Short answer
To hire movers in Ontario, get written quotes from three companies and ask each one the same questions: how the price is built, the crew size, when the clock starts, what costs extra, the CVOR and WSIB status, who pays for damage, and whether the estimate is part of the contract. The province does not license movers, so those answers are your check.
How do you choose a moving company in Ontario?
You choose by asking each company the same questions and comparing the answers in writing. Nobody does that check for you: Ontario's consumer protection page on hiring a mover says moving companies are not licensed by the province. The same page tells you to get at least three written estimates and to be clear about what each one covers.
The twelve questions below work for a house, a condo or an office. Each comes with why it matters, what a good answer sounds like and, where we have one, the CR Movers answer.
What questions should you ask movers before you book?
Ask these twelve, then ask for the same answers in the written quote.
1. Is the price hourly or fixed, and what is the rate?
Two quotes cannot be compared until you know how each one is built. A good answer is a rate and a way of counting, in writing. Our comparison of hourly and flat rate movers explains why a flat rate mostly suits a commercial job with a fixed scope. CR Movers bills by the hour: you get an hourly rate and a crew size before you book, and you pay for the hours the job took. For market ranges, see what movers cost in Toronto and the GTA.
2. How many movers are coming, and in what truck?
An hourly rate means little without the crew size behind it. Three movers cost more per hour than two and usually finish sooner, so two quotes with different crews are not the same offer. A good answer names the number of movers and the truck, and puts both in the quote.
3. When does the clock start and when does it stop?
On an hourly job, this is where two similar rates become two different bills. Ask whether the time starts at the yard or at your door, how the drive between the two addresses is counted, and whether there is a minimum number of hours. A good answer is one sentence long and appears in the quote.
4. What is included, and what costs extra?
Stairs, a long carry, heavy items, packing materials, fuel and a second stop are the usual extra lines, so ask for the list. For a household move, the province says the contract must show the mover's name, address and contact information, a description of the services with an itemized list of prices, the total amount you will have to pay, the start and end dates and the terms of payment. At CR Movers, boxes are rented for the move and taken back, and storage runs through our partner Key Storage, who set the storage terms.
5. Are you CVOR registered?
CVOR is the Commercial Vehicle Operator's Registration, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation program that monitors a truck operator's safety record. The Ministry's CVOR page says anyone who operates a commercial vehicle in Ontario must hold a valid certificate, and that one is needed for trucks with a registered gross weight or actual weight over 4,500 kg. From a mover running trucks that size, a good answer is yes, with a copy of the certificate: one has to be carried in each truck operated under it. The same page lists public online searches of carriers by name and by safety rating. CR Movers is CVOR registered and sends the current certificate with your quote when you ask.
6. Is your crew covered by the WSIB?
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is Ontario's workplace insurer. It provides wage-loss benefits and medical coverage after a work-related injury, as no-fault insurance funded by the premiums businesses pay. For you, it means that if a covered mover is hurt on your stairs, the lost wages and the medical care run through that insurance. Proof is a WSIB clearance: a number showing the business is registered and up to date, valid for up to 90 days. The WSIB says you can verify a clearance number, or search a registered business by name, through its online services. CR Movers is WSIB covered and sends the current certificate on request.
7. Are the movers your own employees, in your own trucks?
The company that takes the booking is not always the company that sends the crew. Ask who employs the movers and whose name is on the truck. A good answer is short: our crew, our trucks. It also tells you whose CVOR and whose WSIB account stand behind your job. CR Movers runs its own trucks and drivers, and the crew arrives in uniform.
8. Where is your office or yard?
A street address is the simplest check there is. The province suggests dealing with a local business, because it makes reference checks easier. A good answer is an address you can visit. CR Movers has one: the head office and yard at 6 Tracey Blvd, Brampton, ON L6T 5R9, and every crew and every truck goes out from there.
9. What insurance do you carry, and who pays if something is damaged?
Ask this of every mover, us included, and ask for the answer in writing. The province's advice is to ask about insurance coverage, including whether it covers things you packed yourself, to find out who is responsible if items are damaged or lost, and to check your own home insurance, which may cover these items. A good answer names the insurer, says what the cargo protection covers and what it leaves out, and explains how a claim is made.
10. Is the estimate written into the contract?
If it is, Ontario law limits the final bill. Section 10 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 says that when a consumer agreement includes an estimate, the supplier cannot charge an amount that exceeds it by more than 10 per cent. If the charge is higher, you can require the service at the estimated price. The price can still be amended if you need additional or different services and the two of you agree. The Act covers individuals moving a household, not businesses. The province's page on contract rights adds the practical step: make sure any written estimate is part of the contract, so that the rule applies. On an hourly job, ask for the expected hours in writing as well.
11. What do I pay up front, and what if my date changes?
Ask about the deposit, the accepted ways to pay, when the balance is due and what happens if you cancel or move the date. A good answer is written down as the terms of payment, which the province says a moving contract must include.
12. Where can I read your reviews and check your record?
Reviews show how a company behaves when something goes wrong, so read the low ones and the replies to them. Ask for references, as the province advises, and search its Consumer Beware List, which names businesses with unanswered complaints, charges or convictions. A good answer is a link, not an adjective. CR Movers holds 4.8 on Google from 380+ reviews, and you can read what clients wrote.
What are the red flags to watch for in movers?
The red flags are the twelve questions answered badly, or not answered. Keep calling other companies when you meet one of these:
- No street address, only a phone number.
- A price given by phone that the company will not put in writing.
- No crew size in the quote, or no clear answer on when the clock starts.
- No CVOR certificate and no WSIB clearance number when you ask for them.
- One company name on the quote and another on the truck or the invoice.
- Pressure to book the same day, before the quote is in writing.
One case goes past a red flag: the province states that a mover cannot hold your belongings to pressure you into renegotiating the contract, which is an unfair practice and an offence under the Consumer Protection Act. Our guide to protecting yourself from moving scams covers that case and the others.
How far in advance should you hire movers?
Book as soon as your date is fixed, and earlier still if it falls at a month end, on a weekend or in summer. Those dates fill first, because leases and closings put many moves on the same few days. A weekday in the middle of the month leaves more room to choose.
In a condo, book the elevator first and build the move around that window: it matters as much in a tower in North York as it does downtown, and it is the first thing we ask about on house and condo moves. For an office, ask the landlord for the after-hours rules before you ask for quotes; see office and commercial moves for how that window is used. If you are late, ask anyway: CR Movers takes same-day moves when a crew is free.
Where do you complain if a move goes wrong in Ontario?
Start with the mover, in writing, then go to Consumer Protection Ontario. That order comes from the province's page on filing a consumer complaint. If that does not settle it, you can file a complaint with the ministry at no cost, and the ministry says it will contact you within 15 business days. It may not be able to help with events more than two years old, or with business-to-business deals such as an office move.
Keep the quote, the contract and your photos of the furniture before loading: a complaint or a claim is built on them.
Questions people ask
Which moving company has the best reviews?
No list settles it, because ratings move every week. Read the most recent reviews and the lowest ones, and look at how the company replied. Then check what a review cannot show: a street address, a CVOR certificate and a WSIB clearance number. CR Movers holds 4.8 on Google from 380+ reviews.
What is the most reputable moving company in Ontario?
There is no official ranking, and the province does not license movers, so reputation is something you verify one company at a time. A reputable mover gives you a written quote with the rate and the crew size, a street address, a CVOR certificate, a WSIB clearance number and references you can call. Ask three companies and compare what comes back.
Are moving companies licensed in Ontario?
No. Ontario's consumer protection page states that moving companies are not licensed by the province. What applies instead: the Consumer Protection Act on household moves, the CVOR program for operators of trucks over 4,500 kg, and WSIB registration, which the WSIB lists as required for trucking and transportation businesses with employees. The last two are things a mover can prove on paper.
Can movers charge more than the estimate in Ontario?
Not by much, on a household move. Under section 10 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2002, when the contract includes an estimate the mover cannot charge more than 10 per cent above it, unless you needed additional or different services and agreed to a new price. If the bill is higher, you can require the service at the estimated price.
How many moving quotes should I get?
At least three, in writing. That is the number Ontario's consumer protection page gives, with the advice to be clear about what you want each one to include. Send every company the same description: both addresses, the floor, the stairs, the elevator window and photos of the rooms. Otherwise the three numbers will not describe the same job.
