Moving is widely considered one of the most stressful experiences in life. If you need to move the contents of a large home with many valuable items, it is even more stressful. When we surveyed 1,000 consumers who had moved in the last five years, we learned that artwork and mirrors were the top concern for a safe relocation.
If you want someone to handle your belongings better than you can handle them on your own—with professional packing services, padding, crating, and loading—you may want to hire a professional mover. We conducted in-depth research of moving and storage companies, studied service options and industry reputations, and vetted companies by those standards to create this list of the very best properly licensed and insured professional moving companies.
The Best Moving Companies
International Van Lines
Fast Facts:
- Service Model: Full service
- Specialty Services: Yes
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit here
What We Like: If you are moving overseas, International Van Lines (IVL) is an excellent option for you. The company was founded in 2000 as an international logistics company, and it continues to specialize in global relocation services to 180 countries—more than any other provider in our review.
IVL acts as the single point of contact and direct carrier for all of its international moves. It provides assistance with air freight transportation, which is the fastest way to get your items door-to-door. High-end or rare vehicles can be shipped via ocean freight in exclusive, enclosed containers to protect them from the elements and potential damage from other vehicles.
IVL also provides domestic moving services, though these moves may involve a partner agent. In addition to standard full-service options like packing and loading, the company offers a variety of add-ons, such as junk removal, custom crating, and short- and long-term storage services.
Cost: We used International Van Lines’ online moving calculator to obtain a ballpark estimate of $4,200 to $6,150 to move a three-bedroom home from San Francisco to Denver. For a more precise binding estimate on a home of any size, you can complete an online quote form and in-home or virtual survey with a customer service representative. A vehicle shipped in an enclosed ocean freight container would cost $2,500 to $3,500.
IVL accepts payment in the form of credit card, cash, check, or money order and requires a 25% deposit to lock in your moving date.
State Availability: 50 states
American Van Lines
Fast Facts:
- Service Model: Full service
- Specialty Services: Yes
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit here
What We Like: While some providers act as both carriers and brokers, coordinating with local companies in their networks on occasion, American Van Lines (AVL) handles all moves directly, using its own trucks and labor every time. AVL focuses on hiring and retaining full-time, experienced movers, who the company claims have an average of 10 years of experience each.
AVL’s movers are required to complete ongoing education and annual training at the company’s on-site training facilities. This training includes instruction on safely moving difficult items such as grandfather clocks, vintage credenzas, musical instruments, recreational equipment, and one-of-a-kind artwork. In fact, AVL has successfully relocated whole art collections from individuals, antique stores, and museums.
Cost: The company’s online moving cost page estimates that moving a three-bedroom home (about 10,000 pounds) from San Francisco to Denver would cost $7,600. However, AVL works exclusively with binding estimates for flat-rate, accurate pricing. To provide this pricing, AVL conducts either an in-person or virtual survey of your home and inventory.
AVL accepts cash, credit cards, and checks. Required deposits vary based on the difficulty of your move and typically range from 10% to 50% of your total moving cost.
State Availability: 48 states (not available in Alaska or Hawaii)
JK Moving Services
Fast Facts:
- Service Model: Full service
- Specialty Services: Yes
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit site
What We Like: JK Moving has been focused on providing high-quality customer service since 1982. You’ll work with a personal moving coordinator to create a custom full-service moving package and select additional services from vehicle relocation to specialty moving of antique furniture, artwork, pianos, and Pelotons.
All of JK Moving’s full-service packages include full-replacement value protection. This moving insurance coverage is based on the actual value of your belongings and is the amount the company will reimburse you if items are lost, damaged, or stolen in transit. Not to worry, though, JK Moving has an A-plus rating by the Better Business Bureau (BBB)* and is so reliable that it’s received just seven FMCSA complaints in the past three years.
*BBB ratings accurate as of January 2022.
Cost: We worked with a JK Moving coordinator to obtain a ballpark moving quote of $7,500 to move the contents of a two-bedroom home 750 miles. This is roughly the distance from Las Vegas to Denver. This quote includes packing, furniture disassembly, wrapping and padding, loading, and unloading for all household items, as well as full-replacement value protection.
The company requires an in-person or virtual walk-through to provide a binding estimate for larger homes. During this process, your personal moving coordinator will make a complete inventory of your household items, identify any potentially hard-to-move pieces, and assess architectural features, such as winding staircases, which may complicate your move. This process allows JK Moving to determine the right number of movers to dispatch and any special equipment they’ll need on your moving day.
JK moving accepts all major credit cards, cash, and checks. A $250 deposit secures your moving date.
State Availability: 50 states (local moves available only in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.)
North American Van Lines
Fast Facts:
- Service Model: Full service
- Specialty Services: Yes
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit here
What We Like: North American Van Lines (NAVL) holds more than 85 years of moving experience and, with its extensive network of 500 local moving partners, offers services nationwide. NAVL coordinates and backs all partner moves, ensuring you have access to the complete range of its elite services, add-on options, and moving resources.
Standard full-service moving packages feature packing, loading, transportation, unloading, and unpacking. If you have high-end appliances, NAVL is an especially savvy option, as the company will disconnect, transport, and reconnect these items, streamlining the process of getting them to your new home.
Additional services include crating of fragile, rare, and extremely large pieces of art, electronics, and furniture for extra protection during transit, as well as short- and long-term storage. The company will also arrange vehicle shipping for your car, truck, SUV, van, and/or boat.
Cost: We used NAVL’s online tool to generate a free quote of $8,481 to $9,378 to move a three-bedroom home with an average number of items from San Francisco to Denver. This ballpark quote includes standard full-service options, as well as GPS tracking and basic carrier liability coverage at 60 cents per pound per item.
Online quotes are not available for homes with four or more bedrooms. To get a personalized quote and a binding estimate for a larger home, you can either conduct an in-person walk-through or use NAVL’s mobile app to complete a virtual assessment of your home, create a digital inventory, and store your important moving documents.
North American Van Lines accepts cash, credit cards, and certified checks. No up-front deposits are needed.
State Availability: 50 states
Allied Van Lines
Fast Facts:
- Service model: Full service
- Specialty services: Yes
- Get a quick quote: Visit here
What We Like: Founded in 1928, Allied Van Lines is one of the longest-running moving companies in the United States and is available in all 50 states along with more than 130 countries. Like JK Moving, Allied assigns each customer a moving coordinator for a personalized customer service experience. You’ll also have access to support through the company’s mobile app and user-friendly website that features a regularly updated moving blog and resources, such as a moving checklist.
Though Allied focuses on full-service moves, it also accommodates partial-service moves through its fragile-only packing option. This could be an appealing alternative for those who prefer to do the majority of packing themselves but require assistance with packing just one room or only heirloom china, for example.
Allied also offers portable storage containers that can be used for small moves or as convenient short-term storage on your own property if you need to clear out a roomful of belongings during a home renovation.
Cost: Allied’s instant quote tool generated a ballpark quote to move a three-bedroom home from San Francisco to Denver for $8,513 to $9,415. This quote includes packing and unpacking services, as well as loading, transportation, unloading, GPS tracking, basic carrier liability coverage, and associated fuel and toll costs.
Allied Van Lines will not provide an online or phone estimate for homes larger than three bedrooms but will provide a binding estimate after a virtual or in-home survey. Factors such as the overall distance, size/weight of your shipment, and date of your move will determine your total overall cost.
Allied accepts cash, credit cards, and certified checks. The company doesn’t require an up-front deposit.
State Availability: 50 states
1-800-PACK-RAT
Fast Facts:
- Service Model: Self-service
- Specialty Services: No
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit here
What We Like: We know that sometimes you’re the best person for the job. If you’ve got a DIY spirit, we recommend 1-800-PACK-RAT as the top overall choice for self-service moving. The company offers 8-foot, 12-foot, and 16-foot containers. These can remain with you for 30 days after initial delivery, making it a good option for those who want to pack at their own pace or those who just need some short-term on-site storage.
Here’s how it works: PACK-RAT will deliver a waterproof, steel, portable storage container to your home. After you’ve loaded your container, the company will pick it up and deliver it to your new home. If it takes you longer to pack, or if you choose to use PACK-RAT as a storage option—to house your college-age child’s belongings while they’re home for the summer, for example—you may purchase more time at a flat rate.
You’ll have access to online tools such as how-to videos, a guide to determine how many containers you need, checklists, location guides, and a weight calculator. And if you change your mind about going it alone, PACK-RAT offers reputable third-party assistance with loading and unloading through HireAHelper.
Cost: We simulated the booking process with 1-800-PACK-RAT and received a recommendation to use two 16-foot containers going from San Francisco to Denver for a total of $8,872. For reference, two containers of this size hold up to 12,000 pounds. The contents of a four-bedroom home typically weigh around 14,000 pounds. This quote includes a no-cut steel lock with two keys, taxes, and $10,000 in contents protection on each container.
Keeping the containers longer would cost $301 per container per month. You can pay for PACK-RAT’s services via credit card on its online portal, My PackRat.
State Availability: 30 states and Washington, D.C. (not available in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, or Wyoming)
uShip
- Service Model: Full service
- Specialty Services: No
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit here
What We Like: An online platform where customers connect directly to more than 800,000 shippers, uShip can help with moving large, single items like cars, jet skis, and antiques. You create a profile on the uShip platform and post shipping job requests online. After uShip recommends five-star shippers who can move your item, you can accept a bid from the shipper that best fits your needs. Then it acts like an Uber for your grandmother’s armoire.
The flagship service of uShip is its vehicle relocation option. Choose an enclosed carrier to protect your rare or classic car from the elements during transit. Its user-friendly mobile app will let you track your shipment via GPS and contact your shipper directly.
Cost: The company estimates that bids to ship a 2021 Jaguar F-Type with an enclosed carrier from San Francisco to Denver would range from around $706 to $890.
The job you accept on uShip acts as a binding estimate for the shipment; then uShip charges a service fee that is adjusted based on your shipment’s total. The company also requires a deposit, adjusted according to your total, at the time of checkout.
State Availability: 50 states
Our Recommendation
International Van Lines is our top pick for a well-rounded, full-service moving company. In addition to maintaining a reputation for superior customer service, the company offers a wide selection of personalized moving services. North American Van Lines is a great pick if you have high-end appliances to move as part of your relocation. If you want to ship a single item with high-quality handling and care, then uShip is an excellent service.
We recommend you obtain at least three quotes from different movers and compare their service options, availability, and reputations carefully.
How to Pick a Moving Company
There are a few significant factors to consider when picking the right moving company for you and your family. Below we have listed some major steps to take to help you pick the right mover for your specific moving needs.
Find the Experts You Need
One important factor to consider is whether you want a full-service or self-service move. Below are both types of moves explained in detail.
Full-Service Mover
A full-service moving company aims to handle as much of your move as possible. Service options include furniture disassembly, packing, loading, transportation, unloading, unpacking, and furniture reassembly. Full-service movers also often offer specialty services. This means the mover provides special attention to difficult and fragile items, such as pianos, antiques, artwork, and recreational equipment. In addition, these companies usually provide specialized and custom crating for such items.
Self-Service Mover
A self-service mover focuses on handling the transportation while you handle everything else. Typically, a self-service mover delivers a portable storage container to your home. You then pack and load your belongings into this container. Once loaded, you notify the company when to pick up and redeliver the container to your destination. Some self-service movers offer options for moving labor for services, but not all do.
Research Its Reputation
An excellent method to gauge a moving company is to research its reputation on popular customer reviews sites, such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Yelp. If you know friends that have previously used a particular mover, then ask them about their experience. These avenues provide a glimpse into the customer service experience with each company.
Check That It Is Licensed
There are many scammers in the moving industry. One way to ensure you are dealing with a legitimate moving company is to obtain the company’s Department of Transportation (USDOT) number and visit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s website to look them up. This step lets you know whether or not the company is a legitimate carrier, broker, or both.
Make Sure they Service Your Location
It’s always best to make sure you are choosing a moving company that will work well in your location, see the top recommended moving companies for your state:
Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming
Get Quotes
Once you know what type of move you want and whether or not a company that interests you is legitimate, contact the company to request a free quote, preferably a binding estimate. A binding estimate helps you lock in a price that will not change on your moving day unless major items are added or subtracted from your inventory. Typically, you’ll need to conduct an in-home or virtual survey with the moving company to receive a binding estimate.
What Factors Influence Your Move’s Cost?
Various factors influence the overall cost of a moving service. If you are moving locally, you can expect your cost to depend on the number of movers hired and their hours worked.
Keep in mind that special items that are large and difficult that require specialty services will create additional costs. Out of 1,000 consumers we surveyed, we found that the second-highest surprise cost was for large and difficult items.
A long-distance move adds more factors into the mix. Here are the factors that tend to influence long-distance moving costs:
- The total weight of the shipment
- The overall mileage between your point of origin and your new home
- Contents protection plan purchased
- Specialty service purchased
- The driver’s hours
- Gas
- The time of the year
Is a Moving Company Worth It?
Read about some of the primary ways a moving company can help your upcoming move be more stress-free and straightforward here:
- Difficult and fragile items are properly packed. In addition to knowing how to pack small, fragile items like dishes and glassware, moving companies often supply custom crating solutions for unique items—they will create a custom box to transport these items safely.
- Transportation is out of your hands. Driving a moving truck is no simple task. Letting a pro handle this challenge for you allows you to focus on other important tasks.
- Your items are covered. The USDOT requires all licensed moving carriers to hold a limited liability plan that insures items at 60 cents per pound per item (great for books or other inexpensive items). The best moving companies will also offer more comprehensive contents protection plans, including full-value release coverage.
Learn More:
- Best Long-Distance Moving Companies
- Best Interstate Moving Companies
- Best Affordable Moving Companies
How We Chose the Top Moving Companies
We researched and analyzed dozens of full- and self-service moving companies and formulated a rating system based on a number of factors, including package options, pricing, and reputation. We also identified customer pain points based on customer-review analysis, proprietary consumer surveys, and interviews with former and current moving professionals.
Speaking directly to a representative at each company, we determined the number of package options available, the coverage provided, the types of moves available (long-distance, local, and international), and any extra perks offered, such as mobile apps, moving checklists, and 24/7 customer service.
We also gathered pricing data from each of the companies and determined whether they provide ballpark estimates or binding quotes. To determine reputation, we evaluated companies based on their rating with the Better Business Bureau as well as their overall score on Yelp.