Removal quotes explained: what the number is made of

What a removal quote is actually made of

Strip any removals quote to its bones and you find five ingredients:

• Volume. The big one. How many cubic feet your life occupies decides the vehicle, the crew and the hours. This is what surveys exist to measure.
• Access. Where the van can sit at both ends, how far the carry is, stairs, lifts, narrow lanes, parking permits. A third-floor flat with no lift is a different job from a driveway bungalow holding identical furniture.
• Distance. Fuel and drive time, plus whether the day can turn around twice for a local move or runs one long leg.
• Labour and specials. Crew size, dismantling, pianos, packing if you add it. The awkward singles, as the jobs below show, can matter more than the volume.
• The date. Peak days carry peak demand; our best-day guide explains which days those are and why.

Phone, video or home survey: which quote can you trust?

A number produced without anyone seeing your home is a guess wearing a suit. The British Association of Removers describes the professional baseline on its moving-in-the-UK guidance: "The estimators are exceptionally good at calculating the volumes for moves and the space they will take up on the vehicle(s)." That skill needs something to look at, which is why the HomeOwners Alliance's checklist insists: "You should ask at least two removal firms to do an at-home survey so you can get accurate quotes."

Video surveys deserve a special mention because they fixed the old trade-off. Ten minutes walking your phone around the house shows a surveyor everything a visit would, works at any notice, and produces the same firm number. We quote most jobs this way. The ranking is simple: home survey and video survey are equals; a detailed form-based quote sits just behind; a price from a two-minute phone call sits at the bottom, useful only as a rough bracket.

Why two quotes for the same house differ by hundreds

Almost always because they are not pricing the same job. One firm surveyed and planned two crew and a 7.5-tonne lorry; the other guessed from a phone call and priced a Luton and hope. One includes packing materials, dismantling and insurance with real limits; the other lists them as extras you discover later. One priced your actual Friday; the other priced a generic Tuesday.

The dangerous version is the deliberate lowball: quote cheap without a survey, then "discover" the extra volume on the day, when your alternatives are paying up or watching the van leave half-loaded. It is the single most common story behind one-star reviews in this trade. The protection costs nothing: insist the quote follows a survey and arrives itemised in writing. Our choosing guide carries the full ten-question vetting list.

Comparing quotes like for like

Lay the quotes side by side and check these eight lines before looking at the totals:

1. Was a survey done (home or video), or is the volume a guess?
2. Crew size and vehicle, named.
3. Packing: included, optional extra, or absent?
4. Materials: boxes, paper, wardrobe boxes, and whether they cost extra.
5. Dismantling and reassembly: which items, exactly.
6. Insurance: goods-in-transit and public liability, with single-item and total limits.
7. The waiting clause: what happens if keys release late.
8. Payment terms, deposit protection and the date-change policy.

A total that looks expensive often stops looking expensive when lines three to six turn out to be included. The reverse is also true, which is the entire trick of the lowball.

How our quotes work

The quote form asks the surveyor's questions up front: rooms, big and awkward items, access at both ends, dates. Sean reads every submission himself and replies the same day, usually within the hour, with a price rather than a callback queue. Video walkthroughs happen where the job needs eyes on it. The quote arrives written and itemised, the discounts we advertise sit on it visibly (15% for Blue Light Card holders, money off for NHS staff, ex-forces and students), and the number you accept is the number you pay unless you change the job. If another firm beats us on a like-for-like itemised quote, that is a fair win; what we will not do is win on a guess and renegotiate on your doorstep. Want the actual numbers before you ask? Our removal costs guide publishes the from-prices and the 2026 market rates.