This Old House Reviews Team Moving Methodology
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We are committed to providing comprehensive and unbiased reviews to our readers. This means earning your trust through transparent reviews and having the data to back up our ratings and recommendations. We’ve conducted extensive research on moving companies to establish a baseline for the best industry practices and to see how companies compare on key metrics.
Moving Company Research Process
We started evaluating the best moving companies by establishing which categories would compose our rating system.
Our research methods included the following:
Provider Analysis
For each provider, we analyzed features such as the services offered, additional benefits, and scheduling options. We looked for inconsistencies in the company’s marketing language and compared business models among providers to better understand the existing industry standards.
Brand Reputation
Customer satisfaction goes hand-in-hand with brand reputation, and our team sought to learn more about each moving company’s relationship with its customers. To this end, we evaluated a provider’s responsiveness to complaints and the initiative taken to resolve reported issues.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has served as a key resource for brand reputation research.
Secret Shopping
Our team anonymously contacted each moving provider to request estimates for moving services. This allowed us to learn more about the services offered and the company’s contents coverage options. We also analyzed any fine print included with the moving quotes we received.
Expert Interviews
We have interviewed industry experts, gaining insights into the best practices in the moving industry, current trends, and common pitfalls customers face.
Factors Evaluated To Compare Moving Companies
To rate each moving company, we analyzed the data from our research and created review standards based on our findings. We established a 100-point scale for our scoring system, rating providers based on factors most important to customers booking a move.
These are the categories for which we assign a point value to each provider:
Customer Service
We gauged each moving company’s customer service through online review platforms such as the BBB. Companies with an A rating received the most points, while fewer points were rewarded for lower ratings. During this analysis, we also checked the company’s response rate to complaints and reviews from the previous year. Companies that responded to more than 90% of complaints received the most points.
We also focused on analyzing each provider’s online user experience through an in-depth website analysis. Companies received points for providing online calculators, checklists, an easy-to-access USDOT number, and contact information.
Reputation
When assessing a company, we considered not only its customer service but also its reputation in the moving industry. We’ve observed that companies focusing solely on a carrier license tend to have better reputations, with fewer customer service issues, communication failures, and legal problems. As a result, we awarded more points to companies holding only a carrier license, fewer points to those having both a carrier and a broker license, and even fewer points to those holding only a broker license.
We reviewed each moving company’s profile with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to check how many inspections it has failed in the past two years for its drivers and moving trucks. We awarded more points if the company’s failure rate was lower than the national average of 22.26%.*
A moving company’s reputation also depends on its movers. Although it’s hard to predict the working style of our providers’ moving crews, we noticed whether a company’s website says it conducts background checks on its movers.
*National average as of July 2024.
Value
We emphasized value in our assessment, which goes beyond a company’s pricing. For instance, we gave higher ratings to movers that provide binding estimates upfront rather than offering ballpark estimates that could lead to confusion. Additionally, we awarded extra points to full-service movers that offer a do-it-yourself (DIY) moving service option, such as portable storage container moves. This option lets customers pick and choose the level of professional help they’d like.
To determine a moving company’s cost, we collected at least five quotes from a single provider for different two-bedroom moves ranging from 500 to 800 miles in distance. Providers with average quotes less than $2,000–$4,000 received the highest points. Providers with quotes less than $4,000–$7,000 or $7,000–$10,000 received fewer points.
Service Offerings
We believe that the more services a moving company offers, the more likely you are to avoid difficult communication and logistical headaches from fulfilling various services from different providers. Because of this, providers that offer more services received more points. Every provider got points for their packing and unpacking services but received more if they had one of the following services:
- Loading
- Unloading
- Vehicle shipping
- Fragile only packing
- Furniture disassembly/reassembly
- Appliance/electronics handling
- Office moves
- Piano moving
We also awarded a company points if it sells packing supplies directly to customers. This provides a simplified approach to handling all your moving needs by one provider.
Item Protection
We assessed a mover’s “Item Protection” based on two main factors. First, we checked the mover’s insurance information to see if it goes beyond the two federally required insurance plans: Released-Value and Full-Value. If a mover offers additional coverage through customizable full-value plans or third-party insurance, it received more points.
We also considered what protection services a mover provides. Movers that offer antique and specialty services, crating, storage, and GPS tracking received more points for each of these services. These additional services ensure that your items receive extra protection and security measures.
Scheduling
A smooth schedule makes moving more stress-free. We gave a mover more points if it has multiple communication channels, such as online and the telephone. The same applies to a moving company’s quote process. We awarded more points if both an in-person and virtual estimate are available. Many movers now use their own mobile apps to help with the quote process and scheduling. If we found that a mover provides its own proprietary mobile app, we gave additional points.
Factor Weights for Rating Moving Companies
The categories above total 100 points. This indicates a model company that meets or exceeds every criteria. This is how we weigh each category in the final score:
| Review Category | Percent of Score |
|---|---|
| Customer Service | 18% |
| Reputation | 14% |
| Value | 18% |
| Service Offerings | 19% |
| Item Protection | 20% |
| Scheduling | 11% |
How To Choose the Best Moving Company for You
Our moving guides feature our top choices for the industry’s best movers based on our research and ratings of each company included. In addition to our rating system, we highlight services that may benefit your specific relocation needs, such as furniture disassembly and reassembly and custom crating for delicate items, such as electronics and fine art.
We thoroughly review each company to give you insights into its services, costs, and customer satisfaction. We also compare the top providers using key metrics so you can see how each measures up.
The right moving company for you depends on your needs and budget. We always recommend that consumers obtain quotes from at least three professional moving companies before deciding.
To get started, feel free to explore some of our moving guides below:
- Best Moving Companies
- Best Long-Distance Moving Companies
- Best Interstate Moving Companies
- Best Cheap Moving Companies
- Best Moving Companies For Small Moves
- Best Moving Companies For Military Moves
About Us
We are an independent editorial team of subject matter experts who champion the categories and home services we recommend. From the beginning stages of research to the published review articles, our team works diligently to identify common customer pain points, connect to people with firsthand knowledge and experience, and craft content that meets the needs of our audience. We aim to help home buyers, owners, or sellers streamline their decision-making process when selecting home services.
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