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Moving checklist, week by week

Pick how far out you are and who packs, and get the tasks for that week. Declutter comes first, because you pay to move volume.

Five phases eight weeks out to move day Eight weeks, four, two, one and the day itself. For interstate moves, FMCSA’s Ready to Move brochure is the companion to this list.

The short answer

Start eight weeks out: declutter, then book in-home or video surveys.

At four weeks, compare written estimates of the same type on the same inventory, and look up the mover’s USDOT number if you cross a state line.

Choose valuation before the truck arrives; released value is not insurance. On move day, check the inventory before you sign.

Pick your week and who packs

The list changes with the week. Nothing is emailed.

— This phase
— Packing note
— What this page will not do

What this assumed

—

A planning order, not a legal requirement. Interstate moves: read the FMCSA booklet too. HyreMover does not pack or move.

Key takeaways

  • Declutter before the survey

    You pay to pack and haul volume. What you leave behind before the survey never reaches the estimate.

  • Compare estimates on one inventory

    Same inventory, same estimate type, same valuation. Otherwise the cheapest bid is just the smallest job.

  • Choose valuation on purpose

    Released value pays 60 cents per pound per article. Price full value protection before you sign.

  • Never pay a large cash deposit

    No survey plus a large cash deposit is the pattern FMCSA’s Protect Your Move program warns about.

Why do the early weeks matter most?

Because the choices that set your price and your protection are made weeks before packing starts. By move day they are already binding.

Three quiet decisions. Decluttering cuts every line of the bill, but only if it happens before the survey. The estimate type sets the most anyone can demand at the door, and you choose it while comparing quotes. Valuation decides what a broken item is worth.

All three happen early. All three are hard to undo by the time anything feels pressing.

What feels urgent late is mostly logistics. Utilities, mail forwarding, keys, cleaning, the first-night box. It all has to be done, but none of it changes the price or who pays for damage.

Estimates have a hard stop. Estimates may be amended only before loading and only by mutual agreement. 49 CFR 375.401(i) prohibits amendment after loading — which is precisely when a shipper is least able to argue. You can negotiate an estimate until your things are on the truck, and not after.

Time is your protection. A rushed timeline cuts out surveys, comparison and reading the paperwork. It also removes the option to walk away, and that option is what gives every other protection its weight.

What should you do each week before a move?

Work through it in order. Each step exists because the next one depends on it.

  1. 8 weeks

    Declutter, then check if you cross a state line

    Declutter first, because every later number is built on what is in the house. Then check whether the move crosses a state line. That decides which rules apply and what you should ask for.

  2. 7 weeks

    Photograph what matters and gather your documents

    Serial numbers, existing damage, the backs of electronics, the contents of display cabinets. This is your evidence for any future claim, and it takes about an hour. Set aside the documents you will carry yourself.

  3. 6 weeks

    Book three surveys, close together

    For an interstate move, 49 CFR 375.401(a) requires a physical survey and a written estimate based on it. Three surveys close together give three estimates built on the same house, so you can compare them.

  4. 5 weeks

    Ask for the paperwork, not the price

    For an interstate move, ask for the six documents required by 49 CFR 375.213. Send one email to all three movers. Read what comes back before you look at any number.

  5. 4 weeks

    Compare like with like, and look the mover up

    Same inventory, same estimate type, same valuation. Then match the legal name and address in the federal record to the estimate. With a broker, check the carrier that will haul your goods too. The carrier lookup explains what an active status means.

  6. 3 weeks

    Choose valuation, after doing the math

    Full value protection, or released value at 60 cents per pound per article. Run your three most valuable items through the valuation calculator before you tick a box. Neither option is insurance.

  7. 2 weeks

    Confirm access at both ends, in writing

    Parking, permits, carry distance, stairs, elevators, and whether a shuttle truck may be needed. Access problems cause charges that show up after the estimate, and you can find every one of them now.

  8. 1 week

    Utilities, mail and the rest of the list

    Meter readings, final bills, address changes, schools, medical records, insurers, banks. None of it changes the price. Skipping it makes the two weeks after the move much harder.

  9. Move day

    Read the inventory before you sign it, at both ends

    The mover must list your shipment at loading and note any damage. At delivery, check items against that inventory and record new damage on it. Photograph the sheets. Never sign a blank bill of lading.

  10. After delivery

    The claim clock, if you need it

    You have 9 months from delivery to file in writing. The mover then has 30 days to acknowledge it and 120 days to pay, deny or make an offer.

Should you pack yourself or pay the mover to pack?

Packing yourself saves money, but it also changes who is answerable for damage inside the box.

Carrier-packed cartons

The mover chose the materials, packed the box and sealed it. Damage found inside is clearly the mover’s to answer for. They cannot argue that poor packing caused it.

It costs more in materials and labor, and packing can take a day or more in your home before the move.

Owner-packed cartons

You save the labor cost. You also accept a harder claim: damage inside a box you packed invites the reply that the packing was poor, and that reply is often right.

That is fair. A mover cannot answer for how well someone else wrapped a wine glass. Just make the trade knowingly.

The split most people should make

Pack the low-value things that are hard to break yourself: books, linens, clothing, shoes, toys, garage contents. Have the mover pack glass, china, art, mirrors, lamps, electronics and anything you would hate to lose.

You keep most of the saving, and the fragile items, where the packing argument matters, are the ones the mover packed.

Valuation sits under both

Under released value, the payout is 60 cents per pound per article: $24.00 for a 40 lb television. HyreMover calculation from the rate in Appendix A to Part 375; the weight is an example.

Under full value protection, the mover must repair the item, replace it, or pay what it costs to replace. Neither option is insurance. Both are the mover’s own liability under its tariff.

What should you document before and during a move?

About an hour of work, spread across the eight weeks. It makes a damage claim far easier.

  • Photograph high-value items before they are wrapped

    Front, back, and any existing damage. A dated photo settles the "it was already like that" argument before it starts.

  • Record serial numbers

    TVs, computers, appliances, tools, bikes, musical instruments. Your insurer will ask for them too.

  • Keep the inventory sheets and photograph them at both ends

    A claim is decided on the inventory. Damage noted at loading protects the mover; damage you note at delivery protects you.

  • Read the bill of lading before signing, and never sign it blank

    The bill of lading is your contract with the mover, not a receipt. Signing it blank means agreeing to terms written later.

  • Ask for the weight tickets on a long-distance move

    You can ask for a free reweigh if you doubt the weight, but only before the shipment is unloaded (Appendix A to Part 375).

  • Note new damage on the inventory at delivery, right away

    Before the crew leaves and before you sign. Finding it three days later is still inside the claim window, but your position is weaker.

  • Keep every document in one place, digitally

    Estimate, bill of lading, inventories, weight tickets, the valuation choice, and every email. Photograph paper as you get it. Boxes get lost; a phone album does not.

  • Signing the delivery paperwork to get the crew out the door

    Understandable, and expensive. Ten minutes of reading at the end of a long day is worth it.

  • Relying on the crew’s word about a charge

    The driver cannot change your contract with a verbal promise. If it is not in writing, it did not happen.

  • Waiting to see whether anything turns up before filing

    The window is 9 months from delivery, and it does not pause while you wait. File in writing, then keep checking.

What should you do on moving day?

Nothing here changes the price. All of it decides whether the day goes smoothly.

Before the crew arrives. Hold the parking space if you have a permit. Clear the path from the door to the street. Put the first-night box and anything you are carrying yourself in your own car, with a note so nobody loads it.

When they arrive. Walk through with the crew lead before anything is moved. Point out what goes, what stays, and anything fragile or awkward. Confirm the delivery address and the contact number on the paperwork.

While loading. Stay nearby but out of the way. Check the inventory as it is written, not at the end. Corrections are easy in the moment and awkward later. Photograph each room once it is empty.

Before the truck leaves. Walk every room, closet, the attic, the garage, the shed and the yard. Check behind doors and inside built-in closets. This is where things get left behind.

At delivery. Tell the crew where each item goes as it comes in. Check items against the inventory and note new damage on the form.

If a demand for more money appears. On a non-binding interstate estimate, the federal booklet is clear: "Under a non-binding estimate, the mover cannot require you to pay more than 110 percent of the non-binding estimate at the time of delivery."

If your goods are held anyway. The booklet says: "If your mover refuses to deliver your shipment unless you pay an amount the mover is not entitled to charge, contact FMCSA immediately at (888) 368-7238."

Afterwards. Keep the paperwork. Test appliances and electronics within a few days. That is when hidden damage shows up, and you are still well inside the claim window.

What is each phase for?

The third column matters most: it names what you lose by leaving each phase until later.

PhaseWhat it is forWhat you lose if it slips
8 weeks: declutter, check the rulesShrink what gets priced, and learn which rules apply.A survey of the full house prices the full house. On a binding estimate, you have agreed to that price.
6 weeks: surveysTurn guesses into written estimates and find access problems early.Without a survey, extra charges surface on the day, when you cannot refuse them.
5 weeks: the required documentsTest whether a mover follows the federal process.You end up choosing on price alone, the least useful signal you have.
4 weeks: compare and verifyMake three bids comparable and confirm who you are dealing with.Comparing later is rushed, and checking after booking is too late to act on.
3 weeks: valuationDecide what a broken item is worth before anything breaks.Full value protection is the default; released value is a written waiver of it. Check what you signed. Released value pays little for a TV.
2 weeks: confirm accessRemove a common source of surprise charges.A shuttle truck found on the day is an expensive surprise.
1 week: logisticsUtilities, mail forwarding, keys, cleaning.Nothing financial, but avoidable hassle at the new home.
Move day: documentationCreate the evidence a claim would rest on.The 9-month window stays open, but your position weakens with every day of undocumented damage.

What can this moving checklist not do?

It orders the work. It does not know your home, your state or your contract.

It is not a project manager. It has no dates, no reminders and no view of your situation. Many moves do not get eight weeks. The order still holds when the timeline is short; the slack does not.

It cannot see your household. A piano, a home lab, forty houseplants or a child who needs one specific blanket: those items need their own plan.

It does not know your state’s rules. The federal items apply to interstate moves. On an in-state move, the order still works, but the same rights may not exist.

It cannot make a rushed move safe. If you move in ten days, expect to pay more. Spend your time on the survey, the estimate type and valuation, in that order, not on packing early.

It is not advice about your contract. HyreMover does not pack, move or survey. This page can tell you to walk away from a booking as easily as to make one.

Which moving deadlines go in your calendar?

9 monthsfrom delivery to file a written claimAppendix A to 49 CFR Part 375
30 daysfor the mover to acknowledge your claimAppendix A to 49 CFR Part 375
120 daysfor the mover to pay, deny or offer on your claim49 CFR 370.9
1 hournotice you must get before extra services found mid-job49 CFR 375.403(a)(8)
Before unloadingthe deadline to ask for a free reweighAppendix A to 49 CFR Part 375
110%the most you pay at delivery on a non-binding interstate estimate49 CFR 375.407(a)
$10,000or less: the mover must agree to arbitration if you askAppendix A to 49 CFR Part 375
6documents an interstate mover must give you before the bill of lading49 CFR 375.213

How this calculator works

There is no arithmetic. The engine maps the week you pick to a phase paragraph, then adds a packing line.

8 weeks   declutter, surveys, photos, time off
4 weeks   estimates, USDOT, valuation, address
2 weeks   dates, parking, do-not-load boxes
1 week    essentials bag, utilities, no cash
Move day  inventory, condition, bill of lading

Packing is a second sentence, not a week. Owner-packed cartons are cheaper and treated differently if contents are damaged. Carrier packing means you declare high-value and owner-packed exceptions now.

FMCSA’s Ready to Move brochure covers before / moving day / delivery day for interstate household goods. This page is our planning order, not a reprint of that brochure. Read both if you cross a state line.

What each input means

Inputs on this tool, in the order they appear on the form.
InputWhat it is actually asking
When Eight weeks, four, two, one, or move day. Pick the nearest. Doing eight-week work at day minus one is how surveys never happen.
Who packs You, or the carrier. Changes liability treatment of cartons, not the phase calendar. Fragile and high-value items belong in the carrier conversation either way.

Worked examples

Including one where the naive answer misleads, which is the example most calculators leave out.

Eight weeks, packing yourself

Phase: declutter (the bill is volume), decide packing, photograph serials, request time off, get surveys in person or by video, not phone guesses. Packing line: cheaper, and those cartons are treated differently if contents are damaged. Do not pack the open bottle and the legal file in a box they will stack.

Four weeks, carrier packing, interstate

Phase: written estimates of the same type on the same inventory, USDOT lookup, valuation chosen, change-of-address started. Packing line: declare high-value and owner-packed exceptions now. Open SAFER in another tab (USDOT lookup). If the estimate is still a phone number with no survey, it is not yet an estimate.

When packing first backfires

It is move week, the house is in boxes, and nobody has surveyed. Movers now guess from a photo of a hallway. The better order is the reverse: decide what is going, get it surveyed, then pack.

If you are three days out with no survey, use the one-week list: essentials on you, no large cash deposit, and a survey if anyone will still do one.

What changes the result

The week is the only switch for the phase paragraph. Packing only changes the second sentence. There is no score and no "you are behind" meter. If you are late, read the current week and the one before it, not a guilt dashboard.

Interstate versus local does not change the engine output. It changes whether the FMCSA booklet and a USDOT lookup are mandatory. Use local vs long-distance if that is still open.

Local considerations

Parking permits, elevator reservations and building loading-dock windows are local and often decide the day. Ask the building and the city, not this form. Peak summer and month-end are capacity constraints everywhere; mid-month and mid-week are usually easier. State mover licensing applies to in-state work; we do not ship a 50-state permit calendar.

When not to use this

Do not treat this as a project-management contract, a packing guide for hazardous materials, or legal advice. Federal law restricts shipping certain hazardous materials in household-goods boxes; read the booklet and tell the carrier.

Do not skip the inventory and the bill of lading because a list said you were "ready." 49 CFR 375.503 is the interstate inventory rule. Signing a blank condition report is how claims die.

This is not a junk-removal or dumpster schedule. Leaving things behind is declutter, not a HyreMover service.

HyreMover does not pack or move.

Related on this site

Questions this calculator answers

How far in advance should I book movers?
About eight weeks out, and earlier for summer or the end of the month. Booking early is how you get surveys and three comparable estimates, not whoever still has a truck. This checklist starts at eight weeks because declutter and surveys still fit then.
What should I do first?
Declutter. Decide what is actually going before anyone surveys your home, because you pay to move volume. Packing comes later.
Should I pack or pay the movers to pack?
Pack the sturdy, low-value items yourself and pay the mover to pack fragile ones. Owner-packed boxes are cheaper, but damage inside them is harder to claim. Declare high-value items either way.
When do I get estimates?
About six weeks out, once you know what is going and can describe access at both ends. Ask for in-home or video surveys. For interstate moves, 49 CFR 375.401 requires a physical survey unless you waive it in writing. A phone quote for a whole house is a guess.
What do I need on move day?
Four things: check the inventory as items go on the truck, note their condition, keep essentials and medicines with you, and read the bill of lading before you sign. Never sign a blank condition report.
What is the Ready to Move brochure?
It is an FMCSA brochure that interstate movers must give you, with checklists for before the move, moving day and delivery day. Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move is the longer booklet. Both are free. Local moves follow state rules, but both are still useful reading.
Should I pay a large deposit?
No. A modest deposit can be normal, but FMCSA’s Protect Your Move program names a large up-front cash deposit as a sign of moving fraud. No survey plus a large cash demand is the pattern to walk away from.
When do I choose valuation?
About three weeks out, and always before you sign the bill of lading. Released value pays 60 cents per pound per article. Full value protection costs more and pays to repair or replace. Neither is insurance, so check your own policy for goods in transit.
What about change of address and utilities?
Start address changes about four weeks out. Set up utilities a week ahead so both homes have power on move day. This checklist will not file them for you.
Does this checklist run my move?
No. It is a list you work through yourself. HyreMover does not pack or move household goods.

Sources and methodology

Figures dated August 26, 2026. Last reviewed .

  • Ready to Move brochure (FMCSA Protect Your Move Toolkit, retrieved 2026-08-26. Checklists for before the move, moving day and delivery day. Interstate movers must give it to you.)
  • Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move (FMCSA, retrieved 2026-08-26. Estimates, bill of lading, valuation, claims, delivery windows.)
  • Protect Your Move (FMCSA, retrieved 2026-08-26. Rogue-operator pattern: quote without a survey, large cash deposit, then a hold on the goods.)
  • 49 CFR 375.401 and 375.503 (eCFR / FMCSA, retrieved 2026-08-26. Survey and written estimate; written inventory at loading and a chance to note damage at delivery.)
  • Renters and homeowners coverage for goods in transit (Insurance Information Institute, retrieved 2026-08-26. Your policy may or may not cover goods in transit. Released value is not a substitute for reading it.)

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