Estimating stairs and elevator time

What goes into calculating stair and elevator time and how accurate is this estimation? how do the moving companies estimate stair time? 1 hour for 2 flights of stairs? 1/2 hour for 1 flight? Please help!

This is a hard question to answer, because you have not provided enough information. There are weight-basis moves and there are hourly-basis moves.

For Weight-Basis Moves: For weight-basis moves, movers generally charge a rate per 100 pounds based upon the number of "flights carries." Although there is no standard way to compute flight carries, our New York State Tariff is typical and it works like this...

  • 01 to 07 steps = No Additional Charge
  • 08 to 17 steps = 1 Flight Carry
  • 18 to 37 steps = 2 Flight Carries
  • 38 to 47 steps = 3 Flight Carries
  • 58 to 77 steps = 4 Flight Carries
  • 78 to 97 steps = 5 Flight Carries

Note that interstate movers who participate in the (relatively new) 400N Tariff there presently is no additional charge for flight carries as flight carries have been built into the base Tariff 400N transportation rates.

For Hourly-Basis Moves: For hourly-basis moves there should be no additional charge for flight carries as you are paying by the hour. Therefore, when the shipment must be carried up stairs it simply takes longer, and you are charged accordingly by the hour. My best guess would be that it takes approximately 10% longer to carry a shipment up each flight of stairs. Therefore a six (6) hour move with one (1) flight carry might take 36 minutes longer to complete, but this is just an educated guess.

I hope this provides you with the information that you need.

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