On a move inside California, basic protection for lost or damaged goods is 60 cents per pound per article. A 20-pound item pays $12 under that option. If your furniture is worth more, choose actual cash value or full value protection on the agreement before the truck is loaded.

The Bureau of Household Goods and Services sets this in the Maximum Rate Tariff. The choice is yours. Silence is not a good plan.

What are the three coverage choices?

The tariff's valuation declaration, the one movers must put on the agreement, lists three options:

• 60 cents per pound per article. Recovery is 60 cents times the weight of the item, or of the carton it was packed in. No extra charge. The state's consumer booklet uses the 20-pound example: $12.
• Actual cash value. Recovery is based on fair market value at the time of the loss, up to the dollar amount you declare. The mover may charge for this.
• Full value protection. Recovery is based on replacement cost at the time of the loss, up to the amount you declare. This usually costs more. The mover may replace, reimburse, or repair, depending on the option you picked.

Item 136 of the 2026 tariff says the transportation rates assume a declared value of 60 cents per pound per article. Unless you expressly declare a value other than $20,000 for the shipment, the mover's maximum liability for lost and damaged articles is up to $20,000 of actual cash value. Read that sentence on your own agreement. The $20,000 figure is a cap in the tariff's notice, not a promise that every broken chair is replaced new.

Where do I mark the choice?

The agreement has a section the tariff calls "Consumer Protections and/or Waivers," under the heading valuation declaration. You initial the option. If you want a lump-sum value, you write it in your own handwriting. The mover must list the charge for each option it offers and leave a place for your initials.

If the mover never states its valuation rates on the agreement, the tariff says the rate defaults to $0 for each $100 of declared value. That is a paperwork failure on their side. Do not treat it as a reason to skip the choice. Ask for the options in writing before loading.

The same rules sit next to the price rules in California's not-to-exceed price rules. A low hourly rate with 60-cent coverage can be the expensive package once something breaks.

What does 60 cents actually pay?

Weight, not what you paid. A solid-wood dresser and a particle-board dresser of the same weight pay the same under the basic option. The booklet says this protection is minimal and that your goods are probably worth more.

Items of extraordinary value need to be declared. Antiques, art, and jewelry are the usual surprises. The mover's basic coverage is not a substitute for talking to your own insurer. The booklet tells you to check policies you already have before you pay the mover for extra protection.

Does this apply to every move touching California?

BHGS regulates household moves within California. Its consumer guide says you can also complain to BHGS about a move to or from California. Storage facilities, international moves, and moves that do not begin or end in California are outside that guide.

A move that crosses a state line also follows federal valuation rules, which make full value protection the standard unless you waive it in writing. Read interstate rules for a move out of California before you initial a 60-cent line on a job that is leaving the state. The California tariff and the federal rule are not the same form.

How do I complain if the claim is ignored?

Start with the mover, in writing, and keep photos. BHGS says common complaints include failure to respond to damage claims, delivery delays, charges over the estimate, and unlicensed movers. If the company will not resolve it and the move is one BHGS regulates, file at the bureau. The guide is at bhgs.dca.ca.gov.

BHGS does not turn a 60-cent contract into replacement coverage after the fact. The initial on the agreement is the coverage. Hiring is covered in how to hire a BHGS-licensed mover. Red flags are in California moving scams.

What should I do before I initial?

• Weigh the expensive pieces in your head against 60 cents a pound, using the state's $12-for-20-pounds example as the scale.
• Ask the price of actual cash value and of full value, in dollars per $100 of declared value, before moving day.
• Call your homeowners or renters agent and ask whether goods in a mover's truck are already covered.
• Write the declared amount yourself. Do not let the crew fill in a number you did not choose.
• Keep a copy of the initialed page with the inventory.

FAQ

Is 60 cents per pound extra? No. BHGS says it is included in the mover's rate. Actual cash value and full value protection may be charged.

How much is a 20-pound item under basic coverage? $12. The state booklet multiplies 60 cents by the weight of the item or carton.

What if I do not write in a value? The 2026 tariff notice says that unless you declare a value other than $20,000, maximum liability for lost and damaged articles is up to $20,000 of actual cash value. Read the declaration on your agreement before you rely on that sentence.

Can BHGS help with a storage-unit dispute? The bureau's household-moving guide says it does not regulate storage facilities.

Does this 60-cent rule apply to a move from California to Arizona? That move is interstate. Federal valuation rules apply. Use the interstate guide and the BHGS guide together, and ask which paper you are signing.

Next step

Before loading, initial a valuation option whose dollars you could live with, and keep that page. If the agreement has no valuation section, do not treat the move as fully covered. Ask for the tariff language in writing or pick another licensed mover.

Sources: BHGS Maximum Rate Tariff (2026), Items 128 and 136, BHGS consumer guide to household moving, Important Information for Persons Moving Household Goods (within California).

In California, a company that hauls even one couch or a gun safe across town for pay is a household mover and needs a BHGS license. For in-state jobs of five pieces or fewer going 50 miles or less, the state's Maximum Rate Tariff 4 sets per-piece ceilings, starting at $101.26 for the first piece moved up to 10 miles.

People are searching for this. Google Trends for California shows "single item movers" and "short distance movers near me" climbing over the past three months. The rules for a one-item job are the same rules that govern a full house, plus a pricing option most people never hear about.

Does a single-item move need a licensed mover?

Yes, if someone is hauling it for pay. California's Household Movers Act defines a household mover as any person or company transporting used household goods for compensation as a business, by motor vehicle, on a public road in the state. A broker who arranges that transport for pay counts as a household mover too.

The Bureau of Household Goods and Services says companies moving household goods within, into or out of California must be licensed with it. Nothing in that definition carves out small loads. A guy with a pickup and a listing that says "single item, cheap" is in the same category as a 26-foot truck.

Hiring someone just to help load a truck you rented and drive yourself is a different arrangement, since the definition turns on transporting the goods. Once a helper brings the vehicle and hauls your things for money, ask for the license number. Our guide to hiring a BHGS-licensed mover walks through the lookup.

What are California's piece rates?

Item 330 of Maximum Rate Tariff 4, effective January 1, 2026, sets maximum per-piece rates for shipments of no more than five pieces moved 50 miles or less:

• Not over 10 miles: $101.26 for the first piece
• Over 10 but not over 20 miles: $188.25 for the first piece
• Over 20 miles: $262.95 for the first piece
• Each additional piece: $34.46

A "piece" is one household article, assembled, or taken apart but secured so it can be handled as a unit. Bridge and ferry tolls can't be added on top of piece rates. They're ceilings, too. The tariff lets movers charge less.

There are limits. Piece rates don't apply if the job includes a split pickup or delivery, or storage-in-transit. They also don't apply to pianos and organs that one person can't conveniently carry. And per Item 172, distance rates (piece rates included) don't cover taking apart unusual items like pool tables, water beds or steel shelving, which is charged separately if you ask for it.

Stairs cost a little. Item 140 allows up to $6.54 per piece for each flight carry on a piece-rated job. A flight means a run of at least 8 and up to 20 steps, or an elevator ride.

How does hourly pricing compare on a small job?

Most local movers quote by the hour, and for moves of 100 miles or less that's allowed. Item 320 caps straight-time hourly rates by territory. Territory A is San Francisco and the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Sonoma. Territory B is everywhere else.

• Truck plus one person: $145.99 in Territory A, $139.36 in Territory B
• Truck plus two people: $234.39 in Territory A, $215.48 in Territory B

What really drives a small hourly bill is how the clock runs. Under Item 36, billable time is loading, plus unloading, plus double the driving time from pickup to drop-off. Times have to be recorded to the minute and rounded by a set table: up to 7 minutes is dropped, then it goes up in quarter hours. Higher overtime rates only apply when you ask for service at a time the mover has to pay its crew overtime.

Then check for minimums. The Agreement for Moving Services has to list the rates quoted, including any minimum hours. A two-hour or three-hour minimum on a 20-minute couch move can easily beat the piece rate, in the wrong direction. The tariff also says that when two or more rates are named for the same transportation, the lower one is the maximum. So ask the mover to price it both ways and show you.

What about pianos and safes?

Pianos have their own line. They're excluded from piece rates, and Item 140 sets separate flight charges: up to $39.30 for the first flight inside a building and $19.71 for each added flight, or $39.30 for the first flight outside and 90 cents per extra step.

Gun safes aren't named in the tariff, so treat one as a heavy piece and say so up front. If it needs rigging, hoisting or lowering, Item 168 says the mover charges no more than its hourly rates, or can act as your agent to hire a third party whose charges you pay. Before you book, look at what you'd collect if it's dropped; the default coverage can be tiny. See California's 60-cent valuation.

Do I still get the full paperwork for one item?

You should. A mover doesn't have to give you an estimate, but if it does, the tariff says it has to be in writing and come after a visual inspection. The Agreement must describe the services, the rates and the not-to-exceed price, signed by both of you. If the mover never issues one, or it leaves out the services or rates, charges for anything not described or quoted drop to 65 percent of the tariff maximum. If it's missing the not-to-exceed price or a signature, every charge on the job drops to the lowest of that 65 percent level, the estimate rates or the agreement rates.

The three-day notice and not-to-exceed cap still apply on a small move. See not-to-exceed pricing for local moves.

FAQ

Do single-item movers in California need a license?

Yes. A business paid to transport used household goods by vehicle in California is a household mover under the Household Movers Act, and BHGS requires a license regardless of load size.

What is the most a California mover can charge to move one item?

On a piece-rated move under Maximum Rate Tariff 4, the ceiling for the first piece is $101.26 up to 10 miles, $188.25 for 10 to 20 miles and $262.95 over 20 miles, within the 50-mile limit.

Can a mover charge a minimum number of hours?

It can, but any minimum hours have to be written into the Agreement for Moving Services along with the rates.

Do piece rates apply to a piano?

No. Pianos and organs that one person can't conveniently carry are excluded, and they have separate flight-carry charges.

Next step

Measure the item, count the stairs at both ends, and ask two licensed movers to quote it by the piece and by the hour, in writing. Then talk with a licensed local mover about which agreement fits your job before anyone loads the truck.

Sources: BHGS Maximum Rate Tariff 4, effective January 1, 2026; Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 19225.5; BHGS, A Consumer Guide to Household Moving; Google Trends, movers, California, past 90 days.

The biggest California moving scam red flags are a quote without a visual inspection, a price far below everyone else's, a P.O. box address, and a big deposit by wire or app. Check the company's license with the Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS). BHGS takes complaints about moves within, into, or out of California.

BHGS says its most common moving complaints are unlicensed movers, delivery delays, failure to respond to damage claims, and charges higher than the estimate. Most of these start with a booking that looked fine on the phone.

What are the red flags before I book?

BHGS lists these warning signs:

• An estimate given before anyone has seen your things
• An estimate far cheaper than the others
• An estimate missing inventory details
• A P.O. box listed as the business address
• A demand for a large deposit
• A deposit requested by electronic or digital transfer
• Paperwork showing a different company name than the mover you think you hired

That last one is common with online booking sites. You call a slick website, and the job gets handed to a company you've never heard of. Read the fine print on any deposit receipt.

For in-state moves, that first flag is also a legal problem. BHGS says it's illegal to give an estimate for a move within California without a visual inspection.

How do I check if a mover is licensed?

Search the company on bhgs.dca.ca.gov or call BHGS at (916) 999-2041. Look for a license that's active, in good standing, and insured. For a move into or out of the state, also check the FMCSA mover search.

BHGS also suggests confirming the address by visiting, searching online, or checking the city business license. And look at the company's record with sources like the Better Business Bureau. Be careful with online reviews. BHGS notes some are paid for or come from people with a stake in the company.

A quick mover check can help you screen names, but the BHGS lookup is the one that counts.

What is a hostage-goods scam?

It's when a mover loads your things and then refuses to deliver them unless you pay far more than you agreed.

California's Household Movers Act addresses this head on. The Important Notice About Your Move required by Business and Professions Code section 19246 says:

• A mover can't refuse to release your goods once you've paid the not-to-exceed amount plus any services you agreed to in writing
• A mover can't, under any circumstances, withhold food, medicine, medical devices, items that help a disabled person, or items for the care of a minor child
• A mover without a valid permit has no right to withhold your goods for any reason

If someone is holding your goods, call local law enforcement and BHGS. Have your signed notice and agreement ready. More on how the cap works is in California's not-to-exceed price rules.

How do I protect myself on move day?

BHGS recommends a few habits that make any dispute easier:

• Take photos or video of everything before the crew starts
• Move irreplaceable items yourself, like documents, photos, and jewelry
• Get the names and IDs of the crew
• Write down the truck's make, model, and license plate, and take a picture
• Get a receipt for any deposit
• Don't let the move start until you have the agreement and agree to the charges

None of this takes long. It's the paper trail you'll want if something goes sideways.

How do I file a complaint?

For moves within, into, or out of California, file with BHGS. It investigates violations of the Household Moving Laws and Regulations and the Maximum Rate Tariff.

For an interstate move, you can also file with FMCSA through its National Consumer Complaint Database. See moving out of California for the federal rules.

A few things BHGS doesn't cover: storage facilities, international moves, and moves that don't begin or end in California. For a restoration company, BHGS handles the moving part. Complaints about the repair work go to the Contractors State License Board, and claim-handling problems go to the Department of Insurance.

Keep copies of the estimate, Important Notice, agreement, change orders, receipts, and photos until everything is settled.

FAQ

How do I know if a California mover is legit?
Check its license on the BHGS website or by calling (916) 999-2041. Confirm it's active, in good standing, and insured, and verify the business address.

Is a quote over the phone a red flag?
For an in-state move, yes. BHGS says a visual inspection is required before an estimate for moves within California.

Can a mover hold my stuff until I pay more?
Not once you've paid the not-to-exceed amount plus any services you agreed to in writing. An unlicensed mover has no right to hold your goods at all.

Where do I file a complaint about a California mover?
With BHGS for moves within, into, or out of California. Interstate moves can also go to FMCSA.

Does BHGS handle storage complaints?
No. BHGS says it doesn't regulate storage facilities, international moves, or moves that don't begin or end in California.

Next step

If your move is part of a home sale or purchase, a licensed local agent can recommend movers past clients have used and help you plan dates. Check every name with BHGS before you pay anything. More guides are on the California movers page.

Sources: BHGS: Household Moving, BHGS: Essential Consumer Tips, Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 19246, FMCSA: Protect Your Move.

For a move that starts and ends in California, the "not to exceed" amount on your mover's Important Notice is the most you can be charged for the move and any services you agreed to in writing. The mover has to give you that notice at least three days before the move. It can't start work until you've signed it.

That rule comes from Business and Professions Code section 19246, and it's what makes California's in-state moving rules different from a federal interstate move.

What is a "not to exceed" price?

It's a cap. Section 19246 says the not-to-exceed amount in the notice and in your agreement is the maximum total you can be liable for. That covers transportation of your household goods and any extra services you ordered, including a proper change order you agreed to before anything was moved.

The notice itself says it plainly, in capital letters: only agree to a not-to-exceed amount "that you think is a proper and reasonable fee." If you don't agree with the amount or the description of services, you can refuse the mover's service at no charge.

Any waiver of these rules is void. A mover can't get you to sign them away.

When do I get the Important Notice?

At least three days before the scheduled move date. If you book with less than three days to go, the mover has to give it to you as soon as practicable, and in no case can it start any services until you've signed and received a signed copy.

The notice can be a separate page or the centerfold of the "Important Information for Persons Moving Household Goods" booklet. If it's in the booklet, the law requires a tab marked "Important Notice" and a line on the cover saying you must read and sign it before a move can begin. If you don't see that, ask.

How do hourly and distance rates work?

The Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS) says:

• Moves under 100 miles can be charged by the hour
• Moves over 100 miles must be charged by weight and mileage

California's Maximum Rate Tariff 4, effective January 1, 2026, sets the ceilings for those rates and the rules for computing time on hourly jobs. Hourly is where bills tend to creep, so the not-to-exceed amount matters most on short local moves.

Before move day, make sure your estimate came after a visual inspection. BHGS says that's required for in-state moves and strongly recommends doing it in person.

What is a change order?

It's a written agreement to add services after you signed the original agreement. Maybe you decide you want packing after all, or there's a second storage unit you forgot about.

The rules on change orders:

• It has to be in writing and signed by you and the mover, before goods are loaded
• If you agree to it, the added charges can be added to the not-to-exceed amount
• If you don't agree, don't sign it. You can refuse the mover's services
• The Department of Consumer Affairs says a change order can't be used just because the mover underestimated the job

That last point is the one to remember on move day. "We underestimated" isn't a reason to raise your cap.

Can a mover hold my goods if I don't pay more?

Under section 19246, a mover can't refuse to release your goods once you've paid the not-to-exceed amount plus any services you agreed to in writing. A mover also can't, under any circumstances, withhold food, medicine, medical devices, items that help a disabled person, or items used to care for a minor child.

And a mover without a valid BHGS permit has no right to hold your goods for any reason. For more on that, see California moving scams and how to complain.

How is an interstate move different?

Cross the state line and the federal rules take over. FMCSA governs interstate moves, and the estimate is either binding or non-binding, not not-to-exceed. A non-binding interstate estimate comes with the 110 percent rule at delivery instead of a hard cap.

The company still needs a BHGS license for moves into or out of California, plus FMCSA registration. See moving out of California for that checklist, and how to hire a BHGS-licensed mover for the in-state basics.

A quick mover check can help you screen names before you dig into the official lookups.

FAQ

What does "not to exceed" mean on a California moving estimate?
It's the maximum total you can be charged for the move and any services you agreed to in writing, under Business and Professions Code section 19246.

When does the mover have to give me the not-to-exceed notice?
At least three days before the scheduled move. If you book later than that, as soon as practicable, and always before any work starts.

Can the not-to-exceed amount go up on move day?
Only through a signed change order for added or different services. A change order can't be used just because the mover underestimated.

Are local California moves charged by the hour?
Moves under 100 miles can be. Over 100 miles, charges must be based on weight and mileage.

Does the not-to-exceed rule apply if I move to another state?
No. Interstate moves follow FMCSA rules with binding or non-binding estimates.

Next step

If your move lines up with buying or selling a home, a licensed local agent can help you set move dates around closing and suggest movers past clients have used. Ask each one for a not-to-exceed amount in writing. More guides are on the California movers page.

Sources: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 19246, BHGS: Household Moving, BHGS Maximum Rate Tariff 4, DCA: protecting your belongings during a move.

If you're moving out of California, your mover has to be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and licensed with California's Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS). Get a written estimate based on an inspection of your things, and make sure you get the booklet Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move.

Lots of people are doing this. The U.S. Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimates show California had net domestic migration of minus 229,077 in 2025. That means about that many more people moved from California to other states than moved in from them. Many of those moves started with a mover's quote.

Who regulates a move out of California?

Two agencies. A household goods move that crosses state lines is interstate, so FMCSA's federal rules apply. The mover needs a valid USDOT number and authority to haul household goods across state lines.

BHGS also requires a license for companies moving household goods into or out of California. And it takes complaints about those moves. So check both.

Moves that stay inside the state follow California's own rules, with a not-to-exceed price. See how to hire a BHGS-licensed mover for that process.

What documents should an interstate mover give me?

Under FMCSA rules, before the move you should get:

• A written estimate, signed and dated by you and the mover
• The booklet Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move
• FMCSA's Ready to Move brochure, or a link to it
• Information about the mover's arbitration program
• Written notice of how to see the mover's tariff, which lists its rates
• An explanation of how claims work

BHGS adds a few California-specific points for interstate moves. You and the mover both sign the estimate. The mover has to give you an itemized inventory you can check. And at least three days before the move, the company should give you the moving agreement or bill of lading.

Don't sign anything blank or half filled in.

How do I check out an interstate mover?

FMCSA's Protect Your Move steps come down to this:

• Get written estimates from several movers, each based on an in-person or virtual survey of your things
• Confirm the mover has a USDOT number and is authorized and insured for interstate household goods
• Look up its registration and complaint history in the FMCSA mover search
• Don't choose on price alone
• Read Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move before you sign

Then check the BHGS license search for the same company. A quick mover check is a handy first screen, but use the official lookups before you pay a deposit.

BHGS recommends doing the inspection in person. For interstate moves, it calls this a physical survey.

Binding or non-binding estimate?

Know which one you have. BHGS explains the difference this way:

• Binding. It guarantees the total cost of the move unless you ask for more services. You and the mover update it in writing before loading if anything changes
• Non-binding. It estimates the cost, and the final bill depends on the actual weight of your shipment

FMCSA's 110 percent rule gives you some protection on a non-binding estimate. At delivery, the mover generally can't make you pay more than 10% above it. Any balance is billed later.

A binding estimate is usually the safer pick for a long-haul move. Show the estimator everything, including the garage, the attic, and the backyard shed.

What protection do I get if something is lost or damaged?

Interstate movers must offer two valuation options:

• Full Value Protection. The default. The mover is liable for the replacement value of lost or damaged goods, up to the limits in its tariff. It costs more
• Released Value. No extra charge, but the mover pays no more than 60 cents per pound per item. You only get this if you sign a statement choosing it

Sixty cents a pound is a shock for most people after a loss. Ask your insurance agent whether your homeowners or renters policy covers anything in transit, too.

If you do have a claim, FMCSA rules generally give you nine months from delivery to file in writing with the mover. Note visible damage on the delivery paperwork before you sign.

Selling your California home first?

Plan the move around the sale. If you're selling, sellers have disclosure duties that can shift the timeline. Book movers early once you have a closing date. Summer and month-end dates fill up first.

FAQ

Does a mover need a USDOT number to move me out of California?
Yes. Any mover taking household goods across state lines must be registered with FMCSA and have a valid USDOT number plus interstate authority.

Does an interstate mover also need a California license?
Yes. BHGS says companies moving household goods into or out of California must be licensed with the bureau as well as FMCSA.

What is the 110 percent rule?
For a non-binding estimate, the mover generally can't require you to pay more than 10% above the estimate at delivery.

How much does Released Value pay?
No more than 60 cents per pound per item. Full Value Protection covers replacement value and is the default unless you sign to waive it.

How long do I have to file a damage claim?
Generally nine months from delivery, in writing, with the mover.

Next step

If you're selling in California and buying elsewhere, a licensed local agent can help you time both closings and the truck. Ask for mover names other clients used, then check each one with FMCSA and BHGS. More guides are on the California movers page.

Sources: FMCSA: Protect Your Move, BHGS: Household Moving, U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 state population estimates.

Before you hire a mover in California, confirm the company is licensed with the Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS). Any company moving household goods within, into, or out of California needs a BHGS license. For an in-state move, the mover must inspect your things before giving a written estimate with a "not to exceed" price.

BHGS, part of the Department of Consumer Affairs, took over household mover oversight under the Household Movers Act. Its most common complaints are about unlicensed movers, late deliveries, ignored damage claims, and charges higher than the estimate. Every one of those is easier to avoid before you book than after.

How do I check a mover's BHGS license?

Use the license search on bhgs.dca.ca.gov, or call BHGS at (916) 999-2041. BHGS says to confirm the mover is licensed, in active status, in good standing, and insured.

For a move into or out of California, the company also needs federal registration with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). That's a separate check. See moving out of California for how to do it.

A restoration company that moves your belongings after a fire or flood counts too. BHGS says if a business is paid to move household goods, it's a household mover and needs a BHGS license.

What else should I check before booking?

BHGS suggests a bit of homework past the license:

• Confirm the business address. Visit the office, search it online, or check the city business license
• Read the company's reputation on credible sources like the Better Business Bureau
• Watch for scam reports, and be skeptical of reviews. BHGS notes some are paid for
• Run a quick screen with mover check, then confirm on the official BHGS lookup

A P.O. box as the only business address is one of BHGS's listed warning signs. A real mover has a real yard or office.

What does a California mover have to give me in writing?

For a move that stays inside California, the paperwork is specific. BHGS and the Household Movers Act require:

• A written estimate after a visual inspection. BHGS says it's illegal to give an estimate for an in-state move without one. It strongly recommends in person, not video or photos
• The "Important Notice About Your Move." It lists the "not to exceed" amount and the services. Under Business and Professions Code section 19246, you should get it at least three days before moving day
• The Agreement for Moving Services. You and the mover both sign it before the move
• The "Important Information for Persons Moving Household Goods" booklet. It summarizes your rights and the mover's rules
• A signed change order if you add services, before anything is loaded

The not-to-exceed amount is the most you can be charged unless you agree in writing to added services. Our guide on not-to-exceed pricing and local move rules goes deeper.

How do California movers charge?

BHGS says moves under 100 miles can be charged by the hour. Moves over 100 miles have to be charged by weight and mileage. The state's Maximum Rate Tariff 4, effective January 1, 2026, sets the ceilings.

Get more than one estimate. Compare the not-to-exceed amounts, the hourly or weight rates, and the valuation coverage. BHGS says to be wary of estimates given before an inspection, estimates far cheaper than the rest, and estimates missing inventory details.

What coverage do I get if something breaks?

Read the valuation section carefully. Under Maximum Rate Tariff 4, the base rates assume a declared value of 60 cents per pound per article. That's very little. A 50-pound TV would be worth $30 at that rate.

The tariff also says that if you don't declare a different value, the mover's maximum liability defaults to actual cash value up to $20,000. Full Value protection, which covers repair or replacement, is optional and costs extra. Make sure the option you want is written on the agreement and that you sign it.

Your homeowners or renters policy may cover some items in transit too. Ask your insurance agent before move day.

What about move day itself?

BHGS recommends:

• Take photos or video of your belongings before the crew starts
• Move irreplaceable things yourself, like documents, family photos, and jewelry
• Ask for the names and IDs of the crew
• Note the truck's make, model, and plate, and take a photo
• Get a receipt for any deposit, and check that the company name on it matches the mover you hired

If something goes wrong, BHGS takes complaints about moves within, into, or out of California. See California moving scams and how to complain.

FAQ

Does a California mover need a license?
Yes. BHGS says companies moving household goods within, into, or out of California must be licensed with the bureau.

Can a mover give me a quote over the phone?
Not as a valid estimate for an in-state move. BHGS says a visual inspection is required with the estimate for moves within California.

How far ahead should I get the not-to-exceed notice?
At least three days before the scheduled move, under Business and Professions Code section 19246.

Are local moves charged by the hour?
Moves under 100 miles can be. Moves over 100 miles must be charged by weight and mileage.

What's the default valuation if I don't pick one?
Under Maximum Rate Tariff 4, the mover's liability defaults to actual cash value up to $20,000 if you don't declare a different value.

Next step

If your move is tied to a home sale or purchase, a licensed local agent can help you line up closing and move dates and recommend movers clients have used. Check the BHGS license on any name you're given. More guides are on the California movers page.

Sources: BHGS: Household Moving, BHGS: Helpful Tips When Moving Within California, BHGS Maximum Rate Tariff 4, Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 19246.