Moving Insurance & Valuation Calculator

Released value is the free, automatic coverage every mover must include: $0.60 per pound per item if the mover damages it. Full value protection (FVP) is the mover's premium option, where your shipment gets a declared value (roughly $6 per pound of weight) and the mover must repair, replace, or pay the current market value of lost or damaged items. Released value comes free with every interstate move; FVP costs extra — typically around 1% of the declared value.

No — and this matters. Legally, movers sell valuation coverage, not insurance, because movers are not licensed insurance companies. Released value and full value protection are the mover's contractual liability limits, governed by federal law (for interstate moves) and the mover's tariff — not by an insurance policy. Only a third-party policy sold by an actual licensed insurer is real insurance. Everything in this lab is an educational estimate; verify your mover's tariff in writing and consult a licensed insurance professional before relying on any coverage.

Exactly $0.60 times the item's weight in pounds. A 35-pound TV pays out $21 — no matter what the TV cost. A 200-pound sofa pays out $120. Enter your own items in the released-value tab above to see how little the free coverage pays for expensive, lightweight items; that gap is the entire reason full value protection and third-party policies exist.

A common published benchmark (ConsumerAffairs) is about 1% of the declared value. Your declared value is usually set as your shipment weight times $6 per pound — an 8,000-pound shipment declares at $48,000, so FVP at $0 deductible runs about $480. Choosing a deductible lowers the price: roughly $456 at a $250 deductible and $420 at a $500 deductible. The calculator above prices all three side by side. Actual tariffs vary by mover, so always get the figure in writing.

It depends on what you are moving. Released value is free, but it protects almost nothing of value — a damaged $1,500 TV pays $21. Full value protection costs roughly 1% of declared value and makes the mover repair or replace items at current market value. If your shipment is mostly old furniture you could replace cheaply, released value may be enough. If a total loss would hurt financially, the premium is usually worth it. The decision tab above walks through the trade-off with your own numbers.

Sometimes, not always. Published third-party rates run 1–5% of declared value, while mover FVP benchmarks around 1% of declared value (less with a deductible). So at the commonly quoted 3%, third-party costs more than mover FVP — $1,440 vs $480 on a $48,000 shipment. Third-party can still win when a mover marks FVP up heavily, when you want a low or zero deductible, or when you value an independent claims process. Compare on the comparator tab — and compare terms, not just price.

Start with the industry rule of thumb: shipment weight in pounds times $6. Many movers also set a minimum declared value, so the declared value cannot drop below that floor even for light shipments. If you own high-value items — anything worth more than $100 per pound — those must be declared separately on the inventory or they may not be covered at their real value. The declared-value sizer tab applies this rule to your item list and flags anything over the $100/lb threshold.

Federal rules define high-value (articles of extraordinary value) items as anything worth more than $100 per pound. Examples: a 10-pound painting worth $1,500 ($150/lb), electronics, artwork, antiques, jewelry, and musical instruments. These items must be explicitly listed on the mover's high-value inventory before loading; an unlisted high-value item can be capped at the per-pound rate or excluded entirely. Declare them before the truck is loaded — not after.

The deductible is subtracted from every claim payout. With a $500 deductible and a $2,000 ruined sofa, you receive $1,500. A $0 deductible costs the most (about 1% of declared value); a $250 deductible trims roughly 5% off the premium; a $500 deductible trims roughly 12.5%. If you can absorb a $500 loss, taking the higher deductible is the cheapest way to buy full value protection.

Barely — and be skeptical of tools claiming ZIP-level pricing. The $0.60/lb released-value rate is federal and identical in every state. Full value protection follows the individual mover's tariff, which can differ between markets but is not a ZIP-code lookup table. What does vary by state is the regulatory floor (some states require movers to offer full value protection), and what varies by trip is storage: goods held in a mover's warehouse often carry a separate monthly valuation charge, which you can pro-rate per day in the FVP tab.

Transit coverage is a one-time premium for the move. Storage is the exception: when a mover holds your goods in its warehouse, valuation is commonly charged as a monthly rate against the declared value. Divide the monthly charge by 30 for a rough per-day equivalent — the FVP tab shows this pro-rata automatically. Third-party policies are usually single-trip or annual policies, not monthly.

Common exclusions: items you packed yourself (PBO — packed by owner) unless the box shows clear external damage, natural disasters, normal wear and tear, and items of extraordinary value that were never declared. Cash, jewelry, and important documents are usually excluded entirely — carry them yourself. Delays and consequential losses (like a missed workday) are not covered. Read the tariff's exclusion list before you decide you are covered.

You get released value automatically — $0.60 per pound, free. Federal rules require the mover to have you sign a written statement declining full value protection; you cannot simply skip it, and you cannot waive coverage down to zero. Because it is free and automatic, there is never a reason to leave the declaration form blank — an unsigned form can delay your move or default to released value anyway.

For interstate moves you have 9 months from delivery to file a written claim, and the mover has 30 days to acknowledge and 120 days to resolve it (federal timelines). Document everything at delivery: note damage on the inventory before signing, photograph it, and keep receipts for items you may need replaced. File with the mover first; if you bought a third-party policy, file with the insurer too, within its own deadline. Deadlines and forms come from the mover's tariff — read it before loading day.

Generally no — this is the biggest surprise in moving coverage. Items packed by owner (PBO) are typically excluded from full value protection unless the outside of the box shows visible damage from handling. If you want coverage on fragile or valuable items, have the movers pack them (you will pay for packing, but coverage applies), or photograph the contents as you pack and accept the risk. Some third-party policies cover PBO boxes — another reason to compare terms.

Released value is enough when your shipment has low replacement value: mostly used furniture, thrifted goods, or a lightly furnished apartment where the total loss would not hurt you financially. Run the math in the released-value tab — if the total payout would be a few hundred dollars and the FVP premium is also a few hundred, you are paying to insure what you could replace yourself. If you own high-value electronics, art, or instruments, or a total loss would be a financial problem, full value protection or a third-party policy is the sane choice.