Comparing moving quotes on price alone is close to meaningless, because two quotes rarely describe the same thing. One may include travel, the other may not. One may count from the depot, the other from your door. One may include protection materials, the other may charge for them.
The way to compare properly is to ask every company the same list and write the answers down. The company whose answers are specific and unprompted is usually the one whose quote will hold.
Print this, or read it off your phone while you are on the call.
About the Quote Itself
- Is this an estimate or a binding price, and what exactly would change it?
- Will you put it in writing before I commit, with what is and is not included?
- Are these figures before or after HST?
- What is your minimum booking, in hours or in dollars?
- What happens if the move takes longer than you have estimated?
- What happens if it takes less?
About How the Time Is Counted
This is where two quotes most often turn out not to be comparable, and almost nobody asks about it.
- Does the clock start when you leave your depot, or when you arrive at my door?
- Is travel included, and how much before mileage applies?
- Is there a different rate outside standard hours or at weekends?
- Is there a charge for a second stop or a second address?
- How is a long carry charged, and at what distance does it start?
- Is there a stair charge, and how is it calculated?
About the Crew and the Truck
- How many people are you sending, and why that number?
- What size truck, and will it take my whole move in one trip?
- Who will be running the job, and will I meet them before the day?
- Have your crews done this type of move before — a retirement suite, a walk-up, a farm property?
- What time will you arrive, and is that a time or a window?
About Protection
- What protection is included with the move, and what is confirmed in writing?
- Are blankets, wrap, straps and mattress covers included or extra?
- Do you protect floors, door frames and stairs?
- What do I do if something is damaged, and how quickly must I report it?
- Do you provide a certificate of insurance if my building requires one?
About What Is Included in the Work
- Do you disassemble and reassemble beds and furniture?
- Will you place furniture where I want it, or leave it in the hall?
- Do you do packing, and is it priced separately?
- Will you take the empty cartons and packing waste away?
- Do you move appliances, and will you connect them?
- Will you take donations or remove things I am not keeping?
- What will you not move?
About the Company
- What is your full business name, and is it the name on the truck and the invoice?
- How long have you been operating under that name?
- Can I see reviews, and can I see how you responded to a poor one?
- Do you require a deposit, and if so, how is it paid?
- What are your cancellation and rescheduling terms?
- What happens if you have to reschedule?
The Questions to Ask If It Is a Senior Move
- Have your crews done retirement-residence move-ins before?
- Will you confirm the residence's requirements with them, or is that mine to do?
- Can you help work out what will fit the new suite before we pack?
- Do you unpack and set the suite up, or only deliver to it?
- Can you handle the downsizing and the donations as well as the move?
- Can we do this in stages rather than one day?
What the Answers Tell You
Specificity is the signal. A company that answers "our minimum is X, travel works like Y, and here is what would change the price" has thought about your move. A company that answers everything with "do not worry, we will look after you" has not, and the invoice is where that becomes your problem.
The other signal is what they ask you. A mover who wants photos, asks about the basement, and asks whether the elevator is booked is a mover whose estimate is grounded in something. One who does not ask has quoted a number, not a move.
And the best answer any of them can give you is an honest "we are not the right company for this". It is rare, and it is worth a great deal.
Ask everybody the same list, write down the answers, and compare those rather than the totals. The cheapest quote and the cheapest move are frequently not the same company.
Ask us all of it. Our pricing page publishes what we charge and our moving standards page sets out how we work, so most of the answers are already written down.