Military PCS Move: How to Get Ready When Orders Arrive

What to do first when you get PCS orders

A military PCS move, short for permanent change of station, runs on paperwork and lead time. A few steps in the first days set up everything that follows.

1. Wait for orders in hand. Do not sign a lease, give notice, or buy or sell a home on the strength of a verbal heads-up
2. Read the orders line by line. Check the duty station, the reporting date, and the dependent information. If something is wrong, tell your administrative office right away so it can be corrected
3. Contact your transportation office. This is the starting point for every household goods shipment. The office goes by different names depending on your branch and installation, and it is where you get counseling on your options and entitlements
4. Make copies of your orders. You will be asked for them again and again
5. Reach out to the new installation. A sponsor or the family support center there can answer questions about housing, schools, and the area

Start early. Summer is the peak moving season for military families, and the dates you want go first.

Government-arranged move or personally procured move

There are two basic ways to ship your belongings on a PCS, and you can combine them. Your transportation office will explain what applies to your orders.

A personally procured move is still widely called a DITY move, for do-it-yourself. You can also split the shipment: the government ships most of the household, and you move part of it yourself.

How the PCS weight allowance works

Every service member has a PCS weight allowance, the maximum weight of household goods the government will ship. It depends on your rank and on whether you have dependents. We do not list the figures here because they are set by regulation and can change. Your transportation office will give you your exact number.

• Everything counts. Furniture, boxes, the garage, the patio set, and the contents of the attic
• Know the heavy categories. Books, tools, weight sets, and solid wood furniture add up fastest
• Ask about professional gear. Ask your counselor whether work-related books, papers, and equipment should be listed in a particular way
• Lighten the load before pack day. Sell, donate, or discard what you do not want to unpack at the next duty station

Ask your counselor what happens if you go over your allowance and how to estimate your weight before anything is packed.

PCS checklist: getting the house ready

Use this PCS checklist in the weeks before the packers arrive. Our general moving checklist covers utilities and address changes.

• Set up a "do not pack" room. Uniforms, suitcases, and everything traveling with you go in one closet or bathroom with a sign on the door
• Hand-carry the documents: orders, military and dependent IDs, passports, birth and marriage certificates, medical, dental, and school records, vehicle titles, and financial papers
• Photograph your belongings. Take pictures or video of furniture and electronics, and write down serial numbers
• List high-value items so you can confirm that each one appears on the inventory
• Clear out what cannot ship. Fuel, propane, paint, and other hazardous items stay behind. See what movers won't move
• Prepare appliances. Empty, clean, and dry the refrigerator and washer, and drain fuel from the mower
• Plan for kids and pets on pack day and loading day. Our guide to moving with kids can help

Pack day, pickup, and delivery: what to watch

On a government-arranged move, the inventory is the record of what was shipped and what condition it was in. Treat it that way.

• Be home, or name a trusted adult to stand in for you
• Read the inventory before you sign it. Check that each item is listed and that the condition notes are fair
• If you disagree with a note, write your exception on the form before signing
• Keep your copy of every document in one folder that travels with you
• At delivery, check off each inventory number as it comes off the truck
• Note anything missing or damaged on the delivery paperwork before the crew leaves

Ask your transportation office how claims work and what the deadlines are before delivery day, not after.

Doing a personally procured move: where a mover fits

Talk to your transportation office before you move anything yourself. Ask what approval a personally procured move requires and exactly which records you must keep. Certified weight tickets for the empty and loaded vehicle and your receipts are the usual ones, but get the list from your counselor.

A PPM does not have to mean doing every part alone. The common setups are:

• Rent a truck and do all of it yourself
• Rent a truck or portable container and hire a crew to load or unload it
• Hire a moving company for the full job

Allpoints Moving Services is a family-owned, licensed and insured mover based in Metro Atlanta, in business since 1999. We move military households across Georgia and nationwide. We offer long-distance moving quoted at a flat rate based on distance, inventory, and added services, local moving billed hourly, packing services with materials included, and labor-only help loading or unloading a rental truck or container.

Tell us it is a PPM when you request a quote. A written flat rate gives you a firm number to set beside the estimate from your transportation office. For long-distance moves, book 3 to 4 weeks ahead, and earlier in summer.

A simple timeline from orders to the new duty station

Every branch and every set of orders is a little different. When this guide and your transportation office disagree, your transportation office is right.