How many quotes should you get before choosing a Georgia mover, and how do you compare them?
On this page
Get at least three written estimates, each based on someone seeing your home in person or by video, so that one figure can be judged against two others. DPS’s own moving guide says to “Get estimates from several qualified experienced movers.” Then compare them line by line on the same scope, and for a move within Georgia, against the state’s maximum rates, not just against each other.
Why three
With one estimate you have nothing to measure it against. With two, a number that is off has no tiebreaker. With three, a figure that is far above or below the others stands out, and you can ask what it is missing or adding. For a complicated move, such as a large house, specialty items, or storage in between, a fourth estimate is reasonable. Beyond that, each extra estimate is worth it only if it describes the same job the others do.
Make the estimates describe the same move
An estimate is only comparable to another if both describe the same job. Before you compare totals, check that each one is built the same way:
| Line to compare | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Kind of document | Written; for an in-state move, on DPS's Uniform Estimated Cost of Services Form |
| Binding or non-binding | Which box is marked; a binding price and a non-binding projection are different promises |
| Pricing basis | For 50 miles or less, crew size, hourly rate, and estimated hours; beyond 50 miles, estimated weight, mileage, and rate per 100 pounds |
| Services | Who packs, which boxes, disassembly, specialty items, storage |
| Day and time | Weekday regular hours or overtime; it changes the rate ceiling |
| Valuation | Released value or full value, the declared value, and the deductible |
| Extras | Each one by name |
How the two pricing bases work is explained in how Georgia local moving costs are calculated, and how to read the binding box is in binding or non-binding estimates.
Check each estimate against the tariff
On a move within Georgia, every licensed carrier works under the same ceilings in DPS Maximum Rate Tariff No. 7, so a comparison has two parts:
- The rate. The hourly rate for the crew size quoted should be at or below the tariff’s maximum for that crew and time slot, which starts at $196.93 an hour for a van and two movers in regular weekday hours. A rate below the maximum is lawful; DPS’s guide says “all rates are negotiable”.
- The hours or weight. This is where estimates for the same home can differ the most. An estimate with far fewer hours than the others is the one to question.
Then check the extras. Stairs, long carries, and shuttles are not separate charges on an in-state move; the tariff has no such items. An estimate that lists them for an in-state job is pricing items the tariff does not contain; the one narrow case where a carrier may charge for extra handling, with your agreement and at tariff rates, is explained in hidden fees and accessorial charges. On an interstate move, the carrier’s own tariff governs extras, so ask that each one be named in writing.
The lowest number is a question, not an answer
A low estimate can be a better price or a thinner job. Ask the low company what it assumed: fewer hours, a smaller crew, less packing, released value instead of full value, or a weekday when you asked for Saturday. If its assumptions match the others and the number is still lower, you may have found a better rate. If they do not, you have found the difference.
Before you decide
Confirm each company’s license: DPS certification for a move within Georgia, federal household goods authority for an interstate move. Then choose the estimate that describes your whole move most completely at a price you can check against the rules, not simply the smallest figure. If one estimate is the only one that saw your attic, it may be the only one that is accurate.