Questions we get from Sterling movers
Most of what people want to know before booking comes down to price, paperwork, and what happens on the day. Here are the straight answers we give over the phone, gathered in one place. If yours isn’t here, call (888) 711-4778 and ask Dylan’s office directly — Monday through Saturday, 8am to 6pm.
Do you run the trucks yourselves, or just book it out?
A moving company, full stop. Son Movers is a fully licensed and insured local moving company in Sterling, VA, with our own eight trucks and our own uniformed crews on payroll. We hold Virginia DMV household-goods carrier authority for in-state work plus US DOT and MC authority on file for interstate. We don't match you with carriers or hand your boxes to a stranger — the crew that quotes the job loads and drives it.
What will a local Sterling move actually run?
Local work is hourly: $169 an hour for a two-mover crew and truck, or $229 for a three-mover crew, with moving blankets, dollies, and basic tools included in that rate. For a flat number, our typical bands run a studio $450 to $650, a one-bedroom $700 to $1,040, a two-bedroom $1,160 to $1,740, a three-bedroom $1,960 to $2,880, and a four-bedroom house $2,800 to $4,140. We'll pin down your exact figure in the written estimate.
How much is the deposit, and is it extra?
It's $150 to reserve your date, and it's not an add-on — the full $150 comes off your final total. It simply holds the truck and crew on your calendar so we don't book that slot to someone else. If you need to move the date with reasonable notice, the deposit moves with you.
Do I get a written estimate?
Always, and not just because we like paperwork — Virginia law requires a written estimate before any household-goods move, so you'll have ours in hand before move day. We base it on a walkthrough of what you're moving, whether by phone, video, or an in-person visit for bigger homes, and the long-distance version is a binding written quote.
Who licenses you to move people in Virginia?
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, through its Motor Carrier Services division, regulates intrastate household-goods movers, and we hold Virginia DMV household-goods carrier authority. For moves crossing the state line we operate under our US DOT and MC numbers. Both are current and on file — ask and we'll give you the numbers.
How are my belongings insured?
Every shipment is covered up to $1,000,000 in cargo protection. The standard included protection is released-value at $0.60 per pound per item, which is the legal baseline; if you'd rather have repair-or-replacement coverage on higher-value pieces, full-value protection is available — just tell us before the move and we'll set it up.
Can you move a piano?
Yes. Upright and baby-grand piano moves start at $395, handled by crew members trained on the dollies, straps, and stair technique a piano needs — it's not a job for whoever's free that day. Same goes for safes, gun cabinets, and oversized glass. Mention the piano when you book so we bring the right gear and a crew sized for it.
Which areas around Sterling do you serve?
Sterling is home base — Cascades, Countryside, Potomac Falls, Sugarland Run — and we cover the broader NoVA map daily: Ashburn, Herndon, Reston, Leesburg, Chantilly, Centreville, South Riding, Brambleton, Great Falls, Vienna, Tysons, Fairfax, and Dulles. If your town's near the Route 7 or Route 28 corridor, we're there. Not sure? Call and we'll tell you straight.
For a long-distance move, is it your crew the whole way?
Whenever the route allows, yes — the people loading your truck in Sterling are the ones unloading at the destination, which is the upside of running our own trucks. Long-distance jobs start at $2,580 on a binding written quote, and we run routes like DC, Baltimore, Richmond, Philadelphia, Virginia Beach, and Raleigh regularly. If a route requires a different arrangement, we'll tell you that up front, not after.
Do you pack, or just move?
Both. We'll do a full pack where we box and wrap everything, a partial pack where we handle just the kitchen and the fragile stuff, or a load-only job if you've packed yourself and rented your own truck. Loading and unloading labor runs $169 an hour with no equipment minimum. Packing materials are billed at cost — we don't pad that line.
If my closings do not line up, can you hold my things?
Yes — closings around here rarely line up to the day, so we keep secure short- and long-term storage for exactly that gap. Your goods stay inventoried and covered while they wait, and our crew handles both the load-in and the eventual delivery to your new place, so nobody else ever touches your boxes.
Need to push the date or cancel? How does that work?
Give us reasonable notice and rescheduling is no problem — your $150 deposit simply shifts to the new date. If you cancel outright well ahead of the move we'll work with you on the deposit; a last-minute cancellation after we've blocked the crew and turned away other jobs is the one case where it may be held. We'll always tell you where you stand when you call.
Our HOA wants a certificate of insurance before move-in. Do you issue those?
Yes, and we do it constantly for the high-rises around Reston and Tysons. Send us your building's COI requirements and the management contact when you book, and we'll get a certificate to your property manager ahead of move day, plus reserve the freight elevator slot if the building schedules them. Handle this early — some boards need several business days' lead time.
How do you deal with townhome stairs and HOA move-in windows?
Welcome to Loudoun — three-level townhomes and HOA rules are most of what we move. Our crews carry pieces up and down those interior stairs every day, and we plan crew size around it so a stair-heavy job doesn't drag. Send your HOA's move-in window, gatehouse access, and any fire-lane parking rules when you book, and we'll schedule the truck to fit the reserved time so you don't catch a fine.