Do movers charge extra for stairs?

When you’re moving out for the first time and you’ve hired a moving company to help you with the most difficult aspects of your house move, then one thing you may be worried about is whether your mover will charge you extra for any hidden costs that you had no idea even existed in the first place.

If you happen to be moving out of a walk-up apartment or moving into one, or you’re moving out of a high-rise building or moving into one, then one additional charge that you should be concerned about is the extra fee for stairs.

It’s important that you know upfront about any extra fees that your moving company intends to charge you in the end. And the best way to do this, of course, is to discuss such extra charges before the move takes place so that you can set your moving budget accordingly or respond quickly to the situation if you think you’re being charged extra money for something that you shouldn’t be paying for.

So, do movers charge extra for stairs? And if yes, then how much do movers charge for stairs?

Read on to find out.

Do movers charge extra for going up or down the stairs?

Whether or not your mover will charge you extra money for the stairs will depend on a number of factors:

• Location. Professional moving companies in cities or states with a lot of high-rise buildings or buildings with no elevators are much more likely to charge extra for moving furniture and boxes up or down the stairs.
• Apartment or house. Report every staircase and landing at pickup and delivery, including stairs inside a house. A house, elevator building or first-floor address does not by itself establish whether an access fee applies.
• Amount and type of belongings. The amount and type of the stuff your movers will be hauling can determine whether you get charged extra for the stairs your hired men will have to overcome to reach their truck and load your belongings. In the case of moving large furniture items, you will most certainly be charged a stair fee for the extra effort from the workers.
• Elevator or no elevator. If the building has no elevator (a walk-up) or if it does but it’s out of order at the time of the move, you will be charged extra for the stairs. Additionally, if the building does have an operational elevator but it’s not been reserved for the moving crew, then the whole move will most likely be delayed, which in turn will incur extra charges for you.
• Moving company. Note that not all moving companies charge extra for stairs, so you’ll have to ask your mover about that specific charge before you book their services. Remember that it’s your obligation to let your movers know how many flights of stairs they will have to walk up and down. Make sure you inform them of that little detail beforehand – forgetting to do so will not help you in any way since they will simply add the extra fee after the move.

See also: What are the hidden costs of moving house?

Why do movers charge extra for stairs?

It’s not hard to guess why professional movers charge extra for going up and down multiple flights of stairs.

LOST TIME

Time is critical for both you and your moving company either side wishes to complete the move as soon as possible – at least that’s the case under normal house moving circumstances. The more stairs your movers need to walk up and down, the more time will be lost in the process.

When moving locally, your local movers will charge you by the hour. What this means is that the longer the move takes (understand the longer your movers spend moving stuff up and down the stairs), the more money you will be charged in the end.

When moving long distance, your long distance movers will typically charge you a one-time stair fee for all the time wasted on the stairs of the building.

Bear in mind if the building does have an elevator but your movers are forced to wait a considerable amount of time for that elevator in case it has not been specifically reserved for them, then you may still be charged extra for the lost time.

EXTRA EFFORTS

Needless to say, your movers will have to work extra hard to move heavy furniture and heavy boxes along the stairs in case of a walk-up building or a high-rise with a non-operational elevator. Such a scenario will increase the overall difficulty of the house move, and as a result, you can expect the moving cost to go up as well.

Read also: How much do movers charge per hour?

How much do movers charge for stairs?

Here comes the big question: how much will movers charge for stairs?

It’s important to point out that not all moving companies charge stair carry fees the same way.

Some moving companies (mostly local movers) will add extra time to their cost estimate to compensate for the unavoidable delays caused by carrying household items down or up the stairs, or even when using an elevator that has not been specifically reserved for them.

Other moving companies will charge a flat stairs carry charge based on the concrete situation assessed at the in-house survey before the moving cost estimate is furnished.

A mover may calculate a stair charge per step, per flight or as a flat access fee. Ask how it defines a flight and whether any flights are included. Do not assume the first flight is free.

Example using a $50 per flight fee. Your mover’s fee may be different. Your quotes will depend on your city, date and access. Suppose the written quote includes one flight at each address, then charges $50 per additional flight.

Before accepting the estimate, confirm flight definitions, included flights at each address, steps on landings, bulky-item fees and elevator availability. For an hourly move, confirm crew size, truck inclusion, minimum hours and depot travel. Ask whether stair time is included in billed labor as well as a separate fee. Disclose parking distance and long carries. Interstate estimates should identify access services; intrastate rules vary.

However, as mentioned above, the stairs carry fee that you will have to pay will depend on a number of important factors. In some cases, your mover may decide to charge you a one-time fixed flight fee. The only way to know for sure is to speak with your movers about all potential extra fees, including the extra flight charge so that there are no unpleasant surprises when you’re handed the final moving bill.

Must-read: How much does it cost to hire movers?