Most bad moves show warning signs long before the truck shows up. The two red flags when hiring movers I would never ignore: a quote that says a three-bedroom house will take three hours, and a price so far under every other company that it can't cover a real crew. Below is the full list I would run on any mover in Louisiana, AD Movers included, with the questions to ask and what a straight answer sounds like.
Before You Sign Anything
You can spot most of these on the first phone call or in the first text back. Each one comes with what it usually means and the question that clears it up. These are the red flags when hiring movers I would put at the top of any list.
A full three-bedroom house usually needs 3–4 movers and about 6–8 hours, more with stairs, a long walk from the truck or a lot left to pack. When someone tells you three hours, one of two things happens on the day: the crew rushes and furniture gets hurt, or the clock runs long and the bill climbs anyway. Ask how they got their number. A real estimator asks about rooms, stairs and parking before giving one.
Two or three quotes from licensed movers tend to land in the same neighborhood. When one is far under the rest, the gap usually comes back as move-day charges for stairs, wrapping, "extra" boxes or the drive. In the worst cases the charge shows up after your things are already on the truck. Ask, "What could make this number go up?" and get the answer in writing.
A price said over the phone is easy to forget and easy to deny. Before you pay a deposit, you should have something in writing that lists the crew size, how the time is counted, what is included and the cancellation terms. If a company says "we'll figure it out on the day," the figuring will be done by them, with your furniture on their truck.
Movers who carry household goods for hire inside Louisiana need a certificate from the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Ask for the number, then search the company on the LPSC household goods mover lookup yourself. Ask for a certificate of insurance too. A company that changes the subject when you ask for either one is telling you something.
Some "movers" are a phone number and a couple of guys who meet you at a rental lot, or who expect you to rent the truck. That can be fine when you want labor only and know that is what you are buying. It is a problem when it was sold to you as a full move. Ask what truck is coming, whose name is on it, and who is driving.
A mover who says the price is only good if you pay a deposit today wants you to stop comparing. A licensed company with a calendar can hold a quote long enough for you to check the license, read the reviews and ask a second company. If the deal disappears the moment you say "let me think about it," let it go.
Harder to Spot
These take a little more digging, a search or two and a few direct questions. They are also the ones that separate a real company from a listing that might not exist next month.
Real Google Reviews
Three reviews from our Google profile, quoted word for word. Jean M.'s mentions the thing this page is about: an estimate that matched the real job.
“The guys were very respectful and took great care handling my stuff. Highly recommend this company for any packing or moving needs.”
“Prompt, courteous, took good care in moving this heavy china cabinet.”
“These guys worked for 5.5h, in the. New Orleans heat! They were awesome, and even though I was way off in how long I thought it would take, the estimate they gave me was exactly right. They did a great job.”
The Checklist
Run this on every company you are thinking about, us too. It takes about fifteen minutes, and a real mover will get through all five without stalling.
Ask for their Louisiana Public Service Commission license number and look it up at the LPSC website. Operating without a license is illegal — and if they're unlicensed, you have no legal protection if something goes wrong. AD Movers is fully licensed and can provide our number on request.
Before you commit, get your quote in writing — including what's included, what (if anything) costs extra, and the cancellation policy. If a company won't put it in writing, don't book. Our instant online quote tool gives you a written price in 60 seconds that becomes your invoice.
Look at their Google Business profile. Read both positive and negative reviews. Look at how the company responds to complaints — that tells you more than the 5-star reviews. A company with 115 reviews and a 4.8★ rating has a track record you can evaluate. A company with 12 reviews from last month does not.
How We Answer the Same Checklist
Our crews arrive in uniform, in our own truck on a full move. They are AD Movers employees, background-checked, and they answer to me, not to an app or a labor agency. Every full move is insured, and our Louisiana license, LPSC license #8127, is public. Since 2013 we have done more than 1,000 moves around New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, the Westbank and the Northshore, and we are rated 4.8★ on Google from 115 reviews.
Get a Ballpark Price →
Ballpark vs. Final Bill
Local moves are hourly. The online tool gives you a ballpark from your home size and addresses; then we go over the details that change the time, like stairs, an elevator, the walk from the truck and how much is boxed, and confirm the final price before move day. If something new comes up on the day, nothing is added until you say OK. The rate is the same every day of the week, and there is no fuel surcharge on local moves. That is how a moving company in New Orleans should explain its price before you book.
Call 504-237-0855 →Facts You Can Check
Areas We Serve
Our crews move people every day across Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes. Pick your area for local details, or jump to a service.
Common Questions
Two stand out. The first is a time estimate that can't be real, like three hours for a full three-bedroom house, which usually takes 3–4 movers about 6–8 hours. The second is a price far under every other licensed quote. Both tend to end the same way: rushed work, or charges added on move day after your things are already loaded on the truck.
Look up its license on the Louisiana Public Service Commission website, ask for a certificate of insurance, and get the quote in writing. Then check for a real street address and a Google profile with a long history and owner replies. Finally, ask whether its own employees will do the move. A legitimate company answers all of that quickly and does not mind you checking.
A small deposit to hold a date is normal. Half the job up front is not, and neither is a deposit that can only be paid in cash, by wire or through Zelle or Cash App. Those payments are very hard to recover if the crew never shows. Pay by card when you can so you keep the right to dispute the charge.
Plan on 3–4 movers and roughly 6–8 hours for an average three-bedroom house in the New Orleans area. Stairs at a raised house, a long walk from where the truck can park, heavy pieces and anything still unpacked all add time. A quote far under that range is usually built to win the booking, not to describe the job.
Movers who haul household goods within Louisiana need a certificate from the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Search the company on the household goods mover lookup at lpsc.louisiana.gov and match the name and number to what they told you. Ours is LPSC license #8127. A move that leaves Louisiana is regulated at the federal level, so ask an interstate mover for its federal registration too.
Stay calm and keep records: the written quote, texts, photos of the truck and the crew, and the amount being demanded. Call local police if you feel unsafe or the crew drives off with your things. For a move within Louisiana, file a complaint with the LPSC Transportation Division; the complaint form is on the LPSC website. Pay by card if you pay at all, so you can dispute it.
Not by itself, but it means you have to do all the checking. Ask for the company name, the LPSC license number and a certificate of insurance, then confirm them yourself. Get the price in writing and avoid cash-only deposits. If the person can't give you a business name, you are hiring individuals, and nobody is responsible if a piece breaks.
No. A higher price does not prove a better crew, and a lower one is not always a scam. What matters is whether the quote is built on your real details: crew size, stairs, parking and what is packed. Compare two or three licensed companies on what they ask you and what they put in writing, not only the bottom number.
You get your price before move day, in writing. The crew that shows up works for AD Movers, not a subcontractor. If your move will take longer than you hoped, we tell you on the phone, not at hour three. If something unexpected comes up on the day, we stop and ask before it changes the bill. We have run AD Movers this way since 2013.
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Licensed, insured, and operating since 2013 — with 115 Google reviews to prove it. Get your written quote in 60 seconds. No red flags. No hidden fees. No games.
AD Movers is a licensed & insured New Orleans moving company providing local and long-distance moving across the areas we serve.
