Good mover etiquette comes down to information and availability: give a complete, honest inventory when you book, prepare the home before the crew arrives, stay reachable for decisions all day without hovering over the work, and raise concerns in the moment rather than after the truck leaves. Tipping is appreciated but never required. Treat the crew like the professionals you vetted them to be, and the day runs shorter for it.
Before the move: over-share, then stop changing things
The quote conversation is where etiquette starts. Tell us everything: both addresses, stairs, elevators, parking quirks, the piano, the gun safe, the garage you're embarrassed about. Every detail you share becomes crew size, truck space, and equipment on the day; every detail you hold back becomes a surprise, and surprises cost hourly time. There is no inventory too honest, we've heard it all since 2008.
Then, once the plan is set, let it be set. Adding a storage stop or subtracting a bedroom two days out changes the crew math, so if plans genuinely shift, call the moment you know, not move-day morning. And ask every question you're sitting on, however basic. 'Do the drawers need emptying?' asked Tuesday is free; discovered Saturday, it costs twenty minutes.
Have the place crew-ready when we knock
The kindest thing you can do for your movers, and your bill, is hand us a home we can move through at full speed.
Beyond the list: know your budget and which services you've booked. If you booked loading only, the crew isn't packing your kitchen; if you're not sure what's included, that's a phone call for the day before, not a negotiation in the doorway.
- Boxes sealed, labeled, and grouped, packing done unless you booked packing
- Closets and cupboards emptied into boxes, not left as a surprise
- Clear walking paths; rugs, cords, and clutter out of the carry lanes
- Parking saved for the truck, as close to the door as legally possible
- Kids and pets arranged away from the action
- Payment method and any building paperwork sorted in advance
During the move: available, not hovering
The ideal customer on move day is easy to describe: reachable and relaxed. Stay on-site or by your phone start to finish, because questions come up constantly, does this shelf go, which room takes this box, is the patio set staying. A decision-maker who's present keeps the crew moving; one who ran an errand parks the whole operation.
Availability isn't supervision, though. You hired professionals, trained, uniformed employees in our case, never day labor, so let them work their system. Narrating how to carry a dresser slows the dresser down. The etiquette line is simple: direct the WHAT (this goes, that stays, that one's fragile beyond its label), trust the crew with the HOW. And you don't need to help lift. Truly. Insurance and technique both say the carrying is ours; the fastest thing you can move is information.
Small courtesies that crews remember
None of this is required, and all of it lands: bathroom access, cold water on a hot day, a heads-up about the dog next door, knowing the wifi's already off so the crew lead can text you delivery updates without confusion. On longer jobs, some customers spring for lunch, genuinely appreciated, never expected.
Tipping follows the same rule: never required, always appreciated. There's no official rate; customers who tip commonly land in the range of $20–40 per mover for a solid day's work, adjusted for how demanding the job was. A five-star review and a referral honestly carry just as much weight with us, 97.9% of our business comes from repeat customers and referrals, which tells you what we optimize for.
When something's wrong, say it in the moment
The most useful etiquette rule runs both directions: problems raised early are problems solved cheaply. If a box is going to the wrong room, if a piece needs more padding than it's getting, if the pace worries you, tell the crew lead right then, politely and directly. On-site, everything is fixable in minutes; discovered after the truck leaves, it's a phone call and a process.
Same for the rare damage incident: flag it before the crew departs, photograph it, and get it noted. A professional company wants it documented while everyone's standing there. Patience with the process helps too, moves sometimes run past the estimate for reasons nobody controls, and a customer who communicates beats one who simmers. We'll always tell you where the clock stands; that transparency is why the quote was written and itemized in the first place.