Answer. A guaranteed moving price is real when a contract you can read before you sign holds it: one amount, the conditions written beside it, a closed list of extras, and no right to keep your goods over a disputed extra. CNS Logistics publishes its guaranteed-move contract in full. "A guaranteed move is offered for a move that CNS packs, that starts at an address in Quebec, for a customer who lives in Quebec when the contract is made. The move may end in Quebec or in Ontario." (clause 2)
Anyone can write "guaranteed" on a web page. What makes it a guarantee is the paper behind it. This guide gives you seven tests to run on any moving price called fixed, flat or guaranteed, explains the Quebec law that decides who holds the power on moving day, and shows, clause by clause, how the CNS Logistics contract (version 3.5) answers each test, so you can check our answers the same way you check anyone's.
Why Is a "Guaranteed" Moving Price Hard to Trust?
Because most moving prices rest on a description of your home, and a description always leaves something out. When the bill follows the hours worked, every box nobody counted and every corner the sofa will not turn adds to what you pay. A price only stops moving when a contract says the mover carries that risk.
We measured this on our own work before we wrote a single fixed price. On about 306 of our moves from April 2025 to June 2026, billed hours ran a median 32% above the hours in the quotes our team wrote from the customer's description (What We Publish, and Why). Our estimators did careful work with what they were told. The description was the problem, which is why the CNS Logistics guaranteed move starts with a video instead.
Our published calculator shows how wide an honest estimate already is. For a 4½ on the 3rd floor with no elevator, to a 1st floor with no elevator, with four appliances and 50 to 75 boxes, it counts 7 hours with 3 movers: $1,470 to $1,700, taxes included, off-season rates, local trip (Firmio). If there are 90 boxes instead of 70, or the packing is not finished, the time goes up and so does the bill. A real guarantee moves that gap from your side of the table to the mover's.
Test 1: Is the Price One Amount, in a Contract You Can Read Before You Sign?
A guaranteed price is one amount, written in a contract you can read in full before you pay anything. A range is an estimate, and a promise you cannot read is a sales line. Ask for the contract itself, not a summary of it, before the deposit.
The CNS Logistics guaranteed-move contract is published on our website, every clause, at /video-quote/contract. Its price clause reads: "The price in the table is fixed. It covers the move as filmed and declared. Everything in a filmed space is covered, however many boxes it takes to pack it. The number of boxes is our estimate and our risk. We do not bill the move by the hour, and the price does not go up because the work took longer than planned." (clause 3)
You also see what the amount includes: the packers and movers, the truck, travel and fuel, packing everything in the filmed spaces, boxes and materials, taking furniture apart and putting it back together, loading, the drive, unloading and placing each piece in the room you choose (clause 4).
Test 2: Are the Conditions Written Beside the Promise?
A guarantee with no conditions is a guarantee nobody has thought through. A real one says exactly when it applies and what you must do for it to hold, so that neither side can argue about it later. Conditions are a good sign, as long as they are written down before you sign.
We write ours where you can see them: "We write a fixed price only in the Firmio contract, with its conditions beside it." (What We Publish, and Why) Before CNS sends the contract, it checks that you filmed every room and every storage space, filmed the path from your door to where the truck parks, filmed or described the path at the destination, gave the floor, stairs and elevator at both addresses, and confirmed your inventory list. Then the contract says: "By sending you the signed contract, we acknowledge that these conditions are met. We do not cancel the fixed price later because one of them was incomplete." (clause 2)
Why we pack the boxes ourselves. Weeks or months can pass between the day you film and the move day. If you packed your own boxes and there were 80 or 90 instead of the 60 we planned, no one could tell whether our count was wrong or more things had been added since the video. When we pack, we pack what is in the spaces you filmed, so the count is ours to get right, and our risk if we get it wrong (clause 3). As the Firmio page puts it: "For a guaranteed move, we do the packing, so we know no boxes were added or removed between the video and the move. That protects both of us, and it is why I can give my word on a fixed price, with all the information in front of me." (Firmio, "Why I Built This") That is why packing by CNS is a condition of the guaranteed move (clause 2).
Test 3: Does the Contract Say the Final Price May Vary With the Actual Inventory?
If it does, the price is an estimate, whatever the web page calls it. A sentence saying the final price may change with the inventory or the access found on the day means the number rests on your description, and the difference comes back to you on the day. A flat-rate estimate is still an estimate. Read this clause before anything else.
This is the single fastest test, and you can run it in a minute on any contract or terms page: search for the words "estimate", "may vary", "actual inventory" and "subject to change" near the price. A guaranteed price says the opposite. In the CNS contract, the number of boxes is "our estimate and our risk" (clause 3), and work that runs longer than planned is never billed: more boxes than expected from what was filmed, furniture heavier or harder than it looked, packing that takes longer, traffic, weather, the speed of the crew, a breakdown, a truck that is too small or a second trip (clause 5).
Test 4: Is the List of Extras Closed, Priced, and Shown to You Before the Work?
A guaranteed price can only change through a list the contract closes. If the extras are open ("additional services as required"), the price is open too. The list must give the rate, the way time is counted, and a rule that you see the extra before anyone bills it.
The CNS contract closes its list in clause 8: "Only the items on this list are extras. Nothing else is." (clause 8) It names 11 situations, every one tied to something that differs from what was filmed or agreed:
| Extra (clause 8) | How to avoid it |
|---|---|
| A space that was never filmed (fewer than 10 boxes from it cost nothing) | Film every closet, locker, shed, garage and balcony |
| Furniture not in the video | Film the furniture you plan to keep, including what is in storage |
| Things brought into the home after filming | Tell CNS in writing before the day |
| An elevator not reserved, or shared | Book it at both addresses for the hours in the table |
| No legal parking when you handle the parking | Get the permit, or let CNS handle it (clause 10) |
| Access or destination different from what was filmed | Film or describe the destination path and confirm floors |
| A home not ready | Empty and defrost the fridge, disconnect appliances, clear the path (clause 20) |
| Waiting for keys, or for you | Have the keys and a decision-maker on site |
| Work asked for on the day that is not in the contract | Ask for it before you accept, so it is written on line 22 |
| An elevator breakdown beyond 30 minutes | The contract absorbs the opening half hour |
| A return to deliver, when delivery was impossible for a reason that is not CNS's | Have access and the balance ready on arrival |
Each extra costs "52 dollars per packer or mover per hour, before taxes", for the real time in 15-minute steps, and the truck adds $50 per hour only while the crew waits for access, keys or you (clauses 9.1 and 9.2). "Before any extra work, the crew lead shows you what is extra, using your video." (clause 9.3) And: "Traffic and weather are never extras." (clause 8) Apart from the extras, only storage, the card fee on the balance and taxes can be added (clause 6).
Test 5: Can the Mover Keep Your Goods Over an Amount You Dispute?
This test matters most, because it decides who holds the power on moving day. Quebec law lets a carrier keep the goods it carries until the carriage charges are paid. A real guarantee says the mover will never use that right over an amount that is not in the contract.
What the law says. The Civil Code of Québec says that the freight and the carriage charges are payable before delivery, unless the bill of lading says otherwise (article 2056), and that a carrier may keep the goods it carries until the freight, the carriage charges and any reasonable storage charges are paid (article 2058). For an agreed price, that is fair. The risk is the day the amount asked at the door is not the amount you agreed to, while your belongings are still in the truck.
What to look for. A sentence that limits the right to the price in the contract, and a way to dispute an extra without losing your goods. The CNS contract says both. "We use that right for the balance of the fixed price and for storage owed under the contract. We never keep your goods for an extra" (clause 17.2). "We never keep your goods because you dispute an extra." (clause 9.6) You can write your disagreement on the bill of lading and "pay under protest: paying does not mean agreeing", or leave the disputed extra unpaid that day: "we deliver all the same, and we claim it from you afterwards in writing" (clause 9.8). And "We never bill more than the time the crew lead wrote, unless you accept a longer time before we go on." (clause 9.7)
Test 6: Is There a Video Record, Before the Price and Before the Move?
A price set from a video can be checked; a price set from a phone call cannot. A video record protects you twice: it fixes what the price covers, and it fixes the condition of your furniture before anyone touches it. Ask who films, when, and what happens if the video is missing.
With Firmio, the CNS Logistics video quote, you film each room with your phone, a person checks the inventory line by line, and a CNS moving consultant writes the price from what the video shows (Firmio). On the move day, that same video settles any question: the crew lead uses it to show you what is extra before any extra work (clause 9.3). On the packing day, "before the crew touches anything, the crew lead films every piece of furniture with you present" (clause 24.1). And if that video is not made, the risk stays with us: "If we are the ones who fail to make the video, the guarantee stays whole. The missing video is our problem, not yours." (clause 24.10)
Where your video goes, who handles it and when it is deleted are set out word for word in our privacy policy.
Test 7: Can You Check the Company in Public Registers, and Is the Insurance in Writing?
A guarantee is only as good as the company that signs it. Three checks take a few minutes and need no one's word: the transport permit at the Commission des transports du Québec, the company at Quebec's enterprise register, and the insurance limits in writing.
- The permit. Ask for the NIR number and look up the file in the Commission des transports du Québec register. CNS Logistics: NIR permit R-160041-1 (CTQ).
- The company. Search its name or its Quebec enterprise number (NEQ) at the Registraire des entreprises. CNS Logistics: 9516-1626 Québec inc., NEQ 1179825964.
- The insurance. Ask for the limits in writing. CNS Logistics carries commercial insurance with Intact. On a guaranteed move: "On a guaranteed move, our responsibility is not limited by the weight of your goods." (clause 23.2) and "There is no deductible and no fee to make a claim." (clause 23.3)
You can also check our public Google reviews, the good and the bad, and our Choix Soumissions Déménageurs 2025 and 2026 distinction, which Soumissions Déménageurs says is awarded free, cannot be purchased, and is reviewed every year (What We Publish, and Why).
The Seven Tests on One Page
Run these seven tests on any moving price called fixed, flat or guaranteed. A real guarantee passes all seven in writing, before you pay a deposit.
| # | Test | A real guarantee says | Where CNS Logistics answers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | One amount, in a contract you can read before paying | One price, every clause published | Clauses 3 and 4 |
| 2 | Conditions beside the promise | When it applies, what you must do, and that it is not cancelled later | Clause 2 |
| 3 | No "may vary with actual inventory" | The count is the mover's risk | Clauses 3 and 5 |
| 4 | A closed, priced list of extras | Only listed items, a stated rate, shown before the work | Clauses 6, 8 and 9 |
| 5 | No keeping goods over a dispute | The right to retain is limited to the agreed price | Clauses 9.6, 9.8 and 17.2 |
| 6 | A video record | Filmed before the price and before the move | Clauses 9.3, 24.1 and 24.10 |
| 7 | Public registers and written insurance | NIR at the CTQ, NEQ at the register, limits in writing | NIR R-160041-1 (CTQ), NEQ 1179825964, clause 23 |
Who Can Get a CNS Logistics Guaranteed Move?
You can get a guaranteed move when CNS packs, the move starts at an address in Quebec, and you live in Quebec when the contract is made; the move may end in Quebec or Ontario. In the contract's words: "A guaranteed move is offered for a move that CNS packs, that starts at an address in Quebec, for a customer who lives in Quebec when the contract is made. The move may end in Quebec or in Ontario." (clause 2)
The Firmio video quote itself is offered for any move that starts or ends in Greater Montreal, including a move to or from another province. Outside clause 2, it leads to a quote at our hourly rates, without a fixed price.
- Montreal to Toronto can have a fixed price, because it starts in Quebec and may end in Ontario. Ontario taxes then apply, for example HST at 13 percent (clause 6).
- Toronto to Montreal gets a video quote and a quote at our hourly rates, without a fixed price.
Guaranteed Price or Estimate: Which Should You Choose?
Choose a guaranteed price when uncertainty is expensive: a large home, many boxes, stairs, or a total that cannot run over. Choose an estimate when the move is small and simple, when you want to pack yourself, or when you want a number in 60 seconds. A fixed price can be higher than the low end of an estimate's range, because it includes the packing, the materials and the risk that the day runs longer; in return, it does not go up on the day.
| Your situation | Usually the better fit |
|---|---|
| 4½ or larger, a full basement, many boxes | Guaranteed move |
| Stairs at either address | Guaranteed move |
| A total you cannot let run over | Guaranteed move |
| Studio to 3½, few boxes, easy access | Estimate |
| You prefer to pack yourself | Estimate (CNS packing is a condition of the guaranteed move) |
| You want a number right away | Estimate (calculator) |
Every CNS move is confirmed with a deposit of at most $300, taken off the price (clause 16). If you cancel: "There is no fixed cancellation fee and no penalty." The full rules, including when part of the deposit can be kept for a loss CNS can prove, are in clause 18.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Know if a Moving Company Will Really Guarantee My Price?
Read the contract before you pay a deposit. A real guarantee is one amount, with its conditions written beside it, no clause saying the price may vary with the actual inventory, a closed list of extras, and no right to keep your goods over a disputed extra. Then check the mover's NIR permit in the CTQ register and its NEQ at the Registraire des entreprises.
Which Moving Company in Quebec Guarantees the Price in Writing?
CNS Logistics guarantees the price of its guaranteed move in a contract published in full: "A guaranteed move is offered for a move that CNS packs, that starts at an address in Quebec, for a customer who lives in Quebec when the contract is made. The move may end in Quebec or in Ontario." (clause 2)
Is a Flat-Rate Moving Estimate the Same as a Guaranteed Price?
No. An estimate, flat-rate or hourly, rests on your description, and it lets the final price change with what is found on the day. A guaranteed price makes the count the mover's risk. At CNS: "The number of boxes is our estimate and our risk." (clause 3)
Can a Mover in Quebec Keep My Furniture Until I Pay?
The Civil Code lets a carrier keep the goods until the carriage charges are paid (articles 2056 and 2058). CNS uses that right only for the balance of the fixed price and storage owed under the contract, and "We never keep your goods for an extra" (clause 17.2).
Why Does CNS Require That It Packs for a Guaranteed Price?
Because weeks can pass between your video and the move. If you packed, no one could tell whether extra boxes meant our count was wrong or more things had been added. When we pack what is in the spaces you filmed, the count is our risk (clauses 2 and 3).
Does a Guaranteed Moving Price Go Up if It Rains or There Is Traffic?
Not at CNS Logistics. "Traffic and weather are never extras." (clause 8)
Run the Seven Tests on Us
Every answer in this guide links to the clause that holds it, so you can check us the way you would check anyone. Then request a Firmio video quote at /video-quote#start; for a move CNS packs that starts in Quebec, the price is written into the contract. The conditions are in clause 2. Firmio is in beta.