Licensed and Insured

Each state in the U.S. has a specific regulatory bureau that oversees the moving and storage industry. The general purpose for these agencies is to protect the homeowner from scams. They require moving and storage companies to annually file their current rates so that homeowners are not taken advantage of by unscrupulous moving and storage companies who overcharge for their services.In Florida, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the regulatory agency for the moving and storage industry. In New Hampshire the regulatory agency is the Public Utilities Commission. Homeowners can report unfair treatment to these agencies, and they will hold the moving and storage companies accountable.

A licensed and insured moving and storage company is required (by federal law) to have minimum liability insurance coverage. For the moving and storage industry the amount is generally $1.5 million. This coverage is in place to cover any unfortunate accident which may occur with the moving vehicle. Whether it is an accident on the highway or an accident at the client’s home.

A licensed and insured moving and storage company is required to cover their employees with worker’s compensation or to have a full disability coverage policy in place for officers in the company. The purpose of workers compensation is to protect the homeowner from a lawsuit against their homeowner’s policy if a moving company’s employee sustains an injury while working in the home. A simple misstep while carrying a heavy piece and a mover can break an ankle or a leg.

A licensed and insured moving and storage company should have enough resources to pay for insurance and licensing and should be able to take care of any unfortunate damages. It is common to have some type of minor damage such as a scratch or perhaps a paint rub and a legitimate moving and storage company will always make sure that is taken care of. An unlicensed and/or uninsured moving and storage company will likely not have the resources to take care of any damages and the homeowner will be on the hook for their own repairs.