8 Questions to Ask Before You Hire Any Moving Company

Most movers are honest. The dishonest ones run a fairly consistent playbook, and it collapses under direct questions. Ask these before you sign anything.

1. What's your NCUC license number?

Any company moving household goods within North Carolina must be registered with the North Carolina Utilities Commission. Interstate movers need a USDOT number. A real company answers this instantly. Ours is NCUC-628. Then go look it up — the point is verifying, not just asking.

2. Is this a binding estimate, a non-binding estimate, or not-to-exceed?

These are three different things and the difference is your money. A non-binding estimate can legally go up. A binding estimate can't. Not-to-exceed means you pay the lower of estimate or actual. Get the answer in writing on the paperwork, not just verbally.

3. Will your own employees do the work, or a subcontractor?

Brokers sell moves and hand them to whoever picks up. You're then dealing with a company you never vetted, whose name isn't on your contract. Ask whether the crew and the truck belong to the company you're hiring.

4. What valuation coverage is included, and what can I buy?

The legal default is released value — roughly 60 cents per pound per item. That means a 40-pound television is worth $24 if it's destroyed. Full value protection is a real product you can purchase, and for antiques or high-value items you may need declared value on specific pieces. Have this conversation before move day, because you can't buy it after.

5. How much of a deposit do you require?

A modest booking deposit is normal. A demand for a large percentage up front, or a request for cash or wire transfer, is the single clearest warning sign in this industry. Full payment is due when the shipment is delivered — not before it's loaded.

6. Are you coming out to look, or estimating over the phone?

An accurate estimate requires seeing what's being moved. In-home or video walkthrough, either is fine. A firm number from a five-minute phone call with no inventory is not an estimate, it's a hook.

7. What happens if something breaks?

Ask for the claims process specifically: who to contact, the filing window, and how long resolution typically takes. A company that handles claims regularly and fairly can describe the process without hesitating.

8. Do you have a physical address I can visit?

Look it up. A local address, a yard, trucks with the company name on them, and a business that's been at the same place for years all point the same direction. We've been in Durham since 1882 and we're not hard to find.

The pattern

Notice that none of these questions are about price. Price is the last thing to compare, and only between companies that have already cleared the other seven. The cheapest quote from a company that can't answer question one is the most expensive move you'll ever book.

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