Binding vs. Non-Binding Moving Estimates

Under 49 CFR §375.403, a binding estimate is an agreement made in advance that the mover will charge a set price for the services described in the estimate. If nothing changes — same inventory, same services, same access conditions — that is the price you pay at delivery. The mover must provide it in writing, and it must clearly describe the shipment and the services included.

Before loading, if the mover believes the shipment or services differ from the binding estimate, it must choose one of the rule's written paths: reaffirm the estimate, prepare a new binding estimate signed before loading, or obtain a written agreement converting the estimate to non-binding. After the bill of lading is issued, services you request require a new signed binding estimate; different rules govern services the mover considers necessary to complete delivery.

Under 49 CFR §375.405, a non-binding estimate is the mover's approximation of the cost, based on the estimated weight and the services listed. It is not a guaranteed price: the final charges follow the actual weight of your shipment and the actual services provided, priced under the mover's published tariff.

The key consumer protection is the 110% rule in 49 CFR §375.407: for the estimated shipment, the mover must relinquish the shipment after payment of 110% of the non-binding estimate. At delivery it may also collect charges for additional services you requested after the bill of lading was issued and, where applicable, up to 15% of the estimate for impracticable operations. Other excess charges are billed afterward, and the rule gives at least 30 days from the bill date before payment is due. So a non-binding estimate does not cap your final cost — it only limits what you must pay at the door.

Some movers use terms such as not-to-exceed, guaranteed maximum, or price protection in a binding contract. Read the exact written clause to learn whether the quoted amount is a ceiling, what inventory and services it covers, and how added services are handled. The federal rules still classify the estimate as binding or non-binding; MoveQuoteCheck preserves the maximum-price wording as a separate contract term.

On either federal estimate type, additional goods or services can affect the written scope. Before loading, the mover may reaffirm the estimate or prepare a signed replacement as the applicable rule allows. After the bill of lading is issued, additional-service and impracticable-operation rules have separate notice, consent, delivery-payment, and later-billing requirements. Read any maximum-price wording as a separate contract term rather than assuming one universal formula.

This is why a careful inventory matters so much: most "price went up" disputes trace back to a scope that changed, or was never written down precisely in the first place. Verbal assurances are hard to enforce — ask for revised estimates and addenda in writing, and keep the versions. For the charges that commonly appear when scope or access changes, see Hidden Fees in Moving Quotes.

A $4,800 binding estimate and a $4,200 non-binding estimate are not two prices for the same thing. The binding figure is a commitment for a fixed scope; the non-binding figure is an approximation that can rise with actual weight. Compare estimate type, scope, and terms first — then the totals. See How to Read a Moving Estimate for the full checklist.

Dana receives a non-binding estimate of $3,900 for an estimated 6,000 lbs. On moving day the shipment weighs 7,400 lbs, and the tariff-priced total comes to $4,800. At delivery, the mover can collect 110% of the estimate — $4,290 — for the estimated shipment before releasing it. The remaining $510 is billed afterward, with at least 30 days from the bill date before payment is due. If, after the bill of lading was issued, Dana requested a separate piano service and agreed to its charge, that shipper-requested service could be collected in addition to the 110% figure. A piano merely discovered before loading would instead trigger the before-loading estimate procedures. This example is entirely fictional and only illustrates how the rule works.

• Which estimate type is this — and where is that stated in the document?
• If my inventory changes before moving day, how will the price change, and can you confirm in writing?
• For a non-binding estimate: what is my maximum payment at delivery under the 110% rule?
• Are there services that are not covered by this price?
• When and how is the remaining balance billed and due?

MoveQuote Check identifies the estimate type on your document and flags missing or unclear terms — see our methodology or check your quote. Also relevant: Moving Deposit Questions to Ask Before You Pay.