A guide to setting up a removal company

1. Get the correct insurance

A vital part of setting up your own removal company will be getting the appropriate insurance. The most important insurance for a removal company is Public Liability Insurance and Goods in Transit Insurance as well as insuring your vehicle.

Vehicle Insurance

You will need vehicle insurance to drive on UK roads. Like with any other vehicle insurance, it is best to shop around for the best deal to keep the cost of your vehicle insurance down.

Public Liability Insurance

It’s important to protect your company with Public Liability Insurance in case of any damage. Not only does this keep you covered in the event of breakages, but it will also be a good indicator of your high-standard as a business for potential customers.

Goods in Transit Insurance

Just like Public Liability, Goods in Transit Insurance covers loss or damage of items in your vehicle during the move. All reputable removals firms cover themselves and look after the interests of their staff and customers with this insurance.

Professional Indemnity Insurance

Professional Indemnity Insurance will cover any personal injury or damage to items that is your fault during the move. This insurance will give customers peace of mind.

2. Figure out the services you can offer

Think about what sort of services you’re going to offer. You may just want to offer a house removal service, but there is room to expand with services such as packing and unpacking or storage services.

House Removals

You will need to work out the size of house removals you can offer. Will you stick to 1 and 2-bedroom moves or are you looking to offer 3+ bedroom moves as well? Think about what is more realistic for your company and vehicle type.

Packing and Unpacking

The majority of home movers will require a packing service unless they are on a tight budget. You will need to figure out if this is a service that you can afford to offer alongside your house removals.

Storage

A storage service is another useful service to offer as most people will be living between two houses and will require a safe place to keep some of their items. This may not be a service you will need to offer right away, but it could be an option once you’re set up and running. Compare My Move offer storage leads which work well alongside your removal leads.

House Clearance

House clearance services work well with removals as you'll already be equipped with a professional moving vehicle and Public Liability insurance. Set up a house clearance account with us as well as storage and removals to fully maximise profit.

3. Buy the necessary equipment

Once you’re clear on the services you can offer, you will need the necessary equipment to help get your company up and running.

The vehicle

Your vehicle(s) will be the most essential piece of equipment that you’ll need to start your removal company. The size will depend on the scale of house removals you are willing to offer.

Protective equipment

You will need to stock your vehicle with protective equipment such as mattress and TV covers, blankets and straps to protect and hold your customer’s personal belongings in place during moves.

Packing materials

If you’re going to be offering a packing service you will need the necessary packing material and equipment. You will need different sized cardboard boxes, cardboard wardrobe boxes, bubble wrap, labels, sellotape etc.

4. Do your research

Do some research to find out what locations you want to offer your services to. Once you can narrow down your target area/s, you can figure out who your competition will be. This will allow you to set realistic and competitive prices for your removal services.

Don’t charge too much for your removal services as you will turn customers away but ensure that you don't charge too little either otherwise you will struggle to make a profit. Aim to find the middle ground after researching similar companies in your local area.

5. Create a website

To help movers find you and learn about the services you offer as well as the areas you cover, you should set up a company website. By creating a website, your removal company can be easily found online as well as allowing you to share it with customers.

6. Get high-quality removal leads

Compare My Move will help you grow your business by providing you with the high-quality removal leads you need to get started. In 2024, you can’t rely on word of mouth to get your removal company out there, that’s why we put a huge focus on our expert online marketing tactics.

We have a team of digital marketers who advertise your business to over 2.5 million movers, which means we always appear at the top of Google when home movers are looking for a removal company in your area.

By using a lead generator, you will be able to kick-start your removal business. We spoke with Compare My Move partner, Jones Moves, to learn of their success with our leads. They told us they spend £1,400 a month on leads and see a profit of between £8,000-£10,000 a month.

Learn more on partner success with our case studies.

7. Join the B.A.R

Once your removal company has been up and running for a year, you should join the British Association of Removers (B.A.R). The B.A.R is the only removals code that’s approved by Trading Standards.

It shows a mark of quality that reassures customers you perform to a high standard of excellence and sets you apart from your competition.