Frequently Asked Questions 

South Hills Movers offers a complete range of residential and commercial moving services. We provide local, interstate, and intrastate household goods and office moving for both consumers and corporate customers. In addition to moving and transporting goods, we provide Packing & Unpacking service, Short-Term & Long-Term Storage, Custom Crating, Replacement Value Cargo Protection, and many other specialty moving services for both full-service and partial service clients.

Yes. South Hills Movers is licensed through the US Department of Transportation for interstate moving. We are also licensed by the appropriate state agencies in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia for local and long distance moving within those states. South Hills Movers is also fully insured to meet or exceed regulatory requirements for property, casualty, and workers compensation liability as necessary to protect your safety and security.

South Hills Movers has been in continuous operation since 1925. With over 100 years of experience, we are owned and managed by the same Pittsburgh-based family that started the company and have been delivering trusted and reliable moving services to our customers ever since.

Our long-standing reputation is built on more than a century of moving satisfied customers. When you select South Hills Movers, you are choosing a mover that manages every detail and aspect of your move right here in our Bethel Park, PA location. Our dedicated move coordinators will guide you through every step in the process and are there to help whenever you have a question or need to make changes. Our move consultants, scheduling planners & dispatchers, and customer service staff are all working for the same company as the people that are performing and managing your move. There are no go-betweens, agents, or brokers to contend with when you pick South Hills Movers for your move.

Unlike many movers today, our experienced move consultants will come to your home or office to conduct a comprehensive pre-move survey so that we can determine the size and service requirements of your move. This careful attention to detail allows us to present an accurate and transparent cost quote to our customers and eliminates last-minute surprises. Local moving (40 miles and under) costs are primarily based on the number of trucks, drivers and movers used and the time needed to complete the move. Long distance moves are primarily based on the weight of the shipment and the mileage from origin to destination. In both local and long distance moving, there may be additional charges for packing, custom crating, storage, cargo protection, and other services as the customer may choose.

Payment for personal (consumer) moves is due prior to delivery of the shipment. South Hills Movers accepts payment for personal moves in the form of cash, cashier's check from a bank, debit card, or credit card. Credit card payments are subject to an additional processing fee. There are no additional fees for debit card payments. Employee relocations and office moves are typically billed to the corporate client or company paying for the move. Credit approval and billing terms are required to be established in advance before South Hills Movers can invoice a company for services.

If you are moving locally (40 miles and under), South Hills Movers requires a deposit in the amount of 1 hour of the hourly move charge to reserve a move date. If you need to cancel or reschedule and you do so at least 2 business days in advance, the deposit will be returned. No deposit is required for long distance interstate and intrastate moves. Beware of movers seeking large down payments to hold dates or to reserve service and never sign any blank forms.

The more advance notice that you can provide, the better chance you have of securing the dates you want. Generally, South Hills Movers recommends scheduling your local move 3-4 weeks in advance and 4-6 weeks in advance for long distance moves. Even so, we schedule many moves on short notice. Keep in mind that the peak season for most moving companies runs from about May 15 through September 30 and schedules fill up quickly in this period. As such, the more advance notice you can provide during the peak season, the better chance you will have for move date reservations.

If you need to cancel or postpone your move, South Hills Movers requests that you provide as much notice as you are able. This allows us to serve another customer that may need to move on short notice and help to eliminate gaps in our schedule. Local moves (40 miles and less) that cancel with less than 2 business days advance notice will forfeit the 1 hour deposit.

Yes. South Hills Movers routinely and safely moves items such as pool tables, pianos, grandfather clocks, riding mowers, etc. on residential moves. While on office relocations, we move executive desks, high-density filing systems, server racks, conference room tables, fire safes, etc. as a regular part of our service. In some situations where extremely heavy and/or oversize items must be moved, a third-party service provider with specialized hoisting and rigging equipment may be used.

South Hills Movers cannot move perishable articles. Items that need to be refrigerated or kept frozen should be moved by the customer, given away, or discarded.

Yes. South Hills Movers will unpack the boxes it packed following delivery of your goods. The amount of unpacking performed is entirely up to the customer. Please be aware that when a mover unpacks, it does not place things back in closets, cupboards, or on shelves. During unpacking, the contents of cartons will be placed on tabletops, counter tops, or even the floor if necessary. Clothes unpacked from wardrobe boxes will be hung on hanger bars in closets if available.

Valuables, such as cash, coins, jewelry, photographs, valuable or rare collectibles, and important papers should be taken with you, or sent ahead using a traceable service, such as FedEx and United Parcel Service. If circumstances prevent you from moving these types of items, please review them with your assigned move consultant or move coordinator to see if alternate arrangements can be made.

Professional moving companies have a list of items they cannot transport for safety and regulatory reasons. These include items such as flammable and combustible materials, corrosive substances, alcohol, antifreeze, explosives, flammable gases, aerosol cans, and compressed liquids. For a complete and detailed list, ask your moving consultant.

South Hills Movers maintains liability insurance for damage to properties we are moving goods from or to (homes, offices, etc.). However, protection for the belongings you are moving is a separate coverage option. All interstate moves include two federally-required liability options:

Released Value Protection (Included at No Cost):

• Covers up to 60¢ per pound per item if damaged

• Most household items are worth more than 60¢ per pound, so this is minimal coverage

Full Value Protection (Optional, ~1% of shipment value):

• Covers repair or replacement of damaged items at current market value

• We strongly recommend this option for most moves

Please refer to your bill of lading and service documentation for specific details, limits, and exclusions.

No one knows your home and what is moving better than you. It is critically important that either you or your authorized representative be present during the initial walkthrough and start of the move. It is also vital that you or your representative be present at the end of each day's work and, of course, the signing of all paperwork. This applies for both your departure and arrival locations. If necessary, you can leave the residence for short periods provided no minor children are left at the residence and you provide the crew leader with your mobile phone should it be necessary to contact you.

First, be careful of telephone surveys or estimates rendered from websites as these are often inaccurate. South Hills Movers will either send one of our move consultants to your home for the pre-move survey or will conduct a guided and interactive video survey of the home with you. It is very important that you show the consultant everything that will be moved. In particular, review with the consultant areas such as attics, basements, crawlspaces, garages, storage areas, sheds, etc. where items often end up being stored and forgotten. Be sure to point out any items that are especially important to you or are of high value so your consultant can note them for special treatment.