Most of what you own can go on a moving truck, but a few things cannot, and some need a plan before the crew arrives. Propane tanks, paint cans, houseplants and the family cat all fall into one of those groups, and finding out on moving day can hold up the whole day. Below, we list what movers won’t move in BC, explain why, and show you what to do with each item instead, based on what our crews see on moves across Vancouver and Burnaby.
Your moving company may refuse certain items because they are hazardous, could spoil, need special handling or are better kept in your own vehicle. The exact restrictions depend on the item, the distance you are travelling and the mover’s policies. Check the rules before packing anything you are unsure about.
Quick List: What Movers Won’t Take
| Item | Why it’s a problem | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, propane and other fuels | Fire and explosion risk | Use up, return or drop off |
| Paint, solvents and garden chemicals | Hazardous if spilled or mixed | Use up or take to a drop-off site |
| Fireworks, flares and explosives | Explosion risk | Ask your fire department or municipality |
| Damaged lithium batteries | Can overheat or catch fire | Take to a battery drop-off |
| Pets and other animals | A moving truck is not safe for them | Move them yourself |
| Houseplants | Easily damaged; some movement rules apply | Move them in your car |
| Perishable and frozen food | Spoils without cooling | Eat it up, donate or cool it yourself |
| Medication | Heat or cold can affect it, and you need it close | Carry it with you |
| Cash, jewellery and documents | Easy to lose, hard to replace | Carry them with you |
| Firearms and ammunition | Federal transport rules apply | Move them yourself, following RCMP rules |
| Items with bed bugs or mould | Can spread to your other things | Treat or dispose of them before the move |
This is a general guide. Some of these items can be moved with the right planning. Tell us about anything unusual when you ask for a quote, and we will tell you what we can take.
1. Gasoline, Propane and Other Fuels
Fuels are the first items to check before moving day. This includes:
- Gas cans and diesel containers
- Barbecue propane tanks
- Camping fuel, lighter fluid and kerosene
- Fuel left inside a lawn mower, pressure washer or generator
A small leak inside a closed truck can fill the air with flammable vapour. That is a fire risk for your belongings and for the crew.
What to do instead:
- Use up fuel in the weeks before your move.
- For a lawn mower or generator, empty the fuel by following the owner’s manual.
- Ask your propane supplier about returning or exchanging tanks.
- To get rid of unwanted fuel, search Recyclepedia, the Recycling Council of BC’s search tool, for a drop-off site near you.
Moving to Vancouver Island? BC Ferries’ dangerous goods rules let a personal vehicle carry small amounts under set conditions. For example, you can bring one approved 25 L gasoline container secured inside the vehicle, and one barbecue-size propane cylinder (18.9 L water capacity) that is closed, tagged, kept upright and secured. Your vehicle’s fuel tank must use the same type of fuel you are carrying.
2. Paint, Solvents, Cleaners and Garden Chemicals
The garage and the laundry room hold many items that should not go on the truck:
- Paint, paint thinner and solvents
- Pesticides, weed killers and lawn fertilizers
- Pool chemicals
- Strong cleaners, bleach and drain openers
- Old or unlabelled containers
Transport Canada lists paints, pesticides and lawn fertilizers among everyday items that can qualify as dangerous goods under federal rules. BC’s hazardous waste guidance lists paints, oils, solvents, acids and pesticides as types of hazardous waste.
3. Fireworks, Flares and Explosives
Fireworks, flares and other explosives can go off from heat or a hard knock. BC Ferries does not allow fireworks on board at all.
What to do instead: Ask your local fire department or municipality how to dispose of them safely. Do not put them in your garbage or recycling. Ammunition is covered under firearms below.
4. Lithium Batteries and Battery-Powered Gear
Laptops, phones, power tools, e-bikes and e-scooters all use lithium-ion batteries. Transport Canada lists lithium battery-powered devices among everyday items that can qualify as dangerous goods under federal rules.
That does not mean movers won’t move your electronics. Our packing and unpacking team is trained to pack them with care. The problem is a damaged battery.
What to do instead:
- Check your devices before you pack. Set aside any battery that is swollen, dented or overheats.
- Keep your phone, laptop and chargers in your essentials bag.
- Tell us about e-bikes, e-scooters and large battery packs when you ask for a quote.
- Batteries are hazardous waste, so do not put them in household garbage. Check with your municipality or search Recyclepedia for a battery drop-off location.
5. Pets and Other Animals
A moving truck is no place for an animal. The back of the truck is dark and noisy, and it usually has no heating or cooling.
Pets also feel the stress of moving day. On one condo move, our crew cleared a room so a customer’s rescue cat could stay in a quiet space away from the activity.
What to do instead:
- Keep pets in a quiet, closed room on moving day, or ask a friend to look after them.
- Move them in your own vehicle with water, food, medication and their ID tags.
- For fish, birds or reptiles, ask your vet how to keep them safe during the trip.
6. Houseplants and Garden Plants
Plants break easily, spill soil and can suffer in cold or heat. The Government of Canada lists live plants among the items to check with your mover.
There can also be legal limits. Parts of Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Kamloops are Japanese beetle regulated areas. Moving plants with soil out of these areas needs a CFIA movement certificate, all year round.
Under the CFIA’s Japanese beetle directive, non-commercial houseplants grown indoors that have never been set outside as patio plants are exempt. Garden and patio plants are not, so check the CFIA map before you move them.
What to do instead:
- Move small indoor plants in your car.
- Give large plants to friends or neighbours if you cannot move them yourself.
- On cold days, wrap plants and keep them out of a cold trunk.
7. Perishable and Frozen Food
A standard moving truck has no fridge. Fresh and frozen food can spoil, and leaks can damage other things.
What to do instead:
- Plan meals around your fridge and freezer for two to three weeks before the move.
- Donate unopened pantry food to a food bank that accepts it.
- Move what is left in a cooler in your own car.
- Empty, clean and defrost your fridge and freezer before moving day. Follow the manual for your model.
Once it is empty, cleaned and defrosted, your fridge is ready for the truck. Our single item movers move heavy fridges, pianos, gun safes and treadmills.
8. Medication and Medical Supplies
You may need your medication on moving day, and some medicines are affected by heat or cold.
What to do instead:
- Pack medication in your essentials bag.
- Ask your pharmacist how to carry medicine that needs to stay cold.
- For oxygen or powered medical equipment, ask your supplier how to move it safely.
9. Cash, Jewellery and Important Documents
Small valuables are easy to lose in a house full of boxes and hard to replace. The Government of Canada advises you to keep your phone, wallet and jewellery close on moving day.
Your essentials bag should hold:
- Cash, bank cards and jewellery
- Passports, birth certificates and ID
- Property, lease and insurance papers
- Keys, phone, laptop and chargers
- Small family keepsakes
Larger valuables, such as artwork, antiques and musical instruments, can go on the truck. Tell us about them first.
10. Firearms and Ammunition
Firearms and ammunition need careful handling. The rules depend on the type of firearm and how it is being transported.
What to do instead: Move firearms and ammunition yourself, following the RCMP’s rules. Another option is a transportation business with an RCMP carrier licence, which allows it to transport firearms anywhere within Canada. If you have a heavy gun safe, our single item movers can move it. Take the firearms out of the safe before moving day and move them yourself.
11. Furniture With Bed Bugs, Mould or Other Contamination
Bed bugs and mould can spread from one item to the rest of your belongings, the truck and your new home.
What to do instead:
- Tell your mover about the problem before moving day. Do not hide it.
- Hire a licensed pest control company to treat bed bugs before the move.
- Get professional advice for heavy mould.
- If an item cannot be saved, follow your city’s rules for disposing of it.
Items Movers Can Move With Some Preparation
Some items sound like a problem but are fine with the right plan:
- Pianos, safes and pool tables: Our single item movers use skid boards and padding for pianos and handle heavy gun safes, and our expert residential movers move heavy items like pool tables.
- Hot tubs and gym equipment: On our long-distance moves within BC, we move pianos, hot tubs, treadmills and other gym equipment with the right crew and gear. Tell us about them during your walkthrough so we can plan for them in your quote. See our guide on how to move a treadmill.
- Washers and fridges: Empty and drain washers, and empty and defrost fridges, following the manual before moving day.
- TVs, computers and office equipment: These move safely with the right packing. For business moves, read how to move IT equipment safely.
- Large furniture: Beds, tables and wardrobes may need to come apart. Learn whether moving companies disassemble furniture.
- Lawn mowers and pressure washers: These are easier to move once the fuel is used up or drained. Tell us about them when you ask for a quote.
How to Dispose of Items Movers Won’t Take in BC
- Hazardous products: Recyclepedia lists over 1,000 drop-off locations across BC for more than 70 materials.
- Batteries, propane canisters and flammable liquids: Keep them out of your blue bin. Recycle BC warns that these items can cause fires in collection trucks and recycling facilities. Take them to a drop-off site instead.
- Furniture in good shape: Sell it, give it away or donate it.
- Things you no longer want: If you are clearing out before the move, ask us about junk removal. We partner with local charities and recycling centres so unwanted items can be reused or recycled.
Before Moving Day: A Quick Checklist
- Check the garage, shed and storage locker for fuel and chemicals.
- Remove the propane tank from your barbecue.
- Use up or empty fuel in lawn equipment.
- Set aside damaged or swollen batteries.
- Plan how your pets will travel.
- Eat down the fridge and freezer.
- Pack an essentials bag with medication, valuables and documents. Our Burnaby moving checklist covers what else to include.
- Tell us about heavy, fragile or high-value items.
- Book a drop-off or junk removal for anything you are not taking.
Not Sure Whether We Can Move an Item?
The easiest way to avoid a surprise on moving day is to ask before it. When you request a quote, tell us about anything unusual, from a piano in a Burnaby basement to boxes of supplies in a Vancouver garage. To see what other BC customers say about us, check our 4.9 out of 5 Google Reviews rating.
Request a free written quote and list anything you are unsure about, or call 604-900-5433 any day of the week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will movers move a propane tank?
Do not plan on it. Propane is a dangerous good, so ask your mover first. In most cases, it is easier to return or exchange the tank, or carry it in your own vehicle.
Can I pack cleaning products in my moving boxes?
It is better not to. The Government of Canada suggests moving cleaning products yourself, since heat and cold can affect them. Pack the ones you need in a sealed bin that rides in your car.
Can movers move my barbecue?
Remove the propane tank first and clean the grill. Then tell us about the barbecue when you ask for a quote, so we can plan for it.
Can I leave clothes in my dresser drawers?
Light clothes are often fine, but ask your crew first. Take out anything heavy, fragile or valuable, since it can shift and cause damage.
Can movers move an e-bike or e-scooter?
Tell your mover before moving day. Check the battery first. If it is swollen, dented or damaged, do not pack it. Take it to a battery drop-off instead.
What happens if the crew finds a hazardous item on moving day?
The crew may set it aside and not load it. Our terms let us refuse hazardous items for safety. To avoid delays, tell us about anything you are unsure of before moving day.