Certificate of Insurance
An Important Piece of Paperwork
We’ve already said it: Moving can be stressful. We’re here to move you…we’re also here to make that move stress-free. One way to eliminate the stress is to plan in advance and take care of all the additional details involving paperwork prior to your move. A Certificate of Insurance (COI) is one of those details.
The certificate of insurance is a document from your moving company’s insurance provider. It accomplishes several things:
- Verifies that the moving company is insured
- Specifies conditions and events that trigger coverage
We can’t deny that property damage can occur when moving. That is why a COI is typically required for moves that take place to or from cities and/or if you are moving into or out of an apartment building, high rise or luxury property with building managers.
Property Management in these buildings typically require a certificate of insurance for any moving company that works on the premises. The COI ensures there is protective coverage if and when a moving company unintentionally damages the building. With a COI from the moving company in hand, the management has the documentation it needs to know that the moving company is insured and can pay for damages.
The process for getting a certificate of insurance is easy. Whether you’re moving into or out of an apartment building—or both—simply ask the building managers of either or both buildings if this is a required document. In fact, at Main Street Movers, we know the kinds of moves that will require a COI, so we’ll remind you to ask building management this all-important question. Once you inform us or your moving company sales rep or moving coordinator, he or she will take over. At Main Street Movers, we’ll make sure you don’t have to lift another finger beyond your one simple inquiry. We’ll coordinate directly with the buildings’ management teams and make certain our insurer faxes the document to them.
And if You Don't Ask, What Happens?
You should always ask your building management whether a moving company certificate of insurance is needed at least several days before the move. In a perfect world, your moving company should be advised of the need for a COI at the time of booking. Most buildings will need the document at least 24 hours prior to your move, but sometimes the administrative process of getting the COI from your mover’s insurance company can take up to a week.
Getting this detail handled well before move day means your mover can square away all your move details long before it’s time to load the truck. Plus, you’ll have nothing to worry about leading up to move day—nor be forced to experience unnecessary delays on the day of the move!
The consequences of not letting your moving company know that a certificate of insurance is needed can be costly. The crew may show up on moving day and building management will prevent them from coming into the building. The crew then has to wait around for the building, the moving company, and the insurance company to sort out the COI so they can come inside and begin the work. Time is money! The omission will likely delay your move. What’s more, all this wasted time is included in the crew’s chargeable hours, which are charged to you.
An Added Word of Caution
Even if you don’t actually need a certificate of insurance, it’s not a bad idea to ask the question of the moving companies you’re researching.
If a moving company can’t provide a certificate of insurance, that means they’re not insured! That would definitely be a big red flag that you’re not dealing with a professional moving company!
