Movers in Miami

By Ankush Das, founder and CEO of Snestico · Published

A mover working within Florida must register with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) under the Household Moving Services Act. Check the registration, get a signed written estimate, and know that the mover must deliver once you pay the amount in it.

Snestico doesn't move your things or recommend a mover. This page sets out the checks Florida's own regulator and FMCSA give, so you can compare any mover you find, and what to plan around the move itself in Miami.

How do you check a mover in Miami?

  • Check the mover's FDACS registration through FDACS's business search or 1-800-HELP-FLA
  • Florida movers must carry liability coverage of at least $10,000 per shipment
  • Liability can't be limited below 60 cents per pound per item; ask what more coverage costs
  • Get a signed written estimate: Florida law requires the mover to deliver once you pay the amount in it
  • Leaving Florida? The mover needs a USDOT number from FMCSA as well

Moving day in Miami

Miami high-rises and condo buildings often set move-in hours, ask for a deposit or a certificate of insurance, and need the service elevator booked, so ask both buildings before you fix the date.

Summer rain and hurricane season run through the warm months; leave room in the plan and wrap furniture and boxes against the wet.

Moving to or from another state?

For a move to another state, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates the mover. It must have a USDOT number, which you can look up on FMCSA's site, and give you the booklet "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move". On a non-binding estimate you pay no more than 110% of it at delivery; the rest can be billed after 30 days. Full Value Protection is the default, and you only get the cheaper released value, 60 cents per pound per item, if you waive it in writing.

Before and after the truck

  • Get estimates from more than one mover, in writing, after each has seen what you're moving
  • Keep documents, valuables and medicines with you, not on the truck
  • Photograph every room of the old place empty, and of the new place before you unpack, for your deposit
  • Check the inventory and note any damage on the paperwork before you sign
  • Moving light? Sell big furniture before you go and furnish the new place from the local marketplace

Sources

How this was made: drafted with AI assistance, then reviewed and edited by Ankush Das, who checks every fact against the sources listed before it is published or updated.