A moving company contract checklist keeps the promise of your move on paper before a truck is loaded. Read every line for services, inventory, pickup and delivery dates, price, access, storage, valuation, claims, and cancellation. If a number, date, or service does not match what you were told, get the correction in writing before you sign. This guide is practical reading help, not legal advice for any state or city.
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What a Moving Company Contract Checklist Covers
The contract is the job, not the brochure. A phone quote, a text, or a website form can start the conversation. None of those replace the signed papers. On an interstate household move, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires a written estimate of all charges, and a rate quote is not that estimate. You and the mover both sign it, and you keep a dated copy. The agency explains that rule in its guide to estimating charges.
Use one pass through the packet. Check the company name against the crew that will actually load. Then check the origin and destination addresses, the service list, the inventory, the dates, the price type, access notes, storage, valuation, the claims path, and how you can cancel. Mark anything blank, vague, or different from the estimate.
Do not sign a blank page, and do not initial a page you have not read. If the mover needs a change after you both agree, that change belongs on the estimate before loading. Federal guidance says an estimate may be amended before loading by mutual agreement, and it may not be amended after the shipment is loaded. Ask for the updated copy the same day.
Local moves inside one state can follow different rules than a move across state lines. This checklist tells you which questions to ask. It does not tell you what your state requires. If a clause is unclear, ask the company to rewrite it in plain language, or have your own advisor review it before you sign.
Services Named in the Agreement
Start with the work itself. A residential move can mean loading, transport, and unloading only, or it can include packing and unpacking. The label on the website is not the scope. The estimate is. Read the service lines and circle anything you expected that is missing.
Look for these items by name, not by a package title:
- Packing, unpacking, and who supplies the boxes and paper.
- Disassembly and reassembly of beds, tables, and other furniture.
- Loading, transport, and unloading, including which floors.
- Specialty handling for a piano, art, antiques, or a wine collection.
- Debris or packing-material removal at the end of the job.
If you want full packing, the contract should say so and name the rooms. A line that says “packing available” is an offer, not a booked service. The same is true for unpacking. Packing and unpacking should appear as their own lines with a price or a clear “included” mark.
Also read what the crew will not move. Hazardous materials, food, plants, and items you will carry yourself should be listed as exclusions. That keeps them from becoming a surprise refusal on load day. If a specialty item is included, the line should name that item. “Special care” alone is not enough.
Inventory and Condition Notes
The inventory is the list of what the truck takes and the condition those items were in at pickup. On an interstate move, the mover prepares that inventory, notes existing damage or unusual wear, and both of you sign each page. Treat an unsigned inventory as unfinished, even if the rest of the packet looks complete.
Before load day, compare the inventory method in the contract with the estimate. Ask whether the list is written by room, by carton, or by item. Ask who marks pre-existing scratches, and whether you can add a note before you sign the page. A photo inventory, when offered, should be named in the scope so you know it is part of this job.
High-value pieces need their own lines. Interstate movers can limit responsibility for items worth more than $100 per pound, such as jewelry, china, or furs, unless you list those items on the shipping papers. Put serial numbers or short descriptions on that list, and keep a copy. Do not rely on a verbal “we saw it.”
Carton counts matter as much as furniture counts. If you packed some boxes and the mover packed others, the contract should say which is which. A missing carton is much harder to discuss later if the inventory only says “misc. boxes.” Ask for a count by room before the truck leaves.
Pickup and Delivery Dates
Dates are the next place a contract goes soft. A long-distance move often uses a pickup window and a delivery window, not a single clock time. Read both windows. Then read what happens if the truck arrives on the last day of the spread, or a day later.
Write down the answers to these questions in the margin, then ask for them in the document:
- What is the first and last pickup date, and is either date guaranteed?
- What is the delivery spread, and how will you be told the truck is close?
- What fee or remedy applies if pickup or delivery is late?
- Can you change the date, and how many days of notice does that take?
A phrase like “a few days to a couple of weeks” on a service page is an illustration, not your delivery promise. Your promise is the window printed on your estimate and bill of lading. If you need a firm in-by date because of a lease or a closing, say so before you sign and get that date into the paperwork. A verbal assurance on the walk-through does not change the window.
Also check the contact path for moving-day updates. The contract should name a phone number or dispatch contact you can reach if the crew is late or the building changes the elevator time. Store that number with the signed copy, not only in a text thread.
Pricing, Estimate Type, and Payment
Price terms decide whether the figure you were given can change. On an interstate shipment, a binding estimate is a written agreement that the total is fixed for the quantities and services shown. A non-binding estimate is the mover’s best calculation from estimated weight and requested services, and the final bill follows actual weight and services. Read which type you were given. Do not assume a low number is binding because it looks precise.
Federal rules also separate a rate quote from an estimate. The estimate must list transportation, accessorial, and advance charges, and both parties sign it. If your origin is within 50 miles of the mover or its agent, the estimate should be based on a physical survey unless you signed a written waiver before loading. A video walk-through is not that waiver unless the paper says you waived the in-home survey.
| Contract line | What to confirm before you sign |
|---|---|
| Estimate type. | Binding or non-binding, and what can still change the total. |
| Service price. | Each included task, plus any hourly or weight basis. |
| Accessorial charges. | Stairs, long carries, shuttles, elevators, and packing. |
| Payment form. | Which methods the mover will accept at delivery. |
| Storage charges. | Rate, billing period, and when storage charges start. |
| Valuation charge. | Which option you elected and any deductible. |
Ask the mover to show the form of payment accepted at delivery. Interstate rules require that the forms be specified, and they can include cash, certified check, money order, cashier’s check, or a named card. A contract that says “payment due on delivery” without naming the method is incomplete. Get the method in writing so you are not sorting a payment problem on the curb.
Transit Moving Systems prices each job from a written estimate rather than a public rate card. Weight, stairs, packing, and special items belong on that estimate. If a discount or loyalty credit was discussed, it should appear as its own line. A mention on a call is not a discount.
Access Conditions That Change the Job
Access is where a fair estimate becomes an extra charge. The contract should describe stairs, elevator reservations, long carries from the truck to the door, shuttle needs, and parking limits. If the building requires a certificate of insurance or a weekday move, that condition belongs in the notes before you sign.
Walk the path the crew will walk, at both addresses, and compare it with the estimate. A third-floor walk-up, a locked loading dock, or a street that cannot take a large truck should already be priced. If you discover a new limit after the survey, send a written note and ask for a revised estimate before load day. Do not leave it for the crew to “figure out.”
The same rule applies to timing rules set by a landlord or a building manager. If move-in hours end at 4 p.m., the contract’s delivery window has to fit that clock, or you need a written plan for overnight holding. A crew that arrives inside its own window can still miss the building’s window. Put both clocks on the same page.
Storage Terms If Goods Will Wait
Storage is a second agreement hiding inside the first one. If any goods will sit between pickup and delivery, the contract should say whether that is storage in transit or a separate storage stay. It should also say who holds the goods, how you get them back, and when billing starts.
Storage at Transit Moving Systems can be short-term, long-term, or storage in transit, including climate-controlled options. The monthly figure on a general storage page is not your rate. Your rate is the one printed for your unit size, location, and length of stay. Ask for the retrieval steps too: how much notice, whether delivery is included, and what happens if you need one item before the rest.
Read the valuation line for stored goods separately from the line for the truck. On the company’s insurance page, items in storage are covered at 60 cents per pound unless you buy storage valuation, which is listed at $3 per $1,000 of declared value for each month. Confirm that election, the declared value, and any deductible in the storage paperwork. A moving valuation choice does not automatically follow the goods into storage.
Also check access. A monitored facility is not the same promise as customer access at any hour. If you need to retrieve boxes on a specific day, get the notice period and the delivery or pickup method in writing before you sign.
Valuation and What It Actually Pays
Valuation is the mover’s level of responsibility for loss or damage. It is not the same product as a homeowner policy, and the contract should say which option you picked. On an interstate move, federal law requires two options: Full Value Protection and Released Value Protection. If you do not choose Released Value, the shipment moves under Full Value Protection.
Released Value is offered at no extra charge and pays no more than 60 cents per pound per article. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration uses a clear example: a 25-pound television pays $15 under that option. Full Value Protection makes the mover responsible for the replacement value of lost or damaged goods, and it can include a deductible. You must sign a specific statement to accept Released Value. Do not initial that line by habit.
The company’s own moving insurance page states minimum liability of $0.60 per pound. Extended valuation is listed at $5 per $1,000 for an intrastate move and $13 per $1,000 for an interstate move, with a $500 deductible and a stated $10,000 minimum. An added option is described at up to $100 per pound when items over that value are listed on the inventory. These figures are the published description, not a promise that every job uses the same election. Ask for the option, the deductible, and the exclusions on your estimate, and sign only the option you want.
If a line says the company will repair an item when repair is reasonable and replace it when it is not, keep that sentence. It tells you the usual path for a claim. It does not raise the dollar limit of the option you elected.
Claims, Cancellation, and Changes in Writing
The claims clause should tell you how to report damage, what the deadline is, and where to send the notice. Transit Moving Systems takes claims through its claim page, and each claim is investigated against the inventory and the valuation you elected. Federal guidance for interstate moves gives you nine months to file a written claim for loss or damage. Your signed agreement controls the exact steps, so read that deadline on your papers rather than assuming the federal period applies to a local job.
Cancellation language needs the same plain reading. Look for the last date you can cancel without a fee, the size of any fee after that date, and whether a deposit is refundable. If the contract is silent, ask for a written cancellation term before you sign. Do not invent a grace period from a general FAQ. The website terms that cover forms and messages are not the move contract, and they do not set your cancellation fee.
When anything is wrong, fix it on the page. Send a short note that quotes the clause, states the correction, and asks for a revised estimate or an initialed change. Keep the reply with the signed copy. A text that says “yes, we will include packing” is useful only after that packing line is added to the estimate you sign.
Ready for a contract you can read line by line? Contact Transit Moving Systems or call (346) 646-7955 and ask for the written estimate before you book.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I check first on a moving contract?
Check the company name, both addresses, the service list, and the estimate type. Then match the pickup and delivery windows to your lease or closing dates. If any of those four items is blank or different from what you discussed, stop and ask for a corrected copy.
Is a phone quote the same as a written estimate?
No. For an interstate household move, FMCSA requires a written estimate of all charges, signed by you and the mover. A rate quote is not that estimate. Ask for the dated copy at the time you sign.
What is the difference between binding and non-binding?
A binding estimate locks the total for the services and quantities shown on it. A non-binding estimate is a calculation, and the final charges follow actual weight and the services performed. The contract should say which one you have.
Do I have to buy moving insurance?
You choose a valuation option. Released Value is the no-charge option and pays 60 cents per pound per article. Full Value Protection costs more and covers replacement value, sometimes with a deductible. The company’s published extended-valuation rates should be confirmed on your own estimate.
What if a term does not match the sales conversation?
Do not sign over the mismatch. Write the correction, ask for a revised page, and keep the written reply. Verbal promises and website wording do not change the document you sign.