Whenever you move to a new home, there’s a risk of damage to your possessions. Professional movers do their best to ensure your belongings arrive in the same condition they left, but sometimes things go wrong. When that happens, the big question is, how protected is your stuff?
How Coverage Works
Moving companies are required by law to pay you if they damage your belongings during the move. They determine the amount to pay based on the value assigned to your possessions, called the Mover’s Valuation. The amount of the valuation varies depending on the moving package you choose and the amount of damage protection you are willing to buy. The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires movers to offer at least two valuation options to their customers:
Released Valuation: This basic level of damage protection is free. Your possessions are valued at 60 cents per pound per item. If you are moving 5000 pounds of furniture, the most you could receive is $3000 if all of it is damaged. If a single item is damaged, the payment is based on the item’s weight. So if your rare antique plates that weigh 1 pound each get broken, you get 60 cents per plate, regardless of their value.
Full Value: At this level, the minimum damage protection for your possessions — established by the FMCSA — is $5000 or $4 per pound, whichever is more. Movers can adjust the minimum based on the consumer price index, so this amount may fluctuate. In this scenario, your 5000-pound shipment would be valued at $20,000. Better still, the payment is for the full value of any item broken, so if your plates are destroyed, you are paid what they are worth, up to the maximum value of your shipment.
Full-value protection comes at an extra charge, and there is usually a deductible. Also, the mover is allowed to restrict its liability on items worth more than $100 per pound unless they are specifically listed.
The mover also might offer other options:
Declared Value: You choose the cost per pound that best represents the value of your possessions, which is multiplied by the total weight of your possessions to determine the valuation. Items are assessed by worth, rather than weight, to a maximum of the valuation.
Assessed Value or Lump Sum: You specify the value of the goods you are shipping, and that amount becomes the maximum for which the mover is liable. This choice is good for if you are moving lightweight, valuable items.
Each of these valuations comes with a different price tag, and not all movers offer all levels of valuation. Ask your mover what valuations it offers.
Limits of Valuation
Mover valuation does not cover the following:
- Boxes the mover did not pack
- • Hazardous, perishable or dangerous goods packed without the mover’s knowledge
- Losses caused by events beyond the mover’s control, such as hail, fire or storm damage
- Items marked "already damaged" on your inventory list
- Items you placed in a storage facility not under the mover’s control
- Mold or mildew
- Damage to pairs or sets unless the damage is to all parts of the pair or set
- • Any loss or damage not caused by negligence of the movers
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