Binding vs. Non-Binding vs. Guaranteed Estimates

Most move-day sticker shock does not come from a scam. It comes from one thing: the estimate. An estimate is a guess about your price, and a guess can move. Understanding binding vs non binding estimate rules is the difference between knowing your number before the truck arrives and finding out when the ramp comes down.

For interstate moves, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets rules for how movers estimate charges and how much you can be asked to pay at delivery. There are two common estimate types, and here’s the breakdown between them.

Why “estimate” is the word that costs you

An estimate is a projection. It is a mover’s best read of how much weight or how much space your goods will take up and what services it will need, priced against the company’s published tariff. A good estimate is honest and reasonably accurate. But it is still a projection, and sometimes costs can grow unexpectedly.

That gap between the projection and the final bill is where surprises hide. The lower a mover sets the estimate, the more room there may be for the real number to climb above it. A rock-bottom quote can win the booking and then balloon on delivery day, when you have the least leverage and your belongings are already on the truck.

The whole game is the estimate type: it controls how far the number can move, and in which direction.

Non-binding estimate: a projection with a cap

A non-binding estimate is a mover’s best guess at your cost, based on the estimated weight of your shipment and the services you request. It is not a guarantee. Your final charges are based on the actual measurements of the shipment, the services actually provided, and the mover’s published tariff. The FMCSA states plainly that a non-binding estimate “is not a guarantee of your final costs.” (See the FMCSA explainer on binding move estimates.)

So the price can rise. What protects you is the 110 percent rule. Under a non-binding estimate on an interstate move, the mover cannot require you to pay more than 110 percent of the estimated amount at the time of delivery. If your bill runs higher than that, the mover must still hand over your shipment when you pay 110 percent, and bill you for the rest at least 30 days later.

The risk in a non-binding estimate is straightforward: a lowball number. If a mover writes the estimate low to win your business, 110 percent of a low number is still more than you planned to spend, and you can be surprised at the door. The 110 percent rule caps the day-of demand; it does not cap your total cost. The FMCSA has more information on this 110 percent rule.

Binding estimate: a fixed price for what is listed

A binding estimate is a written agreement, made in advance, that guarantees the total cost of your move based on the quantities and services shown on the estimate. You are required to pay 100 percent of the binding estimate at delivery, and you cannot be charged more than that estimated amount. That is real protection, and it is why a binding estimate beats a non-binding one for most people.

For this estimate, the customer should provide a detailed description of their rooms and items, which a survey will then confirm. A binding estimate is only binding for the items and services written on it. If items get added that were not on the inventory, or if the job hits circumstances the estimate did not cover, such as a long carry, stairs, an elevator, or a required parking permit, the mover must prepare a new binding estimate covering the added items and services. The FMCSA spells out both the guarantee and these exceptions on its binding estimate page. But with a carefully crafted binding estimate, this provides you the security in knowing exactly what you’re paying for, with no hidden charges or fees ballooning costs on moving day.

Haul Co’s approach: a guaranteed price, not just an estimate

Haul Co does not hand you an estimate to worry about. You get one guaranteed, binding price, locked at booking, in about two minutes. It is calculated by our own pricing technology, and it is the price you pay. There is no estimate sitting in the background waiting to creep upward on move day.

Here is the order, because it is different from the industry norm. First, you get your guaranteed price, fast. Then, on your own schedule, you complete a virtual home survey: you walk through your home on your phone, at your pace, so we document a complete inventory from pickup to delivery. The price comes first; the survey confirms the details behind it. You are not left guessing, and neither are we.

A few things follow from that model:

One company, end to end. Haul Co is a licensed interstate carrier, not a broker. There are no handoffs to another unknown company and no middlemen marking up your job. You can verify the carrier on the record, Hauling Authority LLC, on the FMCSA’s SAFER company snapshot using USDOT 4435598 or MC 1745912.
Full value protection is included. Every Haul Co move includes full value protection, which is cargo liability coverage up to the lesser of your declared value or $100,000. It is not insurance; it is the carrier’s liability for your goods, built into the move.
No estimate to creep. Because the price is guaranteed and locked at booking, there is no non-binding projection, no 110 percent math to run, and no revised estimate waiting at the door.

You can, and should, do your homework on any interstate mover. FMCSA’s Protect Your Move hub is the place to start, and you can look up any company in the registered mover database. Doing that on Haul Co will show you a licensed carrier, not a broker.

The short version

Non-binding: a projection that can rise; the 110 percent rule caps what you must pay at delivery, but not your total cost.
Binding: a fixed price for the listed inventory and services.
Haul Co guaranteed price: not a simple estimate at all; one binding number locked at booking.

If a low quote seems too good to be true, ask what type of estimate it is and what happens if the weight or the inventory changes. And if you would rather skip the guessing altogether, that is the whole point of how we price. For more on what shapes the number, see our guides to what an interstate move costs and the hidden fees to watch for before you sign.

A move should not hinge on a word as slippery as “estimate.” Get a guaranteed price for your move in about two minutes at haulco.com/get-a-price, and know your number before a single box is loaded.