Removalist quote forms: what to ask for each move size
The fields that matter for a studio, a four-bedroom house, an interstate move and an office.
Key takeaways
- Published local move totals widen sharply with home size, so one short form for every job leaves you guessing on the big ones.
- Every form needs addresses, date, home size, and access at both ends. Everything else depends on the job.
- Ask first for the move size, then show only the questions that size needs.
- Interstate and office moves need their own questions: truck type and flexible dates, or after-hours access and IT.
- Collect only what you need to quote, and say how you will use it.
A quote form that asks "name, phone, message" gets you a phone call, not a quote. You still have to ring back and ask about stairs, the piano and whether the date is fixed. Some customers have already booked someone else by then.
The fix is a form that asks different questions for different jobs. A studio apartment and a four-bedroom house are not the same quote, and an office move is a different job again. This guide lists the fields that matter for each move size, based on what state consumer agencies tell customers to expect in a quote. It is the approach behind the quote form we build into every site on our removalist website plan.
Why move size changes the questions
The bigger the home, the wider the price range and the more a small detail matters. What's The Damage's 2026 guide to removalist costs across Australia shows how the spread grows with each bedroom.
Local move totals by home size, Australia
For a one-bedroom move the gap between the low and high end is a few hundred dollars. For four bedrooms it runs to well over a thousand. The same guide says a local move from a three-bedroom house typically takes 4 to 8 hours5. Stairs, a long walk from the truck or a piano can push a job from one end of that range to the other, so the form has to find out.
The fields every quote form needs
The NSW Government tells customers to give a removalist all the details about your move3 so the quote can be accurate. It also says the contract should include an inventory, addresses, dates and times3. Your form can collect the start of both.
- Name, phone and email. Mark phone as the one you will call on.
- Pick-up and delivery suburbs. Full addresses can wait for the booking.
- Preferred date, and whether it is flexible.
- Move size. Studio or 1 bedroom, 2 to 3 bedroom home, 4 bedrooms or more, interstate, office.
- Access at both ends. Stairs, lift, driveway, distance from where the truck can park.
Queensland's consumer advice tells customers to ask whether a price is based on time or quantity, and where the clock starts1. Say how you charge next to the form, so the answers make sense to the customer. Consumer Protection WA also tells customers to set a specific start time2, so ask for a preferred start time rather than just a day.
Collect only what you need to quote. The Privacy Act treats a small business as one with turnover of $3 million or less4, but some businesses are covered regardless, and customers notice when a form asks for more than it needs. A one-line note on how you use their details costs nothing.
Studio and one-bedroom moves
Small moves are quick to quote if you know the access. Keep the form short: three or four extra questions at most.
- Floor level and whether there is a lift, at both ends.
- Any large items: fridge, washing machine, sofa bed.
- Whether they need help packing or only transport.
Stairs matter here because many small moves are apartments. A Sydney removalist guide from Hire A Mover puts the charge at $30-$60 per flight6, with a long-carry charge of $30-$806. If you charge for either, ask about them before you quote rather than adding them on the day. Our page for man with a van and small moves covers the rest of what a small-move site needs.
Family homes
Two-bedroom and larger homes need an inventory, even a rough one. Queensland's advice tells customers to prepare an inventory with photos1, so many will be ready to give you one.
- Room-by-room checklist of large furniture, or a free-text list.
- Heavy or awkward items: pianos, pool tables, safes, gym equipment.
- Packing: full packing, fragile items only, or none.
- Optional photo or video upload.
- Weekday or weekend.
Heavy items change the quote. Hire A Mover lists a heavy item charge of $80-$2006 in Sydney, and What's The Damage puts moving a piano at $200-$700 per piano5. The day matters too: the same guide says moving on a weekday is 10% to 20% cheaper5 than at the weekend. A date question with a "flexible" option lets you offer that choice.
Queensland also tells customers to ask about storage costs if moving day is delayed, and card surcharges1. Add a question on whether settlement dates could slip, and whether they might need storage.
Interstate moves
Interstate customers are choosing between speed and cost. Yes Movers' Sydney to Melbourne guide gives pickup to delivery as 2-4 days7 with a dedicated truck and 4-10 days7 with backloading. Your form should let the customer tell you which matters more.
- Dedicated truck, backload, or happy with either.
- Pick-up date window and latest acceptable delivery date.
- Whether storage may be needed at either end.
- Whether they want transit insurance information.
Interstate jobs are high value and often booked from a distance, so reviews and clear terms carry more weight. See our guide to getting more Google reviews.
Office and commercial moves
An office move is a project, and the form should start it. The questions change from bedrooms to people and access.
- Number of workstations and any server or comms cabinet.
- Building access: loading dock, goods lift, booking rules, after-hours only.
- Whether the move must happen over a weekend or overnight.
- Who manages IT disconnection and reconnection.
- A contact person and whether a site visit is needed.
Office customers usually want a walk-through before a price, so the form's job is to qualify the enquiry and book that visit. Our office relocations page shows the pages a commercial removalist site needs.
Build the form so people finish it
A long form loses people. The answer is not fewer questions for every job, but showing each customer only the questions for their move.
- Ask move size first. Then reveal only that size's questions.
- Use tick boxes and short choices instead of open text wherever possible.
- Keep labels visible above each field and mark what is optional.
- Show a clear confirmation that says when and how you will reply.
- Test it on your own phone, filling it in with one hand, before it goes live.
Start by writing down the questions you ask on every quote call this week. Those are your fields. If you also want the rest of the site right, read what a removalist website needs, and see a sample quote form on our sample designs page.
Every site on our plan includes a quote form set up around move size. The plan is A$249 a month plus A$499 setup, GST may apply, with a 12-month minimum term. See pricing or book a call.
Questions removalists ask
Should my quote form show a price straight away?
Only if you can price accurately from the answers. Many removalists prefer the form to collect details and reply with a written quote, because access, stairs and heavy items change the job.
Can customers upload photos or a video walk-through?
Yes, and for larger homes it saves a site visit. Keep the upload optional, and check file size limits so a long phone video does not stop the form sending.
What if a customer does not know the size of their move?
Give plain options in bedrooms and home type rather than cubic metres, and add a "not sure" choice that asks for a callback time instead.
Do I need a separate form for each move size?
No. One form that changes its questions based on the first answer is easier to keep up to date and easier for customers.