Make a High-Value Article List Before an Interstate Move

If an interstate mover will carry something worth more than $100 per pound, identify it in writing before loading begins. Give the mover the list in the format it requests, keep a copy, and connect each listed item to its owner, declared value, photograph, and box number. A household spreadsheet alone does not notify the mover.

This is a narrow but important job for roommates combining several people’s property in one shipment. A light camera, watch, antique, or piece of silver can cross the threshold even when its price does not feel extraordinary.

Build the declaration before packing day

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration defines an article of extraordinary value as an item worth more than $100 per pound. Its official rights and responsibilities handbook warns that a mover may limit liability for such an item if the customer does not notify the mover in writing. This rule concerns value relative to weight, not merely the most expensive objects in the home.

Create one candidate list by asking each roommate to review jewelry, silverware, china, antiques, rugs, collectibles, cameras, and other compact valuables. Record:

• the owner’s name;
• a plain description, including maker, model, or identifying mark;
• estimated current value and the basis for it;
• approximate weight;
• a photograph and receipt or appraisal reference, when available;
• the destination room and final box number.

Do not guess that every candidate must travel with the mover. Passports, medication, keys, irreplaceable papers, and small valuables are often better kept under the owner’s control, subject to lawful transport rules. Mark those items “owner carried” so they cannot drift back into a moving box.

Send the candidate list to the mover and ask which shipping document records extraordinary-value articles. Complete that document before loading. Do not rely on a text to the crew or a note taped to a carton.

Match the list to the contract and inventory

The high-value list does not replace a valuation choice. Review Full Value Protection and Released Value separately, then confirm that the selected option appears correctly on the bill of lading. FMCSA explains that Released Value limits the mover’s liability to no more than 60 cents per pound per article, while Full Value Protection is the default unless the customer waives it in writing.

Assign one contract lead, but do not erase individual ownership. Before signing, that person should compare the mover’s high-value form, bill of lading, and descriptive inventory against the household master list. Use the interstate bill of lading check for the wider contract review.

When the crew tags cartons, add the mover’s inventory number to each matching household record. If an item moves to a different box, update both records while everyone still knows where it went. Photograph the closed carton and label, not just the unpacked object.

At delivery, route high-value cartons directly to their owners. Note visible damage or a missing carton on the delivery paperwork before signing, and preserve packaging until the mover explains its claim procedure. Do not let one roommate discard everyone’s boxes during the first cleanup pass.

How HomeCo helps

Create one move project in HomeCo with a private task for each owner to submit candidates and a shared deadline for the contract lead. Add tasks for sending the written declaration, reconciling mover inventory numbers, and checking listed cartons at delivery.

Keep ordinary logistics visible without posting receipts, appraisals, or detailed jewelry descriptions to the whole household. The shared record can say “declaration received” and identify the responsible person, while sensitive evidence stays in the owner’s chosen secure location.

FAQ

Does every expensive item belong on the high-value list?

Not necessarily. The federal definition uses value per pound. Ask the interstate mover how it wants qualifying articles disclosed, and read its written limitation before deciding what it will carry.

Is the mover’s inventory the same as written notice?

Do not assume so. Ask the mover to identify the document it accepts as notice of extraordinary-value articles, complete it, and retain the accepted copy with the contract.

Can roommates make separate declarations in one shipment?

The mover’s contract may identify one shipper even when several roommates own the contents. Use one mover-approved declaration if required, but keep owner fields in the household record so delivery checks and any later claim can be assigned accurately.