Overview
Removals is sold for the smaller move, and the team-and-van combo is the line that distinguishes the specialist from the big mover
Removals contractors are the small-team, specialist cousin of larger moving companies. The customer is often moving a single room of belongings, a small flat, a student moving home, or a single high-value item between locations. The work fits a different cost shape: a two-person team in a Luton van is a $40-per-hour proposition, where a four-person team in a 7.5-tonne lorry is a different quote entirely. The trade lives on quick-turn jobs and same-week bookings that the larger movers can't accommodate. A flat 'removals, $40/hour' quote without the team size, the van type, and the access plan misses the customer's actual booking decision.
QuoteGenio gives removals contractors a quoting shape built for smaller-scale work. Team size and van class as the first line, hourly rate with a minimum charge, materials at trade or included rate, dismantling and reassembly as separately priced lines, access charges for awkward properties (no parking, narrow lanes, multi-storey flats with no lift), and a same-week or next-day booking premium where applicable. Send via WhatsApp to the customer, take card payment at the start or on completion, and the same record holds the customer's inventory, the access notes, and any follow-up storage needs.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for every type of removals and furniture transport business.
The problem
The quoting headaches every removals operator knows
Removals customers shop fast and book the first clean quote. Quoting speed is the single biggest factor in win rate.
Slow quotes lose bookings
Customers send the same enquiry to four removals firms. The first one to reply with a clean quote usually books the job by lunchtime.
Text message quotes look amateur
A WhatsApp message saying 'about R10,743 mate' loses to a branded PDF that itemises truck, hours, stairs, and insurance.
Surprise costs on moving day
Stair carries, long carries, parking permits, packing materials. If they are not on the quote, they come out of your margin on the day.
The fix
QuoteGenio fixes the removals workflow
A structured workflow built for the way removals firms actually quote. On the road, on the phone, between jobs.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for removals
Line items for truck size, crew, hours, distance, stair carries, packing materials, and insurance. Everything a removals quote needs, nothing it does not.
Quote from your phone
Build and send a quote from the cab between jobs. No laptop. Just your phone and the customer's enquiry.
Reply in under 5 minutes
A structured workflow that gets you from enquiry to sent quote before the customer has called the next firm.
Invoice on the day
Convert the accepted quote to an invoice on moving day. Add any extra hours or stairs, and send the invoice from the truck before you drive home.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how removals actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Removals choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Removals build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Removals job pricing
A rough guide to what removals firms charge for typical jobs. Pricing varies by city, distance, season, and the level of access at both properties. Use these ranges as a benchmark when building your own rate card, not as fixed prices.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Man and van (small load, local) | R1,240 - R2,479 |
| Small truck (1-bed flat, local) | R2,396 - R3,966 |
| Mid truck (3-bed home, local) | R3,636 - R6,280 |
| Large truck (4-bed+, local) | R5,289 - R8,594 |
| Long-distance (per km, mid truck) | R40 - R86 |
| Stair carry surcharge (per flight) | R578 - R1,405 |
| International removals (full container) | R69,413 - R206,588 |
Pricing converted from USD to ZAR at indicative rates. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
A call-out or pre-move survey fee covers your time to visit the property, walk through the inventory, and price the move accurately. Most removals firms charge R1,240 to R2,479 for an in-home survey on larger moves, refundable against the booking. For smaller jobs a video walk-through is usually free. Show the survey fee on the quote so customers see your effort is real work.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Use hourly pricing for local removals where time on site varies with stairs, parking, and how packed the customer is. Use fixed pricing for long-distance and international removals where the scope is well-defined. Add separate lines for stair carries, packing materials, parking permits, and insurance so surprise costs do not come out of your margin.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here is what a clean, itemised removals quote looks like for a typical local move from a flat to a house. Notice how every cost is visible: hours, travel, stairs, materials, insurance, fuel. Transparent quotes win bookings because they answer every question before the customer has to ask the next firm.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
Local removal, 2-bed flat (1st floor) to 3-bed house
Small truck and 2-person crew (per hour)
Travel time (depot to depot)
Stair carry surcharge (1st floor at origin)
Packing materials (boxes, tape, paper, blankets)
Transit insurance (standard cover)
Fuel surcharge
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small truck and 2-person crew (per hour) | 5 | R3,223 / hr | R16,114 |
| Travel time (depot to depot) | 1.25 | R3,223 / hr | R4,028 |
| Stair carry surcharge (1st floor at origin) | 1 | R909 | R909 |
| Packing materials (boxes, tape, paper, blankets) | 1 | R2,727 | R2,727 |
| Transit insurance (standard cover) | 1 | R1,240 | R1,240 |
| Fuel surcharge | 1 | R909 | R909 |
| Subtotal | R25,927 | ||
| Tax (10%) | R2,593 | ||
| Total incl. tax | R28,519 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
Travel time depot-to-depot, stair and long carry surcharges, packing materials, transit insurance, fuel surcharge, parking permits in city centres, dismantling and reassembly of furniture, and disposal of unwanted items. Add these as standing lines on your removals template so you stop absorbing them.
Peer snapshot
How Removals actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Removals on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
33
Quotes sent per month
59%
Average quote acceptance
3 min
Median time to send quote
R28,519
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
Start quoting Removal jobs like this, free
Build your first quote in under 2 minutes. No credit card, no setup fee, no contract.
Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of removals firms. The same quoting and pricing mistakes come up again and again. Fix these and you protect your margin, win more bookings, and stop arguing with customers on moving day.
Mistake: Quoting a flat fee with no breakdown
Better: Itemise truck, crew, hours, materials, and insurance. Customers comparing four quotes pick the one they understand, not the lowest blind number.
Mistake: Skipping the depot-to-depot travel
Better: The clock starts when the truck leaves the depot. Quote travel time as a separate line so the customer knows the drive is paid time, not a freebie.
Mistake: No surcharge for stairs or long carries
Better: List a per-flight or per-metre surcharge on every quote even if it is zero. Negotiating extras on moving day with the customer standing in the lounge never works.
Mistake: No insurance line on the quote
Better: Quote standard transit insurance as a line item. Offering an upgrade to full-value insurance on the same quote lifts your average ticket and signals you are a professional operator.
Mistake: No weekend or peak-season premium
Better: Friday afternoons, weekends, and end-of-month dates are peak demand. Quote a 1.2x to 1.5x premium for these slots so the price reflects what the day is actually worth.
Mistake: Underestimating hours on access-poor moves
Better: Tight stairs, narrow lifts, no parking. These add 30 to 50 percent to the time. Quote a realistic hour range and explain the variables on the quote, rather than under-promising and arguing later.
Mistake: No expiry on the quote
Better: Set a 7 to 14 day validity on every quote. Diesel and crew availability move week-to-week, and you do not want to honour a stale quote from a month ago at a loss.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote removals jobs
Pre-survey every job bigger than a small van load, either in person or with a structured video walk-through. Count the rooms and the bulk items (beds, wardrobes, sofas, appliances, piano, safe), check the floor at both properties and whether lifts are available or the stairs are the only option, and measure the parking distance from truck stop to front door. On apartment blocks confirm goods-lift dimensions and lift booking rules, because some buildings restrict moves to specific hours or charge for lift reservation. On city-centre addresses check for congestion zones, parking permits, and restricted access windows. Ask about oversized items that need dismantling (flat-pack wardrobes, sectional sofas) because the reassembly time at destination is easy to forget and hard to bill for after the fact.
Itemise the quote line by line so the customer cannot mistake it for a verbal estimate. Show truck size and crew as an hourly line (for example 'small truck and 2 crew at $ 195 per hour'), depot-to-depot travel time as its own line, stair carry surcharge per flight, packing materials (boxes, tape, paper, blankets) as a single line even on self-packing moves, transit insurance at standard cover with the declared value stated, fuel surcharge, and a dismantle and reassemble line for flat-pack furniture. For international removals add customs clearance, destination delivery, and insurance as separate lines with a note that customs duties and taxes are excluded. List man-and-van minimum job fees openly so small jobs still cover your dispatcher and driver time.
Take a 20 to 30 percent booking deposit to confirm peak-weekend dates and state the cancellation policy in writing on the quote. Set a 7 to 14 day validity because diesel, crew availability, and truck utilisation all move week to week and you do not want to honour a stale number a month later at a loss. For long-distance quotes use fixed pricing per km plus crew hours each end plus fuel surcharge and optional overnight accommodation, never open-ended hourly, because customers cannot absorb hourly creep across a two-day move. Always include standard transit insurance as a line with a clear declared value cap, and offer a full-value insurance upgrade on the same quote because high-value contents moves close at higher tickets when the insurance options are visible.
Reply speed is the single biggest factor in removals win rate. Customers send the same brief to four firms in one afternoon, and the first clean branded PDF usually books the move. Send the quote as a WhatsApp link from the cab between jobs so the customer opens it on their phone within minutes of the enquiry, then follow up with a short friendly message after two or three days if you have not heard back. On moving day convert the accepted quote to an invoice with one click from the truck, add any stair carry extras or extra hours incurred on the day, and send the invoice via WhatsApp before you drive home so the customer pays on the same evening while the service is fresh.
FAQ
Common questions from removals companies
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Yes. Each line item has its own description, quantity, and rate. Quote 'mid truck and 3 crew' at an hourly rate, then add hours, travel, materials, and insurance as separate lines. The total calculates automatically.
Yes. Once your quote is ready, share it as a link via WhatsApp. Your customer gets a professional branded document instantly. Reply speed is the single biggest factor in removals win rate.
Add them as separate line items with a per-flight or per-permit rate. List them on every quote even if the surcharge is zero, so the customer understands when extras would apply on moving day.
Yes. Every quote has a unique public link. Your customer opens it on their phone and accepts online. No app or signup required.
Yes. Convert the accepted quote to an invoice with one click. Add any extra hours or stair surcharges incurred on the day, and email or WhatsApp the invoice from the truck before you drive home.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card required. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes, invoices, statements, and reports.
Use hourly pricing for local removals where time on site varies with stairs, parking, and how packed the customer is. Use fixed pricing for long-distance and international removals where the scope is known. State clearly on the quote which method you are using and what triggers extra hours so there is no argument on the day.
Quote a per-km rate for the long-haul leg plus crew hours at each end for loading and unloading. Add fuel surcharge, overnight accommodation if the move spans two days, and transit insurance. Long-distance quotes should always be fixed-price with a clear scope, not hourly, so the customer is not surprised by creep across multiple days.
Yes. A 20 to 30 percent deposit at booking confirms the date and protects against last-minute cancellations on peak weekends. State the deposit terms on the quote so the customer agrees in writing when they accept. Removals firms that do not take deposits lose 10 to 20 percent of peak-season bookings to no-shows.
International removals are typically quoted as door-to-door fixed price for the container plus separate lines for packing, customs clearance, destination delivery, and insurance. Customs duties and taxes are usually excluded and noted on the quote. Always pre-survey international removals; never quote them from a phone call alone.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
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Handyman · Port Elizabeth
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Caterer · Dubai
"Quoting used to take me forever. Now I can put something together quickly and send it before I leave the site. Clients respond much faster."
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Painter · Dubai
Guides
Guides for Removals
Practical advice to help you quote better, get paid faster, and grow your business.
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