Terms to Include in Your Moving Contract

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Ryan Kraft

The worst thing you can do is hire movers without a contract.

Seriously. It’s really dumb. They can abuse you very easily by adding terms and holding on to your stuff if you don’t pay their new price.

The way to avoid this problem is to have a written moving contract signed by you and your mover. But what terms and provisions should you include in there? Here’s a breakdown:

Terms to Include in Your Moving Contract

Contact information for you and your movers
Date and time(s)
Locations of old and new home
Items to move, especially large furniture and other difficult items
Rates – Figure out how you’ll be charged (by the hour, by the pound, by the mile) and at what price.
Maximum/minimum prices – You should try to establish a max price for the services.
Avoiding hidden charges – Will you be charged for: (1) stairs, (2) parking, (3) packing, (4) lunch breaks, (5) waiting time, (6) storage, (7) extra weight, (8) extra time, (9) extra movers, (10) bad weather, (11) distance/mileage, (12) gas, (13) space used in the truck?
No other charges – The best way to avoid hidden charges is to include a term to the effect of the following: “Customer is only obligated to pay the costs of moving established in this agreement. All other prices charged by Moving Company that are not listed in this agreement are void.”
Arbitration – You can require arbitration for any disputes; it is a way to resolve things out of court. It’s cheaper and less stressful in most instances. The AMSA offers a dispute arbitration program, which you might be able to use in your contract.