Binding vs non-binding moving estimates: which one should you insist on?
A binding estimate fixes your price unless the inventory or the access changes. A non-binding estimate is a projection, and federal rules let the mover collect up to 110% of it at delivery with the balance billed within 30 days. The one to ask for by name is a binding not-to-exceed estimate, which caps your price but still lets it fall if the shipment weighs less than surveyed.
What is the difference between a binding and a non-binding moving estimate?
A binding estimate is a fixed price that changes only if your inventory or access changes, while a non-binding estimate is a projection and the final bill can legally come in higher.
There are three estimate types in interstate household goods moving, and the difference between them is entirely about who carries the risk of being wrong. On a binding estimate, the mover carries it. On a non-binding estimate, you do. On a binding not-to-exceed, the mover carries the downside and you keep the upside.
The estimate type has to be stated on the face of the document. If you cannot find the words on the paperwork, that is not an oversight, and it is the first thing to ask about before anything else in the quote is worth discussing.
- Binding A fixed price for a defined inventory and defined services. If your goods weigh more than expected, that is the mover’s problem. If they weigh less, you still pay the binding figure.
- Non-binding An estimate of what the tariff charges will come to. The real price is calculated from actual weight after the truck is scaled, and it can be higher or lower.
- Binding not-to-exceed A ceiling. You pay the estimate or the actual tariff charges, whichever is lower. This is the customer-friendly version and the one to ask for.
How much more than a non-binding estimate can a mover charge?
Federal rules cap what a mover can require you to pay at delivery on a non-binding estimate at 110% of the written estimate, with any remaining balance billed and payable within 30 days.
This is the single most misunderstood rule in moving. The 110% figure is not a price cap. It is a payment timing rule. If your non-binding estimate was $5,000 and the actual charges come to $7,000, the mover cannot hold your goods for the full $7,000 at the door. They must release the shipment on payment of $5,500, then invoice you for the other $1,500 and give you at least 30 days to pay it.
You still owe the full amount. People read about the 110% rule, assume their exposure is capped at 10% over, and are then genuinely shocked by a bill weeks later. That is the trap in non-binding estimates, and it is why they are the wrong default for most households.
There is a fairness point in the other direction. A non-binding estimate can come in under the estimate, and on a shipment that is genuinely lighter than it looked, it will. That is the whole argument for accepting one, and for most people it is not good enough to justify unlimited upside risk.
What is a binding not-to-exceed estimate and why is it best for the customer?
A binding not-to-exceed estimate caps your price at the quoted figure but lets it drop if your shipment weighs less than surveyed, so the mover carries all the risk of a bad survey.
It is sometimes called a guaranteed price. Mechanically: the truck is still weighed, the tariff charges are still calculated, and you pay whichever is lower, the actual charges or the quoted ceiling. The mover has every incentive to survey accurately, because overestimating wins them nothing and underestimating costs them.
Not every carrier offers it and some will only offer it after a proper survey, which is reasonable: nobody sensible guarantees a price against an inventory they have not seen. If a carrier declines not-to-exceed but will do a straight binding estimate, that is still a good outcome and far better than non-binding.
When can a binding estimate legally go up?
A binding estimate can only be revised for three things: items that were not on the surveyed inventory, services you did not originally order, or access conditions at either address that were not disclosed.
Those three exceptions exist for good reason. A binding price is binding against a specific list of goods moving between two specific places under specific conditions. Change any of those and it is a different job.
What matters is the sequence. If you add items on the day, the mover has to either honour the original estimate or prepare a revised written estimate before loading begins, which you then sign. A revision produced after the truck is loaded, or a verbal one, is not how this is supposed to work.
The blunt version: a binding estimate protects you against the mover’s mistakes, not your own omissions. If you did not mention the garage, the shed, the piano or the private road no trailer can enter, the binding price was never priced for those things.
Why is a quote given without an inventory survey not a real quote?
A long-distance price is driven by weight or cubic feet, so a figure produced without a room-by-room inventory is a sales number rather than an estimate.
There is no way to price a shipment nobody has looked at. Two households with identical room counts can differ by thousands of pounds depending on furniture density, books, tools, garage contents and how full the loft is. A quote based on "a three-bedroom house" is guessing at the number that determines the entire bill.
Federal rules recognise this. For shipments originating within 50 miles of the mover’s place of business, a physical survey is required unless you waive it in writing. A video walkthrough conducted properly, room by room, with cupboards and the garage opened, counts in practice and is now standard for long-distance work.
The pattern to watch for is a very low number produced in under five minutes on a first phone call, followed by pressure for a deposit. Low unsurveyed quotes are not competitive pricing. They are the opening position of a bill that gets settled on move day, when you have no leverage and your house is in boxes.
How do you check an estimate is legitimate before you sign?
Every legitimate interstate estimate is in writing, names its estimate type on the face of the document, and carries a USDOT and MC number you can verify yourself on the FMCSA public database.
Verification takes about two minutes and rules out most of what goes wrong in this industry. Look up the USDOT number, confirm the company name matches your paperwork, that operating authority is active, and that the entity is a carrier rather than a broker if you were told you were speaking to a carrier.
- Estimate type stated The words binding, non-binding or binding not-to-exceed appear on the document itself, not just in conversation.
- Full inventory attached A room-by-room list of what is actually moving, including the garage, shed, loft and anything in storage.
- Access noted at both ends The estimate should record parking, street and carry conditions at origin and destination, not just origin.
- Valuation choice shown Released value at 60 cents per pound per article is included by default. Full value protection costs extra and should be priced on the estimate.
- USDOT and MC numbers Present on the paperwork and matching an active carrier record when you look them up.
Last reviewed August 10, 2026. Cost figures are planning estimates, not quotes: see the methodology.
Common questions
Is a binding estimate always more expensive than a non-binding one?
Often slightly, because the mover is pricing in the risk of having underestimated. That premium is usually small relative to the exposure it removes. A non-binding estimate that comes in 30% over is far more expensive than a binding estimate that started 5% higher.
Can I refuse to pay more than my estimate at delivery?
On a binding estimate, yes, unless you added items or services or failed to disclose access conditions. On a non-binding estimate, you can refuse to pay more than 110% of the written estimate at the door, and the mover must deliver on that payment. The remainder is still owed and will be invoiced, payable within 30 days.
Does a binding estimate include packing materials?
Only if packing is listed as a service on the estimate. Packing labour and materials are separate line items. If you plan to have the mover pack fragile items, get that priced into the estimate before you sign rather than ordering it on move day.
What happens if my shipment weighs less than the binding estimate?
On a straight binding estimate you pay the binding figure regardless: that is the trade for price certainty, and it cuts both ways. On a binding not-to-exceed estimate you pay the lower of actual charges or the estimate, so a lighter shipment reduces your bill. This is the main practical reason to insist on not-to-exceed.
Can a mover hold my belongings if I refuse to pay the final bill?
A mover can lawfully withhold delivery until you pay the amount they are entitled to collect at delivery, the binding estimate, or 110% of a non-binding one. If you pay that and they still refuse to unload, that is a hostage situation and you should file a complaint with FMCSA. Paying under protest and disputing afterwards is almost always better than arguing on the driveway with a loaded truck.