Most people assume their belongings are insured while a moving company has them. They are covered, technically. The question is for how much, and the default answer is a number that surprises people.
Here is how moving coverage actually works and when it is worth paying for more.
The 60-cents-per-pound problem
Every licensed interstate mover must include released value protection at no extra charge. It is the legal default, and it pays 60 cents per pound per article.
Per pound, not per dollar of value. That distinction is the whole issue:
| Item | Weight | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 50-inch TV | 50 lbs | $30 |
| Laptop | 4 lbs | $2.40 |
| Dining table | 120 lbs | $72 |
| Box of china | 40 lbs | $24 |
| Cable machine | 400 lbs | $240 |
If a mover damages a $2,400 TV beyond repair, released value pays $30. That is not a loophole, it is the published federal standard, and it is set out in the FMCSA’s Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move booklet that interstate movers are required to give you.
For a household of secondhand furniture, that may genuinely be enough. For most households it is not.
Full value protection, the actual alternative
Full value protection is the upgrade. Under it, the mover is liable for the replacement value of anything lost or damaged, and has three ways to settle:
- Repair the item
- Replace it with something comparable
- Pay a cash settlement for the cost of repair or replacement
Two things to check before assuming you are covered:
- The deductible. Most full value policies carry one, and a higher deductible lowers the premium.
- Articles of extraordinary value. Anything worth more than $100 per pound, which covers jewelry, watches, collections, silver, furs and some art, is usually excluded unless you list it specifically on the inventory in writing before the move. This is the single most common reason a claim gets denied.
Our moving insurance page covers how the options work on a specific move.
Valuation is not the same as insurance
Worth being precise about, because the industry uses the words loosely.
Valuation is the mover’s level of liability. It is not insurance, it is not regulated by the state insurance department, and it is what both options above actually are.
Third-party moving insurance is a real insurance product from an insurance company, purchased separately, regulated as insurance. It can cover things valuation does not, and it involves a separate claims process against the insurer rather than the mover.
Both exist, they behave differently in a claim, and a company that calls released value protection “full insurance” is telling you something untrue.
What your homeowners policy does and does not do
Check before you buy anything, because you may already have partial coverage, and you may have less than you assume.
Many homeowners and renters policies cover belongings in transit, but typically:
- Only against named perils such as fire or theft, not general breakage or mishandling
- Subject to your regular deductible, which may exceed the value of what broke
- With sublimits on categories like jewelry and electronics
- Often not at all once goods enter storage, or only for a limited window
Call your agent, ask specifically about transit and storage, and get the answer in writing. A useful neutral primer is the Insurance Information Institute’s guidance on moving.
When the extra coverage is genuinely worth it
Buy full value protection if:
- You are moving long distance or interstate, where handling and transfer points multiply
- Your belongings would cost more than about $15,000 to replace
- You own electronics, art, antiques or designer furniture
- Anything is going into storage between homes
- You have high-value items you are willing to list individually
Released value is probably fine if:
- It is a short local move
- The furniture is inexpensive or already worn
- You would not file a claim over any single item in the truck
The part that decides claims: documentation
Coverage is only as good as your evidence.
- Photograph everything before it is packed, especially anything valuable, and get the condition of existing scratches on record.
- Keep receipts for high-value items where you can.
- Read the inventory sheet before you sign it. Movers note pre-existing condition on it, and vague descriptions favor the mover in a dispute.
- List articles of extraordinary value in writing before loading.
- Inspect at delivery and note damage on the paperwork before the crew leaves. This is where most claims are won or lost.
- File within the deadline. Interstate carriers must allow at least nine months to file a claim, but do not use the runway.
Check that the company is real before you check the coverage
Coverage is worthless from a company that disappears. Any interstate mover must be registered with a USDOT number you can verify through FMCSA’s Protect Your Move, and Florida intrastate movers are regulated by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The bigger risk is brokers. A broker takes your deposit and sells the job to whoever bids lowest, and when something breaks there is no named carrier to claim against. We covered the warning signs in how to choose a moving company and avoid broker scams, and it is worth reading before any deposit changes hands.
The short answer
You already have coverage. It pays 60 cents per pound, which for most households is not close to replacement value.
If your belongings would cost more than roughly $15,000 to replace, if anything is going into storage, or if you own electronics, art or antiques, pay for full value protection and list the high-value items in writing. If you are making a short local move with inexpensive furniture, the default is probably fine.
Either way, photograph everything first and read the inventory before you sign it.
Working out what fits your move is part of the estimate rather than an afterthought. Get a free estimate and ask what valuation applies, and if you want to see how a licensed carrier handles it, that is what we do as movers in Miami.