How Much Moving Coverage Do You Actually Need?
Most people need $4 to $6 per pound of declared value for a typical household move, which works out to roughly $40,000 to $60,000 in coverage for a three-bedroom home. The real question isn’t whether you need coverage, it’s whether the default option your mover gives you will actually replace your grandmother’s dresser when the truck hits a pothole on I-95. If you’d rather not sort this out alone, call us at (855) 890-3455 and we’ll walk through your specific inventory.
We’ve been moving families in and out of Hollywood since 2006, and the coverage conversation is where more moves go sideways than anywhere else. Not because people are careless, but because the moving industry makes it deliberately confusing. Here’s what we’ve learned after two decades of loading trucks on Hollywood Boulevard and unpacking them in Park East, Emerald Hills, and everywhere between.
What Moving Coverage Actually Covers (and What It Doesn’t)
There are two types of coverage in play on every move, and most customers don’t find out the difference until something breaks.
Released Value Protection is the free, default option federal law requires movers to offer. It pays 60 cents per pound per item. Your 10-pound flat-screen TV? That’s $6. Your 150-pound solid wood dresser? $90. This is the coverage most people have without realizing it, because it’s buried in the paperwork and sounds official enough.
Full Value Protection is the upgrade. The mover is liable for the replacement value of damaged or lost items, with options to repair, replace, or offer cash settlement. This is what we provide on everything Milestone Moving Co. home packs and moves, because 60 cents a pound is not a serious answer to “what happens if this breaks.”
The gap between these two options is where the horror stories live. We’ve had customers call us after other moves where their $3,000 sectional was “covered” for $180. That’s not coverage. That’s a legal minimum dressed up in fine print.
How to Calculate the Right Coverage Amount
The formula is straightforward, but most people skip the step that matters: actually inventorying what they own.
- Walk room by room and list major items with approximate replacement cost
- Photograph serial numbers on electronics and appraisals on jewelry or art
- Add 15% for items you forgot (everyone forgets something)
- Match your declared value to this total, not to what you think “sounds reasonable”
For a typical Hollywood two-bedroom condo near Young Circle, we see declared values between $25,000 and $35,000. A four-bedroom in Hollywood Hills usually runs $50,000 to $75,000. These aren’t numbers we invented. They’re what it actually costs to replace standard household contents at retail in South Florida, where furniture prices track about 8% above national average and humidity damage to electronics is a real factor.
One thing we tell every customer: your coverage limit should make you slightly uncomfortable. If the number feels low, it is. If it feels high, you’re probably in the right neighborhood.
When Your Homeowners or Renters Insurance Steps In
Some policies cover goods in transit. Most don’t, or they cap coverage at 10% of your total policy limit. The ones that do cover moves often require the mover to be licensed and insured, which sounds reasonable until you realize how many fly-by-night operators in Broward County aren’t.
Call your insurance agent before moving day. Ask specifically:
- Does my policy cover goods during a professional move?
- Is there a separate deductible for transit claims?
- Do you require the mover to carry specific coverage levels?
- Will you subrogate against the mover, or do I deal with both of you separately?
We’ve seen claims where the customer’s Allstate policy covered the damage but then spent 14 months trying to recover from the mover’s insurer. That’s not a process you want to navigate from your new living room surrounded by boxes.
Special Items That Need Their Own Coverage
Standard moving coverage has per-item limits that exclude or cap high-value goods. These typically include:
- Jewelry, cash, and collectibles (often excluded entirely)
- Artwork over $500 per item
- Antiques without recent appraisal
- Pianos and specialty equipment (unless moved by certified technicians)
- Items packed by owner rather than the mover
We moved a Steinway last month from a home near Hollywood Beach. The owner had a $200,000 rider on their homeowner’s policy specifically for musical instruments, which is the only reason we could take the job with confidence. Without that rider, even our full-value protection would have capped at a fraction of replacement cost.
If you’re in Hollywood and own something that would make you sick to lose, insure it separately or get a written rider. Don’t assume the moving blanket and the truck’s suspension are enough.
Third-Party Moving Insurance: Worth It or Not?
Companies like Budget Truck Rental and U-Pack offer supplemental coverage for self-service moves. Third-party insurers like Baker International and MovingInsurance.com sell policies for full-service moves. These can fill gaps, but read the exclusions carefully.
Common third-party exclusions we see:
- Damage caused by packing errors (even if you paid the mover to pack)
- Mysterious disappearance without visible damage to the box
- Electrical or mechanical derangement (your TV worked when loaded, doesn’t when plugged in)
- Items not on the inventory list, even if they’re clearly on the truck
Our position after 20 years: third-party coverage is useful for declared values above $100,000 or for moves with significant self-packed contents. Below that, a mover’s full-value protection with a reputable carrier is usually the cleaner path. Fewer fingers pointing at each other when something goes wrong.
When to Call a Pro About Coverage
Call us when your inventory includes anything you can’t replace at Target this weekend. Call when you’re moving out of state and the coverage rules change at the Florida-Georgia line. Call when you’ve already had one bad moving experience and you’re not doing that again.
We don’t sell insurance. We sell moves where the coverage question is answered in writing before the truck arrives, not debated over a damaged box on your new driveway. Our Move-Right Guarantee includes full-value protection on everything we pack, a binding written quote that doesn’t change, and our 90-Day Done Right Promise - if anything isn’t right, one call brings a crew or a check.
Related services in Hollywood: We handle local moves throughout Broward County, long-distance relocations with committed delivery windows, and specialty moving for pianos, safes, and antiques. Every full-service move includes free wardrobe boxes and a free in-home or video estimate.
The Bottom Line
Most households need full-value protection at $4 to $6 per pound of declared value. The free 60-cents-per-pound option is a legal fiction, not a safety net. Calculate your actual replacement costs, check your homeowner’s policy for gaps, and get the coverage conversation in writing before anyone lifts a box.
We’ve been moving Hollywood families since 2006 - from the condos off Federal Highway to the homes in Hollywood Lakes - and the customers who sleep well on move night are the ones who asked the hard questions about coverage two weeks earlier. If you’re planning a move and want a binding written quote with real protection behind it, call (855) 890-3455. Estimates are free, and we answer live, 24 hours a day.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The basic 60-cents-per-pound coverage is a legal minimum, not a realistic replacement value. A typical 50-pound television would be covered for $30, far below replacement cost. Most families in Hollywood need full-value protection to cover actual replacement costs. Call (855) 890-3455 and we’ll calculate the right declared value for your inventory.
Sometimes, but usually with significant limitations. Most policies cap transit coverage at 10% of your total policy limit or exclude professional moves entirely. Contact your agent before moving day to confirm your specific coverage, deductible, and whether they require your mover to carry particular insurance levels.
You’ll receive proportionally less on any claim. If you declare $20,000 but your actual household contents are worth $40,000, the insurer may pay only 50% of any claim, even for items well under your declared limit. We recommend adding 15% to your best estimate to account for forgotten items. For help calculating this, call (855) 890-3455.
Usually not, or only at reduced value. Most movers, including Milestone, offer full-value protection only on items we pack ourselves, because we can’t verify proper packing materials and technique otherwise. If you want full coverage, let the crew pack it. We include free wardrobe boxes on every full-service move to reduce this gap.
Written by Dale Whitmore, Owner & Crew Chief, Milestone Moving Co., serving Hollywood since 2006.
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