Valuation coverage is not insurance. It is the ceiling on what a mover owes you if something is lost or broken. Federal rules require interstate movers to offer two levels of it. Insurance is a separate policy, sold by a licensed agent and regulated by the state. We are Daymakers Moving & Storage, Lake Elmo movers operating as a carrier, with our own trucks and our own crews.
The company that quotes your Lake Elmo, MN move is the same company liable for it. Every estimate begins with an in-person or live video walkthrough. That is how the inventory behind your coverage matches what goes on the truck. Ask any mover to put both options in front of you in writing before you sign.
What Valuation Coverage Actually Means
Valuation is the dollar figure your shipment is declared at, and it sets how far a mover’s liability reaches. Think of it as a number written into your contract rather than a policy you buy from an agent. The mover carries that liability as part of the service. It is either funded through a valuation charge or offered at no cost, depending on the level you choose.
Federal rules give interstate shipments two levels, Released Value Protection and Full Value Protection. One costs nothing and pays almost nothing. The other costs money and pays close to replacement value. Which one you end up with comes down to a box on the bill of lading. Most people check it quickly, without reading the line above it.
What Does Released Value Protection Actually Pay?
Released Value Protection is the economy option, and it costs nothing because it pays by weight instead of worth. The mover’s liability is capped at 60 cents per pound per article. A 25-pound television is covered for 15 dollars, whatever that television originally cost.
The math turns ugly on anything light and valuable. A laptop, a camera, a framed print and a box of china all weigh very little and replace for a great deal. Released Value treats them the way it treats a sack of books. Movers can also limit liability further on articles worth more than 100 dollars per pound. Jewelry, china and furs need their own written declaration.
How Is Full Value Protection Different?
Full Value Protection works from value rather than weight. If an item is lost or damaged, the mover repairs it, replaces it with something comparable, or settles in cash at current replacement value. Unless you select Released Value in writing, an interstate shipment travels under Full Value Protection automatically.
The cost varies by mover, and it is usually calculated against the declared value of the shipment. Deductible levels often bring the charge down. Anything worth more than 100 dollars per pound still belongs on a high-value inventory sheet before moving day. Leave a piece off that sheet and you have quietly capped what it is worth in a claim.
| Released Value | Full Value Protection | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to you | None | Charged against declared value |
| Based on | Weight | Replacement value |
| Payout | 60 cents per pound per article | Repair, replacement or cash settlement |
| Applies automatically | No | Yes, unless waived in writing |
Neither option is a policy from an insurance company. Both are liability levels sitting inside the moving contract, and that distinction is the one that trips people up most often.
Is Moving Insurance the Same Thing?
Moving insurance is a separate product, sold by a licensed insurance agent and regulated under state law rather than federal moving rules. Some movers offer to arrange it for you. Some customers buy it independently because the household value makes the difference material.
The two can work alongside each other, and the same question comes up around storage insurance when belongings sit in a warehouse between moves. Where a third-party policy is in place, the mover stays liable up to 60 cents per pound per article. The insurer covers the remainder, up to the policy amount. Homeowners and renters policies sometimes extend to goods in transit, though many do not. The only reliable answer comes from asking your own agent directly.
What Valuation Coverage Does Not Cover
Coverage of either kind has edges, and knowing them beforehand prevents an argument later. Valuation applies to loss and physical damage. It generally does not apply to a delayed delivery or to normal wear. It also rarely covers a carton you packed and sealed yourself, unseen by the crew.
A few situations come up often enough across Lake Elmo and Washington County that they are worth checking before moving day:
- Boxes you packed yourself, where nobody can confirm what was inside or how it was wrapped
- Jewelry, documents, cash and small electronics, which most movers ask you to carry personally
- Anything worth more than 100 dollars per pound that never reached the high-value inventory sheet
- Pressboard and particleboard furniture, which frequently falls outside standard coverage once assembled
- Perishables, plants and aerosols, which are usually excluded from transport altogether
Owner-packed cartons are the line that causes the most friction, which is one reason professional packing changes what a mover can be held to. Ask the question during the estimate instead of during the claim, and get the answer written onto the paperwork you sign.
Not sure which coverage level fits your household?
Give us a call at (651) 955-1283, and we’ll go through both options line by line before anything gets packed.
How We Handle Coverage on a Lake Elmo Move
Coverage starts at the walkthrough, not the paperwork. Seeing the home in person or over live video lets us build the inventory from what is actually there. That includes the pieces needing a separate declaration. That visit is also when stairs, a tight landing or a narrow driveway get noted. Those conditions are what create damage risk in the first place.
Our crews are our own, and on a long-distance move your belongings stay on one truck under one team leader. One company handles the estimate, the load, the transport and the claim if there ever is one. The same logic runs through everything worth checking before you book a moving and storage company. Ask whoever you hire to show you the valuation section of the bill of lading and explain which box is checked and why.
Frequently asked questions
Interstate movers must offer both Released Value Protection and Full Value Protection, and your shipment travels under one of them either way. Released Value applies only if you select it in writing. For a move within Minnesota, coverage terms are set by the mover and state rules, so ask for the written terms before you book.
Look at the bill of lading. The valuation section shows the level you chose and the declared value of the shipment. Read it before signing rather than after delivery, and keep a copy. If the box is blank or the declared figure looks wrong, raise it on the spot instead of later.
Sometimes, and often only partially. Some policies extend to belongings in transit while others stop at the front door. Call your own agent, describe the move, and ask specifically about goods on a moving truck. Get that answer in writing when the value of your household makes it worth the trouble.
Anything worth more than 100 dollars per pound belongs on a high-value inventory sheet. That typically covers jewelry, fine china, furs, collections, artwork and certain instruments. The declaration has to happen before moving day. A claim is not the moment to establish that a piece was valuable.
Reach the mover directly and in writing, with photographs and the item’s entry from the inventory. We are a carrier rather than a broker. The crew that loaded your belongings and the office handling your claim work for the same company. Report it promptly rather than waiting until everything is unpacked.
Contact Us
Our Lake Elmo team will walk you through both coverage levels during your estimate, with no guessing and no phone-only quote.
- Visit us at 8530 Eagle Point Blvd Suite 100 #132, Lake Elmo, MN 55042.
- Call (651) 955-1283.
- We are open:
- Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm
- Saturday 8 am to Noon
- Sunday by appointment.
- You can also request a free quote
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