Most house movers and removalists in Australia carry $10 million in public liability insurance. Almost none of that money protects your furniture if it breaks in the truck. That distinction sits at the centre of most removalist disputes, and most people discover it only after something has already gone wrong.
Urgent Pro’s house removalist service connects you with a local, independent provider. The provider’s name and ABN appear on your booking confirmation before moving day. Disputes are handled through the platform. This covers what you need to check whether you book through a platform or hire directly.
Short answer
Before booking house movers, check five things. First, check that they have accreditation (or equivalent vetting) through the Australian Furniture Removers Association (AFRA), or a similar industry body. Second, get a written, itemised quote. Third, check exactly what the provider’s insurance covers: is it public liability, goods-in-transit, or both? Fourth, check that the crew has been police-checked. Fifth, check that the contract does not contain a broad, blanket limitation of liability.
House movers or removalists: the same service, two search terms
The services of house movers and removalists are the same. The word “removalist” is used in contracts, insurance policies, and the consumer protection advice of all state and territory governments in Australia. When comparing removalist companies, the vetting and accreditation checks that apply are identical, regardless of whether a company advertises as “house movers” or “removalists”.
This article uses both terms. In any contract, insurance policy, or dispute, the word “removalist” is the one that counts. Urgent Pro’s full removals service covers house and office relocations across Australia’s five main cities.
What a written quote must include
All state consumer protection bodies in Australia recommend the same thing: written, itemised quotes. NSW Fair Trading, Consumer Protection WA, and the Queensland Office of Fair Trading all publish the same core advice: get it in writing, get it itemised, and do not accept a verbal price as a commitment. A verbal quote is not enforceable. A price that changes when the truck arrives is one of the most common sources of removalist complaints across every state.
A written quote should include the following:
- Pickup and delivery addresses
- Confirmed date and time window, in writing rather than pencilled in
- Household inventory of items being moved
- Rate structure, including minimum charges and whether the rate is hourly or fixed
- What happens if the job runs over or finishes early
- All additional charges: public holiday and weekend surcharges, long-carry fees, stair fees, fuel levies, lift fees, and credit card surcharges where applicable
- Payment terms, including deposit amount, accepted payment methods, and when the balance is due
- Cancellation and rescheduling terms, including the notice period required for a fee-free change
- Insurance details, specifically what cover applies to your goods in transit
For each of the following, get a direct answer before confirming a booking:
- What public liability and goods-in-transit insurance do you carry, and can you confirm that in writing before moving day?
- What truck size and how many crew members will you send for my specific load?
- Do you have experience with my job type: stairs, oversized items, long-distance routes, or difficult site access?
- Is my date and crew confirmed in writing, or pencilled in subject to change?
- What is your cancellation policy, and what notice is required for a full refund?
A company that gives direct, clear answers to all five questions is worth booking. Evasive or unclear answers to any of them are worth noting before a deposit is paid. What a house move costs across Australia’s five major cities depends on numerous factors, including the volume of goods being moved, ease of access to the property, and which extras are included.
The insurance question: what is covered and what is not
This is the part of a removalist service that most comparison sites and booking guides skip entirely.
Public liability insurance covers the removalist’s legal liability for damage caused to your property during the move. If the crew scuffs your floorboards, gouges a door frame, or damages a balustrade, the public liability policy is what responds. All verified providers on the Urgent Pro network are required to hold a minimum of $10 million public liability insurance per occurrence, in line with the AFRA industry standard.
Public liability insurance does not cover your personal belongings. Your dining table scratched in transit, a television broken during unloading, or a box crushed in the truck: the public liability policy generally does not respond to those losses. As NSW Fair Trading notes in its consumer guidance on choosing a removalist, most removalist companies only carry insurance covering their vehicle if an accident occurs.
Goods-in-transit (GIT) insurance is a separate product. It covers loss or damage to your items from non-negligent events including vehicle accidents, fire, theft, and other events outside the removalist’s control. It does not come bundled with a public liability policy and must be arranged and confirmed separately.
Most articles miss this: a standard GIT policy covers non-negligent events. Damage caused by the removalist’s own negligent handling, such as dropping a couch, failing to secure boxes, or mishandling a fridge, generally falls back on the public liability policy rather than the GIT policy. The two can overlap, but working out which applies requires a clear paper trail and photographs taken at the point of delivery. For a full breakdown of how these policies interact, read how transit cover and removalist insurance work.
Whether your items are covered under your existing contents insurance during a move depends on your individual policy. Most home and contents policies do not provide cover during transit. Contact your insurer to confirm before moving day, not after.
Provider vetting and AFRA accreditation
The Australian Furniture Removers Association (AFRA) is the peak industry body for professional removalists in Australia. To receive AFRA accreditation, a business must meet independently audited standards covering equipment, vehicles, premises, and staff training. Members are audited before accreditation is granted and assessed annually to retain it. Around 350 companies currently hold AFRA membership nationally.
AFRA requires members to carry public liability insurance, fire and collision cover, motor vehicle third-party property damage insurance, and carriers’ legal liability insurance. Only AFRA members who hold the appropriate qualifications are authorised to offer transit insurance to customers as part of a move booking. A non-AFRA operator generally cannot sell you that cover in the same transaction. To check whether a removalist holds current accreditation, visit afra.com.au.
AFRA membership is voluntary and governed by independent auditing. Not all reputable removalists are AFRA members, but having AFRA accreditation implies the removalist meets a defined minimum standard across equipment, training, and insurance.
All verified providers on the Urgent Pro house removalist platform clear five checks before receiving their first booking: active ABN and GST registration, $10 million public liability insurance confirmed by a certificate of currency, government-issued photo identity, right to work in Australia, and a vehicle licence class appropriate for the truck they operate.
Match the size of the vehicle to the size of the load. A larger load and a longer removal distance may require a truck with greater capacity and a bigger crew. Ask what truck and how many crew members would be sent for your specific job. A company that offers one fixed package regardless of job size may be pricing to win the booking rather than to serve the move.
Experience with your specific job type matters. Stairs, a piano, an interstate route, and difficult site access each carry greater risks than a standard local move. A crew that has handled your particular scenario will know the risks and have a plan for them. Ask directly about their experience with your job type, and listen carefully to how they respond.
Police checks matter here. Removalists access your home, sometimes while you are managing children or the logistics at the other address. Not every removalist runs police checks on its crew. When comparing providers independently, ask whether background checks are performed on all crew members before they begin taking jobs.
Red flags when hiring a removalist
The warning signs tend to cluster. It is rare for only one to appear.
A large cash deposit required upfront. NSW Fair Trading and Consumer Protection WA both advise against large prepayments before delivery is complete. A modest deposit to hold the date is reasonable. Full payment before the truck is loaded is not standard practice among established operators and removes your leverage if something goes wrong.
No verifiable business address. A mobile number and a booking form with no physical address or verifiable ABN do not allow you to confirm who you are actually dealing with if a dispute arises. Search the business name and ABN on the Australian Business Register before paying anything.
A business name that reads like a keyword string. Business names made up of suburb names and service terms strung together are often created to attract search traffic rather than to represent an established operation. It is not proof of a problem on its own, but it is worth noting alongside other warning signs.
A contract claiming no liability for damage. Under section 64 of the Australian Consumer Law, any clause that excludes or restricts consumer guarantee rights is void regardless of what the contract states. Section 60 of the ACL requires every removalist to perform their work with due care and skill, and no contract term overrides that obligation. Consumer Protection WA advises consumers to report a removalist contract containing this clause.
A quote substantially cheaper than every other quote. One price far below the market rarely reflects better efficiency. It more often reflects an underinsured operator or a crew that cuts corners on equipment, padding, and preparation.
Vague or absent information about insurance. “Fully insured” without specifics is not useful information. Find out exactly what is covered, to what limit, and whether your goods in transit are separately included. Before booking, also confirm what removalists will not move so that contract exclusions do not come as a surprise on moving day.
What to do if something is damaged
Know that there is a sequence to this, and getting it right at delivery is what separates a successful claim from a disputed one.
Walk through with the crew before signing off, note all visible damage on the inventory sheet, and take date-stamped photographs of any damage while the crew is still present. A photograph taken before you sign the delivery inventory is the strongest evidence in a claim. Do not sign until you have checked everything that matters.
Under the Urgent Pro removalists service warranty, claims for visible damage must be made within 48 calendar hours from completion of delivery, and claims for hidden damage discovered during unpacking must be made within 7 calendar days from completion of delivery. Both windows run in calendar days, not working days. Notify Urgent Pro as soon as possible on 1300 105 453 or at support@urgentpro.com.au. Do not repair or dispose of any damaged item until the claim has been resolved. Obtain an independent repair quote for any item with a replacement value above $1,000.
Your consumer rights under the Australian Consumer Law apply in addition to the platform warranty, not instead of it. The ACCC confirms that furniture removal is explicitly covered as a personal service under the ACL consumer guarantees: the removalist must perform the work with due care and skill, and that guarantee cannot be excluded by contract. Under section 236 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, a legal claim for loss or damage can be brought within 6 years of the event. If a dispute cannot be resolved directly with the provider, removalist complaints are handled by state consumer protection bodies: NSW Fair Trading, Consumer Protection WA at consumerprotection.wa.gov.au, and the Office of Fair Trading in Queensland at qld.gov.au/community/fair-trading.
For everything that needs to happen in the weeks before moving day, the eight-week moving checklist covers it all in order.
Frequently asked questions
Do house movers need a licence in Australia?
In Australia, removalists do not require a specific trade licence to relocate household goods. The driver must hold a heavy rigid (HR) or medium rigid (MR) vehicle licence appropriate for the truck class. AFRA accreditation is voluntary, but indicates that the removalist has passed ongoing independent audits of equipment, training, and insurance.
Is AFRA membership compulsory for removalists?
No, AFRA membership is not a legal requirement for removalists. However, only AFRA members who hold the relevant qualifications are authorised to offer customers transit insurance as part of a move booking. If insurance cover for your goods in transit matters to you, working with an AFRA-accredited provider is the most direct route to obtaining it.
What is the difference between public liability insurance and transit insurance?
Public liability insurance covers the removalist’s liability for damage caused to your property: floors, walls, door frames, and fixed structures at both addresses. Transit insurance covers your goods while they are being moved. They are two separate policies responding to different losses. Most disputes arise because customers assume their furniture is covered by the same policy that covers property damage. It is not.
If I pack my own boxes, are the contents covered if something breaks?
Damage to owner-packed boxes is generally excluded from a removalist’s liability unless the crew’s own negligent handling can be proved. The removalist cannot verify what is inside a box they did not pack, or whether the contents were adequately protected. Removalist-packed boxes receive different treatment because the crew controlled the packing quality and can be held accountable for it.
Does the Urgent Pro 48-hour visible damage window and 7-day unpacking window affect my rights under Australian Consumer Law?
The Urgent Pro warranty windows are separate from your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. Missing those windows may affect your entitlements under the platform warranty, but it does not extinguish your ACL rights. Section 236 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 permits a legal claim for loss or damage to be brought within 6 years of the event. No business can contract out of that right.
What should a cancellation policy include?
A cancellation policy should state the notice period required for a fee-free cancellation or rescheduling, the portion of any deposit forfeited within that window, and whether these terms are provided to you in writing before any payment is made. A reputable operator provides this information directly and in writing before you commit. A provider who cannot give a clear answer before you book is worth reconsidering.