What are Moving Expenses?
Moving expenses are fees that are incurred due to extenuating circumstances that are not part of the initial assessment of the move.
While moves are assessed by weight and distance initially, other factors are brought in to ensure that the movers are properly taken care of.
Moving expenses get a bad rap because some shadier moving companies will withhold this information or not disclose it until the final bill is shown.
The Most Common Moving Expenses
Moving Insurance
Many moving companies adhere to the laws of the department of transportation. A mover has to provide moving insurance for anything that is priced at over $2500.
Since they are already working with insurance companies, often they will extend these insurance policies to your other belongings.
Packing Labor and Supplies
If you hire a mover to pack your belongings as well, you are subjecting yourself to the additional bill of packing and boxes. Most of these movers will keep their boxes and insist these are the boxes you will consistently use and charge you for everything from tape to box.
Specialty Items
Additionally, there a box of clothes and a piano are not the same thing. If you are asking for specialty items in a move like pianos, safes, heavy objects, in general, will incur a surcharge because they require more effort and are a higher risk for our movers.
Long Carry and Elevator
The average moving company will incur a ‘long-carry’ fee if the movers have to walk farther than 75 feet. Every additional 75-foot section will usually incur a fee based on how far that will be.
Additionally, there are also elevator fees. If you need to have the movers move up an elevator, the shift in pacing and the shift in elevation winds movers quicker over time.
Storage Fees
If your house or apartment isn’t ready yet, then you should expect storage to be provided. While some moving companies offer free storage for the first month, many other companies will charge for storage for the first month like other storage companies.
Travel Fees and Extra Stops
The Department of Transportation mandates that no moving company is allowed to drive more than 400 miles in a day. If your move extends beyond those 400 miles, you can expect the movers to spend money and stay overnight; these fees will typically be charged to you.
However, if your move is under 400, there will also be travel fees, especially if there are extra stops. For example, we don’t front the gas bill, that is rebilled to the customer.
Cancellations
Additionally, if you cancel within 7-days of the scheduled moving date, you are likely to incur a fee from every moving company. Few people hire movers a week out, and if you are reserving our services for a day several months in advance, you cost us potential clients that we turned away to honor your request for our services.
Southwest Movers
Professional moving companies respect the concerns of the customer and understand the real value of the belongings they transport; not just the monetary value, but also the personal value attached to items that are often irreplaceable.