Estimates
Moving estimates: the three types explained
An estimate is not a price until it says which of three kinds it is. The word is on the document, and it decides what you can be charged at delivery.
Written by HyreMover Research Desk Primary-source research and fact checking
The short answer
There are three types of moving estimate: non-binding, binding, and binding not-to-exceed. Ask for binding not-to-exceed by name.
Take the survey an interstate mover must offer, and make sure the estimate names its type in writing.
On a non-binding interstate estimate, paying 110 percent of the estimate releases your belongings, and the balance is billed afterwards.
Plan your move before the first estimate
Free, with no obligation: a person at HyreMover reads your request and replies. Matching with moving companies is not live yet, so this is not a quote.
What are the three types of moving estimate?
Non-binding, binding, and binding not-to-exceed. Each is a different promise about what you can be charged, and the type must be written on the estimate.
An approximation. The final charge is worked out from the actual weight and the services actually performed, so it can come in lower or higher. Its protection is the 110 percent rule, explained below.
A fixed price for the inventory and services listed on it. Add items or services and it is revised. It buys certainty, but only if the inventory is complete at the survey.
You pay the lesser of the estimate and the actual cost. If the shipment weighs less, you pay less. If it weighs more, you still pay the estimate. It is generally the most favorable to you. Ask for it by name.
What is the 110 percent rule?
On a non-binding estimate for an interstate move, the carrier must release your shipment when you pay no more than the estimate plus 10 percent. That is 110 percent of the estimated charges.
Any remaining lawful charges are billed afterwards and are payable within 30 days of delivery. The rule is in 49 CFR Part 375.
Does a mover have to survey my home?
Yes, for an interstate move the mover must offer you one. The requirement applies where the mover has an agent within 50 miles of your home. A virtual survey by video satisfies it. You may waive the survey, but only in writing.
Do not waive it. An estimate made from a phone call is a guess, and a low guess is found out once your belongings are on the truck.
A good survey covers every room, including the garage, attic, basement, shed and any off-site storage. It covers what is not going, access at both addresses, specialty items and the packing scope.
Be precise about the destination, the half the surveyor has not seen. That is where shuttle charges come from.
What should a complete moving estimate contain?
If a line is missing, ask for it before you compare prices.
Named on the document. Look for this first.
The list it was calculated from, so you can see what was assumed.
Stairs, carry distance, elevators and parking.
Hours and crew, or weight and distance.
As two separate lines.
Itemized per item.
The one selected, with its cost and any deductible.
Handling in and out quoted apart from the monthly rate.
On an interstate move, in writing.
Legal name, USDOT number, and whether it is the carrier or a broker.
What paperwork follows the estimate?
Four documents. Each one decides something you can be held to later.
- The order for service
- The document that authorizes the move. It records the agreed dates, the services, the valuation you chose and the estimate. Keep your copy.
- The bill of lading
- The contract and the receipt, and the most important document in the move. It states the terms, the valuation selected and the agreed delivery window. It arrives on loading day, when you are busy. Read it anyway: a term you did not notice is still a term you agreed.
- The inventory
- The itemized record made as your goods are loaded, with the condition of each item noted. A damage claim is judged against it. Check it rather than initialing it, and query any condition code you disagree with at the time.
- The two federal booklets
- Interstate movers must give you Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move and Ready to Move? The first is short, free and plainly written. Read it before you sign anything.
How do I make three moving estimates comparable?
Make them describe the same move. Then compare them.
Ideally the same video walkthrough for all three companies.
For both addresses.
So you compare like with like.
Then price the alternative separately.
Labor and materials.
A narrow window has real value and a real cost.
A total is a summary of decisions, not a price.
For what each line costs and why, see what a move actually costs.
What if a driver demands more money before unloading?
On a non-binding interstate estimate, paying 110 percent of the estimate releases your shipment. The balance is billed afterwards.
Call the company’s office first. If that does not resolve it, call the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on 1-888-368-7238 and file with the National Consumer Complaint Database. Our moving scam warning signs describe the pattern this usually belongs to.
Do these rules apply to a local move?
No. The federal rules on this page, under 49 CFR Part 375, apply to interstate moves of household goods. A move that begins and ends inside one state is governed by that state, and the rules vary.
The same structure is still a good way to judge a local estimate. It just is not federally enforceable on one. Check your state regulator before you book, and see choosing a moving company for the full hiring checklist.
Questions
What are the three types of moving estimate?
What is the 110 percent rule?
Does a mover have to survey my home?
Can a binding estimate change?
Which estimate type should I ask for?
Do these rules apply to a local move?
What is a tariff, and why does it matter?
Written and audited by
HyreMover Research Desk
Primary-source research and fact checking
We are not a moving company and not a broker. We read the federal rule, the FMCSA record or the state regulator’s page ourselves, and publish what it says with the source and the date we read it.
Where a number cannot be traced to a primary source, we publish the shorter page and say what we could not verify.
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- free moving tools that show their working on the page
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- national average moving prices published, because one figure would mislead
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- invented reviews, ratings or named experts
How this desk works
- Primary sources only. Interstate rules come from 49 CFR Part 375 and FMCSA. Carrier records come from SAFER and the FMCSA registration system. We do not cite an article that cites a source; we read the source.
- Every figure carries its retrieval date. Rules are amended and registrations lapse. A fact without the date it was read cannot be checked.
- Fact, calculation and analysis are labeled apart. A quote is a quote, a tool’s arithmetic says so, and an interpretation says it is ours.
- Limits come first. If a rule applies only to interstate moves, or a figure is a range rather than a price, that is said before the figure is used.
Authorship on this site is organizational: the analysis belongs to the desk rather than to a named individual, and we do not publish credentials we do not hold. Our editorial policy sets out how we source, date and correct what we publish.
Sources & retrieval dates
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The federal rules on this page apply to interstate moves of household goods. Moves that begin and end within one state are regulated by that state, and the requirements vary. This is general information, not legal advice. HyreMover is not a moving company and not a broker.