Is my furniture insured while a removal company moves it?

Most reputable removal firms carry goods in transit insurance, but it covers less than people assume, and the gaps are exactly where the arguments start.
Standard cover pays out when the crew's own handling causes the damage — a dropped box, a scratched sideboard, or something going missing from the van. Fine so far. The trouble is two clauses that catch nearly everyone: per-item limits and self-packing.
Per-item limits usually sit around £40 to £100 unless you've declared a valuable item in advance. So if a mover writes off a £900 telly, a £50 cap pays £50, not £900. Anything genuinely worth a lot — a piano, jewellery, a good laptop — needs listing on a declared-items schedule before the van leaves, sometimes for a small extra premium.
Self-packing is the one that stings. Box up your own belongings and most policies won't pay for anything broken inside those boxes, because the firm only insures what its own team packed. Pack the fragile things yourself to save a bit and you've quietly voided the cover on them.
Two things are worth doing before moving day. Ask the company for their goods in transit and public liability certificates, and read the per-item limit and the excess rather than taking 'we're fully insured' at face value. Then check your own home contents policy — some include 'all risks' cover that follows your things during a move and can plug the gaps.
For what a full packing service adds to the bill, see our removal companies cost guide. When you're ready, compare free quotes from vetted local removal firms and ask each one to confirm their insurance in writing.