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Moving Company Invoice Template

A moving invoice is usually read standing in a doorway at the end of a long day, so it has to be easy to check: start and finish times, crew size and hourly rate, travel time, the boxes and wrap you supplied, any piano, stairs or long carry, and the deposit already paid. For long-distance work there is a second test. Moves that cross state lines are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which decides what you may collect at delivery: no more than a binding estimate, or 110 percent of a non-binding estimate, plus a few exceptions. Moves entirely within one state are regulated by that state instead. This template carries the fields for both: move type and estimate, origin and destination, times, crew and truck, packing materials by item, extra services, valuation and deposit. It is an invoice, not a bill of lading or order for service; interstate movers still need those documents. The download is an editable HTML invoice with invoice number, dates, a line-item table and totals; fill it in your browser and print it or save it as PDF.

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Download the HTML file to edit its fields, then print or save as PDF. Totals are entered manually.

What This Template Includes

  • Move type: local within one state, or interstate
  • Estimate type (binding or non-binding) and estimated amount
  • Order for service and bill of lading numbers, for interstate moves
  • Your USDOT number or state license number, if you hold one
  • Origin and destination addresses
  • Move date, start and finish times, and travel time
  • Crew size, hourly rate and hours worked
  • Truck size and any mileage or fuel charge
  • Shipment weight, for moves priced by weight
  • Packing service and packing materials, by item and quantity
  • Extra services: stairs, long carry, piano or safe, shuttle, storage
  • Valuation coverage chosen and its charge
  • Deposit received and balance due

How to Create Your Moving Company Invoice

  1. 01

    Describe your work

    Type a plain English description of the services you provided, the client, and the amount.

  2. 02

    AI generates your invoice

    InvoiceQuickly's AI drafts the client, line items, dates, and totals for you to review before saving.

  3. 03

    Review, download, and send

    Check every detail, download the PDF, or use Pro to email the PDF directly to your client.

Recommended Payment Terms

Household moves are normally paid at delivery, and many movers take a booking deposit to hold the date; show it on the invoice so the client sees the balance, not the full price, at the end of the day. Say in your estimate which payment methods you accept at delivery: the FMCSA tells interstate customers that a mover must state the form of payment it will accept at delivery, and that on a binding estimate charges are due by cash, certified check, money order or cashier's check unless the mover agreed before the move to accept a card or extend credit. Commercial and office moves are often billed on account at net 30. If an interstate mover extends credit, FMCSA's collection rules set a 30-day credit period and allow a service charge of 1 percent of the freight bill (minimum $20) for each 30-day extension, and the bill or an accompanying notice must say so. Local moves follow your state's rules and your contract.

Need help writing payment terms? Read our guide to invoice payment terms for best practices and templates.

Tax Information

Whether moving labor, storage or the packing materials you sell are subject to sales tax depends on the state, and the answer can differ between the service and the boxes, so check your state revenue department's guidance before adding a tax line or leaving it off. If materials are taxable and labor is not in your state, keep them on separate lines, and because InvoiceQuickly applies one tax percentage per invoice, bill them on a separate invoice when only part of the job is taxable. InvoiceQuickly copies your saved tax ID into new invoice PDFs; keep USDOT and licence details in the notes. General information, not tax or legal advice.

Industry context (2026)

Interstate household moves are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration under 49 CFR Part 375; moves entirely within one state are regulated by state law (FMCSA, Protect Your Move background). The FMCSA's consumer guidance sets the rules most likely to change an interstate invoice. Estimates: binding estimates must be in writing and guarantee the charges for the services listed; non-binding estimates must be free and in writing, and the estimated amount must appear on the order for service and bill of lading. Collection: on a non-binding estimate the mover must release the goods on payment of 110 percent of the estimate and defer billing for the rest for at least 30 days; impracticable-operation charges due at delivery may not exceed 15 percent of all other charges. Billing: except on binding estimates, the freight bill must identify each service, its rate and its total, and must be presented within 15 days of delivery, excluding weekends and federal holidays. Paperwork: movers and brokers must give interstate customers the booklet Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move and the Ready to Move brochure. No official body publishes moving prices, so this page gives none. Checked 28 October 2026 on fmcsa.dot.gov; general information, not legal advice.

Worked example

Worked example 1, a local move within one state (illustrative prices, not market data): a two-bedroom apartment move on 24 October 2026, booked with a $100.00 deposit on 10 October. Crew of three with a 26-foot truck, on site 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Invoice INV-0318: three movers and truck, 5.5 hours × $165.00 = $907.50; travel time from the depot, 0.5 hours × $165.00 = $82.50; upright piano, ground floor to second floor by stairs, 1 × $150.00; medium boxes, 20 × $3.50 = $70.00; mattress bags, 2 × $12.00 = $24.00; packing tape, 2 rolls × $4.00 = $8.00. Total $1,242.00, less deposit $100.00, balance due at completion $1,142.00. Notes list the payment methods accepted and the state license number. Worked example 2, the interstate 110 percent rule (illustrative figures): a mover gives a written non-binding estimate of $4,200.00. The shipment weighs more than estimated and the tariff charges come to $4,830.00, about 115 percent of the estimate. At delivery the mover may require only 110 percent, $4,620.00, plus any services the customer added after signing and any impracticable-operation charges within the 15 percent limit, and must release the goods on that payment. The remaining $210.00 is billed no sooner than 30 days after delivery, on a freight bill that lists each service, its rate and its total. On a binding estimate of $4,200.00, the most collectable at delivery for the estimated services would be $4,200.00.

Common mistakes to avoid

Collecting more than the rules allow at delivery

On an interstate non-binding estimate, holding goods until the customer pays more than 110 percent of the estimate, outside the listed exceptions, breaks FMCSA rules. Bill the rest later.

A lump-sum freight bill

Except on a binding estimate, an interstate freight bill must list each service with its rate and total. 'Move, $4,830' is not enough.

No times on an hourly move

Without start, finish and travel times, the client has only your word for the hours. Write them on the invoice.

Surprise charges for stairs or heavy items

A piano or long-carry charge that was not in the estimate starts a dispute at the door. Quote it in advance and use the same wording on the invoice.

Treating the invoice as the contract

For interstate moves the estimate, order for service, bill of lading and inventory carry legal weight. An invoice does not replace them.

Invoicing Tips

  • 1Write the clock times on the invoice ('Crew on site 8:00 a.m., finished 1:30 p.m.'). Hourly moves are disputed over time more than rate, and the times end the argument.
  • 2Bill packing materials by item ('20 medium boxes, 2 mattress bags, 2 rolls tape'), not as 'materials'. Clients compare the count with what is left in their hallway.
  • 3Agree heavy-item, stairs and long-carry charges in the estimate and repeat the same wording on the invoice, so nothing on the final bill is new to the client.
  • 4Show the deposit and the balance due. A client who paid $100 to book expects to see it at the end.
  • 5For an interstate move, put the estimate type and amount on the invoice, and the order for service and bill of lading numbers, so the bill can be matched to the paperwork the FMCSA requires.
  • 6Bill extra services the client asked for on moving day on their own lines with the time they were requested.

Related Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a moving company invoice include?

Your business details and any USDOT or state license number, the customer, origin and destination, the invoice number and date, the move date and times, crew size, hours and rate, truck and travel charges, packing services and materials by item, extra services, valuation coverage, any deposit, tax where it applies, the balance due and accepted payment methods.

What is the difference between a binding and a non-binding moving estimate?

For interstate household moves, the FMCSA says a binding estimate is a written agreement that guarantees the total cost for the quantities and services shown. A non-binding estimate is the mover's approximation based on estimated weight and services; final charges follow the mover's tariff and the actual weight, and the mover must not charge for giving it.

Can a mover charge more than the estimate?

On an interstate non-binding estimate, the mover can collect up to 110 percent of the estimate at delivery and must defer billing any remainder for at least 30 days. Additional services the customer requested after the contract was signed, and charges for impracticable operations up to 15 percent of other charges, can be collected at delivery. Local moves follow state rules.

Do movers have to give customers the 'Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move' booklet?

For interstate moves, yes. The FMCSA says movers and brokers must give customers the booklet Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move, and its Ready to Move brochure, before the move; FMCSA guidance says the booklet is issued with the written estimate.

Is a moving invoice the same as a bill of lading?

No. The bill of lading is the contract and receipt for the goods, and interstate movers must issue it. The freight bill is the bill for charges; the FMCSA notes many movers use a copy of the bill of lading as the freight bill, while others use a separate document. Unless the move is on a binding estimate, it must list each service, its rate and the total for each.

Can I create a moving invoice in InvoiceQuickly?

Yes, for the invoice itself. Describe the move and InvoiceQuickly drafts the crew, truck and materials lines into an editable invoice you review before saving, and you can record a deposit as a payment so the balance shows. It does not produce bills of lading, orders for service or inventories. Free covers 5 invoices and 3 AI drafts in total; Pro is $9 a month for unlimited invoices, email delivery and payment links through your own Stripe or PayPal account.