What Fees Can You Expect When You Hire A Sacramento Moving Service?

Hiring one of the Sacramento moving service providers for your upcoming moving project may be the feature that makes or breaks the entire relocation process for you. As much as professional movers can assist you with and create an atmosphere where they take care of every single detail on your behalf, unfortunately, things can sometimes go the other way around. That is why it’s extremely important to take your time to choose and hire movers nearby who are truly highly skilled and experienced, and whose public image is trustworthy.

What is the cost to hire movers who provide high-quality Sacramento moving service?

You may think that if you are looking for affordable movers nearby, there is no way they are high-quality movers at the same time. It is often considered that quality comes at a price, and people sometimes avoid even getting moving quotes, assuming that the prices for a professional Sacramento moving service are way too high.

This is prejudice. 

We can assure you this is not the case, especially since the number of moving services providers is constantly growing, including Sacramento moving service providers as well. Since there are so many moving companies out there, they are quite pressured to maintain their prices competitive and affordable, and we are sure there must be exactly what you are looking for, at a fair price!

The cost to hire movers varies depending on many factors. Most local movers charge by the hour, while some may as well offer flat rates. Of course, it is reasonable to assume that hiring 2 movers and a truck is cheaper than having 5 movers moving crew – but this will depend on the square footage of your place and the volume of the items you’re moving. Furniture movers, office movers, storage movers – they all can be found at quite affordable prices, so if you are looking for budget movers, don’t be discouraged. We are completely sure there are the right people to help you with your move.

We do however have an important recommendation for you. What you should always bear in mind when hiring Sacramento moving service providers is:

What do we mean when we say additional expenses?

What you can expect from every moving company, especially if you are to hire local movers in California, are additional expenses. No matter if your local movers nearby are charging by the hour or providing you with the flat rate, there are usually some additional expenses to be covered, other than the working time itself. 

The first thing we need to address right away is the misconception of the additional charges as a red flag or unwanted expenses, that throw some shade on the professional movers charging them. Later on, we will thoroughly explain the reasons why moving companies charge these. But at this place, making a difference between two terms is very significant. These two terms are

Additional expenses and hidden expenses

Every moving company, including all Sacramento moving service providers, is obligated on providing you with full and transparent information, based on which you are able to decide whether or not their services are the best choice for you. That, of course, refers to the pricing matter as well. As long as you are informed there is a certain additional fee so that you are able to give your informed consent – this is not a hidden cost, even though it is an additional one. 

But what is the problem then? 

The problem is when your local movers fail to inform you, the customer, about a certain expense or its amount. Having a limited, or no choice at all to think about whether or not this works for the client is not right, and this practice is not ethical whatsoever. If you ever feel like there is a piece of information missing, feel free to always ask your Sacramento moving service provider about the possibility of the expenses. If a company fails to provide you with clear information or an explanation, consider it a red flag. That is when it’s the right time to start looking for another team of packers and movers nearby.

What Fees Can You Expect When You Hire A Sacramento Moving Service?

In this section, we will describe some of the most common additional expenses you can expect when hiring local movers in Sacramento CA. You should of course keep in mind that not all of the following will be charged, nor that this means every moving company has additional expenses. 

1. The gas fee is usually a flat fee charged on top of the total amount. Sometimes, the amount of the gas fee will vary depending on the mileage.

2. The double drive time fee exists in the state of California, so you can definitely expect it when hiring Sacramento moving service. This fee aims to limit the maximum amount of travel fee a company can charge for. The simplest explanation of this expense would be that the time spent driving between the pickup and the destination address is doubled. For example, if it takes 20 minutes between the locations, you will be charged for 40 minutes of driving time. You can get more familiar with this charge using this link for visual clarification. 

3. Heavy items handling fee is charged in case a client has any excessively heavy or bulky pieces. These are mostly charged by residential movers, or office movers – not specialized movers who usually handle these items. We are talking about stuff such as gym equipment pieces, pianos, armoires, or heavy chest drawers. 

4. A service fee is mostly used to cover the expenses of truck maintenance, or fuel if a company is not charging a fuel fee separately. 

5. A processing fee is the fee that exists in case of using credit or debit card for the payment. The exact amount might vary, but it usually depends on the total amount for the services, and it’s usually under 5%.

6. Packing service is often additionally charged. If you want to hire both packers and movers, make sure to clearly state that, as you will only receive moving services. 

7. Packing materials are as well not part of the basic pricing. Most companies will provide you with protective supplies such as plastic wrap and moving blankets, but if you intend to use packing boxes, bubble wrap, TV boxes, tape, or floor runners, you should know these will be charged extra.

Are there any local packers and movers who don’t charge these fees?

We are sure there must be a company that doesn’t charge any of these! Sacramento moving service providers are numerous, and there must be the one that will exactly suit your needs. What you want to bear in mind is that these companies might have higher hourly rates though. In a way, these will still be charging these, but these will already be included in their regular pricing. 

Many people think that the companies that provide flat rates have no extra charges, but it’s not really the case. This happens because many people confuse additional charges with all-inclusive rates. Having a flat rate moving price simply means that instead of prorating the time to hours or minutes, the price for the labor is flat, regardless of its actual duration. But that doesn’t mean that other fees won’t be applied. 

Is there any way you can avoid paying additional charges?

Sacramento moving service providers, just like any other moving company, creates pricing rules that are in accordance with their company’s policies. The pricing and the extra fees are usually non-negotiable, as they are simply part of the terms and conditions you accept when accepting the moving service from them. These terms will also be described in your contract and/or the confirmation email you will receive after booking your moving reservation.

However, the situation is a bit different when it comes to the hidden expenses we’ve mentioned before. If you weren’t informed about a certain fee, if there is no even written proof about its existence, then you have the full right to negotiate these. 

How to choose the right company among many that charge certain additional fees?

Now, if you have already contacted some of the Sacramento moving service providers, and you have narrowed your choice to a few that suit you most – you may wonder how to choose the right one. Other than the general advice to always follow the two most important ones:

1. The public image the company has;
2. Your own guts.

You can as well compare the pricing of the companies in question, and choose based on the most affordable movers you have in front of you. 

Calculate the expenses you certainly will have, the estimated time duration of your upcoming move, and add the additional fees. Compare the amounts between different Sacramento moving service companies and decide which suit your budget best. However, we would always recommend that this financial factor is the additional one, not the main factor that is deciding on which option you will go for. 

Is it OK to ask my local movers to have the additional fees in written form?

Asking your local Sacramento moving service provider to send you the pricing in written form is not just OK, it’s absolutely necessary. The only way to make sure you are on the same page is to have the agreement in writing, that both sides have read thoroughly and accepted.

If any company refuses to provide you with a copy of their terms and conditions with the pricing information included, it’s a red flag and we strongly recommend you hire movers elsewhere. 

It is at most importance that you read and understand the agreement you’ve been delivered. In a situation where a customer hasn’t read the document that was provided earlier, and disagrees at the end of the move – that is too late, unfortunately. If you have received a document and had no complaints, questions, or updates, it is considered you fully understand and agree with everything stated.

Instead of a Conclusion…

Whether you are looking for some residential movers, commercial movers, furniture movers, or labor-only movers to help you with your upcoming moving project – you should bear in mind that there may be additional fees.

Even though we are thought that additional fees are negative, that is truly not the case. The most important thing is that your selected Sacramento moving service provider has informed you clearly and fully about their pricing, including the fees they may have. 

Choose and hire local movers nearby wisely. It’s very realistic to hire affordable movers who will deliver an impeccable service, you just need to do your little research in order to get the service you exactly need.
If you are currently looking for a Sacramento-based moving company to help you with your relocation, make sure to check on Movers El Dorado Hills. Our motivated movers are here seven days a week to make your ideas come to life! Make sure to give us a call right away and get your completely free, non-obligatory moving quote right away!