How your Gaithersburg Movers Calculate Weight

Moving home may be a complex matter but the whole thing can’t start until an estimate is calculated and you agree to a price with your Gaithersburg moving company. Calculating the estimate is no simple matter and a major part of the eventual figure has to do with the total weight of the items to be moved. This too can be an arduous task, depending on how many possession you have to move.

How far you plan on moving plays a part in the estimation too, with weight favoured by moving companies when their client is moving either long distances within a state or across states lines. If the move is a relatively short distance then cubic feet or space can be the principal influence on the final figure. Don’t forget to check with the movers which criteria is used in coming up with the estimate.

Viewing

When a representative of the Gaithersburg moving company you are considering hiring comes to your home to view what is to be moved, they will are looking for two things mainly; the combined weight and the volume of the items. Volume (or the space something occupies) can be easily be measured on the spot with a measuring tape, while an estimate on how many boxes and which sizes you’ll want, simplifies the matter of the smaller items in your home since they’ll stack nicely on top of each other in the truck.

Knowledge

Calculating weight relies on two simple things: the materials an item is made of (wood, steel, iron, plastic etc) and the knowledge the representative has of the average weight of the item. Remember, the representative will have moved or seen moved a thousand desks, arm chairs, sofas and refrigerators in his time. So, while we all know that a mahogany library desk is heavy, he’ll have on record the average weight of just such an item.

Special Items

If you have a special item to move, be it a musical instrument, a sculpture or a unique piece of furniture, then the Gaithersburg movers’ representative may opt to weigh the item at your home in advance of the move. This is a rare occurrence but it happens when there is now agreement on the weight of the item and the only answer is to find a confirmed figure.

Tare Weight vs Gross Weight

Tare weight refers to the weight of any vehicle before it’s loaded. Movers will usually weigh their moving truck before beginning your move to establish the ‘empty’ weight of the vehicle. When the truck is loaded completely, it is weighed again to find the gross weight. The difference between the two is known as the net weight and this is the figure that represents the actual weight of your things. At this point, you should have agreed a binding estimate with the company and if you have then, should the weight be greater than estimated, you will pay nothing extra; if it wasn’t a binding estimate then the company can add more onto your bill.

The Online Option

Of course, you can easily get an estimate yourself using one of the many online estimator programmes. These programmes provide a long list of items which you may have in your home, usually divided into house area (kitchen, bedroom, dining room etc), and all you need to do is enter the quantity of items in a table. The programme will then estimate the total weight. That figure, while not completely accurate, should then provide a general idea of the cost of the move.

Your Gaithersburg moving company will fill you in on all of the steps before going through it all. But don’t forget that you can call our own customer services desk to find out everything you need to know about our methods of calculating weight and our estimates. Our staff is waiting to speak to you now.