Hiring a Washington moving company can be a challenging and stressful event. What helps is knowing that the state of Washington has numerous rules and regulations to help you select a reputable Washington mover you can trust.
Selecting Washington moving companies
In Washington, all movers must be registered with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC). You can start your search for a Washington moving service at UTC’s web site, which publishes a list of all registered moving companies here: www.wutc.wa.gov/consumer/movingtips
You can also check if the Washington mover you find is a member of the Washington Movers Conference – the association for Washington movers.
When selecting your Washington mover, price is always a consideration. Washington’s UTC has a set maximum and minimum that movers can charge. The schedule of tariffs is helpfully published on UTC’s site and can be found here:
www.wutc.wa.gov/consumer/movingtips
Washington moving estimates
Once you already selected a mover, you can request a moving estimate. These estimates aren’t exact but they will give you a good idea of how much your move will cost. Washington regulates how much a mover can charge in excess of the given moving estimate. For moves less than 35 miles, the moving company can’t charge more than 15 percent over the given estimate. If you’re moving more than 35 miles away, the movers can’t charge more than 25 percent over the estimate.
Long distance Washington moving
If you plan to move long distance from Washington, please not that long distance moving is regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). To get more information on interstate moving from Washington, please visit ProtectYourMove.gov.