Not-to-Exceed Moving Estimate: What It Guarantees
You’ll see movers advertise a “guaranteed not-to-exceed” price, and it sounds like the best of both worlds. Often it is — but only if it’s a genuine binding estimate in writing. This page explains what the term means and how it relates to the two estimate types the federal rules actually define. It is general information, not legal advice.
The two estimate types the rules define
Federally, an interstate estimate is either binding (a guaranteed price for the listed items and services) or non-binding (an approximation that can come in higher or lower).[1] The two carry different delivery ceilings — 100% of a binding estimate, or 110% of a non-binding one — covered in the 110% rule.
Where “not-to-exceed” fits
Federally, there is no separate “not-to-exceed” estimate category — it’s an industry label, not a regulatory term, which is why the rules only define binding and non-binding. In practice, a guaranteed not-to-exceed (GNTE) estimate is a form of binding estimate with a consumer-friendly twist: the price is a ceiling, so if your shipment turns out lighter or simpler, you pay less — but never more than the quoted figure. A plain binding estimate, by contrast, is a fixed number that generally doesn’t drop. So a true GNTE is often the most protective option for the customer.
How it plays out at delivery
Because a GNTE is a binding estimate, the delivery ceiling is the binding one: the mover may require 100% of the (capped) estimate before releasing your goods, no more — for the items and services on the estimate.[2] As always, services you add after signing can be billed separately — see the additional-services loophole.
How to read your own paperwork
The reliable way to know what you have is the document itself: it should say binding (or “binding not-to-exceed” / “guaranteed not-to-exceed”) and list the items and services priced. If it says “estimate” or “approximate,” it’s non-binding, whatever the brochure said. The practical tells are in binding vs. non-binding estimates.
If a delivery demand doesn’t match the estimate you signed, my moving company overcharged me lays out the ordered path.
Sources
Every legal claim above links to one of these official sources. Rules change — check the source if you're acting on this.