Long-Distance Moving in Orlando: Hiring and Access

Identify the company responsible for transport

Ask whether you will sign with the company transporting your belongings or a broker arranging the move. Request the transporter’s business name and contacts for pickup and delivery. Ask who handles schedule changes, missing items and damage claims. Keep the answers with your quote.

FDACS requires Florida intrastate household-goods movers and moving brokers to register. It also requires their contracts to include the firm’s name and Florida registration number. For a move staying within Florida, verify the registration and compare those details with your contract before signing. [3]

The cited Florida registration guidance concerns intrastate moves. For a destination outside Florida, ask the transporter to identify the authority applicable to your route and verify it with the appropriate regulator before paying. Ask for the coverage terms that apply to your belongings and the procedure for making a claim. [3]

Compare the full scope of each quote

Prepare one room-by-room inventory for all bidders. Include both addresses, requested dates and photographs of large or fragile items. Specify which boxes you will pack and which furniture needs packing, disassembly or reassembly. Ask each company to explain how it calculates the quote and what could change the final amount.

Describe stairs, elevator reservations, loading-dock rules and the distance from the proposed truck position to your door. Ask whether the transporter plans to use a smaller vehicle at either address and request any associated charge in writing. Confirm building access with management before accepting the quote.

Request written pickup and delivery windows, payment timing, cancellation terms and storage arrangements. Ask who holds your belongings during any storage period and who you should contact for updates. If you cannot receive the load throughout the proposed delivery window, discuss an alternative before committing.

Resolve truck parking before loading day

Orlando offers on-street space rentals for moving and other approved activities lasting less than 30 days, including uses that exceed the ordinary parking time limit. The city charges $22 per day per space, plus sales tax, seven days a week. Ask the Parking Division whether a rental fits your proposed loading arrangement. [1]

For an application, identify the street and the space numbers tagged on the curb. Orlando requires submission and full payment at least one business day before the requested start date. For a rental needed within 48 hours, the city directs applicants to visit its Parking Division office with the space number and payment. Give yourself time to resolve access before the truck arrives. [1]

The city allows vehicles for approved activities through this process but excludes storage containers and garbage dumpsters. If you choose a portable moving container, confirm a separate placement arrangement with the property owner or relevant authority before booking. Ask the mover for truck dimensions so you can discuss the actual vehicle with the city or building manager. [1]

Schedule utilities around occupancy

Check OUC’s service territory before using its start, stop or move forms. Within its territory, OUC allows you to start service at the new address before stopping service at the old address. Consider overlapping dates for departure cleaning and destination preparation. [2]

OUC completes service requests during normal operating hours Monday through Friday, excluding federal and OUC-observed holidays. It processes weekend and holiday requests on the next available business day when requirements are met. Submit your request ahead of arrival and check its status. [2]

OUC lists a $25 connection charge for starting service and says a deposit may be required. Keep those costs separate from the moving quote. Confirm any outstanding requirements before planning to use electricity or water at the destination. [2]

Prepare for loading and check the delivery

Ask how the crew will protect furniture and boxes between your door and the truck. Agree on a covered staging area and a plan for pausing work during unsuitable weather. Keep keys, medications, essential documents and arrival supplies with you rather than packing them into the shipment.

Photograph important items before pickup and retain your inventory. At delivery, compare the shipment with that inventory, photograph damage and ask how to record missing or damaged items before completing the paperwork. Keep copies of the quote, contract, payment records and delivery documents together.

Published parking and utility fees to budget separately

Resolve these arrangements before booking

Your hiring checklist

1. Send each bidder the same inventory, photographs, addresses and requested dates.
2. Identify the transporter and verify registration or authority appropriate to the route.
3. Request written packing, access, storage, payment and cancellation terms.
4. Confirm truck dimensions, loading position and any building access reservations.
5. Assign responsibility for any city parking application and payment.
6. Check utility territory, requested dates and outstanding activation requirements.
7. Agree on item protection and keep arrival essentials with you.
8. Compare delivered items with your inventory and document damage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a long move within Florida require mover registration?

FDACS requires intrastate household-goods movers and moving brokers to register. Verify the firm and compare its name and registration number with your contract before signing. [3]

Does every moving truck need an Orlando street-space rental?

The cited city process addresses approved space rentals, including use beyond ordinary parking time limits. If you need to reserve spaces or exceed those limits, ask the Parking Division about your loading plan. Do not assume this rental process applies to every curbside stop. [1]

Can I reserve a city street space for a moving container?

Orlando excludes storage containers from its on-street vehicle-space rental process. Confirm a separate acceptable placement with the property owner or relevant authority before ordering the container. [1]

Can I keep OUC service at both addresses during the move?

Yes. OUC permits overlapping service at old and new addresses within its service territory. Enter your desired start and stop dates in the move-service request and check the request status before arrival. [2]