Movers near you

A local move stays within the same city or region, and the crew usually loads, drives and unloads the same day. Local moves are often billed by the hour for a crew and truck, so the time spent on stairs, long walks from the door to the truck and furniture that wasn't taken apart has a direct effect on the bill.

A long-distance move crosses into another region or province. The price is more often based on the weight or volume of the shipment and the distance, and your belongings may share a truck with other households' loads, so movers usually quote a delivery window rather than a fixed day. Ask whether the company uses its own crews and trucks for the whole trip or hands the shipment to a partner.

An estimate is only as good as the inventory behind it. During an in-home survey, or a video survey where you walk the estimator through each room on your phone, the mover sees the furniture, the boxes still to come, the stairs, the elevator and the distance to where the truck will park. Open the closets, the basement, the garage and the shed too: forgotten contents are a common reason a move runs over.

Quotes generally fall into two families. A binding, or fixed-price, estimate commits the mover to a total for the inventory and services listed, as long as nothing is added. A non-binding estimate is the mover's best forecast, and the final bill follows the actual hours, weight or volume. Either can be fair; what matters is knowing which one you have, what would change it, and having it in writing. The federal Office of Consumer Affairs recommends written estimates from several movers that list the items, their size and value, the cost, the payment terms and the timing.

Basic mover liability is limited and calculated by weight, not by what an item is worth, so a light but valuable object such as a television, a laptop or a piece of art may be covered for very little. The Office of Consumer Affairs notes that your home insurance and the mover's coverage together may protect you against loss or damage, that the mover is generally not liable for goods you packed yourself, and that replacement value protection can be purchased for more complete coverage. In Quebec, the Office de la protection du consommateur advises checking that the mover carries basic insurance on the goods it moves as well as civil liability insurance.

Ask your home insurer whether your policy covers belongings in transit and in storage, photograph valuable items, and on delivery check each room before signing, noting any damage or missing box on the paperwork.

In Quebec, so many residential leases start on July 1 that the days around it are the busiest of the year for movers, truck rentals and building elevators. The Tribunal administratif du logement points out that a new tenant's right to occupy the dwelling begins on the first day of the lease, and that the outgoing tenant has no grace day to leave and remove their belongings. If the two moves overlap, the Tribunal encourages the outgoing tenant to give the new one access, ideally by freeing one or more rooms.

A truck parked close to the door saves the crew time, which matters a great deal when a move is billed by the hour, but street space is regulated. In Montreal, for example, the city says a temporary permit to occupy the public domain is needed if you put up no-parking signs, move on a street with parking meters, block a sidewalk or bike path, move on a pedestrian street or hire a professional moving company; processing times vary by borough. Other cities have their own rules, so check with yours, and ask whether the mover takes care of the application.

In a condo or apartment tower, the elevator usually has to be reserved through property management, often with protective padding installed, set hours for moves and sometimes a damage deposit. Book it at both buildings, and tell the mover where the truck can load and what clearance the entrance allows.

Canada Post's Mail Forwarding service redirects your mail to the new address. It's purchased in advance of the move, online or at a post office, and can start as early as 5 days after purchase online or 3 days when bought at a post office; for a move, it's offered for 12 or 4 months. Parcels aren't forwarded, so give your new address directly to anyone who ships to you.

In Quebec, the Service québécois de changement d'adresse lets you send your new address to seven government departments and organizations in a single step, including those that manage health insurance, driver's licences and taxes. Elsewhere, notify the provincial offices for your health card and driver's licence, the Canada Revenue Agency, your bank, your insurers and your utilities.

The Canadian Association of Movers warns that scammers impersonate real moving companies with convincing texts and emails to pressure people into paying fake deposits. It advises getting a written estimate and contract before paying anything, being wary of large upfront payments, and verifying a mover yourself through its official website and phone number. Quebec's Office de la protection du consommateur also suggests giving no deposit before the move, or a very small one, if you can.

If furniture is damaged or the bill doesn't match the contract, note it on the delivery paperwork, take photos and try to settle with the company first. The Office de la protection du consommateur describes the next steps: a written repair estimate from a professional, a formal notice summarizing the problem and the compensation you're claiming, and then the courts if the company doesn't respond. Outside Quebec, the Office of Consumer Affairs directs unresolved disputes to your provincial or territorial consumer affairs office.