Frequently Asked Questions
Whether you’re moving down the block or across the country, moving is a big project that comes with many questions: What should I keep? How do I pack everything? Where will this stuff fit? When you partner with Camelot Moving & Storage to help your family or your company transition, we’ll address every one of your questions and concerns. Here are some of the most common questions (and answers!) that we receive, but please don’t hesitate to call our office if you have other lingering questions. We’re happy to put your mind at ease.
Details of Moving and Services
Will the movers put things where I want them in my new home?
Absolutely! Your Camelot moving crew will deliver your furniture and boxes to the proper rooms in the new home, such as bedroom furniture to the bedroom and kitchen supplies to the kitchen. In addition, they will arrange your furnishings according to your wishes.
Do you disassemble/reassemble furniture?
Yes, and we bring all the necessary tools as well. We will disassemble anything that needs to be taken apart to be moved, such as a bed frame or a two-piece desk, and we will reassemble the furniture at the new home. We will also assemble any new furnishings still in the box that you have bought for your new home. Just ask!
What about disconnecting/reconnecting or installing appliances, TVs, and lighting fixtures?
Appliances: We do not disconnect or reconnect large appliances, including water lines for washers and refrigerators as well as gas lines for dryers. Please make arrangements before Moving Day for these tasks to be completed.
Wall-mounted TVs: We disconnect cabling and remove wall-mounted TVs. However, we do not remount TVs in the new home.
Light fixtures, including chandeliers: Light fixtures that are wired directly into the home’s electrical system will need to be disconnected, removed, and re-installed by an electrician.
Your Camelot crew can handle most light fixtures that plug into a typical electrical outlet. Upon request, we will remove such fixtures from the ceiling or wall (typically secured by a hook).
Once any light fixture is removed, it will need to be wrapped and packed for safe transport. If you are packing your home yourself in preparation for Moving Day, don’t forget to pack such fixtures. If you are taking advantage of Camelot’s professional packing services (or if you would prefer Camelot to pack these particularly delicate items for you while you handle the rest of the packing), please be sure to inform our office before Moving Day, ideally when you are booking your move.
Are there any items you can’t take?
Yes. For safety purposes and/or by law, Camelot cannot carry aerosols, liquids, inflammable items, batteries (ranging from car batteries to 9-volt batteries), ammunition, and compressed gas, such as propane, in the moving van. Please make other arrangements to transport these items.
We can transport unloaded firearms if we inventory them individually and by serial number. Please discuss any firearms you need Camelot to transport prior to booking your move so we can make proper arrangements by Moving Day.
Do you move pianos?
Certainly. While some moving companies leave pianos for specialists to handle, we prefer to hire and/or train specialists so that we can meet all the moving needs of our clientele. Therefore, every Camelot crew member has been properly trained and every Camelot truck is properly equipped to handle the delicate task of moving pianos of any size and shape.
Do you transport vehicles/motorcycles?
Camelot can handle the transportation of most automobiles and all motorcycles. We can also transport some boats, but we are limited by the size of the vessel. Please call our office for more details if your move will include any such vehicles.
What is moving coverage? Is moving coverage the same as moving insurance?
All licensed moving companies in California must include basic moving coverage in their pricing, whether by the hour or at a flat rate. Additional moving coverage options are available. Moving coverage is not moving insurance. Moving coverage covers damage to your belongings by the mishandling of your moving crew. More information can be found here.
Preparation and Packing
What items should be packed into boxes for transport?
Please visit our Packing Services page to find everything you need to learn about packing, including this helpful guide!
Do I need to unload drawers in dressers and desks?
Most items can stay in dresser and desk drawers during the move. Exceptions include fragile items that need to be padded and packed into boxes marked fragile so they can be protected during transport; and small items, such as paper clips and pens so that they don’t get lost when the desk/dresser is being handled (these items often can be placed in a sealed Ziploc bag and placed back in the drawer). Soft goods, such as linens and clothing, can usually remain in drawers. However, occasionally a piece of furniture is so fragile that it cannot hold the extra weight of its drawers during transport. If this is the case, your Camelot furniture movers will let you know, and the drawers will be removed and transported separately.
Do I have to unpack the fridge?
Yes, for a move of any distance, please remove any items that are fragile or might spill.
If you are moving locally (within 100) miles, you will not need to completely empty your refrigerator. Since it will only be unplugged for a few hours, the items inside will remain cold as long as the doors remain closed. Plan on having an ice chest clean and ready on Moving Day for the other items.
Refrigerators moving a long distance (100 miles or more) or going into storage should be completely emptied, defrosted, and unplugged a few days before Moving Day. Once emptied, leave the doors open so the refrigerator can completely dry out before being loaded into the moving van or storage facility.
Employee Standards
Are your crew members regular employees or do they work at various jobs?
Our crews do not consist of day laborers. We employ a team of highly qualified, well-trained, and extensively experienced movers that work exclusively for Camelot.
Do your employees speak English?
Yes. Every Camelot crew member is perfectly capable of communicating with you in English to meet your needs during your move.
Do you use subcontractors?
No. Camelot does not use subcontractors so that we can maintain our high standards of service. Subcontractors normally work for numerous companies, each with a different level of service. Therefore, a subcontractor’s level of service can be inconsistent.
Additionally, when subcontractors are involved in the delivery of a service, blame and responsibility can be tossed back and forth between the parent company and the subcontractor, leaving the consumer with no means to address their problems. In contrast, Camelot takes 100% of the responsibility and accountability for the success of your move.
How do I know I can trust your employees?
Camelot prides itself on hiring trustworthy and capable movers. We understand that we are handling our client’s most valuable possessions and memories. We maintain high standards in our employment practices and conduct background checks so that we can trust every member of the Camelot family to carry out Camelot’s high standards of quality in service and care. Our past customers can and have testified to the quality of our employees, often mentioning their crew members by name.
Charges, Billing, and Payment
Do you charge by the piece or by the hour?
Local moves (moves between locations that are within 100 miles of each other) are billed at an hourly rate. Rates for long-distance moves are based on a combination of distance and quantity (the total weight or total cubic feet of the items moved). For single-item services, such as a piano or a washer-and-dryer set, we offer flat rates. For a more detailed explanation of our rates, give us a call. We can give you an approximate cost based on your description of the contents of and access to your home over the phone as well as schedule a free virtual estimate. We are currently offering this free service through video chat.
When does the billing start and end?
Our hourly billing covers loading the truck, unloading the truck, and transportation to and from the final location, where we unload. Thus, we “clock in,” so to speak, when our moving van arrives at the first location. We “clock out” when our moving van leaves the last location. Then, we double the time it takes to drive between the two locations to cover the drive home. Of course, we clock out for a lunch break.
LOAD TIME+UNLOAD TIME+DRIVE TIME (to and from)–LUNCH BREAK=TOTAL HOURS BILLED
Why do I need to pay a deposit?
We take your reservation seriously! Once you book your move with us, we are holding your spot in our schedule as well as reserving a truck or two and an expert crew to meet the exact demands of your move. Unlike an airline, we do not overbook, and we do not bump our customers for our own convenience. In order to maintain our schedule and fairly meet the high demand for our services, we ask for our clients to pay a deposit (not the full cost of the move) to hold their spot in our schedule.
We also recognize the unpredictable timeline of buying, selling, and moving homes. Therefore, your deposit is refundable up to 10 days before a long-distance move and up to 7 days before a local move.
What if my escrow delays in closing and I need to reschedule my move date?
We will reschedule your move and apply your deposit to your new move date. However, please keep in mind that we can only reschedule your move as our availability allows, so it is very important to keep us in the loop and inform us as soon as you know you will need to reschedule. We will accommodate your changing schedule as best as we can.
Does my estimate change if I get rid of some of my household items by the time of the move?
For local moves:
Yes! The cost of a local move is calculated and therefore estimated based on an hourly rate. Therefore, the less time it takes to complete your move, the lower the cost of your move will be! Certainly, the fewer items your Camelot crew handles for you, the less time your move will take, and therefore the less your final bill will be. That is why doing a deep cleanse or purge of your belongings before your move is an effective way to keep your moving costs down.
For long-distance moves:
The cost of a long-distance move is determined and therefore estimated based on the total weight of your belongings or “shipment.” If you are uncertain whether certain items will make the move with you (e.g., a washer or dryer that may remain in the home as part of the purchase by a buyer), you can request that the estimator assign a price to those items. If those items end up being left behind, your final bill will be adjusted accordingly. Knowing the specific price to move such items can be helpful in deciding whether to take them with you.
Do you charge for fuel?
With the fluctuating cost of fuel, we maintain a flexible fuel charge policy that will both cover our costs and provide a fair price to our clientele. Therefore, we charge a modest fuel charge based on the current cost of fuel.
Occasionally we do need to modify this general fuel surcharge policy to meet the demands of the rising cost of fuel. If this occurs, we will let you know before you reserve a moving date with us.
Do you have a minimum price?
In most cases, we have a minimum charge of three hours. However, there are situations when we are able to reduce the minimum to as little as one hour.
Do you charge overtime?
Yes. We charge overtime after 8 hours, occasionally on Sundays, and on most major holidays. We will inform you when you schedule your move if it is on a day that will or could possibly incur overtime charges.
Do you charge for supplies?
We do charge for packing supplies, such as boxes, bubble wrap, and packing paper. We do not charge for the use of equipment, such as dollies, furniture blankets, and straps. We offer free use of wardrobe boxes (specially designed boxes to hold clothing on coat hangers) if the wardrobe boxes return with the moving crew on the moving van at the end of the day. If you need to hold on to them as you unpack over a number of days, we ask for a deposit that will be fully refunded when you return the wardrobe boxes to our office. Please note that this refundable deposit applies only to wardrobe boxes. All other used boxes are considered non-returnable packing supplies and are yours to keep. We do offer a recycling service to the community through which we pick up used boxes at no charge, whether they were bought from us or from another supplier.
What if I buy boxes that I don’t use?
We refund 100% of the price of unused packing supplies sold from our office.
Is there tax?
We do not charge tax for our services. There is a sales tax charged for supplies, such as boxes and packing paper.
What form of payment do you accept?
For long-distance moves, we accept cash or a cashier’s check. In most cases for local moves, we accept personal and cashier’s checks, credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover), and cash. Please call our office for more details.
When is payment for services due?
For local moves, payment is due at the end of the final day of the move. For long-distance moves, payment is due when the moving van arrives at the unload location.