How To Find Licensed & Insured Local Moving Services
When you’re hiring a local moving service, it’s important that you find a trustworthy company. At a minimum, this means choosing a moving company that’s properly licensed and insured. But if you’ve never hired moving services before, you might be uncertain about how to go about this
At College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving®, we know how stressful moving can be. We also know how important it is to have peace of mind when you hire a moving company. It is stressful enough to see your life’s belongings loaded into a truck and driven away. You shouldn’t have to worry about what happens if your items get damaged or whether the company you’ve hired is operating a scam.
Below, we explain how you can check whether the moving company you’ve hired is properly licensed, what type of insurance they carry, and other ways that you can verify the legitimacy and trustworthiness of local moving services.
LOCAL MOVING SERVICES & LICENSING
When hiring local moving services, licensing can be complicated. Unlike interstate movers, who must follow federal licensing laws, local moving services are bound only by state-level regulations. These regulations vary from state to state, so you will need to look up the specific licensing laws for your state.
There are 12 states that do not regulate local movers: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Vermont. There are also no regulations in place for Washington, D.C. If you live in one of these areas, you may need to take extra steps to confirm the legitimacy and trustworthiness of local moving services.
If you’re hiring local movers one of the other 38 states, your moving company will need to carry at least one type of state-level licensing. In this case, they should be able to provide you with a licensing number. You can then verify this number with the relevant licensing authority, either by phone or online. In some states, local movers need to carry multiple licenses. Check if this is the case for your state and ask for as many licensing numbers as needed.
While licensing alone will not confirm a moving company’s trustworthiness, it can help you avoid outright scams. If a moving service lacks the appropriate licensing, they are already operating outside the law. That’s a red flag for other types of criminal activity and it’s a near-certainty that the company doesn’t carry insurance. There’s simply no reason for you to trust them with your belongings.
LOCAL MOVING SERVICES & INSURANCE
Another thing to look for when hiring a local moving service is insurance coverage. A trustworthy local moving company will carry liability insurance for the goods that they transport (meaning: your belongings). This way, you will be reimbursed in the event that any of your belongings are damaged or misplaced in the course of your move.
Prior to hiring local moving services, it is a good idea for homeowners to check the company’s insurance and/or valuation policy. When the company provides you with your estimate, ask them to provide you with a copy of this policy. Review the policy in detail, and don’t be afraid to ask the company’s representatives about policy’s details.
Here are 3 key points that you will want to address:
- What types of property loss and damage are covered?
- How will the value of your belongings be determined?
- In the event of loss or damage, how will the claim be processed?
As with a lack of proper licensing, a lack of insurance is a clear red flag when hiring movers. If a company does not carry insurance or carries a policy that you are uncomfortable with, you should look elsewhere for moving services.
OTHER WAYS TO VERIFY LOCAL MOVERS
While licensing and insurance are important markers, they aren’t the only things you should look for when verifying local movers. Here are 4 other methods of verification that you should consider:
- Check whether the company is registered with the Better Business Bureau, the rating carried by the business, and any history of complaints.
- Research the company online and check their reviews on sites like Google, Facebook, Yelp, and HomeAdvisor.
- Look into the business’s training and moving practices. Try to get a sense of how they will ensure the safety and well-being of your belongings.
- Get detailed information on pricing and estimates so that you aren’t blindsided by hidden fees or bloated pricing.
If you’re looking for local moving services, we suggest contacting your nearest College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving location. All of our locations are fully licensed and insured, and all of our services are performed by professionally trained movers. We promise transparent and straightforward pricing, we have one of the lowest damage claim rates in the business, and we boast thousands of five-star reviews from satisfied customers.
Get a quote on moving services from College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving by submitting an online request or calling us at 1-888-689-5999.