1. Walk the route from each room to the truck
Trace the complete path at the origin and destination rather than reporting only the floor number. Count stair flights and exterior steps; note narrow landings, tight turns, low ceilings, gated entries, and the approximate distance from the door to the legal truck position. Explain whether an elevator is available, how large it is, whether it must be reserved, and whether building rules limit its operating hours. Stairs, elevator delays, and long carries can add labor or time, but the way they affect a quote depends on the carrier's written terms. Ask the estimator to identify each access assumption and any related charge instead of relying on a verbal summary.
2. Confirm truck parking before move day
Determine where the moving vehicle may legally stop and whether the space fits the planned truck. Record loading-zone rules, gate or garage clearances, street width, restricted hours, permit requirements, and the distance to the entrance. If a full-size truck cannot reach the property, ask whether a smaller shuttle vehicle may be required and how its labor, mileage, or transfer time would be calculated. Morrisville is near Raleigh-Durham International Airport, and Interstate 40 is a major regional route, so discuss routing and timing when traffic could affect an hourly job. Sources: Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority, https://www.rdu.com/airport-authority/; NCDOT, https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/i-40-airport/Pages/default.aspx.
3. Identify items that alter the handling plan
Measure bulky furniture and compare those dimensions with doors, halls, stairs, and elevator openings. List pieces that may need legs, doors, shelving, bed frames, or other components removed, and clarify who will disassemble and reassemble them. Flag unusually heavy, fragile, or awkward objects separately. Pianos, safes, pool tables, large appliances, and similar specialty items may require additional crew members, equipment, preparation, or a different route through the property. Do not assume an item is accepted or that its handling is included; request written confirmation of the plan, exclusions, and potential charges.
4. Create an access report for a comparable quote
Prepare one report for pickup and one for delivery. Include addresses; property and unit type; floor; stair count; elevator size, reservation, and operating window; estimated truck-to-door distance; parking location; loading restrictions; gate and clearance measurements; narrow passages; disassembly needs; and specialty items. Add dated photos or a short continuous video of the route where permitted, plus building-management instructions. Send the same report and inventory to every mover so comparisons use the same scope. Then ask each company to confirm in writing what access is included, what conditions could trigger additional cost, and how changes discovered on move day would be approved. For broader price factors, visit the moving cost guide at /cost-guide/. To turn the documented scope into a project-specific request, use the moving cost calculator at /moving-cost-calculator/.