Send your building's moving requirements to the mover before choosing an arrival window. A certificate of insurance and an elevator reservation are separate parts of the plan. Having one does not confirm the other.

For an apartment or office move in Los Angeles, collect the requirements from both buildings. The manager at your new address may use different forms, access hours, or insurance wording from the manager at your current one.

Get the building's instructions in writing

Ask the leasing office, concierge, HOA, or property manager for its moving packet. If there is no packet, request a short email covering the access rules. The person who approves moving access should provide the instructions.

Useful questions include:

  • Does the building need a certificate of insurance from the moving company?
  • Who must appear on the certificate, and what wording or supporting documents are requested?
  • Where should the paperwork be sent, and who confirms acceptance?
  • Which elevator and entrance can the crew use?
  • Does the building require floor protection or elevator padding?
  • Is there a building deposit, booking charge, or required inspection?

Keep the actual requirements attached to your message. Rewriting them from memory can leave out a legal name or an address the building needs to see.

Send the COI request early

A certificate of insurance gives the recipient information about insurance coverage. It is not an elevator booking or permission to use a loading dock. A building may also ask for supporting policy documents or specific wording that needs review.

Splendid Moving provides a COI upon request. Send the building name, move address, contact email, and the requirements you received. Ask the team whether anything needs clarification before the document is prepared.

Allow time for the building to review what it receives. Management decides whether the paperwork meets its rules; a mover cannot promise acceptance of wording it has not seen. If the manager requests a correction, forward the exact response rather than a summary such as “the insurance was wrong.”

Once accepted, save that confirmation with the move details. The person at the front desk on moving day may not be the person who reviewed the paperwork.

Reserve a window the move can use

Ask when the crew can begin bringing items through the building and when the final item must leave the elevator. Some bookings cover only one part of the move. Others allow a setup period before the reservation starts. Get the answer from management.

Tell the mover about the reservation before finalizing its arrival window. Include both buildings' windows, the travel between them, and any gap during which access is unavailable. If the schedule does not fit, it is easier to change an elevator booking now than with a loaded truck outside.

Confirm who supplies elevator pads, who opens the service elevator, and whether residents continue using it during the move. Give the crew a contact number that will be answered during the approved window.

Walk from the loading point to your door

An elevator does not remove every access constraint. A garage may have a height limit. A loading dock may be reached from a different street. A service corridor may contain stairs between the lift and the apartment floor.

Take a few photos showing that route. Include the entrance, any height sign, the elevator opening, and tight turns. If the truck cannot reach the loading area, explain where it can legally stop and how far the carry will be. Our parking and loading guide covers the street-side questions.

Keep personal belongings, deliveries, and rubbish clear of the planned carrying path. For an office, agree who will keep staff out of the loading area while furniture is moving.

Put the confirmations in one place

Your final access note should have the approved time, entrances, building contacts, elevator instructions, and confirmation that required paperwork was accepted. Share it with everyone who needs to open a door or answer a question.

Request a quote and include the building instructions with your inventory. If this is an office move, the commercial moving page explains the information the team uses for a custom plan.