Frequently Asked Questions

 

HOW FAR IN ADVANCE DO I NEED TO SCHEDULE MY JOB?

There isn't necessarily a standard timeline required for scheduling to be packed, unpacked or organized.  It's best to get on the books a couple weeks in advance, if you can and the sooner you are able to confirm the date(s) you need us the better!  We aren't always able to accommodate last minute jobs, but we're happy to squeeze in clients on short notice when we're able to!  Give us a call even if your movers are coming in a few days.  You never know when we'll have an opening.  We get it...The housing market is one that is ever changing and in a constantly shifting, rescheduling and downright chaotic cycle at times!  We'll do our best to take care of you!

 

WHAT SUPPLIES ARE NEEDED?

We will provide all necessary boxes & supplies at fair pricing, or customers are welcome to supply their own. Ours will always be high quality to offer the best possible protection for your belongings!  A wide variety of sizes are necessary for most packing jobs, so before you buy your own let us help you determine what's needed. We will discuss any special packing needs while booking your job.

 

**Please note: Clients who choose to purchase boxes from FRPP will benefit from no added costs from other materials necessary for packing.  We take into consideration the many supplies it takes to properly pack the wide variety of belongings our clients typically need packed.  These supplies are already built into our pricing and included at no additional cost when clients purchase our high-quality boxes.  Supplies vary based on items that require packing from one household to another.  Here are some of the items we may utilize: tape, packing paper, fragile stickers, bubble wrap, foam, peanuts, dividers, fillers, puff pouches, and other misc. materials.  **For clients who prefer to provide their own boxes, FRPP may assess a supply fee for the items utilized for proper packing.

 

HOW MUCH TIME & MATERIALS ARE NEEDED?

Packing and preparing for your move is never a "one size fits all" ordeal.  We offer many options to best fit your needs and budget.  We can pack as little or as much as you need!  Once we have a clear understanding of the task at hand, we'll be able to provide you with accurate pricing, material & box needs and an appropriate timeline for scheduling.  Our crews can be hired to pack your entire home, perform a "partial pack" for staging in preparation to sell, pack only specific rooms or areas in the home or just your fragile and delicate belongings.  If you have budgetary restrictions but want to hire us to partially pack your home, consider the areas which may benefit you the most or may be "difficult" if you were to pack them yourself.  We will work together to prioritize what's most important!

 

HOW WILL THINGS BE LABELED?

We will label boxes by room. Fragile stickers will be placed on any boxes that contain breakable or lightweight/delicate items.  A general list of what’s inside will be written on each box.  If you have large wall art or decor that needs to be wrapped with paper padding or requires extra protection, we'll label the outside to detail what it is and the room it came from.

 

CAN CLOTHING BE PACKED?

Yes!  Clothing can be easily packed by our professionals.  Wardrobes are not necessary for hanging clothes unless preferred.  The method we use makes it easy to be unpacked and your clothes can go straight from the box to the closet without ever having to come off the hangers.

 

WHAT ABOUT THINGS I DON'T WANT PACKED?

Before our crew arrives, do a walk-through of your home and designate an area in each room not to be packed.  We refer to these areas as "No-Pack Zones".  Try to think of necessities you will need for the amount of time between packing and your actual move.

 

WHAT AREAS OF A HOME OR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY ARE "PACKABLE", AND WHAT ARE NOT?

Any interior room that is well lit, easily accessible, temperature controlled and does not contain hazardous materials is generally considered a safe working space, making it an adequate area to be packed for your move or project.  For example, those preparing to move an entire home could expect us to pack the following commonly found areas of a home: bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, pantry, closets, living/game/media rooms, offices or common areas, open upstairs landings/playrooms, formal dining rooms, sitting areas, foyers, art or music studios, cellars, hidden or nested bookshelves/closets (please point these out to us if we don't notice them ;) etc.

 

Areas considered not packable are those that may place an individual at risk for injury or harm due to hazardous working conditions.  This may include unventilated rooms like an attic with no airflow, difficult to access areas (like crawlspaces that don't allow enough space for an individual to stand up or an entrance too small to walk through without bending or squatting), outdoor structures without sturdy flooring (holes/cracks/unlevel flooring deemed unsafe to walk on), any areas contaminated with an unusually high volume of chemicals or infestation of bugs/rodents.  If you have a need under any of these circumstances, we will offer references for other professionals trained and skilled to handle jobs of this nature.

 

CAN FRPP PACK MY GARAGE?

This depends on a few factors...There are many times we CAN pack garages and sheds, yet some situations that we are not able to.  For the most part, garages contain many items that need to be packed in order to be properly transported by your moving company.  Here are the factors that determine whether or not our team is able to pack your garage:

 

  • Weather - Unless you have a temperature-controlled garage (A/C, attached to home) there are many hot summer days that weather does not permit our staff to safely work in the heat.  Our operating procedure for outdoor/heat exposure work is as follows: Temperatures should be a combined 84 degrees with 40% humidity or lower (or comparable / 78 degrees with 48% humidity etc.) *There are limited opportunities when FRPP has access to crew members that specialize and assist with garage/outdoor packing or work in hotter conditions, however this must be scheduled in advance - please reference "cost".

 

  • Accessibility - We must be able to safely access the contents of your garage.  It's ok if you have things piled up with no pathways, however we will require adequate driveway and/or yard space to begin pulling items out in order to separate, sort, pack, throw away etc.  We will not be able to work in a garage that doesn't have clear pathways or walking room without surrounding outdoor space.

 

  • Cost - Garages that meet both our weather and accessibility policies are accommodated at our standard hourly labor rate.  Work that is not considered "standard" and falls beyond the scope of our weather and accessibility policies must be requested in advance.  We may not always have specialty personnel available for your requested date, but this can be confirmed well before your service date.

 

IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN'T BE PACKED?

There are a few items that "can't" be packed, and some that can but shouldn't be. Try to assess anything you own that may be both irreplaceable and extremely fragile and/or delicate if handled.  We urge customers to hand carry these things and transport them in their own personal vehicles.  Once items are packed, we are not able to control how movers handle (or mishandle) the boxes or containers.  Moving any extremely fragile (already damaged or falling apart), precious items yourself is the best method to prevent new or further damage.  Examples of some of these items we see are preserved/dried flowers, antique paper/books/letters that crumble easily, items that already have loose gems/jewels/diamonds, hollowed and very thin artifacts that are oversized or already have cracks or missing pieces etc.

 

Some of the items on the "can't be packed" list include but are not limited to the following: items too heavy or large for 2 people to safely lift, oversized taxidermy (moose, bears), high volume flammable or combustible liquids, fireworks, explosives, corroded or rusty batteries, paint cans larger than quart sized, chemical cleaners, some toiletry/bathroom products, ammunition, firearms, other large weapons like *swords and machetes (*unless contained in appropriate sleeve/cover).  

 

WHEN IS PAYMENT DUE?

Payments for every service are due upon job completion unless other arrangements have been made IN ADVANCE.  When we are operating on a full schedule, some clients may be asked to provide a deposit to reserve your date(s) for service.  Deposits will always be applied 100% to the final bill.  If you pay a deposit and need to reschedule, please contact us right away.  We will do everything we can to accommodate schedule changes when possible!  However, if your job is cancelled due to a scheduling request that we are not able to work with, you would receive your full deposit back, if you paid one.  Last minute cancellations without a reschedule (within 48 hours) will not receive deposited funds back.

 

WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENT ARE ACCEPTED?

Cash  -  Check  -  Zelle  -  PayPal  -  Venmo - Credit Cards (**Processing Fees Apply to All Credit Card Transactions)

Payments by check should be written out to "First Response Pack and Purge".  Credit cards are accepted through PayPal and Venmo.  FRPP does not charge an additional fee for processing credit cards through PayPal or Venmo, although both PayPal and Venmo may charge a rate of 1.5% - 3% to process your payment using a credit card.  (Debit cards through these merchants are always free to the customer.)  Credit card payments are accepted directly, by swiping on a device.  All swiped transactions using a credit or debit card will incur a processing fee (2.75% - 3.25%).

Payment Plans - In some cases, payment plans and terms may be considered.  This cannot be arranged following a completed job.  APPROVAL BY FRPP OWNERSHIP AND AGREEMENT IN WRITING MUST BE FINALIZED BEFORE WE WILL BEGIN YOUR JOB.  A down payment of at least 50% will be required for jobs quoted over $4,000.  Down payment(s) may be split up and paid weekly or bi-weekly as long as the full down payment amount due (25-50% of your total quote - assessed on a case by cases basis) is paid in full prior to beginning your job.

 

IS THIRD PARTY BILLING ALLOWED?

Typically, the answer is no.  *There are some rare instances where this may be allowable, so please verify with us before booking.  As a small business, we do not have the resources or personnel designated to collect 3rd party, commercial or vendor payments.  If the services you need are being paid for by your insurance company, workplace or other entity we can offer to send your quote and/or a purchase order directly to them with a "request to reimburse customer" form on your behalf.  You would still be responsible for payment in full upon job completion, however handling this process and any required forms/documents in advance will expedite their timeline to reimburse you!  Many organizations are accepting of this and may ask us for a signed W9 form.  We are more than willing to submit this in order for them to process reimbursement for you.  And again, typically "third-party billing" is not accepted - but you never know!  We urge you to communicate your situation to us if something like this applies so we can determine if an exception can be made on your behalf.

 

WHAT AREAS DOES FRPP SERVICE?

Our targeted areas of service are the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and its surrounding cities.  We will travel upon request and when booked far enough in advance for clients who have a need outside of our typically serviced areas.  When this is the case, we will factor any additional costs necessary to accommodate you.  Extra fees billed for travel time, gas/mileage, overnight accommodations etc. will be discussed up front and quoted as flat rate pricing to be added onto your final bill.  See below for our most commonly serviced cities.