Ah, the humble stretch wrap.

This saran wrap-like substance is used by moving companies ^[1] to protect items that won’t fit in boxes and can’t be pad-wrapped (ie, protected by moving blankets).

However, just like you have to watch for crazy charges on moving day boxes ^[2], watch out for moving day charges for stretch wrap.

First off, do your movers even charge for it? Many companies, particularly the van lines, do not.  Moving companies don’t use much of it, so stretch wrap is a minor expense and they don’t pass the cost on to the consumer.

However, some companies do charge for this. And it can be hefty – I heard from one woman who said she got charged $1 a yard. Compare that to a large roll that you can buy yourself for 5 cents a yard.

If your moving company does charge, you can wrap items yourself to save on the expense (whether they charge for it should be broken out on your contract; I’d also ask specifically WHAT materials they charge for).

Which items will the moving companies ^[3] want stretch-wrapped?

* Any upholstered furniture or headboards

* BBQ grills so that no grease gets on anything else

* Lawn furniture to protect from scratches

* Children’ s toys

* Some tools

And that’s, um, er, a wrap.

Related Articles:

Major Mistakes When Choosing Movers ^[4]

5 Easy Ways to Save Over $1,000 on Your Move ^[5]

3 Moving Scams You’ve Never Heard Of ^[6]