What movers will and won't move

Do movers pack for you?

Most full-service moving companies offer packing, but it's a separate service rather than something automatically included in a move. Unless you asked for packing and it appears on your quote, the assumption is that you'll have everything boxed and sealed before the crew arrives.

What is normally included in the move itself is the protection of furniture: blanket-wrapping, padding, and shrink-wrap on upholstery. That's different from packing your belongings into boxes. You can usually choose full packing, partial packing, or fragile-only, and many companies will also sell you the materials if you'd rather pack yourself.

Do movers disassemble and reassemble furniture?

Generally yes, for the standard things: bed frames, table legs, and items that won't otherwise clear a doorway. A good crew bags and labels the hardware as it comes off so reassembly isn't a puzzle at the other end.

Where it gets less standard is anything requiring specialist knowledge or tools: complex flat-pack units that were assembled in place and don't survive a second disassembly, wall-mounted fixtures, appliances needing plumbing or gas disconnection, and anything electrical that needs a proper decommission. Ask in advance rather than assuming, and handle appliance disconnection with the relevant trade beforehand.

What movers won't load, and why

Some refusals are the mover's policy. Others are federal and state regulation, insurance conditions, or simple physics. A crew that takes these on is a crew that isn't following the rules. Paint, solvents, pool chemicals and aerosols belong at a household hazardous waste collection site, not in a box on a truck.

• Hazardous materials: gasoline, propane tanks, paint, aerosols, pool chemicals, fertilizer, ammunition, and fireworks. Fire risk in a sealed truck.
• Perishables: frozen and refrigerated food, and anything that will spoil in transit. Open food attracts pests into the truck.
• Living things: pets and, usually, houseplants. Plants also can't legally cross some state lines, and California restricts what plant material can be brought in, screening for it at the border stations.
• Irreplaceables: cash, jewelry, passports, deeds, medication, and hard drives. We won't refuse them so much as ask you to carry them yourself.
• Anything requiring specialist rigging: some items need equipment and licensing that a household goods crew doesn't carry.

Items that need a specialist, not a mover

A few categories sit outside what a normal moving crew should attempt, even a good one. Safes above a certain weight, hot tubs and spas, and slate pool tables are the usual examples. Each needs rigging equipment, structural judgment, or trade-specific reassembly that isn't part of household moving.

JC Relocation doesn't take these, and we'd rather say so plainly and point you at a specialist than accept the job and improvise. Plenty of heavy items we do handle: pianos, vending machines and ATMs, arcade cabinets, gym equipment, lab and shop machinery. If you're unsure where your item falls, ask.

Things people don't realize movers will do

The list runs the other way too. Several jobs people assume they have to arrange separately are routine for a moving crew.

• Load a truck, POD, or container you rented yourself, without providing transport
• Unload at the destination when you drove the truck
• Move furniture between rooms without any truck involved, for staging or floor refinishing
• Move a single heavy item rather than a whole household
• Take away every empty box and sheet of packing paper after unpacking
• Move a piano from one room to another within the same house

What to always keep with you

• Passports, IDs, and immigration documents
• Cash, jewelry, and small valuables
• Medication and prescriptions
• Laptops, hard drives, and backups
• Keys, chargers, and phone cables
• A first-night bag: bedding, toiletries, a change of clothes