Gainesville Florida is a college town and with this comes a rash of unlicensed businesses that prey upon the lack of knowledge most students have about the rules and regulations across all industries. The moving companies in Gainesville Florida and the rest of the state are regulated by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Most College age kids do not understand what this means. UF Mover Guys, LLC is licensed and insured to operate throughout the entire state of Florida. We thought it would be a good idea to put all of the information that is already out there in an easy to read and understand format. Searching government website after government website can be cumbersome and not always an efficient use of time.
Most people in the area know how busy the moving companies in Gainesville Florida will be this time of year. The national season is from May through September, and the fact there are close to 100,000 students between the University of Florida and Santa Fe College only magnifies the significance of this time of year. Every year a bunch of unlicensed and uninsured movers will swoop in to move unsuspecting people. The issue with using an unlicensed moving company is the fact that there usually is no recourse for someone, because often they disappear should anything happen. If worst case scenario occurs, nothing is insured and a rogue company not willing to play by the rules. The State of Florida regulates this industry specifically for this reason and has issued a set of guidelines. We have them outlined below, but they can be found in their entirety at the following website. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Who has to register?
Any person who intends to open or operate as an intrastate mover of household goods or moving broker shall, prior to engaging in such activity, register with the Department.
What documents are required to register?
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Proof of insurance such as your insurance certificate and certificate holder and/or original surety in the amount of $25,000 bond. A copy of your policy, declarations page or insurance card will not be accepted. Coverage must include:
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Cargo liability for loss or damage to household goods – not less than $10,000 per shipment.
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Motor vehicle coverage, including bodily injury and property damage liability in minimum amounts of (auto liability is required even if you don’t own your own truck(s)):
- $50,000 per occurrence for commercial vehicle gross weight of less than 35,000 pounds.
- $100,000 per occurrence for commercial vehicle gross weight of more than 35,000 pounds, but less than 44,000 pounds $300,000 per occurrence for commercial vehicle gross weight of 44,000 pounds or more.
The above are the guidlines required to operate as a moving company in Gainesville Florida and anywhere else in the State. An intrastate mover number will be issued by the Department. Always ask the companies you are getting quotes from, the state recommends three, for their number to do a search for incidents HERE. You can search with a business name, or IM number. As you can see our company, UF Mover Guys, LLC IM:1847 has zero complaints. The rest of the information for consumers is listed on this government website right HERE.
Click on the following link to get their brochure on household moving in Florida.
Some of the information is below:
When researching a potential company to handle your moving and storage needs, find out the following information:
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Is the company registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services?
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How long has the company been in business?
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Does the company offer extra services, such as packing, unpacking and storage?
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What type of protection does the company offer against loss or damage (full replacement cost, depreciated value, or the basic 60¢ per pound valuation carriers are required to provide)?
Your Rights:
Prior to providing you with any moving services, your mover must supply an estimate and contract, in writing. The estimate and contract must be signed by both parties and include the following:
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Name, telephone number, physical address and state registration number of the mover.
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Date the contract or estimate was prepared and proposed date of the actual move.
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Appropriate pick-up and delivery address, name and telephone numbers of the shipper.
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Name, telephone number and physical address where the goods will be held, if necessary.
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Itemized breakdown, description and total of all cost and services provided.
Acceptable forms of payment available.
Estimate and Contract
Intrastate movers are required to provide an estimate and a contract or service order for each move. Before signing this document, determine that the dates for packing, loading and delivery are part of the contract and provided to you in writing. Understand what the price is based upon:
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Appliance Servicing
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Cubic Footage
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Hourly Rates
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Stair/Elevator Charge
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Number of Items
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Packing/Unpacking
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Long Carry Charges
There are some minor exceptions to the rule. This would be if all you are hiring someone to do is labor to help you move things around your home, or into your own rental truck. Other than that the movers must be licensed. This is designed to protect the consumer. We hope you found some useful information about moving in Gainesville and the state of Florida.