1. Confirm the mover and move type
First determine whether your shipment is intrastate or interstate, because oversight differs. For a move entirely within North Carolina, ask for the carrier’s legal name and authority information, then verify authorization through the North Carolina Utilities Commission. For a move crossing state lines, request the legal carrier name and USDOT number and check the company through FMCSA’s Protect Your Move resources. Interstate movers must also provide the federal booklet Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move. Ask whether the company named in your paperwork will transport the shipment or whether another carrier or broker is involved. These checks establish who is responsible without relying on a website badge or verbal assurance. Sources: North Carolina Utilities Commission — Transportation (https://www.ncuc.gov/industries/transportation/transportation.html); FMCSA — Protect Your Move (https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move); FMCSA — Consumer Rights and Responsibilities (https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move/consumer-rights).
2. Review the written estimate line by line
Ask whether the estimate is binding, non-binding, or calculated under an hourly tariff. Confirm the rate structure, minimum time, travel charges, packing costs, valuation selection, cancellation terms, and potential charges for stairs, elevators, long carries, bulky items, waiting time, storage, or additional stops. Find out what could change the final amount and how added work must be approved. Then compare the written scope with your actual inventory. If furniture, boxes, appliances, specialty pieces, or packing tasks are missing, request a corrected document before scheduling. For a focused explanation of estimate types, read /resources/binding-vs-non-binding-moving-estimates/. To prepare a detailed pricing request, use /moving-cost-calculator/.
3. Check Raleigh access and timing conditions
Confirm where the truck may park at both addresses, how far items must be carried, and whether stairs, gates, loading docks, or elevators affect access. Ask each property manager about permitted moving hours, elevator reservations, floor protection, loading-area rules, and certificate-of-insurance requirements. The City of Raleigh administers parking permits and related curb-use rules, so verify whether a truck may legally occupy the planned loading space rather than assuming curb access is available. Near move day, check DriveNC for incidents, construction, and road conditions that could affect the route or start time. Source: City of Raleigh — Parking Permits (https://raleighnc.gov/parking/services/parking-permits); NCDOT — DriveNC (https://drivenc.gov/).
4. Complete the pre-scheduling checklist
Before choosing a date, give each prospective mover the same information: complete origin and destination addresses; preferred and alternate dates; room-by-room inventory; estimated box count; stairs and elevator details; walking distance from truck to door; parking restrictions; oversized, fragile, or unusually heavy items; packing and unpacking needs; disassembly requirements; extra stops; and any storage request. Ask who supplies packing materials, what must be prepared in advance, what items cannot be transported, how damage should be documented, which valuation options apply, and what the claims process and deadlines are. Finally, confirm the arrival window, payment method, cancellation or rescheduling terms, documents due before move day, and the procedure if access or inventory changes. Keep the estimate and agreed scope together for review on moving day.