Everything worth knowing before you move

You can book anywhere from the next day to a couple of months out. We recommend at least two weeks when possible. That is the sweet spot: it gives us room to schedule the right crew and truck, and because pricing shifts with the season, booking early often gets you a better rate. That said, we handle plenty of next-day moves and moves booked months ahead, so reach out whenever you are ready.

It starts with one phone call to our main office. From there, one of our moving consultants walks you through the rest. We can quote over the phone, through a virtual video survey (you send a video from your phone, on your own or with our rep on the call), or with an in-person on-site visit. On-site is preferred for three bedrooms and up.

To build an accurate quote we need your contact information, the addresses you are moving from and to, your residence type (a high-rise with an elevator, a townhouse, a single-family home, and so on), and a complete inventory. The inventory matters most. It is easy to remember the couch and the TV and forget the end tables, coffee tables, chairs, and the dozens of smaller items in a room, so the more complete you are, the more accurate your quote will be.

Yes. A $100 deposit books your date and assigns your crew and truck. It is transferable and refundable as long as we have advance notice. A last-minute cancellation, for example the evening before, is not refundable. All conditions are listed on your quote.

For local hourly moves, the rate covers your crew (two-person minimum) plus a few standard charges: a truck fee of $150 (each additional truck is another $150), a trip fee equal to one hour of labor that covers travel from our terminal to your job and back (it increases the farther out you are), and an 18% fuel surcharge on the labor cost. Moving blankets are provided free. Most local jobs have a three-hour minimum and are billed in 15-minute increments.

The ones customers ask about most: stairs are a flat $175 when there are more than three flights at the origin or destination; heavy or bulky items are $250 (pool tables, large safes, some treadmills, large solid-wood armoires, and certain refrigerators); the fuel surcharge is 18% of labor; packing materials are charged only for what is used; and hot tubs are quoted by size. Long-carry, elevator, and shuttle fees apply mainly to long-distance deliveries by tractor-trailer, not to standard local moves.

There is no separate weekend or holiday pricing. During peak season (June 1 to September 30), rates can run 5 to 10% higher based on capacity. The busiest stretch is June 23 to July 4.

We schedule moves with either a morning or an afternoon arrival, depending on the size of the job and what works for you. For morning jobs we usually give a two-hour arrival window and confirm the day before. Afternoon arrivals depend on when the first job of the day wraps up, so rather than a strict time we give you an afternoon window. We arrive within the expected window about 75 to 80% of the time; occasionally we run a little late because a prior job took longer than planned. If you have an elevator reservation or a hard time constraint, tell us up front and we will build the schedule around it.

It depends mostly on the size of your home and the obstacles involved. As a rough guide: a studio runs 2 to 4 hours, a one-bedroom 3 to 5 hours, and most moves average 4 to 6 hours. Larger homes that need two or three trucks may be split across two days, loading one day and delivering the next.

What drives the time up or down is mostly access and preparation: stairs and the number of levels (a five-level townhouse takes far longer than a single-level one), how far your door is from the elevator, the size of the elevator, and how ready everything is when we arrive. Behind the scenes we translate your home size into the truck space it will take, which is how we match the crew size and hours to your move. If you need it done within a set window, for example because of an elevator reservation, we can often add crew members to finish faster.

The biggest one: if you are packing yourself, have everything fully packed before we arrive, because loose or half-packed items add to the hourly time. A good rule is that if an item fits in a box, it should be boxed, and that includes the things people forget like lampshades, couch pillows, bedding, and closet contents. Use real moving boxes rather than trash bags or grocery bags, which tend to tear and slow things down.

Appliances connected to water or electricity (washers, dryers, refrigerators with water lines, hot tubs) should be disconnected ahead of time by you, a plumber, or an electrician if we are moving them. You are also welcome to disassemble furniture and stage items near the door to save time, though we are happy to handle disassembly ourselves. When in doubt, talk it through with your consultant before move day so there are no surprises.

Yes. We cannot move live pets, and we cannot carry passengers in the truck, since we are not licensed for that even when there is room in the cab. We do not move hazardous or combustible materials such as gasoline, and any gas tanks must be empty. A firearm can be moved in a safe, but there can be no ammunition in the safe or the firearm. We generally do not move plants, though we can sometimes take them on short local moves with no guarantee they arrive intact. We also do not move cremated remains.

Yes. We handle a wide range of specialty items, including pianos (upright, baby grand, and grand) at $250 with a four to five person crew, or three for an upright with no stairs; gun safes and personal safes from roughly 200 to 2,000 pounds, where a crane is occasionally needed for tough access; and pool tables, handled under the $250 heavy item fee with full disassembly and reassembly of the slate by our crew.

We also move gym equipment, grandfather and grandmother clocks, trampolines, play sets, hot tubs, taxidermy, chandeliers, china cabinets, and specialty beds such as cribs, bunk beds, and sleep number beds. Heavy or bulky pieces carry the $250 heavy item fee. Please tell us about these in advance so we bring the right crew and equipment.

Yes. On local hourly moves, standard furniture disassembly and reassembly is included in the labor time at no extra fee. We just need to agree in advance on any complex items, like certain refrigerators or pool tables, so the right crew members are scheduled.

Yes. We offer full and partial packing, arranged in advance or even last minute, since our trucks arrive stocked with materials. We also offer unpacking, which is mostly a basic unpack: taking items out of boxes and clearing away the boxes and debris, rather than placing everything in its final spot in your cabinets and shelves. Packing and unpacking are billed at the same hourly rate as the move, plus any materials used.

Yes, and we charge only for what is used. Boxes are $4 small, $5 medium, and $6 large; a dish pack is $14; a mirror carton is $5; a wardrobe box is $20; packing tape is $3.95 per roll; shrink wrap is $40 per roll; and white paper is $25 per bundle. Moving blankets are used during the move at no charge. We can deliver materials to you, we sometimes run promotions when you buy a full line of materials, and we occasionally have free used boxes available, so just ask your consultant.

A few things come up constantly. Pack boxes full so they do not crush when stacked, and pack wisely, so no hammers next to the china. Use the right box for the job: small boxes for heavy items like books, medium boxes for moderately heavy things like pots and pans, large boxes for light bulky items like pillows and bedding, wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes, and dish-pack boxes for breakables. Label your boxes, and mark anything fragile.

And keep liquids out of the boxes. On local moves we can set them aside, but on long-distance moves we recommend not packing liquids at all. A bottle that breaks in transit can ruin a whole tier of boxes, so wine, liquor, and a prized bourbon collection are usually best moved yourself, or packed by us in proper boxes for a local move.

Basic valuation of $0.60 per pound is required by law and included free on every move. It is worth understanding what that means: a 10-pound TV would be covered at $6, so basic valuation is not full coverage. For fuller protection, Full Value Protection is optional and priced by weight, covering up to $6 per pound, with deductible options of $0, $500, or $1,000 that change the cost. We can also connect you with partner insurers to cover a single high-value item, and it is worth checking your home insurance, which sometimes covers belongings in transit.

Reach out to our customer service department and they will walk you through it. For claims under the basic coverage we work with a claims partner, CSI, who has a dedicated process and portal, and our team guides you through each step. Full Value Protection claims follow a different route, and again our customer service team assists at every stage. You can reach us at our main number, by replying to any text message we sent during your move, or by replying to any of our emails. It all lands in our system, so any of those will get you to the right place.

Yes. We are fully licensed, bonded, and insured, and we operate across the continental US for both local and long-distance moves. We are a member of the Virginia Movers and Warehouse Association. Our umbrella coverage is roughly $1 to $2 million, and we provide certificates of insurance free for buildings that require them, with a couple of days notice. Our credentials: USDOT 2041911, MC 717005, and Virginia certificate 633.

For short stays, overnight storage, including holding items on the truck overnight, is $175 per night. For longer storage, items go into wooden crates that each hold about 1,000 pounds, at $95 per month per crate, with the first month free. Storage in transit during a move is available too.

Long-term storage is $95 per month per crate (about 1,000 pounds each), with the first month free. There is a $120-per-crate fee to load items into storage and a $120-per-crate fee to take them out. Overnight storage is $175 per night.

We prefer that you do not access items in long-term storage, because pulling one box means lowering and reopening crates, which triggers the $120-per-crate fee. If you expect to need regular access, a public self-storage unit is the better fit. We will gladly advise on the right size, take your items there, and load them in so you can come and go as often as you like.

We are based in the DMV tri-state area: DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia, with offices in Woodbridge and Alexandria. Local service runs within about 150 miles. Long-distance moves originate in the DMV (we can pick up within roughly 100 to 150 miles, for example Richmond or Baltimore) and deliver anywhere in the continental US. Military (DoD) moves can go from any state to any state, and sometimes internationally.

Both. Local moves under 150 miles are priced hourly. Long-distance moves of 150 miles and up are priced by weight and distance and are binding. For long distance we offer flexible delivery (a lower cost with a wider delivery window, because shipments are combined) and dedicated delivery (your own truck and crew taken straight to your destination on a required date, at a higher rate).

Yes. We handle residential, commercial and office, and governmental moves (we have done a state library and a university), plus military moves through a separate department. Corporate relocation falls under our commercial service.

Your $100 deposit is transferable and refundable with advance notice, and you can change your move date. A last-minute cancellation, such as the evening before, is not refundable. All conditions are listed on your quote.

On local hourly moves you pay for the actual time in 15-minute increments, so a well-prepared move can even come in under the estimate. If a job runs long because of traffic or simply takes more time, we do not raise the rate. The rate you were quoted continues. You are also in control: since you clock the crew in and out, you can call the move at any point if you are at your limit.

During inclement weather such as rain, snow, or ice, we reserve the right to reschedule your move to the earliest available day. Safety is the reason: ramps and walkways get slippery, roads get dangerous, and your belongings and floors are more likely to be damaged in the wet. If a move can proceed safely, we will, and we will always work with you to find the best path forward.

We accept cash, all major credit and debit cards, Zelle, and Cash App. We also offer financing through our partner WiseTech for paying in parts. We do not accept checks or money orders.

Yes, there is a 4% fee on credit and debit card payments.

A $100 deposit books the job. For local moves, half is due when the truck is loaded and the balance when we finish unloading. For long-distance moves, the second payment is due before the truck arrives or unloads.

A few things set us apart. Communication: we work seven days a week, and our system makes sure after-hours messages reach the crew first thing in the morning, so you feel the difference from your very first contact with us. Flexibility: unlike large national chains that often say no to weekends, holidays, or specific arrival times, we work to make your requirements happen, whether that is a 9 a.m. start for an elevator window or a tight timeline.

And our crews: many of them are friends and family who work well together, they are vetted and background-checked (we handle military base moves, which require it), and customers regularly remember them by name in reviews and ask for the same crew on their next move. Our movers earn bonuses for five-star service, so they are genuinely motivated to take care of you.

The most common worry is the move taking longer than estimated. We bill in 15-minute increments rather than rounding up to the next hour, and because you clock the crew in and out, you stay in control of the time and the cost. Budget is another, and our WiseTech financing lets you spread payments over three or six months. Customers also ask how we estimate accurately, and the answer is thousands of completed moves plus phone, virtual video, and on-site estimating tools. The biggest underlying worry is simply whether we will show up and do what we said, and our reviews answer that better than we can.

By far the most common is that our price is higher than a quote someone found elsewhere. We welcome the comparison, because it is not really about the number, it is about what you are buying for it: experienced, vetted crews, real protection options, licensing and insurance, strong communication, and the safety of both your belongings and your booked date. A cheaper quote usually means a different level of service. We also hear that people are not ready to commit, and the answer there is that our deposit is transferable and refundable with notice, so booking early simply locks in your crew and truck while availability lasts.

A few things. Basic valuation at $0.60 per pound is not full coverage, which is why Full Value Protection exists. On long-distance moves, a binding rate means your rate per pound and per mile will not change, but you still pay by the actual weight on the weight ticket. The arrival window is a window, not a single time, so if we say 9 to 11, please plan for anywhere in that range. And unpacking means we take items out of boxes and set them on counters and surfaces; it does not mean placing every dish in a cabinet or every book on a shelf.

One last tip: the more you communicate with us, the smoother your move goes. If something changes, a quick text or email with the details gets it handled fastest.