Common questions about moving with us
Below are the things South Shore families bring up most before they book — what our licensing actually covers, why the flat rate beats an hourly meter, how we get a piano down a three-decker, what happens with the Boston COI, and where storage fits when a closing slips. Don’t see your situation? Call the Quincy office. We would much rather settle it now than have you wondering on move day.
Are you a licensed and insured moving company?
We are, on both the state and federal side. Intrastate moves in Massachusetts fall under the Department of Public Utilities, where our authority is on file with the MA DPU. Cross-state, we operate under USDOT and MC authority, both active. Insurance is in force across the board, and every one of those credentials is on file.
Is Movers South Shore an actual mover, or just a booking outfit that farms the work out?
Yes, we are the mover. The trucks belong to us, the crews are our W-2 employees, and the MA DPU, US DOT, and MC authority are held in our name. Brokers, moving companies, lead aggregators — that is not us. Book Movers South Shore and the people who arrive are ours.
What is the difference between your flat rate and an hourly quote?
An hourly quote over the phone looks like the cheaper option right up until move day, when the meter runs and the stairs, the heavy pieces, and the drive time push the total well past what you were told. We do the opposite: one written number for the entire job, settled before anyone lifts a box. Underestimate the hours and that is on us — your price does not budge from the figure on the page.
How does insurance and valuation work?
Two tiers are on the table. The no-cost baseline on interstate moves is released-value protection, which reimburses at 60 cents per pound per item — fine for sturdy goods, light on anything valuable. The upgrade is full-value protection, generally priced around one to three percent of what you declare your shipment is worth, and it is the right call when fragile or high-value items are riding along. Backing all of it is one million dollars in cargo liability. Tell us what you are moving and we will point you to the level that fits.
Can you store my things between my sale and my closing?
Absolutely — and on the South Shore it comes up constantly, since the sale and the closing almost never land on the same day. Your load goes into clean, dry, secured short-term storage and waits there, whether that is a few days in the gap or straight through a winter, until the new place is ready and we deliver.
Can you handle three-decker stairs and a piano?
That is squarely our wheelhouse. Walk through Wollaston, Quincy Center, or Houghs Neck and you will see three-deckers and Victorians stacked with tight triple staircases — we have been threading furniture through them for years. One of our senior movers handles the heavy specialty work, easing uprights, baby grands, and gun safes down three flights on padded boards and rollers, scratch-free.
Do you handle Quincy permit parking and the Boston building COI?
We do, and it is exactly the part the lowball outfits skip. So much of Quincy is resident-permit parking with nowhere to double-park that we secure the permit and hold a spot for the truck a week out. On the Boston side, condo and high-rise buildings will not clear a move-in until a Certificate of Insurance is on file — our office submits it and locks down the freight-elevator window in advance.
What forms of payment do you take, and is it due before or after the job?
Payment comes due at the end, once everything is set down where it belongs — cash, check, or a major card all work. Since the flat rate was put in writing before the truck ever rolled, there is nothing to tally on move day and no last-minute number to argue over.
What is your cancellation policy?
Plans change, closings move, and we get it. Give us a heads-up as early as you can and we will shift your date without a penalty or a hassle. The only thing we ask for is enough notice to hand the open slot to the next family in line.
Do you really run your own trucks and crews?
Every truck in the lot is ours, and every mover wearing the shirt is a W-2 employee we hired, trained, and answer for. No day-labor pulled together that morning, no handing your move to some other company. Whoever quotes your job is whoever shows up to do it.