FAR 52.247-11—Net Weight-Household Goods or Office Furniture.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 52.247-11, Net Weight-Household Goods or Office Furniture, tells contractors how to determine the billable net weight of shipments when the Government is moving employees’ household goods or relocating office furniture. The clause covers when it applies, how to calculate net weight for full loads, how to calculate net weight for part loads, and the requirement to attach original weight certificates to the invoice. Its purpose is to create a consistent, auditable method for pricing transportation services based on actual shipment weight rather than estimates or unsupported claims. In practice, it protects the Government from overbilling and gives contracting personnel a clear documentation standard for verifying charges. It also places operational importance on certified weighing, proper tare-weight determination, and careful recordkeeping at each stage of a move. For contractors, the clause means the weight tickets are not optional paperwork; they are part of the payment package and must support the invoice exactly.
Key Rules
Clause applies to moves
This clause is prescribed for contracts for transportation or transportation-related services when Government employees’ household goods or Government office relocations are involved. It is a billing and documentation rule tied to those specific move scenarios.
Full-load net weight method
For a full load, net weight equals gross weight minus tare weight. The tare must be determined by weighing the empty vehicle on a certified scale with all required moving equipment inside the vehicle, and the gross weight must be taken on a certified scale with the vehicle fully loaded before arrival at destination.
Part-load net weight method
For the first part load, the same gross-minus-tare method used for a full load applies. For each later part load, the prior load’s gross weight becomes the tare weight for the next calculation, and the loaded vehicle must be weighed again to determine the new gross weight.
Certified weighing required
Both tare and gross weights must be determined by a certified weighmaster using a certified scale. The clause requires reliable, third-party weight evidence rather than informal or estimated weights.
Original weight tickets required
The contractor must attach the original copy of each weight certificate to the invoice for services. This is a payment-support requirement, and missing originals can delay or prevent payment.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Include the clause when the acquisition involves transportation or transportation-related services for Government household goods moves or office relocations. Ensure the contract and payment process require the weight documentation needed to verify charges.
Contractor
Obtain certified gross and tare weights, calculate net weight correctly for full loads and part loads, retain the original weight certificates, and attach each original certificate to the invoice submitted for payment.
Certified Weighmaster / Scale Operator
Weigh the vehicle on a certified scale and provide certified weight certificates for the empty vehicle and the loaded vehicle as required for the shipment or each part load.
Agency / Paying Office
Review invoices and attached weight certificates to confirm that billed charges are supported by the required original documentation and that the net weight calculations follow the clause.
Practical Implications
This clause makes weight tickets a payment-critical document, not just a recordkeeping item. If the contractor cannot produce original certificates, invoice processing may stall.
For part loads, the calculation method changes after the first load, so contractors must track each segment carefully. Mistakes in using the prior gross weight as the next tare can lead to billing errors.
Certified scale use matters. Uncertified weights, handwritten estimates, or missing weighmaster certification are common reasons for disputes or rejected invoices.
The clause is especially important in household goods moves and office relocations because those services often involve multiple trips or partial loads. Contractors should plan for repeated weighing and document control before the move starts.
Contracting officers and payment reviewers should check that the invoice, weight certificates, and shipment sequence all match. Inconsistencies in dates, load sequence, vehicle identification, or weight math are red flags for overbilling or unsupported charges.
Official Regulatory Text
As prescribed in 47.207-4 (b) , insert the following clause in contracts for transportation or for transportation-related services when movements of Government employees’ household goods or relocations of Government offices are involved: Net Weight-Household Goods or Office Furniture (Apr 1984) (a) Net weight-full loads. The net weight of the shipment shall be determined by deducting the tare weight of the vehicle (determined by having a certified weighmaster weigh on a certified scale the empty vehicle with all blankets, pads, chains, dollies, hand trucks, and all other necessary equipment inside the vehicle) from the gross weight of the vehicle (determined by having a certified weighmaster weigh on a certified scale the fully loaded vehicle before arrival at destination). (b) Net weight-part loads. The net weight of the first part load shall be determined in the same manner as specified for a full load. The net weight of the second part load shall be determined by using as the tare weight of the vehicle the gross weight of the vehicle containing the first part load and deducting this weight from the new gross weight (determined by having the loaded vehicle weighed again, in the same manner as specified for the full load). The same procedure shall apply for each succeeding part load. (c) Weight certificates. The contractor shall attach the original copy of each weight certificate to the invoice for services. (End of clause)