Most full-service moving companies will unmount your TV as part of a standard move, but remounting it at the new house is usually a separate, optional add-on rather than something baked into every quote. Before you book, check two things on the written estimate: whether reinstall is listed as a specific line item, and whether the crew’s insurance covers install-day damage like a cracked wall or a stripped anchor.
TL;DR:
- Reinstalling a TV typically costs between $75 and $200 per screen, with larger and more complex mounts increasing the price.
- Movers usually include dismounting, wrapping, and transport in standard quotes but often charge separately for reinstallation, in-wall cable concealment, or mounting on difficult walls.
- Confirm in writing if the crew has the appropriate anchors and tools for your wall type, especially on brick or stone, to avoid scheduling delays.
- Standard moving insurance covers transport but rarely covers damages or mishaps during reinstallation unless an install-specific rider is arranged beforehand.
- Preparing by labeling hardware, photographing the setup, and clarifying reinstallation details with the mover can save time and prevent errors on moving day.
Table of Contents
- Do Movers Mount TVs, or Just Take Them Down?
- How Do Movers Actually Dismount and Remount a TV?
- What Does It Cost to Have Movers Mount a TV?
- What About Insurance If Something Goes Wrong During Install?
- How Should You Prep Your TV Before Movers Arrive?
- The Caseys Movers Take on TV Handling
- Get a Straight Answer on Your TV Move
- Sources
Do Movers Mount TVs, or Just Take Them Down?
Whether a mover touches your TV mount at all depends entirely on that company’s service menu, not on some industry-wide standard. According to Movers, many full-service crews will unmount a TV during loading because it’s necessary to safely pack and transport it anyway. Reinstalling it on the other end is a different story: some movers offer it as a flat-rate add-on, while others decline to touch high-value or oversized screens and instead refer you to a handyman partner or a specialty mounting company.
What’s usually included in a standard moving quote:
- Loading and unloading the TV once it’s off the wall
- Basic disassembly (unscrewing the mount bracket from the TV or wall plate)
- Wrapping and boxing for transport
What’s typically billed separately:
- Full reinstallation on the new wall
- In-wall cable concealment (running HDMI or power cords behind drywall)
- Soundbar or surround-sound setup tied to the TV
- Mounting over a fireplace or on brick, which often needs masonry tools
Load crews handle the basic unmount and transport. Reinstall work, especially on stone, brick, or above a fireplace, often goes to a specialty crew member or a subcontracted installer. Some companies simply won’t reinstall a 75 inch OLED or a curved screen worth several thousand dollars, because the liability if something goes wrong outweighs the fee they’d charge for the job. That’s not a red flag. It’s a company being honest about where its expertise ends.
How Do Movers Actually Dismount and Remount a TV?
The process a careful crew follows looks less like “unscrew and go” and more like a small installation job on both ends of your move.
Dismounting:
- Photograph the mounted setup, including cable routing, before touching anything.
- Remove the TV from the bracket and set it aside securely.
- Bag and label every screw, bolt, and wall anchor.
- Tag cables so reinstall doesn’t turn into a guessing game.
Packing and transport:
5. Use the original TV box if it’s still around; if not, a specialty TV carton or heavy blanket wrap with an upright transport position is the next best thing.
6. Secure the TV with tie-down straps so it can’t shift or tip in the truck.
Reinstalling at the new home:
7. Assess the new wall (drywall, plaster, brick, or stone all call for different anchors).
8. Find studs with an electronic stud finder.
9. Drill and set anchors appropriate to the wall type, then mount the bracket.
10. Level the mount, attach the TV, and test the connection before the crew leaves.
Good crews carry a stud finder, a level, a drill with masonry bits for brick or block walls, lag bolts, and the right cartons for transport. Express Mounting and other dedicated installers list this same checklist, which tells you it’s the standard, not a company-specific extra.
Pro Tip: Ask the estimator to confirm in writing whether the crew carries masonry anchors. A crew that shows up with drywall anchors for a brick fireplace mount can’t finish the job, and you’re stuck rescheduling.
For fragile electronics generally, the same care that protects a TV screen applies to packing other breakables, and it’s worth reading up on handling fragile items with care before move day.
What Does It Cost to Have Movers Mount a TV?
A moving-day TV reinstall commonly runs $75 to $200 per screen, and that range covers most standard drywall mounts on a fixed or tilting bracket. Dedicated installation companies publish clearer, tiered pricing since mounting is their whole business rather than an add-on.
What pushes the price up:
- Larger screens (65 inches and up often cost more than a 40 inch set)
- Brick, stone, or concrete walls, which need masonry drilling and different anchors
- Full-motion or articulating mounts versus a basic fixed bracket
- In-wall cable concealment
- Same-day reinstall requests versus scheduling it for later
Your written estimate should list the reinstall as its own line item, naming who performs it (the load crew or a specialty installer) rather than leaving it as a vague “additional services” note. If your movers quote a reinstall fee near the top of that range and your walls are standard drywall, it’s worth asking why. Sometimes the answer is a separate handyman visit scheduled after the move is genuinely cheaper than paying a moving crew’s install rate, particularly for a single, simple mount.
What About Insurance If Something Goes Wrong During Install?
Standard moving valuation, whether Released Value or Full Value Protection, covers your TV while it’s in transit. It doesn’t automatically cover a drill going through a pipe or a cracked wall during reinstall. That’s a gap a lot of people don’t think to ask about until it’s too late.
Before you book, confirm these directly with the estimator:
- Is TV reinstall listed on the written estimate, and by whom?
- Does the crew’s insurance include an install-specific rider for drilling and wall-mount work?
- Who’s liable if a stud is missed and drywall is damaged?
- Do they carry anchors and tools suited to your specific wall type?
- Can reinstall happen the same day as unload, or does it need separate scheduling?
- What’s the actual crew size assigned to the install, versus the general moving crew?
Pro Tip: If you have a screen worth more than a couple thousand dollars, ask specifically about an install-day rider. Standard transport valuation almost never extends to wall damage or install mishaps unless it’s spelled out.
How Should You Prep Your TV Before Movers Arrive?
A little prep the week before your move saves real time on move day and keeps small hardware from vanishing into a moving box.
- Locate the original TV box. If it’s gone, ask your mover ahead of time about a specialty TV carton or heavy blanket wrap.
- Bag every screw, bolt, and wall anchor from the mount and label the bag clearly.
- Photograph the mounted TV and cable setup before dismount, so reinstall matches the original layout.
- Tag each cable at both ends (HDMI, power, soundbar) to skip the guesswork later.
- Tell your estimator the TV’s screen size, mount type (fixed, tilt, or full-motion), and the new wall’s material.
- Confirm in writing whether reinstall happens the same day as your unload or needs a separate appointment.
Pair this with a broader pre-arrival checklist so nothing else slips through the cracks on move day.
The Caseys Movers Take on TV Handling
Steven’s view here is straightforward: TV mounting problems almost always trace back to a vague estimate, not a bad crew. Caseys Movers runs a one truck, one crew model on every job, which means the same people who wrap your TV in Portland are the ones unloading it at the new address. Nothing gets handed off between teams who’ve never seen your setup.
Clients get a written estimate that spells out add-ons like reinstall, crews, and specialty packing for fragile electronics. The goal isn’t to upsell every mount job. It’s to tell you plainly what’s included, what costs extra, and what the crew is actually equipped to handle before move day arrives.
— Steven
Get a Straight Answer on Your TV Move
This moving company skips the guessing game other movers leave you with. Instead of finding out on move day whether reinstall is covered, you get it spelled out on the written estimate up front, dismount and specialty packing included, remount priced as a clear add-on, no surprise fees buried in fine print.
When you request an estimate, have three details ready: your TV’s screen size, your wall type at the new place (drywall, brick, or stone), and whether you want cables concealed in-wall or left visible. That’s enough for a professional moving company to quote the mount work accurately instead of guessing over the phone. Start with the moving company guide for planning ahead of your move and get your TV handling locked into the estimate before the truck ever shows up.
Sources
For the mover’s-eye view on TV unmounting policy, Movers.com’s Q&A breaks down why reinstall is often separate. For real-world pricing tiers and wall-type surcharges, Express Mounting and TV Mount Master both publish flat-rate installation menus worth comparing against any mover’s add-on quote.
