at the end of the day is the standard approach, and cold drinks are always appreciated.

Written by Samantha SheltonNMLS 1647301Updated September 2026

Professional crew loading a sofa into a truck after a family finished hiring movers for their new home

Hiring movers comes down to five steps: define your move type and budget, research companies through reviews and referrals, collect at least 3 written estimates, verify credentials, and confirm every detail in writing before moving day. For any interstate move, the company must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and display a U.S. DOT number, which you can look up free of charge before you sign anything.

Booking 4 – 8 weeks ahead, earlier during the busy summer season, gets you better pricing and your preferred date. It also buys time for the step most people skip: reading the estimate closely enough to know whether the quoted number is the one you’ll actually pay.

Learn how hiring movers works step by step, including how to find reputable movers, how moving quotes work, and how to run moving day. If you’re still working through the purchase itself, start with our Home Buying guide.

Key takeaways:

Three written estimates is the floor: Federal rules require a written, dated estimate signed by you and the mover on every interstate shipment, and comparing at least 3 is the fastest way to catch a lowball quote.
Verify registration, then choose your coverage: Interstate movers must be registered with FMCSA and show a U.S. DOT number in every advertisement, and if you waive Full Value Protection, the mover’s liability drops to 60 cents per pound per article.
Book 4 – 8 weeks out: Give yourself 8 – 12 weeks for a summer, month-end, or weekend move, when demand peaks and the good crews go first.

How do you decide what kind of move you need?

Classify the move first, because that decision determines which rules protect you. A move crossing a state line is an interstate move, governed by the federal household goods regulations FMCSA enforces. A move starting and ending inside one state falls under that state’s licensing rules instead, so ask what your state requires before assuming federal protections apply.

Next, decide how much of the work you’re buying. Full-service movers pack, load, transport, and unload. The priciest option, and the only one where a company assumes legal liability for your belongings end to end. Containers and truck rentals cost less because you do the loading, and a carrier hauling a container you loaded yourself generally isn’t operating as a household goods motor carrier, which changes what protections attach.

Then set a budget and a date range, not a single date. Movers price a Tuesday in October very differently from the last Saturday in July. Our Moving & Settling In hub covers the rest of the calendar.

How do you find reputable movers?

Build a shortlist of 3 – 5 companies from referrals and reviews, then verify each against federal records. Reputation gets a company onto your list; registration keeps it there.

Verify the U.S. DOT number first

Federal rules require interstate household goods movers to include their company name and FMCSA-assigned U.S. DOT number in every advertisement, in the exact form “U.S. DOT No.” followed by the number. If it isn’t on the company’s website, that’s your answer.

Then check it. FMCSA’s public Company Snapshot lookup is free for one carrier at a time, searches by U.S. DOT number, MC number, or company name, and returns the company’s identification, size, and safety record, including its safety rating and crash history. FMCSA’s own consumer booklet is blunt: avoid brokers and movers that aren’t registered with FMCSA or that refuse to survey your household goods. Use FMCSA’s Protect Your Move mover verification tools before you sign.

Know whether you’re talking to a mover or a broker

A household goods broker arranges your move; it doesn’t perform it. A broker may only quote on a mover’s behalf when there’s a written agreement with that mover and the estimate uses the mover’s published tariff. Ask which one you’re dealing with, then verify the company that will actually touch your furniture.

Red flags that should end the conversation

No survey offered: A company quoting your whole house over the phone is guessing, and federal rules require a survey unless you waive it in writing.
Cash-only demands or large upfront deposits: FMCSA advises keeping every receipt and supporting document when a mover or broker requires cash.
Blank or incomplete paperwork: Never sign an entirely blank document. The only blanks that belong there are the actual shipment weight on a non-binding estimate and unforeseen in-transit charges.
A quote far below the others: Three estimates in a normal band and one dramatically under them isn’t a bargain; it’s the setup for a renegotiation at your curb.

Our list of questions to ask when hiring movers turns the survey visit into a screening interview.

How do moving quotes work?

On an interstate move, FMCSA requires your mover to give you a written estimate on every shipment, dated and signed by both you and the mover. A verbal quote is not an official estimate because it isn’t in writing. That document is the entire basis of what you can hold anyone to later.

The survey comes before the number

Your mover must base the estimate on a survey of your household goods, conducted on-site or virtually, as long as live or pre-recorded video lets the company clearly identify what it will transport. You can waive it in writing before loading, but don’t, the survey converts a guess into a defensible number.

Binding vs. non-binding estimates

Federal rules recognize two types of estimates, and the one you accept decides how your final bill is calculated.

Binding estimate: An agreement made in advance that guarantees the total cost based on the quantities and services shown. A mover may charge a fee for preparing one.
Non-binding estimate: The mover’s good-faith approximation, with final charges based on your shipment’s actual weight and the tariff in effect. A mover may not charge you for one.

Non-binding estimates carry a specific protection: at delivery, a mover cannot require more than 110% of the estimate, and anything beyond that gets billed after 30 days instead of collected at your curb. Your mover must release your shipment once you pay 110% of a non-binding estimate, or the exact amount of a binding one, plus any services you requested after the bill of lading was issued and any impracticable operations charges, and those impracticable operations charges are themselves capped at delivery at 15% of all other charges due. A mover that refuses after that payment is holding your shipment hostage in violation of federal law.

Before you sign, confirm the estimate is fully filled in: pickup and delivery dates, services included, accessorial charges, the payment form honored at delivery, and the liability election. If you add items on pickup day, the mover must reaffirm the non-binding estimate or write a new one before loading. Never let a crew load first and price later.

How much does hiring movers cost?

Two things drive the price: how the charge is built, and how many add-ons attach to it. Local moves are usually billed by crew size and hours on site; long-distance moves are billed as line-haul charges based on your shipment’s actual weight and the distance traveled.

Cost element	Local move	Long-distance or interstate move
Illustrative planning range¹	Roughly $1,000 – $2,500 for a two- to three-bedroom home	Roughly $2,500 – $7,500 or more, depending on weight and distance
What moves the number up	Stairs, long carries, elevators, a bigger crew, summer and month-end dates	Weight, mileage, storage in transit, shuttle service, expedited delivery

Three add-ons account for most of the gap between a quote and a final bill.

Accessorial services: Elevators, long carries, and similar services must be priced before the mover prepares the bill of lading. If a company fails to ask about them and price them up front, it has to deliver your goods and bill you after 30 days.
Impracticable operations: Conditions making it physically impossible for a crew to use its normal road-haul equipment, forcing specialized gear or extra labor. A mover may charge for these even if you never requested the service, and the conditions sit in its tariff, ask to see them.
Full Value Protection: Priced from a minimum valuation of $6.00 per pound times your shipment’s weight, though a mover may use a higher minimum.

Budget the move as a line you plan for, not a bill you absorb. Our guide to spotting hidden costs in a home purchase covers the other expenses landing in the same 30-day window.

How do you compare and choose a mover?

Lay your 3 estimates side by side and compare five things: total price, estimate type, what’s included, the liability level, and the paperwork the company sent. The cheapest number wins only when the other four columns match.

Confirm you received everything federal rules require

Before you sign a bill of lading, a mover or broker should have given you a written estimate, the “Ready to Move?” brochure or a link to it, its arbitration program information, written notice about tariff access, its claims-handling process, and the booklet “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move.” A company that skips these is out of compliance before it touches your furniture.

Choose your liability level deliberately

Every interstate mover must offer two levels, and your shipment travels under the stronger one unless you actively waive it in writing.

Full Value Protection: The default. If an item is lost, destroyed, or damaged in the mover’s custody, the company must repair it, replace it with an article of like kind and quality, or pay you the cost, subject to tariff exceptions and any deductible. It raises the price of the move.
Waiver of Full Value Protection (Released Value): Free, and minimal. The mover assumes liability for no more than 60 cents per pound per article. A 10-pound stereo component worth $1,000 is worth $6.00 under this option.

Any article worth more than $100 per pound counts as an item of extraordinary value, and you must notify your mover in writing to be entitled to full recovery. Jewelry, silverware, furs, antiques, and rugs are the usual candidates. List them or carry them yourself.

Ask about arbitration while you still have leverage: interstate movers must maintain a program, and it’s binding for claims of $10,000 or less when you request it.

Moving day: before, during and after

Moving day has three phases, and each has a document attached to it. Handle the paperwork and the day handles itself.

Before: the week ahead

File your change of address: Standard USPS mail forwarding lasts 12 months for First-Class Mail, 60 days for Periodicals, and doesn’t apply to USPS Marketing Mail at all. Filing online carries a $1.25 identity verification fee; filing in person at a Post Office is free. Forwarding may begin within 3 business days, but allow up to 2 weeks.
Re-confirm in writing: Dates, the arrival window, parking and elevator access, and the payment method accepted at delivery.
Say goodbye on purpose: Walk the empty rooms before the truck pulls away. Leaving an old home hits harder than most buyers expect, and 20 minutes now beats being ambushed later.

During: the load and the signatures

Your mover must prepare an inventory listing existing damage or unusual wear on each item, and you both sign every page. Read it and note any disagreement before signing. If something arrives missing or broken, your recovery may depend on that form. You also have the right to be present for every weighing, and to request a reweigh at no charge.

After: delivery, receipts and claims

Do not sign a delivery receipt containing language that releases the mover from liability. Strike it out, or refuse delivery if the company won’t produce a proper receipt. Inspect before the crew leaves.

If something is lost or damaged, you have 9 months from the delivery date to file a written claim with your mover or its insurer. The mover then has 30 days to acknowledge receipt and 120 days to give you a disposition, with 60-day extensions only on written notice. Photograph everything the day it arrives, then start on the house, our guide to home maintenance for first-time homeowners covers your first month.

Why Align is local

Samantha lives and works in Oakland County. She knows these neighborhoods and these tax bills because they are hers too.

She gives back where she lives: local donations, a free community Easter egg hunt, and other events she pays for herself, with no sales pitch attached. When you move here, your mortgage broker is also your neighbor.

You can sit across a desk from her at 2625 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford.

Find your Michigan community

FAQ: Hiring movers

Here are answers to common questions about hiring movers.

How far in advance should you hire movers?

Book 4 to 8 weeks out for most moves, and 8 to 12 weeks for a move between May and September, at the end of a month, or on a weekend, when demand peaks. Last-minute bookings shrink your options and raise your price. Once your closing date is firm, start collecting estimates, our Moving & Settling In hub lays out the timeline.

How do I know if a moving company is legitimate?

Verify the company’s U.S. DOT number through FMCSA’s free lookup for interstate moves, and check state licensing for a move inside one state. Federal rules require interstate movers to show that number in every advertisement. Insist on a written estimate based on an on-site or video survey, and walk away from cash-only demands or blank paperwork. Our questions to ask when hiring movers cover the rest.

How much does it cost to hire movers?

It depends on how the charge is built. Local moves are typically billed by crew size and hours; interstate moves are billed on actual shipment weight and distance, plus packing, specialty items, and peak dates. Get written estimates from at least 3 companies and note whether each is binding or non-binding, since a mover cannot require more than 110% of a non-binding estimate at delivery. Our guide to spotting hidden costs in a home purchase covers the surrounding expenses.

Should you tip movers, and how much?

Tipping is customary but not required, and there is no official standard. Many households budget a set amount per mover for the day, or a percentage of the bill split among the crew, adjusting upward for stairs, heavy pieces, or bad weather. Cash at the end of the day is the common approach. Once the truck pulls away, upkeep is yours, see home maintenance for first-time homeowners.

The bottom line on hiring movers

Hiring movers is five steps: define the move, shortlist companies, collect at least 3 written estimates, verify credentials, and confirm everything in writing. For an interstate move, the company must be registered with FMCSA and display a U.S. DOT number you can look up for free, and your written estimate, dated, signed, survey-based, is the only number anyone is bound by. Waiving Full Value Protection drops the mover’s liability to 60 cents per pound per article, so choose deliberately. Book 4 – 8 weeks out, longer in summer.

If you’re ready to buy and want moving day to be the easy part, talk to Align Lending, we’ll shop your scenario across our lender network, show you the numbers side by side, and lock your financing timeline down early. Call 248-506-5727 or start online today.

Footnotes:

1. Example figures are hypothetical and for educational purposes only; they are not an advertisement of credit terms, a rate quote, or a moving quote. The cost ranges shown are illustrative planning ranges, not a cited statistic, your charges depend on your shipment, dates, services, and the mover’s tariff. Return to text.

Sources: every interstate moving rule cited above, 49 CFR Part 375 and Appendix A, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Carrier lookup: FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot. Mail forwarding: USPS.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal, financial, or tax advice. Moving contracts, liability elections, and claims are governed by federal and state law and by each mover’s tariff; consult a qualified professional. Align Lending is not a moving company and does not arrange or perform household goods moves. Align Lending is an independent Michigan mortgage broker, NMLS #2041154.