Pro edition
Inventory Sheet.
On a long move you are buying weight. This is how to check the number rather than trust it: the trade estimates roughly 7 lb per cubic foot, so a cube count is a weight estimate you can do yourself.
Cube counts by room
The sample below totals 428 cubic feet, or roughly 2,996 lb.
Living room
| Item | Cube ft³ | Est. weight |
|---|---|---|
| Sofa, 3-seat | 50 | 350 lb |
| Armchair | 25 | 175 lb |
| Coffee table | 10 | 70 lb |
| Bookcase, large | 30 | 210 lb |
| Television, 55 in, boxed | 12 | 84 lb |
Bedroom
| Item | Cube ft³ | Est. weight |
|---|---|---|
| Queen mattress and box | 65 | 455 lb |
| Dresser, double | 40 | 280 lb |
| Nightstand | 8 | 56 lb |
| Wardrobe carton | 12 | 84 lb |
Kitchen
| Item | Cube ft³ | Est. weight |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 60 | 420 lb |
| Dishpack carton | 6 | 42 lb |
| Small appliance carton | 3 | 21 lb |
| Table, 4-seat | 30 | 210 lb |
Garage and outdoor
| Item | Cube ft³ | Est. weight |
|---|---|---|
| Workbench | 35 | 245 lb |
| Lawnmower, push | 20 | 140 lb |
| Bicycle | 12 | 84 lb |
| Ladder, extension | 10 | 70 lb |
Condition codes
These are written against every item at origin. They are the baseline a damage claim is judged against.
- SC
- Scratched
- D
- Dented
- CH
- Chipped
- M
- Marred
- SO
- Soiled
- W
- Worn
- BE
- Bent
- R
- Rubbed
High-value declaration
- Anything worth more than $100 per pound must be declared in writing on the high-value inventory
- Undeclared items are settled at the ordinary valuation rate no matter what they are worth
- Jewellery, currency, deeds and irreplaceable documents should travel with you, not on the truck
- Photograph declared items with a dated reference before loading
- A serial number on the inventory is worth more at claim time than any description
Claims
- How long do I have?
- Federal rules give you nine months from delivery to file a written claim on an interstate move. Do not wait — the record is freshest in the first week.
- What does the inventory have to do with it?
- Everything. The condition codes recorded at origin are the baseline. If a dresser was coded SC at pickup, a scratch at delivery is not new damage.
- Should I sign the delivery inventory if something is wrong?
- Sign it, but write the exception on it before you do. An unqualified signature at delivery is the single most damaging thing to a later claim.
- What if a box is missing?
- Note the missing inventory number at delivery, in writing, on the sheet. Numbers are how a shipment is reconciled; "a box of kitchen things" is not.
General guidance, not legal advice. Interstate moves are federally regulated — the FMCSA publishes the current rules at protectyourmove.gov.