Movers' Prices Rose 13% in a Year. Here's How to Protect Your Bill

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on October 15, 2026 that its producer price index for used household and office goods moving stood 13.2% higher in September than a year earlier, while the October 14 consumer price report put its index for moving, storage and freight expense 7.1% lower. For you, no national number predicts your move's cost; the type of written estimate you sign and the federal rules around it shape what you pay at delivery more than any index.

Key takeaways

Producer prices for household and office goods moving rose 13.2% in 12 months and 29.3% in five years to September 2026, against 22.8% for all consumer prices over five years. The consumer moving index fell 7.1% and 4.1%.
Diesel averaged $6.179 per gallon on October 12, 2026, up $2.514 (68.6%) from a year earlier, according to EIA.
On an interstate non-binding estimate, a mover cannot require more than 110% of the estimate at delivery, plus certain extra charges. On $4,200, that is $4,620; the rest is billed later.
Full Value Protection is the default. Waive it for released value, at 60 cents per pound per article, and a destroyed 40-pound TV returns $24.
The federal moving expense deduction is limited to active-duty military moving under orders; for moves in 2026 or later, intelligence community employees and new appointees may qualify too.

What it means for you

Local move: moves within one state are generally governed by state rules, not the federal ones below. Get a written, itemized quote that names stairs, elevators and long carries.
Interstate move with a full-service mover: the federal estimate, valuation and claim rules below apply.
DIY truck, container or portable storage: the FMCSA booklet excludes carriers whose containers or trailers you entirely load and unload yourself from its definition of a household goods motor carrier, so read the company's own contract.
Renters: deposit refund timing is set by your lease and state or local law, so plan cash for the overlap with the mover's payment due at delivery.

What the BLS data show

Two federal price measures describe moving, and they disagree. The producer price index for used household and office goods moving tracks what moving companies receive. The consumer price index for moving, storage and freight expense tracks what urban households pay. Neither is seasonally adjusted. The all-items index is from the September 2026 CPI release (October 14); see also the PPI release (October 15).

Measure	Sep 2021	Sep 2025	Sep 2026	12-month change	5-year change
PPI, household and office goods moving (Dec 2003 = 100)	154.557	176.483	199.795 (preliminary)	+13.2%	+29.3%
CPI, moving, storage and freight (Dec 1997 = 100)	200.298	206.636	192.010	-7.1%	-4.1%
CPI, all items (1982-84 = 100)	274.310	324.800	336.940	+3.7%	+22.8%

Each change is the newer index divided by the older, minus one; for the five-year PPI, 199.795 / 154.557 = 1.293, or +29.3%. The producer index has outpaced overall consumer inflation (29.3% against 22.8%); the consumer moving index ended below its level of one and five years earlier.

The consumer series is noisy, ranging from 168.701 (December 2025) to 211.100 (June 2025) in 21 months; October 2025 is missing because of the 2025 lapse in federal appropriations. BLS marks the last four PPI months as preliminary.

On the demand side, the Census Bureau's historical mobility table (newest year 2023) counts 25.6 million movers among 327.2 million people aged 1 and over, or 7.8%.

Fuel, labor and insurance drivers

EIA's weekly history shows U.S. on-highway diesel at $6.179 on October 12, 2026, against $3.665 on October 13, 2025 (+68.6%; the EIA update page lists the $2.514 change) and $3.586 on October 11, 2021 (+72.3%).

Labor and insurance figures cover trucking in general, not movers. The American Transportation Research Institute, an industry research group, reported on July 15, 2026 that operating a truck cost $2.336 per mile in 2025, up 3.4%, or $1.854 excluding fuel. That puts fuel at $0.482 per mile, about 21% of the total, before this fall's diesel prices. A FleetOwner summary of the report gives driver wages at $0.818 per mile (+2.5%) and liability and cargo insurance at $0.11 (+3.9%).

Estimates and the 110% rule

For interstate moves, a mover must give a written estimate before loading and say whether it is binding or non-binding. It must rest on a physical survey, on-site or virtual, unless you sign a written waiver before loading. A mover may charge for a binding estimate; a non-binding one must be free.

Binding: guarantees the total for the quantities and services listed. If you add items before loading, the mover may reaffirm it, write a new one you sign, agree in writing to treat it as non-binding, or decline the move.
Non-binding: the mover's best estimate. Final charges follow actual weight and the tariff, but the mover cannot require more than 110% of the estimate at delivery.

The 110% rule is 49 CFR 375.407. On a collect-on-delivery shipment, pay up to that amount plus any services you requested after the bill of lading was issued, and the mover must release your goods. Charges for "impracticable operations" (conditions, defined in the mover's tariff, that stop it using its normal truck) collected at delivery cannot exceed 15% of the other charges due. The mover must accept the form of payment agreed at the estimate unless you agree in writing to change it.

Illustrative example. Your non-binding estimate is $4,200, and the final bill is $5,100.

cap at delivery = estimate x 1.10
4,200 x 1.10 = 4,620
remaining bill = 5,100 - 4,620 = 480

You owe $4,620 at delivery, $420 above the estimate. The FMCSA booklet (Appendix A to Part 375) says remaining charges are billed after 30 days from delivery. Once invoiced, 49 CFR 375.807 gives you seven days to pay; after that, credit extends automatically to 30 days with a service charge of 1% of the invoice, $20 minimum (on $480, $20). The cap changes when you pay, not what you owe. Refusing to release goods once you offer the capped amount is, in the booklet's words, holding the shipment "hostage in violation of Federal law."

Valuation, claims and disputes

Under 49 CFR 375.201, the default is Full Value Protection: the mover is liable for replacement value, up to the shipment's declared value. You can waive it in writing for Released Value, which the booklet states as 60 cents per pound per article. Movers may raise that rate annually in line with a federal cost-of-living adjustment, so check your estimate.

Illustrative example. A 40-pound TV worth $600 is destroyed on Released Value.

payout = weight x rate
40 lb x $0.60 = $24
gap = $600 - $24 = $576

Full Value Protection costs extra, priced from the mover's tariff; the booklet sets the minimum valuation at $6.00 per pound times the shipment weight ($30,000 for 5,000 pounds). It may carry a deductible, and the mover may limit its liability for items worth more than $100 per pound unless you list them on the shipping documents.

The booklet gives you 9 months from delivery to file a written claim, or from the scheduled delivery date if the entire shipment is lost. The mover has 30 days to acknowledge it and 120 days to pay, decline or make a firm settlement offer; if it cannot, it must tell you the claim's status in writing then and every 60 days after. Under 49 CFR 375.211, movers must offer arbitration for loss, damage and added-charge disputes. It is binding on claims of $10,000 or less if you request it, and on larger claims only if the mover also agrees. It cannot be required before a dispute arises, you pay at most half the cost to start it, and a decision is due within 60 days of written notice.

Tax and state rules

Educational information only, not tax or legal advice. According to IRS Topic 455 (reviewed October 16, 2026), active-duty members of the Armed Forces can deduct unreimbursed moving expenses when a military order moves them on a permanent change of station or a reassignment requiring relocation. Intelligence community employees or new appointees moving in 2026 or later may be treated the same way. Eligible costs include household goods, storage and travel with lodging, but not meals or government-reimbursed amounts. The topic covers no other civilian moves.

States regulate moves that start and end within their borders. In California, the Public Utilities Commission regulates intrastate movers and advises getting a mover's Cal T-number, its permit number, before hiring.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check that an interstate mover is registered?

Avoid brokers and movers not registered with FMCSA, the booklet advises. The bill of lading must list the mover's FMCSA-registered name and the USDOT numbers of participating carriers, when known, and FMCSA's online carrier search takes a USDOT or MC number.

What if I cannot pay the full amount at delivery?

According to the booklet, the mover may place your shipment in storage at your expense. To schedule delivery from storage, you will likely have to agree to pay the required charges, plus any storage fees in the tariff, after the shipment arrives.

Can the mover raise the price if I add items on pickup day?

Only through paperwork before loading. On a non-binding estimate, the mover must reaffirm it or prepare a new one you sign; if you agree to neither, it does not have to move the shipment. After loading, the estimate cannot be amended.

What if the mover requires cash?

FMCSA advises keeping all receipts and supporting documents. The bill of lading must list the forms of payment the mover will honor at delivery, so do not assume a card is accepted unless it is listed.

Do these rules cover a move across a state line within one metro area?

Not necessarily. The booklet says moves crossing state lines inside a commercial zone are exempt from FMCSA household goods rules. Its example is Brooklyn, New York to Hackensack, New Jersey, within the New York City commercial zone.

Checklist before you book

Declutter before the physical survey, which the estimate is based on.
Compare a binding estimate (fixed total, may carry a fee) with a free non-binding one, with stairs, elevators and long carries listed.
Confirm the mover's FMCSA registration and its USDOT number on the bill of lading.
Choose Full Value Protection or Released Value in writing, after pricing both.
Set aside 100% of a binding or 110% of a non-binding estimate for delivery day, in an accepted form of payment.
Keep the delivery paperwork; the 9-month claim clock starts at delivery.