If you’re renting, you can skip much of this section—Oregon law requires landlords to provide garbage and recycling collection—but if you’re buying a home you’ll need to arrange for trash pickup.

Electronic waste, such as television sets, computers, computer monitors, and the like, contains such heavy metals as lead, mercury and cadmium and should not be thrown out. If the item still works, consider donating it to a nonprofit such as Free Geek (1731 SE 10th Ave, 503-232-9350, www.freegeek.org), an organization that rebuilds used electronics and provides them to people and organizations in need.

To learn how to recycle electronic waste in the Portland area, visit Metro’s electronics recycling web page at www.oregonmetro.gov/findrecycler and select “electronics” from the list of recyclable items, or call 503-234-3000. If you live in Oregon outside Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s web site (www.deq.state.or.us/lq/eycle/consumers/index.htm) has useful information about e-cycling (computer and electronics recycling). The Washington Department of Ecology posts similar information at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/eproductrecycle/.

Household hazardous waste such as paint, solvents, or chemicals is not safe to toss in the trash and should be disposed of properly. If you inherit such materials in the Portland area, you can take your household hazardous waste to Metro for free, safe disposal or recycling. Metro has two hazardous waste acceptance facilities, which are adjacent to the two transfer stations listed above and are open Monday through Saturday. For information and directions, call 503-234-3000 or visit www.oregonmetro.gov/hhw. In Clark County, household hazardous waste can be taken to the Central Transfer and Recycling Center on weekends from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or the West Van Materials Recovery Center on Friday or Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; see listing above for contact info. Both Metro and Clark County organize frequent community hazardous waste collection events from March through November.

Of course, you should properly dispose of your electronic and hazardous waste before you move to Portland; it’s illegal and unsafe to transport hazardous waste, and getting rid of bulky electronics you no longer use will reduce the amount of stuff you have to move. Call 1-800-RECYCLE to find out where you can recycle electronics or dispose of hazardous waste in your area.

Metro, the Portland area’s regional government, coordinates solid waste disposal and supports programs to increase recycling and reduce waste across the region. Local cities and counties franchise actual garbage pickup to a host of private companies. To find your garbage hauler, visit Metro’s “Find your garbage hauler” page at www.oregonmetro.gov/hauler or call 503-234-3000. Contact your hauler directly to set up garbage hauling service and to find out about available container sizes and monthly charges.

If you need to dispose of a large item—like that moldy, squirrel-infested sofa that the old owner of your new house “forgot” to take off the front porch—you can load it in your car, truck, or trailer, cover it with a tarp, and haul the thing to one of Metro’s transfer stations:

• Metro Central Station, 6161 NW 61st Ave, Portland
• Metro South Station, 2001 Washington St, Oregon City

For directions and hours, call Metro Recycling Information at 503-234-3000 or visit www.oregonmetro.gov/article.cfm/go/by.web/id=570. Alternatively, you can have a private company deliver (and take away) a large drop box; look in the Yellow Pages under “Garbage & Rubbish Collection.” If you’re looking to expend less effort but more money, call a service like 1-800-GOT-JUNK, which will send a crew to clean up your mess for you and whisk it away.

If you live in Washington County, two other privately operated locations might be more convenient. The Forest Grove Transfer Station (1525 B Street, Forest Grove) accepts the same kinds of materials for disposal and recycling as Metro’s transfer stations. Call 503-249-8078 for hours and fee information. The Hillsboro Landfill (3205 SE Minter Bridge Road, Hillsboro) accepts only “dry waste” (i.e., no kitchen waste or other materials that could decompose rapidly and cause odor or vector problems) and some recyclables. Call 503-640-9427 for hours, fees, and details about what kinds of waste the landfill will accept.

If you don’t want materials that are still potentially usable, you can call Metro Recycling Information at 503-234-3000 to talk with a recycling specialist who will help you find a convenient option for recycling, reusing, or disposing of the unwanted item. Alternatively, visit Metro’s interactive “Find a Recycler” web page (www.oregonmetro.gov/findrecycler), which features information about hundreds of reuse and recycling options across the region. (The call center maintains the database used for both the hotline and the Find a Recycler web tool, so you’ll get the same information by phone or online.) The database is updated on almost a daily basis, so information is as current as possible.

Franchised garbage haulers pick up curbside recycling and yard debris. Each local government regulates curbside recycling and determines what materials are accepted, although glass, paper, cans, and plastic bottles can be recycled at the curb throughout the region. Some jurisdictions offer more comprehensive recycling options than others.

In Portland, the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (503-823-7202, www.PortlandOnline.com/bps/recycle) administers the city’s curbside recycling and yard debris pickup programs. For information about curbside recycling in other parts of the metro area, visit www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=527, call Metro at 503-234-3000, or contact your local government.

More ambitious recyclers can go beyond the limited range of materials recycled at the curb; to learn where to recycle packing peanuts, block styrofoam, old batteries, antifreeze, and other hard-to-find-a-home-for items, contact—you guessed it!—Metro at www.oregonmetro.gov/findrecycler or 503-234-3000. Metro also accepts recyclables at its transfer stations.

If your new home will be in an outlying area beyond Metro’s jurisdiction, contact your city or county government directly to find out how to set up garbage and recycling service. If you’re going to live someplace really remote, you may have to haul your own garbage to the dump!

Waste Connections Inc. (360-892-5370, www.wcnorthwest.com) provides trash, recycling, and yard debris pickup in most of Clark County. Call them or visit their web site to set up service. The city of Camas hauls garbage for city residents; visit ci.camas.wa.us/services/utilities/ussan.htm or call 360-834-2462 for details. For general information on garbage collection, recycling, and yard debris collection in Clark County, visit www.co.clark.wa.us/recycle.

Clark County has three transfer stations:                     

• Central Transfer Station, 11034 NE 117th Ave, Vancouver, 360-256-8482
• Washougal Transfer Station, 4020 S Grant St, Washougal, 360-835-2500
• West Van Materials Recovery Center, 6601 NW Old Lower River Rd, Vancouver, 360-737-1727

A few large utilities (and several small ones) serve the two states and seven counties that make up the greater Portland metropolitan area. In most cases, you won’t be able to choose which company provides your water, electric, cable, or gas service, so there’s no need to compare prices. You can usually sign up for service directly with the utility, either by telephone or online. If you are unsure about which specific utility serves your new address, check with your new city or county government, your realtor, or your property manager. Whichever utility company serves your new home, call the one-call utility locator service for your area before you start digging in your new yard. In Oregon, call the Oregon Utility Notification Center at 800-332-2344, or visit the center online at www.digsafelyoregon.com; in southwest Washington, contact the Utilities Underground Location Center, 800-424-5555, www.callbeforeyoudig.org.

Comcast (800-COMCAST, www.comcast.com) has a monopoly on traditional cable television service in Portland and most suburban areas. Verizon has deployed television programming over its FiOS fiber-optic lines to many of its telephone subscribers in Washington County. Frontier will take over this service as part of its purchase of Verizon local exchanges. (See Landline Phone Service, above, for contact and service area information.) Qwest reportedly also intends to introduce a similar service at some far distant date. As they say in the TV business, stay tuned. In the meantime, the only area communities with non-Comcast cable options are Beavercreek, Colton, and Molalla, while Canby offers digital television over its municipal DSL lines.

Satellite television is available throughout the region from Direct TV (888-777-2454, www.directv.com) and Dish Network (888-825-2557, www.dishnetwork.com).

Try to resolve billing or other disputes with your phone, gas, or electric company on your own. If a problem persists, contact the Consumer Services Section of the Oregon Public Utility Commission (550 Capitol Street NE #215, Salem, OR 97308-2148, 503-378-6600 [Salem], 800-522-2404 [Oregon outside Salem], www.puc.state.or.us/PUC/consume/comppro.shtml). OPUC’s web site includes an explanation of the complaint procedure and a complaint form that you can submit online.

In Washington, contact the consumer affairs staff of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (P.O. Box 47250, 1300 South Evergreen Park Drive SW, Olympia, WA 98504, 800-333-9882), or visit www.wutc.wa.gov/fileacomplaint to use their online complaint form. Note that these agencies only regulate investor-owned utilities, so if you have a dispute with a public utility district or municipal utility, you’ll have to work out the problem with the utility.

Two large investor-owned utilities and one public utility district (PUD) provide electricity to most of the Portland metropolitan area. The primary electric utility for most of the city of Portland and its suburbs in Oregon is Portland General Electric (PGE) (503-228-6322, 800-542-8818 for customer service, 503-464-7777, 800-544-1795 to report outages and emergencies, www.portlandgeneral.com). Owned from 1997 to 2006 by Enron, and thus one of that company’s few real assets, PGE is now a stand-alone company. To start service, call customer service or visit www.cs.portlandgeneral.com.

Pacific Power (888-221-7070 for customer service and new accounts, 877-LITESOUT for outages, www.pacificpower.net), serves most of Northeast Portland and a portion of downtown Portland. Pacific Power is the local business name of PacifiCorp, a major power company that is owned by MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company.

In Clark County, Washington, electricity is delivered by Clark Public Utilities (360-992-3000 or 800-562-1736 for customer service, 360-992-8000 for outages, www.clarkpublicutilities.com), a customer-owned PUD.

A few PUDs, member-owned electric cooperatives, and municipal power companies provide electricity to outlying communities in Oregon:

• Canby Utility, 503-266-1156, is Canby’s independent, city-owned utility.
• Columbia River PUD, 503-397-0590, www.crpud.net, provides electric service to much of Columbia County, including Scappoose and St. Helens, and a small part of northern Multnomah County.
• Forest Grove Light and Power, 503-992-3250, www.forestgrove-or.gov/city-services/light-and-power.html, is a department of the city of Forest Grove; it provides electricity to Forest Grove and part of the surrounding area.
• McMinnville Water & Light, 503-472-6158, www.mc-power.com, is the municipal utility company for the city of McMinnville.
• Salem Electric, 503-362-3601, www.salemelectric.com, serves portions of Keizer and Salem (primarily West Salem).
• West Oregon Electric Cooperative, 503-429-3021, 800-777-1276, www.westoregon.org, serves rural areas of Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook, Washington, and Yamhill counties.

Most local utilities offer green power or renewable energy options to residential customers. PGE has two programs: Green Source and Clean Wind. Pacific Power’s version is the Blue Sky program, which offers similar options. The Clark Public Utilities program is called Green Lights. Contact your utility or visit its web site for additional information and costs.

In Oregon, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (503-986-2094, www.ohcs.oregon.gov/OHCS/SOS_Low_Income_Energy_Assistance_Oregon.shtml) help low-income households pay heating bills during the winter months; for details about other heating assistance options, visit Warm Oregon (www.warmoregon.org). Washington has a similar program with an identical name the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (360-725-2866, www.liheapwa.org). Additional heating assistance programs, funded by the federal government or utility companies, may be available; visit the federal site, www.liheap.ncat.org, or call 800-453-5511.

Washington has a disconnection moratorium rule that allows low-income households that have exhausted all other alternatives to keep their heat on from November 15 through March 15. To qualify, you must follow certain procedures, including contacting the utility and trying to work out a payment plan. Contact the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (800-333-9882, www.wutc.wa.gov/consumer) for details. Oregon does not have a similar moratorium rule; if you are unable to pay your utility bills during the winter, contact your utility directly to work out a payment plan to avoid disconnection.

Your telephone or cable provider should be annoyingly eager to also provide you with Internet service. The bundled services they offer can often be good deals; however, it’s worth shopping around for an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that will best support your particular needs (for web hosting, for example, or national dial-in access if you travel frequently). Be sure to check out local ISPs as well as the big national providers; local companies sometimes offer less expensive (and more responsive) service than big players like MSN, AOL, or Earthlink.

If you’re deciding between DSL and cable broadband service, be sure to compare the speeds of the services available in your specific neighborhood. Ask your neighbors about their experiences, and consider whether the room in which you plan to place your modem already has a phone or cable jack in place. (It can be expensive to add new jacks.)

Portland’s experiment in free municipal Wi-Fi ended badly in 2008 when MetroFi, the private company that had a contract to provide Wi-Fi access across 95 percent of the city, pulled the plug, citing high costs and lower-than-expected ad revenue. In a rare display of fiscal restraint, the city refused to pay MetroFi $9 million to keep what was a pretty mediocre service going. Wi-Fi service is now fairly ad hoc: coffee shops, bars, libraries, and other establishments throughout the metropolitan area are Wi-Fi hotspots that provide free or paid wireless access to their patrons. Sites like www.wifipdx.com and www.jiwire.com provide extensive lists of Portland Wi-Fi hotspots. The Personal Telco Project (www.personaltelco.net) is an all-volunteer effort to create a public (as opposed to municipal) Wi-Fi network in Portland; check their web site for hotspot listings.

A much more robust WiMax wireless internet service has been deployed in Portland, but access will cost you $30 per month or more, depending on usage. For information or to sign up, contact Clear (www.clear.com, 888-888-3113).

Many houses and apartments in the Portland area do not use gas at all; some homes have electric furnaces and hot water heaters—a holdover from the days when the region’s hydropower was ridiculously cheap—and a few older homes still have oil furnaces. If your home has a natural gas furnace or stove, NW Natural is almost certainly your provider. To activate new service, call 503-226-4211 or 800-422-4012 or visit www.nwnatural.com/services.

Portland and its Oregon suburbs have two area codes, 503 and 971. The 971 area code was introduced in 2000 as an “overlay” area code for the Portland metropolitan area, and there is no geographic division between the two area codes. Telephone companies are required to exhaust their supply of 503 prefixes before assigning a 971 area code, and currently 971 numbers are mostly assigned to cell phones. As a result, the 503 area code is still by far the most common—so much so that many residents and businesses still only give out seven-digit numbers, with the “503” implied.

Because these two area codes overlap, you must dial the full ten-digit telephone number, including the area code (but not including an initial “1”), when you make a local call. To complicate matters, the 503 area code encompasses large parts of northwest Oregon outside the metro area, including Salem and the north coast; calls to these areas are toll calls, and you’ll need to dial a “1” before the area code. There is unfortunately no way to tell from the area code alone whether a 503 number is a local or distance call.

The area codes for the rest of the state are 541 and 458; in the Willamette Valley, they begin just south of Salem, and individuals in these areas also need to dial the full ten-digit telephone number.

The area code for southwest Washington is 360. Currently, it is not necessary to dial the area code first when making local calls to a 360 number.

Qwest has a virtual monopoly on local telephone service in Portland and much of the suburban area. You can order new residential service online at www.qwest.com/homeservice, or by calling 800-475-7526. Verizon (www22.verizon.com/pages/newconnect/, 800-837-4966) is the incumbent carrier in Yamhill County, most of Washington County (except for North Plains, which is Qwest territory), Gresham, Sandy, Happy Valley, Wilsonville, and Silverton. In 2009, Frontier Communications purchased Verizon’s local exchanges in Oregon and Washington; at press time, the purchase was still awaiting regulatory approval. Assuming the deal goes through, new customers in Verizon’s former territory should contact Frontier (www.frontier.com, 800-921-8101) to set up local service.

A few competitors offer alternatives to the main carriers for local phone service, although these newcomers primarily serve business rather than residential customers. In addition, Comcast offers cable-based phone service (see Cable Television, below), and if you have a broadband connection you can choose to use Internet-based phone service (see VoIP, below).

A few Clackamas County communities are served by independent telecom companies:

• Beaver Creek Cooperative Telephone Company, 503-632-3113, www.bctelco.com, provides telephone, wireless, cable television, and Internet service in Oregon City and Beavercreek.
• Canby Telecom, 503-266-8111, www.canbytel.com, provides telephone, Internet, and digital television (via DSL) service in Canby.
• Colton Telephone & Cable TV, 503-824-3211, www.colton.com, offers the services its name suggests, along with Internet service, in Colton.
• Molalla Communications Company, 503-829-1100, molalla.net, offers a similar range of services in Molalla.

In Washington, local telephone service is open to competition. Although Qwest and Verizon (soon to be replaced by Frontier) are the dominant local carriers in Clark County, consumers can use one of several other companies for residential phone service; check the listings in the front of the phone book or go to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission web site, www.wutc.wa.gov/telecom, to find authorized telecommunications companies.

You are under no obligation to use your local phone company for long-distance service. Many companies now offer unlimited long-distance calls for a flat fee, which can be a good deal if you make lots of long-distance calls. (Local phone companies often offer their customers “bundle” discounts on unlimited long-distance plans.) Otherwise, analyze your typical calling patterns and select a plan that offers the best deal based on the time of day and average duration of your calls. You can research and compare long-distance plans at web sites such as www.saveonphone.com, www.phonedog.com, and www.tollchaser.com.

Every convenience store and corner market sells prepaid calling cards in denominations of $5 and up. Some of these card companies advertise rates as low as 1.2 cents a minute. Those rates apply to actual talking time, though—with per-call charges and surcharges for using a pay phone, you’ll deplete the card balance rapidly if you make lots of short calls. Still, prepaid cards can be cheaper than many long-distance plans if you tend to make only a few long calls.

Making international calls from your home phone can be shockingly expensive. Most long-distance companies offer general or country-specific international calling plans; there is often a monthly charge, so these plans work best for people who make frequent international calls, especially to a single country. For occasional international calling, consider an international prepaid calling card. Alternatively, sign up for a web-based calling program such as Skype (www.skype.com), which offers very low international rates.

VoIP

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, allows people with broadband connections to make voice telephone calls over the Internet, including international calls, for a flat monthly fee. The biggest players in this market are currently Skype (www.skype.com) and Vonage (www.vonage.com), but most major and some minor telephone, cable, and Internet providers now offer VoIP service.. VoIP may be a good value if you make many long-distance calls. However, VoIP has some downsides: it won’t work during a power failure or if your broadband connection goes down, it can suffer from poor sound quality, and your location cannot always be identified if you call 911. For that last reason alone, it’s advisable to keep a conventional landline or a cell phone for emergencies.

Portlanders, like urbanites around the world, increasingly view cell phones as a necessity. A growing number of residents have dropped their traditional long-distance service, or have even abandoned landlines entirely, preferring to rely instead on their cell phones (and their carriers’ national rate plans) for all voice communication. This approach has potential pitfalls—for example, wireless reception in hilly neighborhoods can be spotty or nonexistent, and service can be inconsistent even in areas with otherwise adequate coverage—but it may be a good solution if you plan to get a mobile phone anyway. Keep in mind that vast swaths of the rural Northwest lack any coverage at all, and Oregon is one of the only states in the country where analog-compatible phones are still necessary in some remote areas. To be sure that you’re not stuck with a cell phone that won’t work where and when you need it, confirm that your provider will allow you to test the phone for a trial period after you start service and to return the phone if reception is unacceptable. (Not all carriers accept returns, and some who do charge a restocking fee.)

Check the Yellow Pages for a complete list of cellular providers, and research the latest deals on service plans at a site like www.point.com. Be prepared to swallow a one- to three-year contract for the best monthly rates; if you don’t need a free or subsidized phone, and you don’t make lots of calls, a pay-as-you-go plan may be a better deal. The largest cellular carriers in the Portland area are:

• AT&T Wireless, 888-333-6651, www.wireless.att.com.
• Cricket Wireless, 800-922-5159, www.mycricket.com; a recent entrant to the Portland market, Cricket claims to have good wireless coverage in the Portland area and the Willamette Valley, but its coverage in the rest of Oregon is limited.
• Sprint, 866-866-7509, www.sprint.com
• T-Mobile, 800-TMOBILE, www.t-mobile.com.
• Verizon Wireless, 800-922-0204, www.verizonwireless.com

Most of these carriers have stand-alone stores as well as mall-based kiosks throughout the Portland area. Some electronics and office supply stores, large retailers like Fred Meyer, Target, and Wal-Mart, and even online merchants like Amazon.com, sell phones and service plans on behalf of one or more carriers. In addition, Qwest and Verizon offer discounts for bundling cell and landline services; check with your prospective carrier for details.

Portland takes great pride in its drinking water system. The city boasts some of the highest-quality tap water in the country because its primary source is the protected Bull Run watershed near Mount Hood. (The city’s backup source is drinkable but somewhat less pristine groundwater from a well field near the Columbia River.) Most Portlanders drink water directly from the tap; some people filter their water, which is a good practice if you live in an older home that may have lead in the water lines.

To set up water service in the city of Portland, contact the Portland Water Bureau (503-823-7770, www.portlandonline.com/water). Residential bills come every three months; the bill will include sewer and stormwater utility charges. The stormwater charge is based on the estimated volume of runoff from roofs and paved areas on your property. Through the Clean River Rewards program, homeowners and businesses can qualify for a discount on the stormwater charge if they take certain steps to prevent rainwater from flowing into streets or sewers. Visit www.cleanriverrewards.com for details.

Outside Portland, most incorporated cities provide municipal water and sewer service to their residents (in some cases, using Portland water). To sign up or for more information, contact your city hall or visit your city’s web site (see the Useful Phone Numbers and Web Sites chapter). Many unincorporated areas obtain water service from nearby municipal systems or from special water districts. The largest of the latter, Tualatin Valley Water District (503-642-1511, www.tvwd.org), serves nearly 200,000 residents in eastern Washington County, including parts of Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Tigard.

If you’re concerned about the quality of your local tap water, or if you just want more information about it, you can contact your water utility and ask for a copy of their annual report (which is usually posted online); alternatively, contact the Environmental Protection Agency (call the safe drinking water hotline, 800-426-4791, or go to www.epa.gov/safewater).

Probably the best way to find a mover is through a personal recommendation. Absent a reference from a trusted friend or relative, you can start with the Yellow Pages. For long-distance moves, the American Moving and Storage Association (www.moving.org) keeps a list of certified movers that honor the organization’s code of conduct.

Once you’ve identified potential movers, do your homework. The federal government eliminated the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1995. Currently, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), an agency of the Department of Transportation, is charged with regulating interstate moves, but it has only a handful of full-time investigators and has no authority to intervene on a consumer’s behalf during a move. States do not have the authority to regulate interstate moving companies, and since the federal government basically won’t, you’re really pretty much on your own in your dealings with an interstate mover. Understandably, the interstate moving industry has degenerated into a largely unregulated free-for-all with thousands of unhappy, ripped-off customers. In fact, the Council of Better Business Bureaus reports that complaints against moving and storage companies rank near the top of all complaints received by their bureaus every year.

Watch out for shakedown schemes that begin with a lowball bid off the Internet and end with the mover holding your belongings hostage for a high cash ransom. Despite the fact that federal law says that movers cannot charge more than 10% over any written estimate, it is not unusual for unscrupulous movers to charge you several times their written estimates—and with your possessions in their possession, you may find yourself paying anyway, since companies that operate this way also won’t tell you where they’re holding your stuff.

For an informative—but potentially terror-inducing—read, check out the MovingScam web site (www.movingscam.com). MovingScam.com provides sound, unbiased consumer education and is committed to bettering consumer protections in the moving industry. The site features a host of useful articles and recent moving news, and maintains a “superlist” of good and bad experiences. Its message boards are tended by dedicated volunteers who respond promptly and knowledgeably to moving-related queries, free of charge. The FMCSA operates a similar web site (www.protectyourmove.gov). This web site provides one-click checking to make sure that an interstate mover is properly registered and insured. (You can get this information by phone at 800-832-5660.) The site also includes news of recent criminal investigations and convictions, and offers links to local Better Business Bureaus, consumer protection agencies, state attorneys general, and state moving associations. In general, consumer advocates and attorneys general around the country urge you to take precautions before hiring a mover by doing the following things:

• Make sure the mover is licensed and insured. If the companies you’re interested in appear to be federally licensed, the next step is to contact the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) and find out if the Bureau has a record of any complaints against them.
• Get several written estimates from companies that have actually sent a sales representative to your home to do a visual inspection of the goods to be moved. Don’t worry about cost here; estimates should always be free. Don’t do business with a company that charges for an estimate or wants to give you an estimate over the telephone. Do, however, make sure each company is giving you an estimate for approximately the same poundage of items to be moved, and for the same services. Finally, only accept estimates that are written on a document that contains the company’s name, address, phone number, and signature of the salesperson. Note that estimates can be either binding or non-binding. A binding estimate guarantees the total cost of the move based upon the quantities and services shown on the estimate. A non-binding estimate is what your mover believes the cost will be, based upon the estimated weight of the shipment and the extra services requested. With a non-binding estimate the final charges will be based upon the services provided and the actual weight of your shipment. If you accept a mover’s non-binding estimate, you must be prepared to pay up to 10% more than the estimated charges at delivery.
• Remember that price, while important, isn’t everything, especially when you’re entrusting all of your worldly possessions to strangers. Choose a mover you feel comfortable with.
• Ask for references—then check them.
• Be sure you understand the terms of the moving contract. Get everything in writing, including the mover’s liability to you for breakage or loss. Consider whether to buy additional replacement insurance to cover loss or damage. Check your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy to see what, if any, coverage you may already have for your belongings while they are in transit. If the answer is “none,” ask your insurer if you can add coverage for your move. You can purchase coverage through your mover. A mover’s coverage, however, is normally based on the weight of the items being insured, not on their value. If you want to cover the actual value of your belongings, you will need to purchase “full value” or “full replacement” insurance. Though it’s expensive, it’s worth it—and you can lower the cost by increasing your deductible. Better yet, consider packing and moving irreplaceable, fragile or sentimental items, documents, and jewelry yourself. That way you can avoid the headache and heartache of possible loss or breakage of your most valuable possessions.
• Compile a detailed inventory of all items shipped and note their condition when they left your house. Take pictures of your important items, and be present for both the loading and unloading of your things. Since checking every item as it comes off the truck is probably impossible when you’re moving the contents of an entire house, write “subject to further inspection for concealed loss or damage” on the moving contract to allow for damage you may discover as you unpack.
• File a written claim with the mover immediately if any loss or damage occurs—and keep a copy of your claim, as well as all the other paperwork related to your move. If your claim is not resolved within a reasonable time, file complaints with the Better Business Bureau and appropriate authorities, as well. (See “Consumer Complaints—Movers,” below.)

If you’ve followed the steps above and succeeded in hiring a reputable mover:

• Listen to what the movers say; they are professionals and can give you expert advice about packing and preparing. Also, be ready for the truck on both ends—don’t make the movers wait. Understand, too, that there may be delays caused by factors—adverse weather, for example—that are beyond a carrier’s control, and your belongings may not get to you at the time, or on the day, promised.
• Treat your movers well, especially the ones loading your stuff on and off the truck. Offer to buy them lunch, and tip them if they do a good job.
• Be prepared to pay the full moving bill upon delivery. The mover may require cash or a cashier’s check. Some carriers will take VISA and MasterCard but it is a good idea to get written confirmation that you will be permitted to pay with a credit card; the delivering driver may not be aware of this arrangement and may demand cash.

If you plan to move your own belongings, you can simply rent a vehicle and hit the road. Look in the Yellow Pages under “Truck Rental” and then call around for quotes. Even if you’re dealing with a nationwide company, call the location nearest you to check pricing and availability. (Keep in mind that some of the national truck rental companies offer significant discounts for reserving a vehicle online, so it pays to check out their web sites as well.) If you just need a minivan or a small trailer, get quotes from a regular car rental company (listed in the Transportation chapter).

If you are comparing different moving options, factor in the cost of fuel—which, for a cross-country move, can equal or exceed the cost of the basic truck rental—insurance, accommodation, and food. If you need to move a car, also consider whether you prefer to tow the car (most truck rental companies offer trailers or other car-towing options), have it shipped by truck, or have someone else drive it. (Companies such as American Car Transport, 866-322-3169, www.american-car-transport.com, will arrange shipment of your car for you.)

If you need a truck during peak moving season (between May and September) be sure to reserve one at least a month in advance, especially for one-way rentals. If you can, consider timing your move for the middle, rather than the end, of the month, because demand is lower then.

The following four national truck rental companies have multiple locations in the Portland area:

• Budget, 800-462-8343, www.budgettruck.com
• Penske, 888-996-5415, www.pensketruckrental.com
• Ryder, 800-297-9337, www.ryder.com
• U-Haul, 800-468-4285, www.uhaul.com

Once you’re on the road, keep in mind that your rental truck may be a tempting target for thieves. If you must park the truck overnight or for more than a couple of hours, try to find a well-lit parking spot where you can keep an eye on it, and don’t leave anything valuable in the cab.

• Metro (Oregon), 503-234-3000, www.oregonmetro.gov/hauler
• Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, 503-823-7202, www.portlandonline.com/bps/recycle
• Waste Connections Inc. (Clark County), 360-892-5370, www.wcnorthwest.com

• Northwest Utilities Underground Location Center (buried utility locations in Washington), 800-424-5555, www.callbeforeyoudig.org
• Oregon Utility Notification Center (buried utility locations in Oregon), 800-332-2344, www.digsafelyoregon.com

• Comcast, 800-COMCAST, www.comcast.com
• DIRECTV, 888-777-2454, www.directv.com
• Dish Network, 888-825-2557, www.dishnetwork.com

• Clark Public Utilities, 360-992-3000, 800-562-1736, outages 360-992-8000, www.clarkpublicutilities.com
• Pacific Power, 888-221-7070, outages 877-LITESOUT, www.pacificpower.net
• Portland General Electric, 503-228-6322, 800-542-8818, outages 503-464-7777, www.portlandgeneral.com

• Northwest Natural, 503-226-4211, 800-442-4012, gas leaks 800-882-3377, www.nwnatural.com

• Do Not Call List, 888-382-1222, TTY 866-290-4236, www.donotcall.gov
• Frontier Communications, 800-921-8101, www.frontier.com
• GetHuman, www.gethuman.com, tips for reaching a live person at hundreds of companies
• Qwest, 800-475-7526, www.qwest.com

• Portland Water Bureau, 503-823-7770, www.portlandonline.com/water
• Tualatin Valley Water District, 503-642-1511, www.tvwd.org