Operations
The Five Access Questions That Change the Price
June 2026 · 4 min read
The short answer
The five access facts that most change a moving estimate are stair flights at both ends, elevator type and reservation, carry distance from door to truck, parking and permit conditions, and the presence of specialty items such as pianos, safes and large glass.
Volume sets the truck. Access sets the hours, and hours are what you bill. Five questions, asked about both addresses, cover most of the labor that otherwise shows up as an unpriced surprise.
- Stairs: how many flights at origin and at destination, interior or exterior, and any tight turn or low ceiling on the way.
- Elevator: none, passenger or freight — and whether it can be reserved. An unreserved passenger elevator shared with a whole building is slower than two flights of stairs.
- Carry distance: door to truck. Under 50 feet, 50 to 100, or more than 100. Long carries scale with every single piece.
- Parking: driveway, loading zone, street, or permit required. A permit that has to be pulled is a lead time, not just a fee.
- Specialty items: pianos, safes, pool tables, large glass, marble tops, appliances needing disconnection, gym equipment.
Ask about the destination with the same rigor
Destination access is the most under-surveyed part of a move because the estimator is standing at the origin. The crew is not. Every unpriced hour at the far end is an hour you already sold at the wrong price.
These five belong in the survey itself rather than in a follow-up call, so they arrive attached to the volume they modify. In CubitMove they are asked as part of the customer’s walkthrough and land on the Move Report next to the cube sheet.