Every licensed mover is required to offer cargo protection — but the default protection that comes with your move covers almost nothing. Understanding the difference between released value and full value protection is essential before you book.
Released Value Protection: The Default
Released value protection is free and automatically included unless you request otherwise. The coverage: $0.60 per pound per article. A 50-pound television that's damaged in transit: you get $30. A 20-pound laptop that's lost: you get $12. Released value protection satisfies the legal minimum — it doesn't actually protect your belongings in any meaningful way.
Full Value Protection: What You Actually Need
Full value protection means the mover is liable for the replacement value of any lost or damaged item. If an item is damaged, the mover must either repair it, replace it with a comparable item, or pay you the current replacement cost. This is meaningful protection for a long-distance move.
Full value protection typically costs an additional fee — usually 1–2% of your declared shipment value, with a minimum declared value around $6,000. For most households, this adds $200–600 to the move cost.
How to Choose
For most long-distance moves, full value protection is worth the cost. The difference between $0.60/lb and replacement cost on a single damaged piece of furniture can be hundreds of dollars. For high-value items — art, jewelry, wine collections, antiques — consider supplementing with third-party moving insurance as well, since full value protection has per-item limits and deductibles.