The contract is not one document. It is a small stack: the estimate, the bill of lading or work order, and, on a long-distance move, an inventory. Each one does a specific job, and each one is a place a dispute can start.
What belongs in a written estimate
A verbal number is not a quote. It is a hope. A real estimate is written on the company's letterhead and, according to the federal Office of Consumer Affairs' Consumer Checklist for Choosing a Moving Company, it should name the mover, its address and phone number, an estimate of the number of boxes and the size and value of your items, the cost per hour or the flat rate, the terms of payment, and the timing of the work. For a local move it should also show the estimated number of hours and the date. If a figure is missing, that is not a detail. That is a future argument with nothing on paper to settle it.
Weight is the other place quotes drift. On weight-based moves, the Good Practice Guidelines for Canadian Movers advise that the shipment be weighed on a certified scale and, if you ask, that the mover show you the weight ticket and re-weigh when the actual weight comes in more than 10% above the estimate. If your price rides on weight, you are entitled to see the number that drives it.
The bill of lading and the paperwork at pickup
Never let a crew start loading without paperwork in your hand. The Canadian Association of Movers is blunt on this point: for a professional move you should receive a bill of lading or work order before loading begins, showing your contact details, the date of service, the work details, and the mover's name, address, phone number, and order number. On a long-distance move, the bill of lading should also carry the estimated shipment weight, a delivery date spread, the estimated charges, and a place to choose your level of coverage. On a local move, the work order should show the agreed hourly rate before the crew starts and become your invoice at the end.
The interprovincial version of this paperwork carries more weight, both literally and legally, which is worth understanding before you book a move that crosses a border.
The clauses that quietly move the price
The headline rate is rarely the whole price. Crew size, truck size, travel time and hourly minimums, stairs and elevator access, packing, appliance hookups, and cancellation or reschedule terms all sit inside the contract, and each one can add to the final number. Read them the way you would read the fine print on a lease, because that is what they are.
