Your Movers Are Insured. For 60 Cents a Pound.
Which means a destroyed $2,000 television settles for about twenty-four dollars.
In short
Every household moving contract includes basic coverage called released value protection. Under it, the mover’s liability is limited to $0.60 per pound — $1.32 per kilogram — per article, under provincial conditions of carriage.
Not per dollar of value. Per pound of weight. The Canadian Association of Movers uses the standard example: a table weighing 100 lb destroyed in transit settles at $60, even if replacing it costs $1,000.
So the question on moving day is never “are you insured?” — every mover is, at that level. The question is what you bought on top of it, and whether your home policy covers anything at all in transit. Most homeowner policies do not.
What 60 cents a pound actually pays
Run your own numbers before you sign. The lighter and more valuable the item, the worse it gets.
| Item destroyed | Rough weight | Settlement under released value |
|---|---|---|
| Flat-screen television | 40 lb | $24 |
| Laptop | 5 lb | $3 |
| Dining table | 100 lb | $60 (the CAM example; replacement $1,000) |
| Upholstered sofa | 150 lb | $90 |
| Box of dishes and glassware | 30 lb | $18 |
| Total loss, whole shipment | 5,000 lb | $3,000 — the cap is also by weight |
That last row is the one people miss. Released value caps your entire claim at $0.60 per pound multiplied by the weight of the whole shipment, cartons included. A house full of possessions burning in a truck is a $3,000 claim.
Your three options, and what each really is
| Option | What it covers | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Released value protection | $0.60 per pound per article. Included, costs nothing extra. | Nothing to check — you already have it, and it is almost never enough |
| Replacement value protection from the mover | Replaces an unrepairable item at today’s market price | The shipment must be valued at a minimum of $10.00 per pound of actual weight |
| A rider on your own home policy | Depends entirely on the wording | CAM notes the premium is usually higher than buying the mover’s coverage |
| Your existing home insurance | Usually catastrophic loss only | Most homeowner policies do not cover goods in transit. Ask before moving day |
On replacement value the minimum valuation rule matters: a 5,000 lb household cannot be covered for less than $50,000. That is a floor, not a ceiling — if your possessions are worth more, say so, because the protection is limited to the valuation you declare.
Two exclusions that surprise people
Inherent vice. Some things are built to be assembled once and left in one place for their useful life — fibreboard and flat-pack furniture above all. The industry term is inherent vice, and movers commonly ask for a waiver of liability when they see it on the inventory. That is normal practice rather than a warning sign, but you should know you are signing away the claim before the truck moves.
Goods of extraordinary value. Under transportation law a mover is not responsible for carrying items of extraordinary value — art, jewellery, collections — unless that value has been declared. An undeclared painting travels at 60 cents a pound like everything else. Declare it in writing before loading, or carry it in your own car.
What to do before moving day
Red flags
What to do next
Take one number off your moving quote — the estimated shipment weight — and multiply it by 0.60. That is what you are covered for today. If the answer is smaller than the contents of your living room, you have a decision to make before moving day, not after.
Compare home services in Ontario on Ontario24 and contact companies directly. Ontario24 is a classified directory — we help you find and compare, and we do not vet anyone. Also useful: what movers cost in Toronto, why 1 July costs double and storage unit prices in the GTA.
Before you call anyone, it helps to know what this job should cost and what the next one will. What things cost in Ontario in 2026 puts 75 service prices in one table.
Frequently asked questions
Under the basic coverage included in every household moving contract — released value protection — the mover’s liability is limited to $0.60 per pound, or $1.32 per kilogram, per article, under provincial conditions of carriage. The value of the item does not enter into it.
The Canadian Association of Movers gives the standard example: a table weighing 100 lb destroyed in transit settles at $60, even if replacing it costs $1,000. A 40 lb television is $24. The lighter and more valuable the item, the worse the arithmetic gets.
Yes, and it is also by weight. Your maximum protection under released value is $0.60 per pound multiplied by the total weight of the shipment, cartons included. On a 5,000 lb household that is $3,000 for a total loss.
Most homeowner policies do not cover goods in transit. Some insurers will sell a rider, but the Canadian Association of Movers notes the premium is usually higher than buying replacement value protection from the mover. Ask your own insurer before moving day, not after.
Coverage you buy from the mover that replaces a damaged item at today’s market price if it cannot be repaired. The shipment must be valued at a minimum of $10.00 per pound of actual weight — so a 5,000 lb household cannot be covered for less than $50,000.
It is called inherent vice: items designed to be assembled once and left in place for their useful life, such as fibreboard furniture. Movers often ask for a waiver of liability on those pieces. That is normal industry practice rather than a warning sign, but read what you are signing.
Under transportation law a mover is not responsible for carrying goods of extraordinary value unless that value has been declared. Declare them in writing before the truck is loaded, or carry them yourself. An undeclared painting is covered by weight like everything else.
Sources and how current this is
Checked 18 September 2026. The $0.60 per pound ($1.32 per kg) per article limit under released value protection, the 100 lb table settling at $60, the shipment-weight cap illustrated at 5,000 lb and $3,000, the note that most homeowner policies do not cover goods in transit, and the $10.00 per pound minimum valuation for replacement value protection all come from the Canadian Association of Movers. The mover-versus-broker distinction, the rule that goods of extraordinary value must be declared, and the inherent vice waiver come from the federal Office of Consumer Affairs. Conditions of carriage are provincial and the figures above are the standard industry terms rather than a quotation from your own contract — read what you are signing. Item weights in the table are ordinary approximations used to show the arithmetic, not measurements. This is not insurance or legal advice. Ontario24 is a classified directory and does not move goods, sell insurance or vet the businesses listed.