6 Sections to Check Out on Your Moving Contract

Let’s be honest: no one likes to read legal mumbo jumbo. It’s tedious, and sometimes it doesn’t make a lot of sense. But when it comes to moving, you’ll definitely want to look through the entire contract between you and your Laguna Beach moving company.

Why the Contract is Important

The contract – often called a bill of lading – between you and the Laguna Beach movers you’re hiring is important for two reasons. One is to protect both parties in case of a lawsuit, and the other is to detail your move so both parties are on the same page.

The first reason – lawsuit protection – is important. But it’s not often used. There aren’t all that many times when you’ll have to bring a lawsuit against a reputable moving company. Still, though, you want to be sure the contract offers you adequate protection, just in case.

The second reason is perhaps even more important. Moving can be a complicated process, with lots of services and exchanges involved. The contract is where the expectations of the various parties involved in the move are put on paper. So it’s the easiest place to catch mistakes! If you look through the contract thoroughly, you’ll get far fewer surprises on moving day – or when you’re billed for the company’s services.

So before you sign this all-important contract, look for these six things on it:

1.Names and addresses

Near the beginning of the contract will be personal information for you and business information for the moving company. Be sure that the names match up properly, and that the contract includes current contact information.

Also, check the addresses. If the moving company has a physical address and that address matches its advertising materials, that’s a good sign that they’re a legitimate business rather than a scam. The contract should also include two of your addresses – your current address and the one you’re moving to. Tiny mistakes here can lead to big problems on moving day, since your movers are going to go by these addresses for picking up and dropping off your household goods.

2.Timing

The contract will also include details about the timing of your move. When will the movers arrive? If you’re paying for packing services, when will the packing begin? And when will your items be dropped off at your new home? With local moves, your household goods are nearly always dropped off on the same day, but you’ll want to double check, just in cast.

3.Services

Look over the contract to see exactly what services the Laguna Beach moving company is planning to provide you. Are they going to pack all of your goods? Or just some of them? Are they going to load and unload everything? What about unpacking? Be sure that all the services you want are included, and that the list doesn’t include any services you don’t want to pay for,

4.Rates

For the most part, moving companies price by weight. The more stuff you have to more, the more the move costs. This isn’t always the case, but no matter how a company prices, they should include information about their rates – how they price specific goods and services.

The rate section of your Laguna Beach movers’ contract should also include information about any potential additional fees – such as fuel surcharges, appliance moving, picking up or dropping off goods at a storage unit, or per-hour accessory charges for additional services or inconveniences for the movers.

5.Pricing

Pricing is what it looks like when the rates are applied to your actual move. Best case scenario is a guaranteed or partially guaranteed price. With a guarantee, you won’t pay more than is on the contract for your move, period. With a partial guarantee, the moving company may write in a contingency fee of 5-10%, or more. The contingency fee is that absolute maximum price you’ll pay, which also limits the total cost of your move.

7.Liability

One final thing to look for on your Laguna Beach movers’ bill of lading is language about liability. This section of the contract should talk about how disputes are resolved – whether in court or using a third-party resolution company. It should also answer questions like: What happens if a mover is hurt on my property during the move? Who is responsible for lost or broken items? Who keeps track of the condition of items before and after the move?

Once you’ve looked over and agreed to all these items in your contract – and any others that may come up unexpectedly – you’re ready to sign the bill of lading and get your Laguna Beach move on the roll.