Quotes and what they mean
Why is one moving quote so much cheaper than the others?
The short answer
Usually because it is not the same offer. Check three things in order: whether the inventory matches, whether the estimate is binding, and whether the company is the carrier or a broker. A materially lower number almost always differs on at least one of those.
Line them up on the same four points
- Inventory. Are all three quoting the same list, from the same survey? A shorter inventory produces a lower number and a bigger surprise.
- Estimate type. A non-binding estimate can be lower and mean less.
- Carrier or broker. A broker's quote is a prediction about a carrier they have not assigned yet.
- Valuation. If one includes full value protection and two are on the default released-value basis, they are not the same product.
And sometimes it is genuinely cheaper
Capacity is seasonal and directional. A mover with a truck returning empty on your route, or a date in the middle of a month outside the summer peak, can be legitimately cheaper by a wide margin. That is worth having, and it is distinguishable from the other kind by all four checks above passing.
Moving demand concentrates at the end of the month and in summer. If your dates are flexible at all, asking what a midweek mid-month date does to the price is the single easiest saving in this trade.
Also asked
Is the most expensive quote the safest?
No. Price correlates with scope and with how busy a company is, not reliably with care. The comparison that matters is the scope, the estimate type, the valuation and the registration — a high quote from an undisclosed broker is still an undisclosed broker.
The long version
Moving quotes and estimates explained
Understand moving estimate types, surveys, contract documents, and the common reasons a quoted price can change before delivery.
Read the guide →General information about moving and about hiring, not advice about your move. Interstate household-goods moving within the United States is federally regulated; local, intrastate and Canadian moving is regulated by each state or province, and the rules differ. The authority for your move is the one to check.