If a mover damages something, what you recover depends on two things: the valuation written into your moving contract, and your own home insurance. Basic valuation, often 60 cents per pound, pays very little for light, valuable pieces. Note any damage before the movers leave, photograph it, and make a written claim promptly. A good mover replies within days, in writing.
This guide explains the difference between valuation and insurance, what your home policy may add, how to record damage properly, and what a fair claim process looks like. Read it before you sign a moving contract, not after.
Valuation is not insurance
The word “insurance” is used loosely around moving, and that is where most of the confusion starts. When a mover talks about coverage for your belongings, they usually mean valuation. Valuation is a limit, set out in your contract, on how much the mover will pay if something is lost or damaged while in their care. It is a promise from the mover, not a policy from an insurer.
Insurance is different. It is a contract between you and an insurance company, and it is governed by the terms of your own policy. Your home or tenant policy may cover some of your belongings during a move. A separate policy, or an extra endorsement, may cover more.
Many moves involve both. Typically the mover’s valuation applies up to its limit, and your own insurance may cover some of the rest (BrokerLink).
The two common levels of valuation
Released value
The basic level is usually called released value. The mover’s liability is typically limited to $0.60 per pound, or $1.32 per kilogram, per item (BrokerLink). It is included in the price and costs nothing extra.
The problem is that weight has little to do with value. A $500 dresser weighing 32 kilograms would be valued at about $42 on this basis (BrokerLink). A small painting, a lamp or a piece of porcelain weighs almost nothing, so its released value is close to nothing too.
Replacement value protection
The higher level is often called full value or replacement value protection. Under this option, if something is damaged, the mover can pay to repair or replace it at its current market price (BrokerLink). It usually costs more. You declare a value for your shipment, and whether it applies can depend on who packed the boxes (BrokerLink).
Read the conditions closely. Ask how a value is declared, whether pieces you pack yourself are included, whether there is a deductible, and whether the mover repairs, replaces or pays cash.
At Yugo, valuation is set out in Section 12 of our terms as a contractual limit of liability. Each Yugo service level includes its own declared valuation. Essential: $0.60 per pound, per item, up to $15,000 per shipment. Signature: $5.00 per pound, per item, up to $50,000 per shipment. Reserve: up to $10,000 per item and up to $100,000 per shipment. Declared valuation is not insurance. For coverage beyond these levels, clients can arrange additional insurance through a third-party insurer.
What your home insurance may add
Your home or tenant policy is the second layer, and it varies a great deal from one insurer to the next. Three things are worth asking your broker before the move.
- Are my belongings covered in transit? Many policies cover property while it is off your premises and in transit, but temporary cover is often limited to a small share of your contents limit, such as 10% (BrokerLink). One insurer, Co-operators, states that its home policy covers personal property in transit for 30 days or until the policy expires, whichever comes first (Co-operators).
- What are the sub-limits? Many policies cap categories such as jewellery and art. Sub-limits of $1,500 to $3,000 are common (BrokerLink). Valuable pieces may need to be scheduled, which means listed on the policy individually with an appraised value.
- What is excluded? Some policies exclude the kinds of surface damage that moves often cause. Co-operators, for example, says its home policy does not cover marring, scratching, abrasions or chipping, and advises checking that professional movers carry their own insurance (Co-operators).
If your belongings will spend time in storage between homes, ask about that separately. Depending on the policy, items in storage may or may not be covered (Co-operators).
Before the move
The best claims are settled before anything is broken. A little preparation makes any later conversation short and factual.
- Make a list of anything of real value. Art, antiques, rugs, lighting, instruments, jewellery. Note what each is and roughly what it is worth.
- Gather proof. Appraisals, receipts, photographs and serial numbers all help (BrokerLink).
- Photograph condition. Take clear pictures of furniture and important pieces before packing begins, including any existing marks.
- Get the terms in writing. Ontario’s guidance says a moving contract over $50 must be in writing, and that it can name the mover’s insurer, the policy number and who is responsible for damage or loss (Ontario.ca).
- Carry the irreplaceable yourself. Jewellery, passports, small heirlooms and important papers travel more safely with you than in any truck.
A careful mover will also record condition before anything is lifted. We explain why in Why we photograph before we touch.
On the day: note it before the crew leaves
Start with one rule. Ontario’s advice to anyone hiring a mover is to supervise the pickup and delivery of your items, and to make a note of any missing or damaged items before the movers leave (Ontario.ca).
In practice, that means walking through the new home with the crew lead at the end of the day. Look at the larger pieces, check that boxes marked fragile arrived intact, and open anything you are worried about. If something is damaged, say so then, and make sure it is written on the delivery paperwork before you sign. Damage recorded at the time is hard to dispute, while damage raised a week later often is.
Not everything shows up on the day. A scratch on the underside of a table, a chipped glass inside a sealed carton, a drawer that no longer runs true. Report these as soon as you find them, in writing, within the window your contract sets. Claim windows of about 30 days are common (BrokerLink). At Yugo, tell us about any damage to your belongings within 7 days of delivery, and about any damage to your home or building within 24 hours.
How to document damage
A clear record turns a claim into a simple exchange. For each item:
- Photograph the damage close up, then from far enough away to show the whole piece.
- Include something for scale where it helps, such as a ruler or a coin.
- Keep the packaging if the item arrived in a carton, and photograph that too.
- Write a short description: what the item is, where the damage is, and when you noticed it.
- Find your “before” photographs or the mover’s condition report, and set them side by side.
- Keep the damaged item. Do not repair it or throw it away until the claim is settled.
Send all of this to the mover in one message, and keep a copy.
What a good claim process looks like
A fair process is quick, written and specific. You should know who to contact, when you will hear back, and how the outcome is decided.
At Yugo, contact us to report damage; the steps are set out in Section 13 of our terms. We acknowledge every claim within 7 business days. We aim to complete our investigation within 30 days, and in any event within 120 days, unless we tell you in writing that we need up to 60 more days.
Whatever firm you use, a good claim process should give you:
- One named person to deal with, not a general inbox.
- A clear acknowledgement that the report was received.
- An inspection or a request for photographs, so the damage is understood before anything is decided.
- A written outcome that refers to the valuation level in your contract.
- A plain explanation if any part of the claim is declined.
If the loss is more than the mover’s valuation, you may be able to claim the difference under your home or tenant policy (BrokerLink). Tell your insurer early, and share the same photographs and description.
Liability insurance is something else
Condo managers and landlords often ask to see a mover’s certificate of insurance. That certificate shows commercial general liability insurance, which covers damage the mover might cause to the building, its elevators or other people. It does not change the valuation on your own belongings.
Both matter, for different reasons. Yugo carries $5 million in commercial general liability insurance. Yugo can provide a certificate of insurance to buildings and property managers on request.
If you cannot agree
Most claims are settled directly. If one is not, Ontario’s guide to hiring a mover explains how to file a complaint about a moving company (Ontario.ca). Your own insurer may also help if the claim falls under your policy.
The surest protection is to understand the terms before the day. Ask what valuation is included, what more would cost, and how claims are handled. If the answers are vague, that tells you something too.
If you would like a move planned with its valuation and claims process set out clearly from the start, begin an enquiry.
Sources
Hiring a mover, Government of Ontario
Is your stuff covered when you use a moving company in Canada?, BrokerLink
Coverage while you’re on the move, Co-operators
