Flat Rate Moving Companies
Are you planning a shift?
As the customer, you should always carefully review each company and its prices. On the surface, flat-rate movers sound like the best deal. With a flat rate, you pay the quoted price no matter what. If you’re looking to hire professional movers by the hour, you’re likely to save as much money as possible. While hiring flat-rate movers may seem like the greatest option, in some cases, they can send your hauling costs through the roof.
In fact, the question of an hourly rate or flat-rate, with regard to moving, usually comes down to the distance your items need to be transported and the size of your current home. We’ll help you understand the benefits of each to decide which one may be best for your particular moving situation – as well as, provide you with tips to keep the price low and always get the best offer!
Short Distance Relocator
Hiring a flat rate hauler for your move inside the same city is a great idea. The flat rate is the same as getting a binding estimate from the hauler, and most experts agree this is usually easier for the customer. When you compare the rate quotes, just be vigilant, so if you look at one that is flat and others that aren’t, you assess each similarly. You can break down a flat rate bid into an hourly rate to see how it stacks up against another vendor’s offer or ask the competitor to cap their bid to be considered for the work.
Local shifters usually offer pricing based on how long they need to complete the job. If they do a good job of estimating the work scope, they should be able to submit a flat or capped price based on the hourly amount multiplied by the number of hours they need. If we need three hours to load up your shipment, three to unload, and an hour of transport time, we can safely offer you a flat rate based on seven hours.
Ensure that there are no other added costs on top of the flat rate price before you agree.
Most local shifters have minimum charges for the time but not for the distance involved. Even if you need something moved next door or within your own home, you can still hire a great relocating company to do the work. The mover may have a four-hour minimum, although some can accept a two-hour project if they have time.
Hiring a mover to manage a short-distance full residence move is also sensible for many people. If you are moving a short distance, having a professional, do the hard work of loading and unloading is still simpler than struggling to get it done independently. With a short distance between origin and destination, the time and transit charges will also be much less.
Long Distance & Interstate Company
When comparing prices for a long-distance move, it’s helpful to understand the different bids you may get from interstate hauling companies. There are binding, nonbinding, and binding not to exceed bids. A binding estimate means the price is firm —it won’t change unless you add items to the shipment or request additional services. This is the equivalent of a flat rate price.
A nonbinding estimate forecasts the final cost based on the mover’s prediction of the shipment’s weight. If the weight is higher, the price will be higher; if it is lower, the price will go down. The binding not-to-exceed price won’t increase but could be reduced if the weight is less than predicted.
No matter which type of estimate you receive, conditions at the destination can result in additional charges, but these aren’t common. If the delivery is complicated due to parking issues or unforeseen problems, the mover may add fees for those obstacles. If you have negotiated a flat rate, discuss whether they may add any of these fees. If you shipped a car using our partner.