How to Compare Moving Quotes Side by Side

Published Read 10 min read

Three movers can look at the exact same one-bedroom apartment and hand you three numbers that are hundreds of dollars apart. That gap usually has nothing to do with one company being a rip-off. It comes from different assumptions about weight, different lists of included services, and different ways of writing the same charges. Until you line the quotes up against each other and force them onto the same terms, you are comparing apples to oranges and a number you can’t really trust.

This guide is about the comparison itself: how to collect quotes that can actually be measured against one another, what to read inside each one, and how to weigh price against the things that don’t show up as a dollar figure. It assumes you already have estimates in hand or are about to request them.

Why You Need at Least Three Quotes

The federal agency that regulates interstate movers, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), tells consumers to get estimates from at least three movers or brokers and compare cost and all other services. The Federal Trade Commission gives the same advice for any move: get written price estimates from several movers, then review and compare them. Three is the floor, not a magic number. The point is to give yourself a range.

One quote tells you a price. Two quotes tell you whether that price is high or low. Three or more tell you where the real market sits for your specific move, which is the only way to recognize an outlier when you see one. A bid that lands far below the others is a signal worth investigating, not an automatic bargain (more on that below). A bid far above the pack might simply include services the cheaper ones quietly left out.

There is a quality-control benefit too. To give you an accurate price, a mover should look at what you own. The FTC says a company should look at your property in person or ask you to fully describe it before sending an estimate. FMCSA goes further for interstate moves: the estimate is supposed to be based on a physical survey of your household goods, conducted on-site or virtually, unless you waive that requirement in writing. A company that quotes you sight-unseen, over the phone, with no questions about your stairs, your sofa, or your boxes is guessing. Three companies that each take the time to survey your home will produce numbers you can actually compare. The format of that survey, in-home versus a video walkthrough, is its own topic (see our guide on in-home vs. virtual estimates).

Making Quotes Apples-to-Apples

This is the step most people skip, and it’s the one that makes the comparison meaningful. Before you put any numbers next to each other, confirm that every quote is describing the same move.

Start with the inventory. The FTC’s advice is blunt: make sure each estimate lists all your property, then compare. If Mover A’s quote is built on a 4,500-pound estimate and Mover B assumed 6,000 pounds, B is going to look more expensive for no good reason. Pull up each inventory or weight estimate and check that they cover the same rooms, the same large items, and roughly the same volume. A big weight discrepancy means someone surveyed your home differently, and you should ask why before you trust either price.

Then match the service scope. A move is rarely just “load the truck and drive.” Walk through each quote and confirm whether it includes:

  • Packing and unpacking labor, and whether packing materials (boxes, paper, tape) are part of the price or billed separately.
  • Disassembly and reassembly of furniture.
  • Stairs, long carries from the truck to the door, or a shuttle when a full-size truck can’t reach the entrance.
  • Appliance disconnection or specialty handling for items like a piano or a safe.
  • Any storage time if your dates don’t line up.

A cheaper quote that excludes packing is not cheaper if you’ll end up paying for packing anyway. Build a simple side-by-side table with one row per service and one column per mover, and mark each cell included, extra, or not offered. When every quote covers the same inventory and the same scope, the prices finally mean something.

One more thing to standardize: the estimate type. Movers give written estimates that are either binding (a guaranteed total for the quantities and services shown) or non-binding (the mover’s best guess, with final charges based on actual weight, services provided, and the mover’s tariff). Under federal rules, on a non-binding interstate estimate a mover can’t require you to pay more than 110 percent of the estimated amount at delivery for the listed services and quantities. Comparing a binding number against a non-binding number isn’t a fair fight, because one is a ceiling and the other can move. Note which type each quote is so you’re weighing comparable promises. The full mechanics of the two estimate types are covered in our guide on binding vs. non-binding estimates.

Reading the Line Items

Once the quotes describe the same move, dig into how each one is built. A total is just a sum; the line items tell you whether that sum will hold.

Look for the basis of the price first. Is it built on weight, on hours of labor, on cubic feet, or on a flat rate? Long-distance interstate moves are typically priced on weight and distance, while local moves often run on an hourly rate. If two quotes use different bases, note it, because they’ll behave differently if your actual shipment turns out heavier or your move-out day runs long.

Then hunt for the add-on charges, sometimes called accessorial services. These are the line items that turn a tidy quote into a surprise bill: long-carry fees, stair fees, elevator fees, shuttle charges, bulky-item fees, fuel surcharges, and charges for an extra flight of stairs at the destination. A low base rate stacked with high accessorials can cost more than a higher base rate with everything folded in. Make sure each fee on one quote has a counterpart you can find (or rule out) on the others.

Pay attention to what’s blank as much as what’s filled in. The FTC warns you not to sign paperwork that has blank spaces where prices, dates, signatures, or other important information should be. A quote with empty fields where charges belong isn’t a quote you can compare; it’s a placeholder that can be filled in later, not in your favor. Every number you’re relying on should already be written down.

Finally, check the valuation line. This is the mover’s liability for loss or damage, and it is not the same as insurance. The FTC suggests asking each mover what they charge to insure your goods and what they pay if things are damaged. The default level of basic coverage is often a flat rate per pound and can be far less than what your belongings are worth, with upgraded protection available at extra cost. Two quotes at the same price can carry very different protection, so read this line on every estimate. The difference between released-value and full-value protection is its own subject (see our guide on mover liability and valuation).

Comparing Beyond Price (Reputation, Liability, and Registration)

The cheapest qualified bid is a fine goal. The cheapest bid that turns out to be unqualified is how moves go wrong. Once your prices are truly comparable, weigh the things that never appear as a dollar figure.

Registration comes first. For any interstate move, the company must be registered with the U.S. Department of Transportation and operate under a USDOT number; the FTC says plainly not to hire an interstate mover that isn’t registered with DOT. You can confirm a company’s registration and look up its complaint and safety history for free through FMCSA’s SAFER Company Snapshot and the company-lookup tools on ProtectYourMove.gov, searching by USDOT number, MC number, or company name. A clean, comparable price from an unregistered carrier isn’t a deal at all. The step-by-step of pulling and reading those records is covered in our guide on verifying a mover’s license and USDOT number.

Reputation is the next tiebreaker. FMCSA points consumers to a mover’s complaint history and recommends asking neighbors, friends, and relatives for recommendations, and checking the company with the Better Business Bureau. A pattern of complaints about a specific problem, late deliveries, charges that ballooned past the estimate, damage claims that went unpaid, tells you more than a single five-star review. Read reviews critically rather than counting stars (see our guide on reading moving reviews).

Liability and paperwork round it out. Confirm each mover provides a written estimate, gives interstate customers the federally required booklet “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” before the move, and clearly states whether it is a carrier that will actually transport your goods or a broker that arranges the move with someone else (see our guide on brokers vs. carriers). When two quotes are close on price, the company with cleaner registration, fewer complaints, and clearer paperwork is the better value even if it costs a little more.

Spotting a Lowball Quote

A quote that comes in dramatically below the others deserves suspicion, not celebration. Sometimes it reflects a genuinely lean operation. Often it reflects a number designed to win your booking, with the real cost arriving later.

Watch for the survey shortcut. A legitimate mover bases the estimate on actually seeing your goods, in person or virtually. A company that gives you a rock-bottom figure over the phone without surveying your home, or that pressures you to skip the walkthrough, has built its number on a guess it can revise upward on moving day. The cure for this is the apples-to-apples work above: a lowball quote usually assumes far less weight or far fewer services than the realistic quotes, and the side-by-side table exposes it.

The federal consumer-protection guidance flags two more behaviors. The FTC says don’t hire anyone who demands cash or a big deposit before the move, and don’t sign paperwork with blank spaces where prices, dates, or other key details belong. A suspiciously low quote paired with a large upfront deposit or a half-empty contract is a combination FMCSA and the FTC both treat as a warning sign. The broader topic of moving fraud and how to spot it before you sign is covered in our guide on moving scams.

When you find a true outlier on the low end, don’t just reject it and don’t just grab it. Call and ask what it includes that the others don’t, or what it leaves out that the others include. The answer either reveals a real efficiency or reveals the catch.

Comparing quotes well is mostly bookkeeping: same inventory, same services, same estimate type, then a careful read of the line items and the non-price factors. Do that work once, on paper, and the right choice usually makes itself.

This article is general information to help you compare moving estimates, not legal or financial advice. Moving rules and a company’s registration status can change, and requirements differ between interstate, intrastate, and international moves. Verify any current rule and any specific company through the official sources below before you sign.

Sources

  • Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), “Steps to Select a Mover” / Protect Your Move, get estimates from at least three movers, compare cost and services, in-person inspection, check USDOT registration, complaint history, and BBB. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move/select-mover
  • FMCSA, “Estimating Charges (Subpart D)”, written estimates, binding vs. non-binding, the 110 percent rule, final charges based on actual weight/services/tariff. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move/how-to/subpartD
  • FMCSA, “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” (consumer booklet), physical survey requirement (on-site or virtual, unless waived in writing), required booklet, estimate types. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/2023-10/FMCSAR%26RHandbookWebv1.pdf
  • FMCSA, “What is a binding move estimate?”, binding estimate guarantees total cost based on quantities and services shown. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/consumer-protection/protect-your-move/what-binding-move-estimate
  • FMCSA, “Spot the Red Flags”, Protect Your Move guidance on survey requirement and warning signs. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move/red-flags
  • FMCSA SAFER Web, “Company Snapshot”, free lookup of a carrier by USDOT/MC number or company name, with safety record. https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx
  • Federal Trade Commission, “Avoid scams when you hire a moving company” (Consumer Advice), get written estimates from several movers, in-person look or full description, make sure each lists all property and compare, ask about coverage for damage, don’t sign blank paperwork, don’t pay a big cash deposit, don’t hire an unregistered interstate mover. https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2024/09/avoid-scams-when-you-hire-moving-company

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