How to Choose Apartment Movers in Austin: What Texas Law Requires and What to Check Before You Book

Quick answer: Before you book an Austin apartment mover, get its TxDMV certificate number and confirm it is active in TxDMV's Truck Stop database. Then get a written proposal that says whether the price is binding or not-to-exceed, and, if hourly, the maximum number of hours.

Which rules apply to your move

The single most common mistake in moving advice is mixing up Texas and federal rules. Which set applies depends only on where your belongings start and end, not on the size of the mover or the distance.

Most Austin apartment moves stay inside Texas, so most of this guide focuses on TxDMV rules. Where federal rules differ, they are noted.

How to verify a mover in a few minutes

Verification is the step that separates a regulated mover from someone with a truck and a website. It costs nothing and takes minutes.

1. Ask for the TxDMV certificate number

Texas Transportation Code §643.051 says a carrier may not operate a vehicle, regardless of the vehicle's size, to transport household goods for compensation unless it is registered with TxDMV. A two-person crew with a pickup truck is covered by the same rule as a company with a fleet.

TxDMV's consumer guidance is blunt: if a mover hesitates or does not provide a TxDMV number, it is likely unlicensed.

2. Look the number up in TxDMV Truck Stop

Search the number in TxDMV's public Truck Stop database. Confirm the business name matches the company you are talking to and that the certificate is active. According to TxDMV, an active certificate means the mover has shown proof of liability and cargo insurance.

3. Confirm the USDOT number

TxDMV states that Texas law requires intrastate movers to be licensed by both TxDMV and USDOT, and that these numbers must appear on trucks, online ads, and proposals. For an interstate move, also confirm the MC number shows active household goods authority with FMCSA.

4. Check the truck and the website

Under 43 TAC §218.52, the mover's name and TxDMV number must appear on both sides of the truck, including short-term rental trucks, in letters at least 2 inches tall. The mover's website home page must show its TxDMV number and TxDMV's consumer help line.

5. Ask to see the tariff

Licensed Texas movers must file their rates with TxDMV. That filing, called a tariff, shows the maximum rates the mover may charge. An unregistered mover will not have one, which makes this a simple and revealing question.

Tip: What "insured" actually means here

Texas minimums for a registered household goods carrier include $300,000 in liability insurance for vehicles of 26,000 lbs or less, and cargo insurance of $5,000 per shipper per vehicle. Cargo insurance protects the mover's ability to pay claims. It is not the same as the mover's liability to you, which is set in your contract (see the liability section).

Reading the written proposal

For moves within Texas, the mover must give you a written proposal before loading. Under 43 TAC §218.56, it must clearly state whether it is one of two types.

Two details matter more than most people realize.

• A phone quote is not a proposal. Under Texas definitions, an estimate is only an informal oral calculation. If it isn't written, it doesn't lock in a price.
• Hourly moves must show maximum hours. Since January 2, 2025, a not-to-exceed proposal based on hourly rates must state the maximum number of hours, unless you acknowledge in writing that it isn't needed. Don't sign that acknowledgment unless you understand you're giving up a price cap.

Apartment details that change the price

TxDMV notes that an accurate proposal depends on the mover knowing about stairs, long carries, and elevators. Movers may also charge for extra services and materials beyond the hourly rate, as set out in their tariff. Tell the mover about each of these at both addresses:

• Floor number, and whether there's a freight elevator, a shared passenger elevator, or only stairs
• Distance from where the truck can park to your door, including garages and breezeways
• Large or awkward items such as sectionals, platform beds, or safes, and whether they fit through doors, stairwell turns, and elevators (measure them)
• Packing you want done and materials you need
• Any building time limits that could force a split or second trip

For interstate moves, federal rules require an estimate based on a physical survey, in person or by video, unless you waive it in writing. On a non-binding interstate estimate, the mover cannot require you to pay more than 110% of the estimate at delivery; any remaining charges are billed later.

Liability for your belongings after the 2025 rule change

This is the most misreported topic in moving advice, and it changed recently.

Warning: The Texas rule since January 2, 2025

For moves within Texas, there's no longer an automatic minimum level of mover liability. Liability is whatever you and the mover agree to in writing. TxDMV's January 2025 consumer brochure explains that you and the mover could agree the mover has no liability at all, or agree to more. The contract must expressly state if the mover's liability is $0.00, and must disclose the cost of any increased liability.

In practice, that means three things for an apartment renter:

1. Find the liability section in the proposal or contract and read the dollar amount before signing.
2. If it says $0.00, or an amount far below what your things are worth, ask what higher liability costs. The mover must disclose that cost.
3. Call your renter's or homeowner's insurer and ask whether your policy covers belongings in transit. TxDMV notes you can buy separate insurance.

Interstate moves work differently

Under federal rules, Full Value Protection is the default unless you waive it in writing. The minimum valuation is $6.00 per pound times the shipment's weight. If you choose Released Value instead, there's no extra charge, but coverage is only 60 cents per pound per article. A 10-pound speaker worth $1,000 would be covered for $6. Items worth more than $100 per pound should be listed on your shipping documents, or the mover can limit its liability for them.

Tip: Keep valuables with you

TxDMV's own advice is that your best protection for high-value items is to transport them yourself. Jewelry, documents, laptops, and medications belong in your car, not the truck.

Apartment and high-rise logistics

Your building controls more of moving day than the mover does. Rules vary by property, so get them from management in writing rather than from a website.

Questions for your leasing office or HOA, at both addresses

• Does the move need to be reserved? How much notice is required?
• Is there a freight elevator or loading dock, and what are its booking windows?
• Does the building require a certificate of insurance (COI) from the mover? What coverage amounts, and who must be named as certificate holder?
• What are permitted moving hours, including weekends?
• Where can a moving truck park, and is there a height or length limit on the garage or dock?
• Are elevator pads, floor protection, or a refundable move deposit required?
• Who is the on-site contact on moving day?

Send the COI requirements to your mover as soon as you book. Many buildings will not let a crew in without one on file.

Long carries and garage-wrapped complexes

Many newer Austin apartment buildings wrap units around an interior parking garage. The garage may be too low for a box truck, which means the crew parks outside and carries everything through corridors. That is a long carry, and it usually adds time. Tell your mover where the truck will actually park.

Street parking and city permits

If the truck or a portable storage container will sit in the public street, sidewalk, or alley, the City of Austin requires a right-of-way permit. That covers temporary loading of non-construction materials and temporary storage devices in the right-of-way. Container permits are issued case by case and require a photo of the proposed location. Apply well ahead of your date. Parking in your complex's private lot or dock is controlled by the property instead.

Timing an Austin move around heat and demand

Austin heat is a scheduling factor, not just a comfort issue. Under National Weather Service 1991–2020 normals for Camp Mabry, the average August high is 97.8°F, and Austin averages about 123 days a year at or above 90°F, with the first typically arriving in early April.

• Start early. Morning start times keep the crew and your belongings out of the peak heat.
• Keep heat-sensitive items in your air-conditioned car. This includes candles, vinyl records, electronics, photographs, plants, medications, and musical instruments. An enclosed truck sitting in the sun gets much hotter than the air outside.
• Plan for pets and kids. Arrange a sitter or a closed, cool room so doors propped open for hours don't create a safety risk.
• Ask about weather rescheduling. Spring storms can bring heavy rain and hail. Find out the mover's reschedule policy before you book.

Demand and lead time

Many leases start and end at the turn of the month, and weekends are the most requested days, so those dates book first. Summer is the busiest season, and university schedules add demand in late summer. Mid-month weekday moves are easier to schedule.

If you are moving at month-end, on a weekend, or in summer, contact movers several weeks ahead. Do the same for building reservations, which can fill even faster than mover calendars. Check the dates of large Austin events (spring festivals, fall music festivals, and home football weekends) before you lock in a date, since they affect traffic and parking.

20 questions to ask before you book

These questions are built around what Texas and federal rules actually require. Bring them to every quote.

Write down the answers, and get the cancellation policy in writing too. No state rule sets one for you, so the contract is your only protection.

Red flags

These warning signs come from TxDMV and FMCSA consumer guidance.

• No TxDMV number, hesitation when asked, or a number that shows inactive in Truck Stop
• A quote far below every other quote, especially one given by phone without seeing your belongings. TxDMV puts it simply: if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
• No written proposal, or a promise to "figure out the price after loading"
• Demands for cash or a large deposit up front
• Asking you to sign blank or incomplete documents
• A truck without the company's name and TxDMV number on both sides
• No "Rights and Responsibilities" brochure
• The claim that "all your goods are covered by our insurance"
• On moving day, a sudden claim that you have more items than expected, used to raise the price
• Refusing to unload your belongings until you pay more than the agreed amount. TxDMV describes this as criminal fraud, not a "civil matter."

Moving day and your claim rights

On moving day

• Photograph furniture and electronics before the crew arrives.
• Stay reachable while the crew works, and walk through each unit before the truck leaves.
• If an inventory is made (in Texas it's optional and may cost extra), check it and sign it at pickup and delivery.
• Inspect your belongings as they come off the truck. Write any damage or missing items on all copies of the paperwork before you sign.
• Have payment ready in the agreed form, up to the maximum on your written proposal.

The Texas claims clock

1. Within 90 days of delivery: File a written claim with the mover.
2. Within 23 days of your claim: The mover must acknowledge it.
3. Within 30 days: The mover may inspect the damaged items.
4. Within 90 days of your claim: The mover must pay, deny, or make a settlement offer.
5. Within 35 days: If you're not satisfied, request free mediation through TxDMV.

To reach TxDMV about a mover complaint, call 1-888-368-4689 or email TruckStop@TxDMV.gov. For interstate moves, federal rules give you 9 months to file a claim. FMCSA cannot order a mover to pay, so unresolved claims go to the mover's arbitration program or to court.

Utilities and paperwork after you arrive

City of Austin utilities

One City of Austin Utilities account covers electric, water, trash, and recycling for addresses in its service area. A $200 deposit is required to start residential service, but it can be waived if you provide:

• A letter of reference from your current or previous electric, gas, or water utility showing service in any of the preceding 18 months with no outstanding balance, or
• A letter from your landlord, if utilities were included in your rent

Customers 65 and older with a current account in good standing also qualify. Request the reference letter from your old utility before you shut off service there. Check internet availability at your exact unit before signing a lease if you work from home.

New to Texas

• Register your vehicle in Texas within 30 days of moving.
• Get a Texas driver license within 90 days. Register the vehicle first, since proof of Texas registration is typically requested.
• File a change of address with USPS before your move date.