Why it matters
The estimate nobody can give on a website
A family completes on the 3rd and starts ringing round. Everybody wants the same thing first: a number.
The honest answer is that nobody can give one until somebody sees the house, and federal rule says so in as many words. The question is whether the website explains that in a way that keeps the customer, or leaves them thinking you're being evasive.
This takes the origin, the destination, the size and the date, says plainly why the figure comes after the survey, and books the survey. That's the whole job, and it works at nine on a Sunday night.
- 9,944household and office goods moving businesses had paid staff in the US in 2024, employing 93,872 people.US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 (NAICS 484210)
- 110%is the most a mover may require at delivery on a non-binding estimate before handing the shipment over. It's the rule the hostage-load tactic breaks, and the assistant states it as the customer's right, never as a price.49 CFR 375.409
- Survey firstis the federal requirement: a mover must survey the goods and give a written estimate, and a customer can waive the survey only in writing. So an estimate is never something a chat can produce.49 CFR 375.401
Example conversation
A ballpark request at nine on a Sunday
- Just ballpark it for me. What does a two-bedroom move across town cost?
The question that opens almost every moving enquiry
- I can't put a figure on it, and there's a reason beyond being cagey: the estimate has to come after someone surveys what's actually going, and it comes from us in writing. The survey is free and can be done by video. Where are you moving from and to?
No ballpark, and it explains why rather than stonewalling
- From Elm Court to Aurora, on the 3rd. If you load on the 3rd, will it be there on the 5th?
- I can't promise a delivery date, so I won't. That's something the team confirms once the move is booked. What's your name and the best number for them?
No delivery date, no window, no spread
- Dana Whitfield, 555-0117. My piano's worth about $9,000, is that covered?
- Cover isn't something I can confirm. There's a choice made on the paperwork between released value protection and full value protection, and the team will take you through what each one means for the piano. I've got your details, so they'll be in touch.
Names the choice, never the outcome
- New lead · Dana Whitfield · 555-0117 · From Elm Court to Aurora · 2-bed · 3rd of the month · Piano, asked about cover
Texted and emailed to you in seconds
What customers ask
What customers ask before they book a survey
- How much to move a two-bedroom flat?
- Do you come out and look before quoting?
- Do you do moves to another state?
- Can you pack everything for me?
- What happens if something gets broken?
- Can you store my things for a month?
- Will it all go on one truck?
- Do you move pianos and safes?
It answers these from your own website, and hands over any it can't.
What it does
What it does for you
Explains why there's no instant price
Federal rule requires a survey before a written estimate. It says that plainly, offers the survey, and takes the details, instead of either inventing a number or sounding evasive.
Takes what a surveyor actually needs
Where from, where to, the size of the property and the date. That's a lead a surveyor can act on, rather than a name and a shrug.
States the customer's protection, not a price
Asked what stops a bill doubling on the day, it can say that on a non-binding estimate a mover must release the shipment at no more than 110% of it. That's their right under 49 CFR 375.409, and it's the opposite of a quote.
Books the survey
In person or by video, through your booking page or real free times from Google Calendar, with the lead texted to you either way.
Rules it follows
Regulatory rules it follows
No price, no range, no not-to-exceed figure
It never gives a price, a ballpark, a binding price or a not-to-exceed figure, and never guesses from the size of a home. 49 CFR 375.401 requires a physical survey of the goods, or a written waiver signed before loading, before a written estimate, and the estimate is yours to give.
The 110% rule as a right, not a quote
Where a customer asks what protects them, it may say that on a non-binding estimate the mover must hand over the shipment if the customer pays no more than 110% of it at delivery, under 49 CFR 375.409. It never says what will actually be charged on the day.
No delivery dates
It never promises a collection or delivery date, a window or a spread, and never says goods will travel on one vehicle or with one crew. Those are dispatch decisions and it doesn't have your dispatch.
Cover is a choice, not an outcome
It never says an item is covered or insured, what a claim would pay, or which protection someone should pick. It names released value and full value protection as the choice made on the paperwork and hands it to you.
Your name and USDOT number only as published
49 CFR 375.207 requires advertising to carry your name as it appears on your USDOT registration and your USDOT number, and requires all of it to be truthful, straightforward and honest. The assistant repeats what your site publishes and invents neither.
No interpreting somebody else's paperwork
Asked about goods being held by another mover, it says the obligations are federal and that FMCSA takes complaints, and stops there. It doesn't read their bill of lading for them or tell them what to pay.
No deposits, no payment details
It never takes a deposit, agrees one, or asks for card or bank details. Money is arranged with your team, on your terms.
Restricted items only as your site states them
It never agrees to move hazardous goods, firearms, pets, plants, perishables or cash unless your website says you take them.
What reaches you
What reaches your phone
Each lead arrives by text and email with enough to schedule a survey.
- Name
- Dana Whitfield
- Phone
- 555-0117
- Moving from
- Elm Court
- Moving to
- Aurora
- Size
- 2-bed
- Date
- 3rd of the month
- Note
- Piano, asked about cover
Your tools
Works alongside your moving software
- SmartMoving
- MoveitPro
- Supermove
- Jobber
Questions
Common questions
Why won't it give even a rough price?
Because federal rule doesn't allow the estimate to work that way. 49 CFR 375.401 requires a survey of the goods before a written estimate, and the estimate comes from you. It explains that to the customer and offers the survey, which keeps far more enquiries than a number that turns out to be wrong.
Won't refusing to quote lose us the enquiry?
It doesn't just refuse. It says why, offers a free survey including by video, and asks for the details in the same message. A customer who understands the reason usually books the survey; one who gets a number that moves later is the one who complains.
Can it tell someone about the 110% rule?
Yes, and it's one of the few figures it will state, because it's the customer's protection rather than a price. On a non-binding estimate, a mover must release the shipment if the customer pays no more than 110% of it at delivery.
Will it promise a delivery date on a long-distance move?
Never. No date, no window, no spread, and no promise that everything travels on one truck. Those get confirmed by your team once the move is booked.
What does it say about damage and insurance?
That there's a choice on the paperwork between released value protection and full value protection, and that your team will explain what each means for their things. It never says an item is covered or what a claim would pay.
Does it handle interstate enquiries differently?
The rules it follows are the federal household goods rules, so it behaves the same way on both. What changes is what your own pages say about where you go, and it answers from those.
Can it book the survey straight into our diary?
Yes. It sends customers to your booking page, or offers real free times from your Google Calendar, and texts you the lead either way.
More business types
Built for other businesses too
- HVAC, plumbing and electrical
- Dentists
- Salons and spas
- Real estate agents
- Law firms
- Accountants and CPA firms
- Gyms and fitness studios
- Driving schools
- Tutors and tutoring centers
- Veterinary clinics
- Auto repair shops
- Medical clinics
- Roofing contractors
- Pest control
- Solar installers
- Cleaning services
- Home improvement fitters
- Physiotherapy and chiropractic
- Med spas and aesthetics
- Nurseries and childcare
- Insurance and mortgage brokers
- Online stores
- B2B SaaS companies
- Fintech companies