What to Ask a Mover Before They Handle Your Clinic’s Equipment

• Have you moved medical or dental equipment before? Ask for specifics, not just a yes. What kinds of equipment, and how large were the jobs?
• What will you do and not do? A mover should be clear about what is included: packing, loading, transport, placement. It should also be clear about what it does not do, such as recalibration or utility connections.
• Who will be on my job? Ask about crew size, supervision and whether the crew is employees or subcontractors.
• Can you visit or review photos before quoting? A quote without seeing the equipment list is a guess.

• Are you licensed, bonded and insured? Ask for proof. Many buildings also require a certificate of insurance before movers can enter.
• What valuation options do you offer? Standard mover coverage is often limited per pound, which can be far below the cost of replacing medical equipment.
• What is excluded? Equipment you packed yourself, items with existing damage and electronics with internal damage that is not visible are common exclusions.
• Does your coverage overlap with mine? Check your own business property policy before the move.

Read our guide to released value vs. full value protection and our post on whether you need moving insurance before you decide.

Many medical items need a manufacturer or technician to disconnect, move or reinstall them. Ask:

• Will you schedule your crew around my vendors’ visits?
• Who is responsible if a vendor is late or reschedules?
• Will you take direction from my vendors about how a machine has to be lifted or tilted?
• For large imaging equipment, who handles the rigging and transport?

A mover that claims to disconnect and recalibrate everything is a red flag. A mover that explains how it coordinates with your vendors is a good sign.

• How are records packed, labeled and tracked?
• Will the crew open or read any records? (The answer should be no.)
• Is there a signed inventory at pickup and delivery?
• Can records travel in a separate sealed container or vehicle?

Your practice stays responsible for compliance with privacy rules such as HIPAA, so check your obligations with your compliance officer or attorney. A mover cannot give that advice, but it should work within your rules.

• Can you work evenings or weekends, and is there a surcharge?
• Can the move be phased to keep part of the practice open?
• What is the minimum booking, and what happens if the job runs long?
• How much notice do you need?

• What materials do you use for fragile or calibrated equipment?
• Do you build custom crates when needed?
• Will every item be tagged with its destination room?
• Will the crew place equipment on my floor plan?
• How do you protect floors, walls and doorframes at both sites?

• A quote with no walkthrough and no equipment list.
• Vague answers on insurance and valuation.
• Promises to calibrate or reinstall regulated equipment.
• No written estimate or a large cash deposit with no paperwork.
• No certificate of insurance on request.

See our list of red flags when hiring a moving company and our interstate moving company checklist for more questions.

Correira Brothers’ Moving & Storage is licensed, bonded and insured and offers multiple valuation options. We build the plan from your equipment list, schedule around your vendors, use padding, crates and wrap suited to each item, tag items by destination room and place them on your floor plan. We move sealed, labeled record containers and do not open them. We transport equipment and coordinate with the manufacturer or technician for disconnects, recalibration and reinstallation. We will tell you what we can do for evenings and weekends when you request a quote.

Planning the whole move? Use our medical or dental office move timeline and checklist. See our medical equipment movers page, or our broader commercial moving services.