Binding vs. non-binding estimates, and the 110% rule
These three words decide how much your price is allowed to move between the day you sign and the day your things arrive.
Binding estimate
A fixed price for the shipment and services listed on the estimate. If nothing changes, that is what you pay. What it does not fix is anything you add later: extra boxes, packing you did not originally order, or services triggered by conditions at either address.
Non-binding estimate
The mover’s best guess, not a price. The final cost is based on the actual weight or volume and the services actually performed. It can land above or below the estimate. This is where the 110% rule comes in.
Binding not-to-exceed
Often called a guaranteed price or price protection. You pay the lower of the estimated amount or the actual charges. For a consumer this is generally the most protective of the three.
What the 110% rule actually says
On a non-binding estimate, the mover cannot require you to pay more than 110% of the estimated charges at the time of delivery. Any remaining balance for the estimated services is billed afterward, and is generally due within 30 days of delivery.
The part that catches people
The 110% rule is a limit on what must be collected at delivery. It is not a cap on what you ultimately owe.
It also does not cover everything. Charges for services you request that were not on the original estimate, and charges arising from impracticable operations — conditions at pickup or delivery the mover could not reasonably have anticipated, such as a shuttle being needed because the truck cannot reach the address — are handled separately and are not covered by that delivery-time limit.
What to do about it
- Ask which of the three kinds your estimate is, and get the answer in writing on the document.
- On a non-binding estimate, ask specifically: what will I be required to pay at delivery, and what gets billed after?
- Ask which conditions at your addresses could count as impracticable operations — narrow street, no truck parking, long walk, stairs, elevator — and what each of those costs.
- If you are priced by weight, ask to observe the weighing and to receive the certified weight tickets.
- Get any change to the inventory reflected in a revised written estimate before pickup day.