Not to Exceed (NTE) – Important Notice About Your Move
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regulates moving companies that perform moves within California. These moving companies must be licensed by the CPUC prior to operating.
There are three documents required by law that a mover must provide to their customers prior to moving. The first is the “Important Information for persons moving (within California)” booklet. You can download a copy here. Generally, your movers will give you a copy on move day or the estimator will give you one when he/she visits your home.
The second document is a moving service agreement or Bill of Lading (BOL) This form is a detailed break down of services and costs for your move.
The last but most important document is a “Not to Exceed” (NTE). The NTE is also called the “Important Notice About Your Move” in California. The Not to Exceed must be issued to you at least 3 days prior to your move (unless not possible due to short notice) and is the maximum amount you can be charged for your move unless you request additional services. The mover may include this within the “Important Information for persons moving (within California):” booklet but it MUST be clearly marked as such.
Any additional services or last minute changes to your move are detailed in a “Change Order for Moving Services.” A Change Order cannot be used simply because a mover underestimated costs. Pay close attention to these documents because if a fee dispute arises, the moving company may demand that you pay the cost quoted on these documents before releasing your goods.
The NTE should disclose all services included and excluded in the move cost. The CPUC not only regulates what is contained in the NTE but also the font size. View a sample Important Notice About Your Move. If the document you are issued does not look VERY similar to the example from the CPUC, find another mover.