What Movers Will Not Take
Every moving company declines roughly the same list, for roughly the same reasons, and discovering it on loading day is how people end up with a problem and no time.
Call (972) 093-0938
Three different reasons for a refusal
The first is legal. Movers cannot carry hazardous materials — flammables, corrosives, compressed gases, ammunition — because a moving van is not a licensed hazmat vehicle. That is not negotiable regardless of how carefully you have packed it.
The second is liability. Damaged furniture, items with existing structural problems, and anything the mover judges likely to fail in transit get declined because the claim afterwards costs more than the freight.
The third is economics, and this is where the surprises come from. On a weight-priced move, a mover will decline or advise against items whose transport cost exceeds their value — which most commonly means old mattresses, particle-board furniture and appliances.
The standard refusal list
- Paint, stains, solvents and thinners
- Gasoline, propane and lighter fluid
- Pool chemicals and pesticides
- Fire extinguishers and aerosols
- Car batteries and loose lithium cells
- Ammunition and fireworks
- Charcoal, lighter fluid and fuel cans
- Open or perishable food
- Plants, in many interstate moves
- Damaged or structurally failing furniture
- Old mattresses on weight-priced moves
- Anything that did not fit once loaded
Where each category actually goes
The hazardous items go to a household hazardous waste drop-off — Tarrant and Dallas County both run programs for residents, and they take paint, chemicals, fuel and batteries. They are the only correct route for that material, and no hauling company can take it instead.
Everything else — the declined furniture, the mattresses, the appliances, whatever did not fit — is ordinary junk removal, and it is exactly what a move-out clearance is for.
- Hazardous material — county HHW drop-off
- Damaged furniture and mattresses — junk removal
- Appliances — junk removal, refrigerant handled properly
- Whatever did not fit — junk removal
Plan for the refusals in advance
Ask your mover for their exclusion list when you book them, then book the clearance for the same week.
FAQ
Related questions
- Why will movers not take paint?
- A moving van is not licensed to carry hazardous materials, and paint, solvents and fuels all qualify. It is a legal restriction rather than a preference, so packing it carefully does not help.
- Can you take what my mover refused?
- Everything except the hazardous material. Damaged furniture, old mattresses, appliances and whatever did not fit are all ordinary work. Paint, fuel, propane and chemicals need the county household hazardous waste program.
- Why did my mover decline my mattress?
- Usually economics rather than policy. On a weight-priced move an old mattress costs more to transport than it is worth, so movers advise against it — which is sensible, and it is why mattresses are one of the most common items in a move-out clearance.
Ready when you are
You point. We haul. That is the whole arrangement.
Choose a window from the live Arlington calendar, or send a few photographs and get the number first. Homes or businesses, one item or a whole property.
Or call (972) 093-0938
The Arlington branch
Junk Koala Arlington
1140 W Pioneer Pkwy, Ste 1144E
Arlington, TX 76013