Federal law requires every interstate mover to offer two — and only two — levels of liability for lost or damaged items. The default the FMCSA pushes is Full Value Protection: the mover is financially liable for the replacement value of any item lost or damaged in transit, capped at the total declared value of your shipment. The cost is typically 1–2% of that declared value, so a $50,000 shipment declaration adds $500–$1,000 to the base quote, which works out to roughly 15–30% on top of a typical base line-haul price.
The other option is Released Value Protection — the famously underwhelming "60 cents per pound per article" rule. It costs nothing, but payout is calculated strictly by item weight, not value. A 50-pound 75-inch TV worth $1,200 is compensated at exactly $30 if the carrier destroys it. Released Value exists as a fallback so customers who truly have nothing of value (bulk furniture, nothing fragile or electronic) can save 15–30%, but for most households it is a trap — one broken flatscreen wipes out the premium savings twenty times over. Federal rules require you to sign a specific waiver electing Released Value, which is itself a tell: if your mover has already auto-selected it on the bill of lading, push back and re-sign under Full Value.
Claims under either option must be filed in writing within 9 months of delivery, and movers are required to participate in an arbitration program to resolve disputes. If the total cost of a mover’s Full Value Protection premium looks unreasonable compared to third-party alternatives, it is worth pricing independent moving insurance through a third-party provider — expect $75–$300 for coverage up to $25,000 of declared value, typically stacked on top of Released Value on the bill of lading. Pair the valuation decision with a pre-move inventory: photograph every room, serial-number electronics, and keep receipts for items over $500 per pound (watches, jewelry, small electronics) which often qualify for high-value item exclusions.
A critical nuance almost every first-time mover misses: deductible levels inside Full Value Protection. Many van lines offer tiered deductibles of $0, $250, $500, and $1,000. Raising the deductible from $0 to $500 typically shaves 20–30% off the valuation premium, which on a $50,000 declared shipment means $150–$250 in savings. That is usually the correct trade for households whose inventory is dominated by furniture and bulk goods rather than a few high-value items — you still get replacement value coverage for the rare catastrophic loss, just with skin in the game on minor damage. Always ask the mover in writing which deductible tiers they offer, because deductible pricing is not standardized and can be the single biggest price differentiator across three otherwise similar Full Value quotes.
One more valuation trap worth knowing: items of "extraordinary value" — defined by federal regulation as anything worth more than $100 per pound — require a separate written inventory with declared value per item before pickup. Jewelry, watches, collectibles, small electronics, artwork, and cash all fall into this bucket. If you do not list these items on the mover’s high-value inventory form at origin, the carrier’s liability is capped at $100 per pound per article regardless of which valuation option you selected. The safest practice for truly valuable items is to transport them yourself or use a specialty insured shipper; for the rest of the household, a complete high-value inventory paired with Full Value Protection and a $250–$500 deductible is the standard risk-adjusted choice.
