If an interstate mover loses a 20-pound television and you accepted the free basic coverage, the most you can collect is $12. That figure comes straight from the Surface Transportation Board, which sets the federal “released rate” at $0.60 per pound per item. Upgrade to Full Value Protection and the federal consumer protection rules in 49 CFR Part 375 set the minimum valuation for your shipment at $6.00 per pound, ten times higher. The gap between those two numbers is the whole story of moving insurance in 2026. This report lays out what each coverage level actually pays, what the upgrade typically costs, how third-party insurance and homeowners policies fit in, and the claim deadlines you need to know before anything goes wrong.
Quick answer: Basic released value coverage is free but pays only $0.60 per pound per item. Full Value Protection, the federal default, values your shipment at no less than $6.00 per pound and typically costs about 1% to 2% of declared value, according to published industry estimates. Third-party moving insurance runs roughly 1% to 5% of declared value.
The Two Federal Coverage Levels at a Glance
Strictly speaking, what an interstate mover sells is not insurance. It is “valuation,” meaning the level of liability the mover accepts for your goods. Under federal law, interstate movers must offer two options, and the FMCSA consumer booklet reproduced in Appendix A to 49 CFR Part 375 spells out how they differ. If you do nothing, your shipment moves under Full Value Protection. To get the cheaper released value option, you must waive full value in writing on the bill of lading or contract.
| Feature | Released Value Protection | Full Value Protection |
| Upfront cost | $0 (included in base price) | Extra charge, set in the mover’s tariff |
| Mover’s liability | $0.60 per pound, per article | Repair, replace, or pay replacement value |
| Minimum shipment valuation | Not applicable | $6.00 per pound times shipment weight |
| Deductible | None | At least one zero-deductible plan must be offered; optional deductibles can lower the price |
| Items worth more than $100 per pound | Paid at $0.60 per pound | Must be declared in writing, or liability can be capped at $100 per pound |
| How you get it | Sign a written waiver on the bill of lading | Automatic default if you sign nothing |
Sources: Surface Transportation Board household goods guidance and 49 CFR 375.201.
Released value is weight-based, not value-based, which is why it fails badly on light, expensive items. The FMCSA booklet’s own example is a 10-pound stereo component valued at $1,000: under released value, the mover would owe no more than $6. A laptop, a camera lens, or a framed print can be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars and weigh almost nothing, so its payout under released value rounds to pocket change.
What Full Value Protection Costs in 2026
There is no single federal price for Full Value Protection. Each mover publishes its charges in its tariff, and the price moves with the declared value of your shipment and the deductible you pick. What federal rules do fix is the floor. According to the required consumer booklet reproduced in Appendix A to 49 CFR Part 375, “the minimum valuation level for determining the cost of Full Value Protection of your shipment is $6.00 per pound times the weight of your shipment.” Your mover may use a higher minimum, and you can declare a higher value for an additional charge.
For the price itself, published industry estimates are the best available benchmark. The moving marketplace HireAHelper’s 2026 moving insurance guide puts Full Value Protection at roughly 1% to 2% of shipment value and third-party moving insurance at roughly 1% to 5% of declared value. It also publishes typical ranges by home size:
| Home Size | Full Value Protection (typical) | Third-Party Insurance (typical) |
| 1 bedroom | $120 – $360 | $120 – $900 |
| 2–3 bedrooms | $300 – $1,200 | $300 – $3,000 |
| 4 bedrooms | $600 – $1,800 | $600 – $4,500 |
Source: HireAHelper, Moving Insurance Explained (2026). Ranges are published estimates, not quotes.
An illustrative calculation: released value vs. the federal minimum
To show how far apart the two options are, the table below applies the two federal rates to four example shipment weights. The shipment weights are hypothetical examples, not averages. The method is simple: minimum Full Value valuation = weight x $6.00; maximum released value payout if the entire shipment were lost = weight x $0.60; estimated Full Value cost = 1% to 2% of the minimum valuation, using the published range above.
| Example Shipment Weight | Max Released Value Payout (total loss) | Minimum Full Value Valuation | Est. Full Value Cost at 1%–2% |
| 2,000 lbs | $1,200 | $12,000 | $120 – $240 |
| 5,000 lbs | $3,000 | $30,000 | $300 – $600 |
| 8,000 lbs | $4,800 | $48,000 | $480 – $960 |
| 12,000 lbs | $7,200 | $72,000 | $720 – $1,440 |
Illustrative calculation using the federal $0.60 and $6.00 per-pound figures and the 1%–2% cost range published by HireAHelper. Your mover’s tariff, declared value, and deductible will change the real number.
The pattern holds at every weight: released value covers at most one-tenth of the federal minimum valuation, and the minimum valuation itself may understate what your belongings would cost to replace. If your household contents are worth more than $6.00 per pound, the sensible move is to declare a higher value and price it out, rather than rely on the floor.
Third-Party Moving Insurance and Your Homeowners Policy
Valuation is the mover’s liability. Actual insurance is a separate product you buy from an insurer, and it is worth understanding where your existing policy stops. According to the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I), standard homeowners and renters policies do cover personal property while it is at your residence, in transit, and in storage facilities, but they will not pay for damage done while your belongings are being handled by the movers.
That exclusion is the reason third-party coverage exists. Triple-I describes a few options:
- Trip transit insurance covers perils such as theft, disappearance, or fire while goods are in transit or storage. It can be written for full replacement value or as excess coverage above the mover’s valuation. It does not cover breakage, or flooding at storage facilities.
- Special perils coverage adds protection against breakage for most items, excluding fragile ones.
- Floaters give broader protection for specific high-value items such as jewelry, collectibles, and fine art.
Movers can also sell insurance, but under tight federal conditions. Under 49 CFR 375.303, a mover may sell liability insurance for loss or damage only when you release the shipment at the $0.60-per-pound released rate, and it may offer policies covering loss above its own liability. Either way, it must issue a plain-English policy or other written evidence of coverage and give you a copy at the time of sale. If a mover offers “insurance” but cannot put the policy and the underwriter in writing, treat that as a warning sign.
High-Value Items: The $100-per-Pound Rule
Even under Full Value Protection, one rule catches people out. Movers can limit their liability for items of “extraordinary value,” defined as anything worth more than $100 per pound. The STB explains that a mover can ask you to complete a declaration of articles of extraordinary value. If you do not list those items and they are lost or damaged, the mover’s liability drops to $100 per pound for each item.
Consider what that means in practice. A 2-pound watch worth $5,000 is worth $2,500 per pound. If it goes unlisted and disappears, $100 per pound caps the claim at $200. Jewelry, watches, coins, small electronics, silver, collectibles, and important documents are the usual candidates. Many people simply carry these items themselves. If you do ship them, list each one on the inventory and the extraordinary value form, and keep photos and receipts.
Claim Deadlines and What Happens After You File
Coverage only matters if you file correctly. The federal rules set clear timelines, laid out in the consumer booklet in Appendix A to Part 375:
| Step | Federal Timeline |
| File a written claim with the mover | Within 9 months of delivery |
| Mover acknowledges receipt | Within 30 days |
| Mover gives a disposition (pay, offer, or deny) | Within 120 days, with possible 60-day extensions if the mover notifies you |
| Binding arbitration available on request | Mover must agree for claims of $10,000 or less |
Every interstate mover must participate in an arbitration program under 49 CFR 375.211. The booklet notes that if you request arbitration for a claim of $10,000 or less, the mover must agree and the decision is binding on both parties. For larger claims, arbitration requires both sides to agree. You are never required to arbitrate instead of suing.
Two things weaken claims more than anything else. The first is signing a delivery receipt that includes language releasing the mover from liability; the FMCSA booklet in Appendix A advises striking that language out before signing. The second is packing your own boxes. If an item you packed arrives broken, it can be harder to prove the mover caused the damage.
Why Coverage Decisions Matter More Than Price Trends
General moving prices have softened recently. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI index for moving, storage, and freight expense stood at 196.254 in August 2026, down about 4.6% from 205.687 in August 2025, even as overall consumer prices rose. But valuation charges are tied to the declared value of your goods, not the price of the truck, so a cheaper move does not make protection cheaper in proportion.
Loss and damage also remain one of the core complaint categories regulators see. When the FMCSA ran a nationwide operation against the movers with the most complaints in early 2022, its announcement of the results (archived copy) said complaints to its National Consumer Complaint Database (NCCDB) rose from 4,340 in 2020 to 8,295 in 2021. An earlier DOT release, reporting 2012 complaint data, listed loss and damaged goods among the most common household goods complaints (archived copy), alongside hostage shipments and unwarranted overcharges. The right coverage does not prevent a problem, but it decides whether a problem costs you $12 or the full replacement value.
How to Choose the Right Coverage for Your Move
A practical way to decide, based on the federal rules above:
- Estimate what your belongings would cost to replace. Walk through the house room by room. If the total is well above $6.00 per pound of your estimated shipment weight, plan to declare a higher value.
- Ask each mover for its Full Value Protection rates in writing, including the zero-deductible option and any lower-cost deductible plans. The charges must come from the mover’s tariff.
- Call your homeowners or renters insurer. Ask whether you have transit coverage, what it excludes, and whether a floater makes sense for jewelry or art.
- Price third-party coverage only if it fills a real gap, such as excess coverage above the mover’s valuation, and get the policy terms in writing.
- List extraordinary value items on the declaration form, or carry them yourself.
- Document condition before pickup with photos and a detailed inventory. It is the evidence your claim will depend on.
Only choose released value if you understand exactly what you are giving up, for example when you are moving a small, low-value load and plan to carry anything valuable yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does moving insurance cost in 2026?
Released value coverage is free. Full Value Protection typically costs about 1% to 2% of your shipment’s declared value, and third-party moving insurance roughly 1% to 5%, according to published 2026 industry estimates from HireAHelper. The exact price depends on the mover’s tariff, the value you declare, and the deductible you choose.
What does released value protection actually pay?
No more than $0.60 per pound per article, a rate set by the Surface Transportation Board. A 25-pound TV would be worth $15 under this option, regardless of what it cost.
What is the minimum value for Full Value Protection?
Federal rules set the minimum valuation for pricing Full Value Protection at $6.00 per pound times the weight of your shipment. A 5,000-pound shipment would therefore be valued at no less than $30,000, and you can declare more.
Does homeowners insurance cover my move?
Partly. According to the Insurance Information Institute, standard homeowners and renters policies cover belongings in transit and in storage, but they will not pay for damage done while the goods are being handled by movers. Trip transit insurance, special perils coverage, or floaters can fill parts of that gap.
How long do I have to file a moving damage claim?
You have 9 months from delivery to file a written claim with an interstate mover. The mover must acknowledge it within 30 days and resolve it within 120 days, with possible 60-day extensions.
What if my mover denies my claim?
You can request arbitration through the mover’s required arbitration program. For claims of $10,000 or less, the mover must agree to arbitrate if you ask, and the result is binding on both sides. You can also pursue the claim in court.
The Bottom Line
The federal numbers make the decision clearer than most moving advice does: free released value pays $0.60 per pound, while Full Value Protection starts from a $6.00-per-pound minimum valuation and typically costs a small percentage of what you declare. For most households moving across state lines, paying for full value, declaring a realistic amount, and listing high-value items is the cheapest protection against an expensive loss. Before you book, get a written binding estimate that states which valuation option applies, the declared value, the deductible, and the exact charge. If you are comparing interstate movers, Interstate Moving and Relocation Group can walk you through those valuation options line by line as part of a written estimate.
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