Hiring an unvetted mover poses severe liability risks. A single dropped safe or damaged freight elevator cab can spark lawsuits, building eviction, or a years-long insurance dispute. The certifications and insurance documents below are the minimum a facility manager should verify before signing a commercial move contract.
IOMI Certification
The International Office Moving Institute (IOMI) certifies movers in office-move-specific skills: project planning, furniture disassembly, IT disconnect/reconnect, and decommissioning. Ask for the certification number and verify it with IOMI. A mover with IOMI is not guaranteed, but a mover without it is a yellow flag.
DOT Operating Authority
In the United States, interstate movers are registered with the US Department of Transportation and carry a USDOT number and an MC number. Verify both through the FMCSA SAFER system. For Canadian moves, the carrier's provincial authority and National Safety Code profile serve the same purpose.
Insurance and COI Requirements
Request a Certificate of Insurance that names your company and both landlords as additional insureds. Minimums to require:
- General liability: $1M–$5M per occurrence depending on building class.
- Cargo coverage: full replacement value of the furniture being moved, not the statutory minimum.
- Workers' compensation: statutory for the jurisdiction.
- Auto liability: $1M minimum for the trucks in the move.
Why "Full Value Protection" Beats "Released Value"
Federal law allows movers to offer "released value" coverage at a nominal per-pound rate — often $0.60/lb. That means a 50-lb monitor lost in transit is reimbursed at $30. Insist on full-value protection or a separate third-party policy that pays replacement cost. The premium is a fraction of the first damaged desk.
The Verification Workflow
Before signing, request the COI, the DOT/MC numbers, the IOMI certificate, and at least three commercial references from moves of comparable size. Call the references. The 20 minutes on the phone is the cheapest due diligence in the whole project.
Verification is not paperwork — it is risk management. A mover without the right credentials is a vendor whose first mistake will be your problem to pay for.
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