Who Is Liable for a Box You Packed Yourself?

There is a distinction in moving that materially affects what happens if something breaks, and it turns on one question: who put it in the box.

Just-In-Time Moving packs and moves homes across Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County. We are licensed in Utah and carry general liability insurance.

The distinction

When a moving company packs a box, they are responsible for how it was packed as well as how it was carried. If something inside is broken and the packing was inadequate, that is traceable.

When you pack a box, seal it, and hand it over sealed, nobody else knows what went in or how. If the contents are broken on arrival, the cause is genuinely ambiguous: it could be handling, or it could be that three plates were stacked flat with no padding. Because it cannot be established, arrangements commonly treat owner-packed boxes differently, and often exclude them.

This is not a trick. It is a real evidentiary problem and every mover has the same one. What matters is that you know before you decide who packs.

What follows from it

If something is genuinely valuable and fragile, having it packed professionally is worth more than the packing itself. You are buying accountability as well as technique.

If you pack yourself, pack properly and document it. Photograph fragile items before boxing them. Fill boxes to the top. Plates on edge. Glasses wrapped individually. Then if something does break, you can at least show the item was intact and packed sensibly.

A mixed approach is normal and sensible. Most people pack their own clothing, books and linens and hand over the kitchen and anything breakable. That puts professional packing exactly where the liability question matters.

What is excluded either way

Cash, documents, jewellery and irreplaceable items, essentially universally. Carry those yourself. It is not a formality; it is why every reputable mover says the same thing.

Ask directly

Ask any mover what applies to owner-packed boxes versus ones they packed, what the limits are, and what the claims process needs from you. Ask for the answer in terms you follow rather than accepting a reassurance.

Also check your own homeowner or renter policy, which your insurer can settle in five minutes.

Call (435) 862-3080 or email office@movingjustintime.com.