Oregon Moving Quotes: What a Written Estimate Should Include
James Brazil lives in Mérida, Mexico. He founded Swift Agent Sites and studied Classics at the University of Mississippi.
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An Oregon moving quote for a move that stays in the state has to be free, in writing, on paper or electronically, and based on an in-person or video look at your things. Ask for that quote before you book. It cannot be a binding price.
The final bill runs on the mover's ODOT-approved tariff, so compare quotes by rate basis, crew, travel time, extra charges and valuation, not just the bottom line. Two quotes with the same total can be built on very different numbers. The thinner one usually grows on moving day.
What does Oregon require on a moving estimate?
Oregon's estimate rule is OAR 740-060-0040. It says a certified mover has to prepare an estimate when you ask for one, and the estimate must be:
- Free of charge
- In writing, in hard copy or electronic form
- Given only after an in-person or virtual inspection you agree to. A virtual one has to let the mover clearly see your goods on live or pre-recorded video
- Non-binding, with final charges based on the tariff rates filed with ODOT
- Followed by a signed addendum if services are added later
A phone number tossed out after a two-minute call isn't an estimate under this rule. ODOT's General Information Bulletin 9943 says oral or telephone estimates aren't permitted, though a mover can still tell you its rates and what similar moves have cost.
You'll also be asked to sign a Mandatory Receipt for that bulletin. Under OAR 740-060-0010, the receipt has to state that final charges are based on ODOT-approved tariff rates regardless of any estimate.
Can an Oregon mover give me a flat or guaranteed price?
Not on an in-state household move. Bulletin 9943 says binding estimates or guarantees of actual charges are illegal on intrastate household goods moves in Oregon. If a company advertises a guaranteed flat price for a Portland-to-Bend job, ask how that squares with its filed tariff. A move that crosses into Washington or Idaho is a different story, because federal rules allow binding estimates there.
So pick the quote whose numbers are most complete. The bulletin warns that a very low estimate may have left services out.
Will my quote be hourly or by weight and distance?
That depends on where you're moving. OAR 740-060-0085 says a mover must apply a local hourly rate when the move is wholly within a city limit or a commercial zone in its local cartage authority. Oregon's commercial zones include:
- Portland, plus 10 air-miles beyond the city limits, and any city partly inside that 10-mile band
- Eugene and Springfield, plus 3 air-miles
- Salem and Keizer, plus 3 air-miles around Salem
- Medford, Central Point, Jacksonville, Phoenix and White City, plus an 8-air-mile radius from I-5 and Crater Lake Highway
The bulletin says local moves are generally within about 50 air-miles and charged by the hour, with rates depending on crew size, trucks and overtime. Longer moves may be priced by weight and distance per 100 pounds from a chart in the tariff. On those, the truck is weighed empty and again loaded at a certified scale, and you're entitled to watch the loaded weighing if you ask.
If two quotes use different methods, compare what each assumes: hours and crew on one, estimated weight on the other.
How is travel time charged on an hourly quote?
For hourly distance moves, OAR 740-060-0090 limits the travel time a mover can bill. The trip from its terminal to your pickup, and from your delivery address back to the terminal, has to be figured with Google Maps miles or truck-routing software, address to address.
That makes the terminal location a real line item. A crew based an hour away costs more in travel than one based across town, even at the same hourly rate. Ask each mover where its terminal is and how much travel time is in the quote.
Which extra charges should be spelled out?
Most surprise money hides in accessorial charges. The bulletin names several that can be added no matter how far you're going:
- Packing materials
- Heavy or bulky items such as pianos and safes
- Stairs
- Warehouse handling and storage, if part of the load goes into storage
- Extra handling for ready-to-assemble furniture, which some movers limit or charge more for
- Inventory time on an hourly move, which you may pay for
Show the estimator every flight of stairs and the safe in the garage. Anything added on moving day belongs on a signed addendum. For what happens when the final bill runs past the estimate, see the Oregon 10 percent underestimate rule. If storage is involved, read whether the estimate stops at the warehouse.
How should valuation show up in the quote?
OAR 740-060-0035 requires the mover to explain its valuation options and the charge for each. It also has to show an example comparing the total cost of your move with Full Replacement Cost Protection and with Released Value Protection.
That comparison belongs next to your quotes. Released value pays 60 cents per pound per article, so a 50-pound table tops out at $30. Replacement cost protection costs extra, and on hourly moves you'll usually declare a lump-sum value because the load isn't weighed. If you don't pick an option, the rule says you get replacement cost protection at your expense. The difference between the mover's cargo insurance and your valuation is worth a read before you sign.
A quick side-by-side checklist
Put each quote next to the others and check:
- Certificate number, matched to ODOT's authorized movers list
- Hourly or weight and distance, and why
- Crew size, number of trucks and the hourly rate for each
- Terminal location and travel time
- Every accessorial charge, line by line
- Valuation options with the cost comparison
- Pickup and delivery addresses, including any warehouse stop
ODOT says you can call it to confirm a mover's rates and charges.
FAQ
Is an Oregon moving estimate binding?
No. Oregon rules say estimates for in-state moves are non-binding and final charges must follow the mover's ODOT-filed tariff. Binding estimates and guaranteed charges are illegal on intrastate household moves.
Why did one quote use hours and another use weight?
Moves wholly within a city or commercial zone in the mover's local authority must use a local hourly rate. Longer moves may be priced by weight and distance from the tariff.
Can a mover charge travel time from its yard?
On hourly distance moves, travel from the terminal to your pickup and back from your delivery address must be figured address to address with Google Maps miles or truck-routing software.
Next step
Get at least two written estimates from ODOT-certified movers, each after a real look at your things, and line them up using the checklist above. Then talk with a licensed local mover about anything that doesn't match, before you sign the bill of lading.
Sources: OAR 740-060-0040, Estimates of Charges; OAR 740-060-0010, General Information Bulletin and Mandatory Receipt; OAR 740-060-0035, Cargo Insurance and Valuation Declaration; OAR 740-060-0085, Hourly Rate Local Moves; OAR 740-060-0090, Hourly Rate Distance Moves; OAR 740-060-0110, Commercial Zones; ODOT General Information Bulletin for Moving Household Goods in Oregon, form 735-9943; ODOT Commerce and Compliance Division, Household Goods Moving; ODOT authorized household goods movers list.
Before you hire: Check a moving company's federal authority and insurance free, from FMCSA's records.
General notes for moves in and to Oregon. Not a quote or a recommendation of any specific company. Confirm details with the mover you hire.
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