Are you contacting several moving companies to get estimates for a local move, and will eventually pick one company to go with? If so, there are some things that you need to know about moving estimates before you pick a moving company.

Know How The Company Performs The Estimate

There are many ways that moving companies can perform an estimate, and it's important to understand how each company will do it. Some will come out to your home and look at how much stuff you have to perform an estimate, while others will give you an estimate over the phone based on the square footage or the number of bedrooms that you have. If you want a more accurate estimate, you may want someone to come out to your home and see how many things they need to move.

Be aware that when a moving company provides you with an estimate, it is typically a non-binding estimate. This means that the cost can be higher or lower depending on how long your move takes. If you just want to know the approximate cost of the move, then an in-person estimate will be necessary for accuracy.

Know What To Compare On Each Estimate

The estimate is just a guess and what it is going to take to move all your stuff, with the majority of the cost being the amount of hours it takes to load and unload your belongings onto the moving truck. That's why it is not always fair to compare the final total on the moving estimates when picking a moving company. 

You'll want to look at what all the costs are at their base rate. This includes the cost of the moving truck, materials fees, mileage, and the amount that you are paying per person for each hour of labor they perform. Since labor is going to be your biggest expense, focus on the hourly cost per man-hour as your primary thing to compare. 

For example, if a company charges $80 per hour and will supply two people to get the job done, that's an average of $40 per man-hour. A competing moving company that charges $120 per hour for a team of four movers breaks down to $30 per man-hour, and is actually going to be cheaper overall if both crews work at the same pace.

You'll be sure to pick a great moving company now that you know these two things. For more information on moving companies and what they charge, contact a company near you.