A moving company can charge more than the estimate in some situations and not in others. On a binding estimate, the price is fixed. On a weight-based non-binding estimate, you pay no more than 110% at delivery and the rest must be billed later with at least 30 days to pay. A mover cannot raise the estimate after your shipment is loaded, and cannot demand the extra money before releasing your goods.
Most disputes about moving bills come down to a customer who does not know which of these rules applies to them. Here is how to work it out in about five minutes.
Start with your estimate type
Find your written estimate and locate two things: whether it says binding or non-binding, and whether the quantity is in pounds or cubic feet.
| Your estimate | Can the final bill be higher? | Maximum due at delivery |
|---|---|---|
| Binding | Not for listed items and services | 100% of the estimate |
| Binding not-to-exceed | No, and it can be lower | The lower of actual charges or the estimate |
| Non-binding (weight) | Yes, based on actual weight | 110% of the estimate |
| Non-binding (cubic feet) | Not lawful as an estimate type | Treat as binding: 100% |
That last row catches people out. Federal law requires non-binding estimates to be based on weight. Cubic-foot pricing is only permitted on a binding estimate. If your estimate is priced by cubic feet and marked non-binding, the estimate itself was unlawful.
The two rules that decide most disputes
Rule 1: They cannot amend the estimate after loading
A mover may revise an estimate before loading, in writing, with your agreement. Once your shipment is loaded, that window closes. If they did not issue a new written estimate before loading, the law treats the original as reaffirmed.
This is the rule that defeats the classic loading-day reprice. The crew arrives, loads everything, then announces the price has doubled. Whatever justification they offer, the timing alone is the violation.
Rule 2: They must release your goods on lawful payment
Pay 110% of a weight-based non-binding estimate, or 100% of a binding estimate, plus 15% of impracticable operations charges where they apply, and the mover must give you possession. Refusing after that is holding your shipment hostage in violation of federal law.
Any balance above 110% on a non-binding estimate is not due at delivery. It gets billed afterward, and you must be given at least 30 days to pay.
What charges are legitimately extra?
Not every additional charge is a scam, and treating them all as fraud will weaken your position when you push back on the ones that matter.
Charges that can legitimately be added:
- Services you actually requested after signing the bill of lading. If you asked for extra packing on the day, that is a real charge.
- Items not on the original inventory. If you added a shed’s worth of belongings after the survey, the estimate no longer describes your shipment.
- Impracticable operations, meaning genuine access problems the mover could not reasonably have anticipated, such as a road closure or an elevator out of service. Note the 15% cap on how much of this is due at delivery.
- Actual weight above the estimate on a weight-based non-binding estimate, subject to the 110% ceiling at delivery.
Charges that should be challenged:
- A “long carry” fee for a driveway they surveyed. If they saw it and priced it, it is not an unanticipated condition.
- Stair fees, shuttle fees, or access fees that were visible at the survey. Same principle.
- A volume increase with nothing to verify it. On weight-based moves, ask for the certified weight tickets. If they cannot produce them, the charge has no foundation.
- Packing materials you did not authorize. Some operations inflate bills by wrapping everything in materials nobody asked for.
- Any charge that appears for the first time after loading.
How do I verify a weight-based increase?
This is your strongest tool and almost nobody uses it.
For shipments priced by weight, the carrier must obtain a certified weight certificate. They weigh the truck empty and loaded, and the difference is your shipment. You have the right to observe the weighing after reasonable notice, and you can request a reweigh.
So when the bill comes in higher, ask one question: please send me the certified weight tickets showing tare and gross weight.
A legitimate carrier produces them. If they cannot, the increase rests on nothing.
Cubic-foot estimates work differently. Binding cubic-foot estimates are exempt from the weight certificate requirement, which is why the price has to be locked in the first place. There is nothing to verify, so there is nothing to increase.
What do I do when the bill is too high?
Before you pay
- Work out the lawful maximum using the table above
- Put your position in writing. State the estimate type, the figure you calculated, and that you are prepared to pay it on delivery
- Ask for documentation of any charge above that: weight tickets, the written revised estimate signed before loading, or the authorization for a service you supposedly requested
- Do not sign a delivery receipt containing language that releases the mover from liability. FMCSA warns about this specifically
If they refuse to deliver
That is a hostage load. Call FMCSA at 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238), 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern, Monday through Friday, and file at nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov.
After the fact
Paying under protest does not end your options. File the complaint anyway. Your bill of lading may also provide for arbitration of loss and damage disputes, and filing with FMCSA does not affect your right to pursue a civil action.
Frequently asked questions
Can a moving company charge more than the estimate?
On a binding estimate, no, not for the items and services listed. On a weight-based non-binding estimate, the final charge can be higher based on actual weight, but you pay no more than 110% at delivery and the remainder must be billed later with at least 30 days to pay.
Can movers raise the price on moving day?
Only before your shipment is loaded, in writing, and with your agreement. Once the shipment is loaded, the mover cannot amend the estimate upward, and failure to issue a new estimate before loading means the original stands.
What is the 110% rule?
On a weight-based non-binding estimate, the mover must release your shipment when you pay 110% of the estimated amount. Any balance above that must be billed separately with at least 30 days to pay.
Do I have to pay before they unload?
You pay the lawful amount, meaning 110% of a weight-based non-binding estimate or 100% of a binding estimate, plus 15% of any impracticable operations charges. Once you have paid that, the mover must release your goods.
How do I prove the weight was wrong?
Request the certified weight certificate showing the empty and loaded weights. You also have the right to observe the weighing and to request a reweigh. A carrier who cannot produce weight tickets cannot support a weight-based increase.
Related reading
- Cubic feet or weight: which estimate protects you
- What to do when movers won’t deliver your belongings
- How to dispute the charges and get your money back
- How to write a demand letter to a moving company
- Red flags in a moving quote
Related
What to do when movers won’t deliver your belongings
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