Moving inventory list
Researched and written by Ashley Davis · Reviewed by Emily Johnson · Last reviewed August 2026
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The inventory is the mover's numbered record of every item loaded and its condition at the time. It is the document a damage claim is measured against, and once you sign it you have agreed that it is accurate. Reading it before signing is not paperwork diligence; it is the entirety of your position if something arrives broken.
What does the inventory record?
Every item or box, a number, and a set of condition codes noting existing damage: scratched, dented, marred, soiled, rubbed, chipped. A crew marks these as they load. The codes look like a formality and are not: an item recorded as already scratched cannot later be claimed as scratched in transit, and that is exactly what they are for.
What should you do while it is being made?
Watch it, and check the items you care about. If a piece is recorded as damaged and it is not, say so at the time rather than at delivery. This is awkward and it is the moment that decides a claim. Photograph anything valuable before the crew reaches it, so you have your own dated record of the condition alongside theirs.
What do you check at delivery?
Every numbered item against the list, before the crew leaves. Note anything missing and anything damaged on the delivery copy before you sign it, in writing, not verbally. A crew waiting to leave creates pressure to sign and sort it out later, and later is much harder. If something is boxed and you cannot check the contents, note that the box was not opened.
What is the bill of lading?
The contract for the shipment and the receipt for it. It states the terms, the valuation you chose, the charges and the delivery arrangement, and the inventory attaches to it. Keep it with you rather than in a box, along with the estimate. Between those two documents sits every commitment either side made.
How long do you have to claim?
Longer than most people assume, and the limit is set in the contract rather than by custom, so read what yours says. What matters more than the deadline is the evidence: the inventory, the delivery notes you made before signing, and your own photographs. A claim made promptly with those is a different thing from a claim made late without them.