What to bring to the conversation
- Property, dimensions or quantities you know
- Existing condition and items to retain
- Access, occupancy and scheduling constraints
FREE PREPARATION RESOURCE
Oregon moving document-reference and storage-leg workbook
Free fillable Oregon moving worksheets to connect ODOT bulletin questions with provider document references, separate storage legs and track unresolved questions without duplicating your moving inventory.
View the checklist and download the fillable PDF ↗FREE PREPARATION RESOURCE
Moving inventory, access and provider comparison workbook
Free fillable moving worksheets to organize inventory categories, origin and destination access, dates, packing responsibilities, provider role, written estimate assumptions, included services, schedule and handoff.
View the checklist and download the fillable PDF ↗FIND HELP. COMPARE OFFERS. YOU CHOOSE.
Labor-only moves
Tell us what you need. Pros can review your request and send you offers. You decide who to hire.
Identify who supplies and drives the vehicle.
Start my requestFree to request. No need to hire anyone.
What information helps?
Share what you know. You do not need to know every detail.
- The problem or the result you want
- Where you need the service
- When you would like help
- Your budget, if you have one
Do not guess measurements or costs. You can ask a pro to check them.
Want to learn more before you start?
Open the guide for costs, useful questions and planning tools. You can start your request without reading it all.
Home · THE PROJECT GUIDE
Labor-only moves.
Get the details right.
Identify who supplies and drives the vehicle.
Inventory and access are central to a comparable estimate. Document origin, destination, service dates and packing responsibilities before comparing packages.
Explore freely · Compare thoughtfully · You choose the professional
THE WORK BEHIND THE WORDS
Make this particular service clear.
Start with the distinction below, then define the deliverables and boundaries. If something is unknown, ask the provider to assess it.
Labor-only moves · the key conversation
Identify who supplies and drives the vehicle.
What to ask for in return
A written description of labor-only moves, the assumptions behind the price and which items need further assessment. Ask the provider to explain inventory, origin and destination access, packing responsibility, estimate basis in the context of your request.
| Detail | Get this in writing | Keep the comparison fair |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory and condition | List cartons, furniture, specialty items, fragile or high-value items, and items not moving. Record existing damage where useful. | Give every provider the same item list and condition assumptions. |
| Access and handling | Describe stairs, elevators, doors, parking, carries, loading zones, dates, and building requirements at both ends. | Compare the same crew, equipment, protection, and access plan. |
| Transport and estimate | Identify carrier, broker, vehicle responsibility, route, estimate type, rate basis, minimums, and named additional services. | Separate transportation from packing, storage, and labor-only work. |
| Custody and completion | Define inventory records, approvals, delivery verification, damage reporting, storage handoffs, and retained documents. | Compare the same change, claim, and closeout process. |
UNDERSTAND THE PRICE
See the parts. Then compare the total.
A useful budget explains what the money covers. Keep these cost areas visible rather than relying on a package name or headline figure.
Preparation and investigation
Products and installation
Access, disposal and reinstatement
Approvals, testing and handover
What changes the scope?
Inventory and access are central to a comparable estimate. Document origin, destination, service dates and packing responsibilities before comparing packages.
Ask providers to explain how inventory and origin and destination access affect their assumptions. Separate confirmed information from items still awaiting assessment.
What does the chart show?
The planning tool compares amounts you enter over the same period. Fixed charges, rate × quantity, monthly charges and extras stay separate. Its cumulative-cost graph makes different upfront and recurring arrangements easier to understand.
Published references, where available below, show their own units, source and period. They remain separate from your calculator inputs. Employee wages and producer-price indexes are context, not the price a provider will charge. Ask for current proposals for your actual scope.
YOUR PLANNING DESK
A clearer brief. A better starting point.
Build your request, compare entered costs and download a branded planning pack. Your selections stay here until you choose to continue.
Start with the details that matter.
No account needed to plan. Keep private documents, account numbers, credentials and sensitive case details out of this brief.
Also consider: Access, occupancy and scheduling constraints. Leave unknown details for the provider to assess.
Review your starting brief
Review before continuing. You can edit the wording below. Manual edits stay in place until you choose to regenerate from your answers.
368 characters
Next, review the request in PickYourPro.ai. An account is required to complete it. This step does not send invitations or commit you to a provider. Service availability and provider participation vary.
Opt-in saves form answers only. Manual brief edits, comparison values and checklist selections are not saved. Download a copy to keep them; avoid saving on shared devices.
FROM FIRST QUESTION TO HANDOVER
Know what happens next.
- 1
Define
Describe the outcome and current condition. Mark unknown measurements rather than guessing.
- 2
Assess
Agree any visit or diagnostic fee. Ask what must be checked before the price can be final.
- 3
Compare
Use the same drawings, selections and boundaries for each proposal.
- 4
Complete
Approve changes in writing and collect the agreed completion records.
A planning sequence, not a promised duration. Actual timing depends on the service, the information available and the provider's agreed scope.
WHEN YOU WANT THE DEEPER VIEW
The details worth resolving early.
A useful moving proposal begins with the same inventory, both addresses, access conditions, service dates, and packing plan. The word move can describe a carrier transporting household goods, a broker arranging transportation, or a labor crew loading a vehicle someone else supplies. Identify the responsible parties and custody handoffs before comparing totals.
For this particular project
State that the hired crew is not supplying transportation unless the proposal expressly says otherwise. Identify who rents, insures, loads, secures, and drives the vehicle; who provides dollies, pads, straps, ramps, and tools; and what happens if the vehicle or access is unsuitable. Compare worker count, minimum time, travel, waiting, protection, and change authorization without implying a labor crew is the interstate carrier.
Use these questions to write my brief ↗- 01Build inventory
- 02Survey access
- 03Confirm scope & documents
- 04Move and track custody
- 05Inspect & close out
Mover, broker, or labor crew?
Ask who will physically transport the shipment, whose operating authority and insurance apply, and whether another company may participate. For a labor-only job, state who owns, rents, insures, loads, and drives the vehicle. For an interstate household-goods move, verify the carrier or broker through FMCSA resources and keep the legal name and U.S. DOT number with the proposal.
What is the estimate based on?
Give each provider the same inventory and access notes. Ask whether the estimate is binding or non-binding where those terms apply, and whether charges depend on time, distance, shipment weight, volume, crew, stairs, long carries, shuttle service, packing, storage, or other named services. Record minimums and travel treatment without assuming an advertised starting figure is the complete total.
Packing, protection, and responsibility
Separate owner-packed, mover-packed, fragile, high-value, disassembled, and excluded items. Identify who supplies cartons and protective materials, who prepares appliances, and what floor, door, elevator, and furniture protection is included. Ask for the available valuation or liability choices and the claim process in writing; do not treat ordinary business insurance as a description of shipment coverage.
Dates, custody, and changes
Confirm pickup date, delivery date or window, contact method, inventory procedure, and every custody or storage handoff. Ask what happens if building access, inventory, dates, or requested services change. Changes should be written and approved before added work begins. Keep the final inventory, estimate, bill of lading when applicable, receipts, and condition notes.
What changes with location and conditions?
- FMCSA household-goods consumer protections and 49 CFR Part 375 apply to covered interstate moves, not automatically to a move that stays within one state. Verify the state or local regulator, licensing, estimate, tariff, and claim requirements for a local move.
- Parking permits, loading zones, elevator reservations, certificates of insurance, move hours, and property-management rules vary by building and city. Confirm them for both addresses before the move date and assign responsibility for fees or reservations.
- Weather, wildfire, snow, heat, road restrictions, ferries, gated access, and limited truck clearance can alter handling or timing. Ask which conditions are included assumptions and how a changed plan will be authorized.
Documents to collect at completion
- Final signed inventory and condition exceptions
- Estimate, bill of lading where applicable, and approved changes
- Delivery, payment, valuation or liability, and claim documents
- Storage receipts, access instructions, and unresolved-item record
Compare these promised records before choosing a provider. Keep the originals alongside your planning pack.
PICKYOURPRO.AI · YOUR NEXT STEP
Explain it once.
Compare with more clarity.
Turn what you have learned into a focused request. Give providers the same starting information, review their responses and ask questions about differences in scope, timing and fees.
- 1
Build a clear brief
Describe the service, your priorities and what needs assessment.
- 2
Review responses
Compare what each provider proposes and clarify open questions.
- 3
Choose your provider
Consider relevant experience, scope and terms—not just the lowest number.
Requesting and comparing proposals is free for clients. Provider participation, availability and response times vary. Confirm any separate consultation or inspection charge. Review project unlock terms for later project stages.
GOOD QUESTIONS, CLEARER CHOICES
Before you choose.
What should I include in a labor-only moves request?
Identify who supplies and drives the vehicle. Include inventory, origin and destination access, packing responsibility, estimate basis where known. Leave unknowns for the professional to assess.
Can I compare prices before an assessment?
You can compare the stated assumptions, scope and fee basis. Ask what must be checked before an offer is final and whether a consultation, inspection or diagnostic visit has a separate charge. For this service, start by clarifying inventory.
How should I handle a lower price?
Ask which tasks, deliverables and terms differ. Use the cost tool to compare the same period and quantities, then review exclusions and professional fit. The smallest calculated number is not a recommendation.
Does the planning pack create an agreement?
No. It records your brief and entered scenarios. You still need to review and agree the provider’s actual proposal and terms. Keep original documents and approvals.
What happens after I continue to my request?
Your reviewed brief enters the existing PickYourPro.ai request process. You will need an account and can confirm the remaining details before completing the request. Provider participation and availability vary.
Are these live market prices?
The planning calculator uses your entered figures. Published references elsewhere on the page are separate, dated observations with their own sources and limitations. Neither is a live provider quote. Employee wages are not billable labor rates, and a producer-price index is not an installed project price.
TRANSPARENT BY DESIGN
Sources and editorial notes.
Prepared by PickYourPro.ai with AI assistance · Framework published October 7, 2026. Expanded research review: Sources checked October 9, 2026. These service-planning questions have not been independently reviewed by a licensed specialist. Local requirements and professional suitability need individual verification.
- FMCSA: Protect Your Move ↗
Interstate household moving resources; other moves may have different requirements. This resource does not endorse PickYourPro.ai. See any price-reference chart for the exact unit, scope and observation date.
- FMCSA: Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move ↗
Official explanation of documents, loss or damage rights, and responsibilities for covered interstate household-goods shipments. This resource does not endorse PickYourPro.ai. See any price-reference chart for the exact unit, scope and observation date.
- eCFR: 49 CFR Part 375 ↗
Current federal consumer-protection regulations for transportation of household goods in interstate commerce; not a universal rulebook for every local or labor-only move. This resource does not endorse PickYourPro.ai. See any price-reference chart for the exact unit, scope and observation date.
- FMCSA: Moving Checklist ↗
Official planning checklist covering estimates, inventory, documents, pickup, delivery, and records. This resource does not endorse PickYourPro.ai. See any price-reference chart for the exact unit, scope and observation date.
- OSHA: Ergonomics overview ↗
Worker-safety background on lifting, pushing, pulling, and awkward-posture risks; it does not prescribe a household moving proposal or a universal manual-lift limit. This resource does not endorse PickYourPro.ai. See any price-reference chart for the exact unit, scope and observation date.
Methodology and updates
Scope questions are organized by service and buying process. The planning calculator uses only entered values. Separately labelled reference charts use public source observations; no private PickYourPro project history is used. A permanent page address does not make a dated reference permanently current. Substantive changes should update the editorial record.
October 7, 2026: initial guide, service-specific scope, planning worksheet and cost-comparison tools published.
Sources checked October 9, 2026: expanded option comparisons, project-specific buying questions, regional considerations and completion records.
KEEP EXPLORING
More moving guides.
Local moves
Ask about minimum charges, travel time and crew size.
Explore ↗Long-distance moves
Confirm the carrier, estimate basis and delivery window.
Explore ↗Packing services
Separate materials, packing labor and unpacking.
Explore ↗Apartment moves
Record elevators, stairs, parking and booking rules.
Explore ↗Piano moving
Share instrument type and access constraints.
Explore ↗Storage moves
Include storage access, handling and any storage charges.
Explore ↗