What to Expect from a Houston Moving Company

Solid Reputation

In a city as large as Houston, there are moving companies of all shapes, sizes, and experience levels. It is important to consider the difference between trusting your life’s belongings to a fly by night company with little experience or credibility and a professional company that is established and has an excellent reputation among its clients.

Experience

To increase the level of confidence in your belongings safely making it from point A to point B, it is recommended that you choose a Houston moving company with years of experience. Companies who feature a family name are often a good bet because they are typically run by family members who work hard to protect their name and reputation.

Familiarity with Local Geography

Cities as large as Houston feature a complex network of highways, interstates, and feeder roads and that are just inside the city limits. The city also features dozens of suburbs to the north, east, south, and west. Ensuring that you have a mover who is familiar with navigating local geography and traffic with ease can be a huge asset on moving day.

Employed vs. Contract Workers

Expect a quality moving company to employ their workers on a permanent basis, rather than hiring temporary contract workers. Employees generally undergo a more rigorous background check and others that include drug screenings and physicals than contract workers. This can give home and business owners greater peace of mind in trusting the company they choose to work with.

Licensing and Insurance

To operate lawfully, a Houston moving company should be licensed by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) as well as the Texas Department of Transportation. To verify that a company has both of these licenses, simply ask for their corresponding licensing numbers. The company should also be insured, typically through a combination of cargo, accident, and automobile liability insurance which can protect the company and those it is moving.

Low Damage Rates

While the end goal is to have belongings moved without any damage or issues, this is not always the case. There may be times when a small piece breaks off a fragile figurine or the glass of a frame becomes cracked. Damage can be a risk for any move, which is why a reliable moving company should be willing to openly share their damage rate with clients. If a company tells you they have a damage rate of zero percent, proceed with caution as this is highly unlikely. However, it is somewhat reasonable to look for a company with a one percent damage rate.

In-Home Moving Quotes

While an online or over the phone moving quote can be convenient, they are seldom as accurate as an in-person quote given at the home. Choose a professional mover who is willing to come to the home and go room by room to give a more accurate and dependable moving quote.

Communication

Moving is a process that is usually conducted over several weeks’ time from researching to getting a quote to packing to moving. Expect the moving company you choose to communicate with you every step of the way to ensure you are all on the same page.

Packing Services

Depending on a person’s needs, the services they require may include just loading and unloading the furniture and boxes onto and out of the moving van, or it may also include packing services. A company that packs up a client offers advantages, such as providing the moving supplies and packing balanced boxes that are less likely to tip over in transit, which can avoid damage to the contents.

Specialized Moving Equipment

Some clients may have cumbersome pieces of furniture such as a piano or grandfather clock or own priceless pieces of art that require customized crating or packaging for a move. For pieces like these, a good moving company should have access to specialized equipment and packing supplies that allow these items to be safely transported.

Unpacking Services

Getting packed up and moving to a new destination requires such a great deal of planning and logistics, that the appeal of unpacking and getting settled can quickly lose its luster. For this reason, a quality Houston moving company will also offer unpacking services. This is a wildly popular convenience for those who might otherwise be content to let unopened boxes take over their new space for longer than necessary.