Moving costs can differ because an online estimate uses limited information, a quote describes a more specific move, and the final bill must be checked against what was actually agreed. New details about access, belongings or requested services may need clarification. They do not automatically justify an extra charge. The key is to distinguish a planning estimate from confirmed information and the agreement you accepted.
An estimate, a quote and a bill answer different questions
A calculator result helps you start planning a budget. A quote sets out a proposal for your move. The final bill shows what you are being charged. Comparing the numbers is useful, but only if you also compare the information behind them.
A price range based on a home-size category does not necessarily describe everything you own, the conditions at both addresses or the work you want the movers to perform.
| Stage | What is its purpose? | What should you check? |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate / calculator result | Provide an initial guide using limited information. | Your selections, the assumptions and the result’s limitations. |
| Quote | Present a proposal for a more clearly described move. | The services, information considered, proposed price and calculation method. |
| Accepted agreement | Identify what was actually agreed. | The version accepted, its conditions and any clarifications exchanged. |
| Final bill | Show the amounts being charged. | How the charges compare with the agreement and what explains any difference. |
These stages do not necessarily produce four separate documents. A quote may also be the document used to record the agreement. Do not rely on the heading alone to understand your commitments: read the details and keep the relevant correspondence.
This distinction matters when comparing companies, too. Two similar-looking totals may describe different work. Before deciding which proposal is preferable, establish whether you are comparing the same belongings, services and conditions.
What the DTHV calculator actually considers
The DTHV moving cost calculator uses a predefined pricing grid to produce an indicative range. It works with the categories you select. It does not inspect your home or create an inventory of your belongings.
The information used in the calculation
The calculation combines home size, property type, the selected departure and destination areas, an access category and the packing option. Home size also determines the suggested crew and truck information displayed with the result.
| The DTHV calculator knows… | It does not know… |
|---|---|
| The property category you selected. | The actual layout of rooms, passageways and storage areas. |
| The home-size category you entered. | Your complete inventory, box count or items needing particular handling. |
| The departure and destination categories you chose. | The precise route, actual driving distance or traffic conditions. |
| The access option you selected. | The detailed access arrangements at both addresses. |
| Whether you selected packing assistance. | Which belongings need packing or what materials and tasks will be agreed. |
| The moving date you entered. | Crew availability; the current calculation does not use this date to change the amount. |
How to interpret the result
Use the range as a starting point for your request. The suggested crew and truck are not a booking confirmation.
Changing your selections can help you understand how the simulation responds. However, adjustments within the calculator are not a schedule of contractual surcharges that automatically applies on moving day.
The upper end of the range should not be presented as a guaranteed price ceiling either. To understand the commitment being offered for your move, review the quote and the agreement itself.
What an online estimate cannot know about your move
Two homes in the same size category can contain very different amounts of furniture and packed belongings. A size selection cannot replace a description of what needs to be moved.
Access also requires more detail than a single answer. There may be an elevator at the pickup address and stairs at the destination. DTHV’s current calculator collects one access category for the overall project, not a separate assessment of each location.
Before requesting a quote, make a note of the conditions at both addresses. Include the floor, elevator, narrow passages, the distance from the intended parking location to the entrance and any building access window.
For an unusual route or a long-distance move, provide the addresses and any planned stops. A geographic category does not measure kilometres or actual travel time.
Be equally specific about the help you want. Selecting packing assistance does not establish which belongings will be packed, what materials are needed or who will prepare each room. These details help define the project. They do not establish that an additional charge is payable.
What should your moving quote clarify?
A useful quote should let you understand the proposed move, not simply identify a total.
Belongings, services and access
Check whether the proposal reflects the information you provided. Was the separate inventory or photo considered? Is a particular item included in the description? Is the work you will handle yourself distinguished from the work you are requesting?
Quebec’s Office de la protection du consommateur recommends a detailed agreement covering matters such as the rate, crew, truck and cost calculation. It also explains specific requirements for contracts concluded by phone or online. Its consumer advice before a move provides the official reference.
Price and calculation method
Ask for an explanation you can put into your own words. Is the proposal based on a fixed amount, an hourly calculation or another arrangement? If time is part of the calculation, when does the clock start and stop, and what rules are stated?
Clarify how travel, materials, requested services and taxes are treated. Asking about these items does not mean each one will be charged separately. The purpose is to avoid making assumptions in either direction.
DTHV’s terms of use describe estimates as indicative until project information is confirmed. They are not a detailed fee schedule for every situation. Read them alongside the information provided for your particular move.
How to compare your estimate with the agreement
Compare the scope first and the amount second. Are both figures based on the same move?
Keep the calculator result together with the choices you entered. When a proposal arrives, identify the details that have since been clarified: inventory, access, destination or services. Ask about any unexplained difference before confirming.
Hypothetical example: one home-size category, two different moves
Two people select the same home size in a calculator. One has a limited amount of furniture and plans to have the boxes ready. The other later includes the contents of a storage area and requests help packing some belongings.
Their first estimates may look similar, while their detailed requests describe different work. This example shows why the conversation before booking matters. It does not establish an extra amount to charge or a right to change an agreement already made.
Hypothetical example: an item that was already disclosed
A customer mentioned a piano before accepting a proposal. An additional piano-related charge later appears on the bill.
Asking whether a piano needs particular handling is only part of the discussion. The customer also needs to understand what was originally included for that item and why the bill differs. A handling requirement and the basis for a charge are separate questions.
These are fictional examples, not accounts of DTHV customer moves. They illustrate how to compare information without assuming that every difference is either justified or improper.
Does an unexpected issue automatically justify an extra charge?
No. An unexpected difficulty or a difference from the initial information does not, by itself, establish that an extra charge is owed.
The Office de la protection du consommateur states that movers must honour their agreement and cannot demand more than the price specified in the contract. Its guidance on invoices with unexpected charges explains possible steps when a disagreement arises.
If a charge is unclear, ask which part of the move it concerns, how the amount was calculated and where it comes from in the agreement. Keep the proposal, messages, clarifications and final bill together.
An operational explanation is not the same as a basis for billing. “The move took longer” provides different information from “this is what we agreed about billable time.”
This guide cannot determine the outcome of an individual dispute. Contact the Office or seek advice suited to your circumstances if a charge remains contested.
A practical checklist before confirming your move
Use these questions to move from a rough budget to a clearly described project:
- Have I saved the selections behind my calculator result?
- Have I adequately described my inventory and particular items?
- Have I explained access at both pickup and delivery?
- Is the work I am requesting clearly separated from what I will do myself?
- Can I explain the proposed pricing method without guessing?
- Have I asked how taxes and other cost items are presented?
- Are the important answers recorded in the documents or correspondence I am keeping?
- Do I know which version of the proposal I am accepting?
- Have I clarified any unresolved point before confirming?
This checklist complements the Office’s moving tip sheet. It does not replace reviewing your agreement.
If you also want to check the business itself, read our guide to verifying a moving company in Quebec. To provide the details of your move, you can request a DTHV quote.
You do not need to predict every complication. You need to understand what the estimate represents, which details have been confirmed and what you have actually agreed to.
