What Are Stair Carries? - Movers.com

What Are Stair Carries?

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When a mover comes to your home for an estimate, he or she might notice the stairs and mention something like, "That's going to be extra." At that point, you might be thinking that you've found a company that's trying to scam you with ridiculous extra charges. This is not actually the case.

Also known as a flight carry, a stair carry is when your movers have to bring your belongings up or down at least one flight of stairs. Since moving things up and down a flight of stairs requires a lot more time and labor, most moving companies will charge you an extra fee for stair carries. Any reputable moving company will tell you about these fees ahead of time, usually at the time of the estimate.

TIP: Before the mover comes for an estimate, try to anticipate any extra charges that may be involved in your move. Be prepared with questions about them, and try to negotiate.

For the most part, fees for stair carries are incurred if the entire home is either a floor above or below the main entrance of a building. The idea is, if they have to carry all your stuff up or down stairs, you'll get charged. Thus, the stairs inside a standard, two-floor family home generally don't result in a stair carry charge.

However, there are certain circumstances that would result in stair carry charges in a private house. If you live in a home with more than one flight of stairs, or if you have a lot of steps (usually more than eight) outside your home, you might be charged. There might also be a fee if your movers have to carry certain large and bulky items, like a piano, up or down a flight of stairs.

Different moving companies will charge you for stair carries in different ways. For instance, some may have a per-flight fee, while others might charge by the weight they have to carry up or down the stairs. On the other hand, there are moving companies that don't even charge for stair carries.

Before the move, make sure you talk to your moving company about their policies on stair carries, and let them know what the stair situations are at your current and future homes. This way, you won't be surprised by any unexpected fees when you get your bill.

Photo by: Stockimages (Freedigitalphotos.net)

Patrick Hanan  Posted by Patrick Hanan on August 27, 2009

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