Review desk · VALUATION 07
Released value vs. full value: read the mover's liability, not an insurance label
Compare released-value and full-value household-goods liability on the estimate and bill of lading before you waive replacement coverage in writing.
Review standard
Federal record + written contract
Updated
Bottom line
Interstate movers must offer full (replacement) value unless you waive it in writing for released value of 60 cents per pound per article. That waiver is a contract limit, not a policy you can later expand with a phone call.
- Default if unsigned
- Full value protection
- Released value
- 60¢ per pound per article
- Waiver required
- Written statement
- Not the same as
- State-regulated insurance
Separate valuation from third-party insurance
FMCSA treats valuation as the mover's contractual liability for the shipment, authorized under released-rates orders, not as an insurance product governed by state insurance law. Full value protection and released value both live on the estimate and bill of lading. A separate policy sold by a third party is a different contract and is not the FMCSA arbitration program.
Ask which document selects the liability level, who must sign it, and whether a third-party offer is optional. If a salesperson says you are 'fully insured' without pointing to the valuation election, stop and read the papers. The useful question is what the transporting company must repair, replace, or pay if an article is lost or damaged in its custody.
Work the two federal options with the same object
Unless you waive full value protection in writing, the shipment moves at the mover's full (replacement) value level of liability, and the mover may assess the applicable valuation charge. If an article is lost, destroyed, or damaged in the mover's custody, the mover may repair it to the condition received, replace it, or pay for the loss, subject to the declared value and the tariff.
Released value is the no-extra-charge option and is minimal. The mover's liability is no more than 60 cents per pound per article. FMCSA's worked example is a 10-pound stereo component worth $1,000: released value pays $6. You must sign a specific statement agreeing to that limit. If you do not select released value, full value applies and the valuation charge is assessed.
Evidence to retain
- The estimate states full value or released value in writing.
- Any released-value waiver is a signed statement, not a checkbox buried in marketing copy.
- High-value articles are declared in writing when the tariff requires it.
- Third-party insurance, if offered, is a separate named contract.
Compare the route before the sales calls
See a modeled cost range first, then use this review file on every company you interview.
- No email required to see your route's cost range
- Verify every provider's USDOT number before hiring
- Your estimate is yours to keep either way
Prefer to talk it through? Call (561) 220-0117, free, no obligation.
Watch the extraordinary-value notice
If you ship under a value greater than 60 cents per pound per article, the mover's liability for an undeclared article can be limited to $100 per pound when you fail to notify the mover in writing of items worth more than $100 per pound. That is a paperwork trap, not a trivia rule. Jewelry, cameras, artwork, and compact electronics often exceed that threshold.
Make a high-value inventory before the survey, not at the curb. Keep a copy with the estimate. If the crew later says an item was never listed, the dated inventory is the evidence. Do not assume a verbal mention during a walkthrough is enough.
Reconnect valuation to packing and delivery receipts
FMCSA notes that boxes you pack yourself can be harder to prove against the mover if contents are damaged. That does not forbid owner-packed cartons; it changes the evidence you will need. Photograph packed cartons, keep an inventory, and do not treat a cheap released-value election as a substitute for packing quality.
Do not sign a delivery receipt that releases or discharges the mover from liability. Note exceptions on the shipping documents. Valuation chosen at booking still has to survive pickup, storage, and delivery paperwork. If the bill of lading at the truck shows a different election than the estimate, resolve it before the first item is loaded.
Questions on this check
Frequently asked questions
No. Full value and released value are contractual liability levels in the mover's tariff. A third-party insurance policy is a separate contract and is not administered as FMCSA valuation.
Primary sources
Federal guidance can change. Open the current source before making a hiring or dispute decision.
Price the move, then audit the company
Start with your route and home size. Contact details remain optional until you request quotes.
Or call Call (561) 220-0117, no email required to see your number.