What "Insured" Actually Means for Your Belongings

People ask whether a moving company is insured, get told yes, and reasonably assume their belongings are covered for what they are worth. That is frequently not what the answer meant.

This is worth understanding properly, because the difference can be substantial and it is decided by a box you tick before the move.

Just-In-Time Moving works throughout St. George and Washington County. We are licensed in Utah and carry general liability insurance.

Two different things called insurance

General liability covers damage the company causes to property: your walls, floors and doorframes, or a building's corridors and lift. It is what a landlord or HOA is asking about when they request a certificate. It is not cover on the contents of your boxes.

Valuation is the mover's liability for your goods themselves. This is the part people mean and rarely ask about by name.

The two standard levels

Released value is the basic level, included at no extra charge, and it is settled by weight rather than value. That is the crucial point: a heavy item and a light one of the same weight are treated identically, so a television is compensated by what it weighs, not what it cost. For most electronics and anything valuable, this is a small fraction of replacement.

Full value protection costs extra and obliges the mover to repair, replace or settle at the item's actual value, subject to the terms and any deductible.

Neither is insurance in the strict sense; both are levels of carrier liability. Separate moving insurance from a third party is also available.

What is excluded almost everywhere

Cash, documents, jewellery and irreplaceable items. That is why those travel with you rather than on any truck.

Owner-packed boxes are commonly treated differently, because nobody can establish what went into a sealed box or how. If you pack, number your boxes and photograph anything valuable.

Items of unusual value frequently need declaring in advance to be covered at all.

What to actually do

Ask which valuation level your estimate assumes, and what the alternative costs. Ask what the deductible is. Ask how a claim is made and within what deadline, since these are short.

Photograph valuable items with their condition and serial numbers beforehand, and raise any damage on the day while the crew is still present.

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