In-Home or Video Survey: Why It Decides Whether Your Moving Estimate Holds
Since 2022, interstate movers must survey your belongings before giving you a written estimate, either in your home or by video, unless you waive the survey in writing. The survey is the single biggest factor in whether your estimate holds up on moving day. A price given without one is a guess.
What changed in 2022
Federal household goods rules used to require a physical survey only if your home was within 50 miles of the mover’s or its agent’s location. Rules that took effect in June 2022 changed that. A physical survey is now required for every interstate household goods shipment, the definition of a survey now includes virtual surveys, and the 50 mile limit is gone. Brokers who give estimates on a carrier’s behalf are subject to the same survey requirement.
You can still waive the survey, but the waiver must be in writing and signed before your goods are loaded. A company that pushes you to waive it is a company that wants to quote you without knowing what it is moving.
In person or by video
| In-home survey | Virtual survey | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | An estimator walks through your home | Live video call, or a recorded video with a chance for follow-up questions |
| Best for | Large homes, lots of storage, unusual items | Apartments, smaller moves, long-distance quotes from distant carriers |
| Main risk | Takes time to schedule | Things missed off camera |
Both count as a physical survey under the rules. What matters is that the carrier can clearly see and identify what is being moved.
How to get an accurate survey
- Show everything. Open closets and cabinets. Include the attic, basement, garage, shed, patio and any storage unit. The most common cause of a price increase on moving day is a room nobody surveyed.
- Say what is not going. Point out furniture you are selling or leaving, so it is not counted.
- Describe access at both ends. Stairs, elevators, the distance from door to truck parking, narrow streets and HOA rules all affect labor and can trigger shuttle or long carry charges.
- Flag special items. Pianos, safes, large televisions, artwork, gym equipment and anything fragile or very heavy.
- On video, use good light, move slowly, and measure large items if the estimator asks.
- Get the result in writing. The estimate should list the items surveyed or reference an inventory.
When the move does not match the survey
If you add items or services on moving day, the mover must prepare a new estimate before loading, and you should read it before you agree. If nothing changed and the mover still claims your shipment is bigger than surveyed, that is one of the warning signs regulators list. Ask for the weight tickets and use your right to observe the weighing and demand a reweigh.
Using surveys to compare quotes
Three quotes are only comparable if they are based on the same inventory. Ask each company for its estimated weight or volume. If one is far lower than the others for the same home, it is not a better deal, it is a different assumption. Our quotes guide explains how to line them up, and our quote checker shows where a total sits against the market.
Sources: FMCSA final rule “Implementation of Household Goods Working Group Recommendations”, 87 FR 24431, April 26, 2022, effective June 27, 2022; 49 CFR 375.401 to 375.405 and 371.113. This page is general information, not legal advice. Last reviewed October 2026.