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Frequently, moving is described as one of the most stressful things people do in their lives. Even when you think you're totally prepared, there are plenty of hiccups and stressors that could crop up around moving in San Francisco.
The cost of moving services may also be a source of stress.
Let our guide to the best movers in San Francisco help eliminate your stress and get you excited for your new home.
Local moving companies generally have lower prices and better short-notice availability. These movers also usually can navigate San Francisco's streets better, which will make for a smoother and shorter local move.
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Cost can be a big concern when thinking about moving. The usual amount you might expect to spend hourly for movers in San Francisco is:
You will first have to decide what kind of mover is best for you. As outlined above, whether a local or national mover is better will depend on some of the details of your move. You will also have to figure out if you require a full-service or self-service mover. If you dread the thought of packing boxes, a full-service company that offers packing services may be right for you. If you don't mind doing your own packing, you might hire a self-service mover, which will supply a truck and driver but not packing assistance.
You can then explore to learn about movers near you that meet California's mover licensing requirements. Other easy ways to research a mover's credibility include searching for reviews online and checking their reputation via the BBB. Every company on our list of San Francisco's best movers is well-reviewed and selected by our experts.
After you have narrowed your list down to just a few companies, you can go about asking for estimates. It is in your best interest to talk to at least one or two of the companies on our above list. When you do speak with a mover, be sure that you tell them about all of the services you think you'll require. Also check that you receive a "binding estimate," as otherwise it may be subject to change.
Here are some helpful resources for your move:
The median value of houses in San Francisco is around $1,156,552. In addition:
San Francisco has greater tree coverage than only 16% of the country. Other natural features include:
$104,552 is the median income in San Francisco. In addition:
Approximately 85% of San Francisco's 866,606 residents are physically active. In addition:
There are approximately 4,300 eating places around San Francisco, plus:
If your move covers more than 50 miles, or goes between states, then you'll likely look into hiring a national moving company. These movers tend to have larger trucks, more experience moving over state lines, and more familiarity with regulations across different states.
International Van Lines (IVL), founded in 2000, can act as a carrier or a broker for long-distance moving. IVL provides full-service moving, offering services such as packing and loading for customers to choose from. Since 2005, IVL has been operating in over 180 countries, helping customers worldwide create custom moving packages that fit their unique needs.
For over 20 years, Moving APT has been providing an excellent interstate moving experience to customers across the country. Originally founded by a small five-person crew in Florida, Moving APT has now served over half a million customers. The company is fully compliant with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Founded in 1933, North American Moving Services now has over 500 agents all across North America. North American provides both residential and corporate moves, and can help with moves that are local, long-distance, or international. The company offers packing, loading, and storage services, and all of this is backed by 24-hour customer service.
American Van Lines, originally founded in Pompano Beach, Florida, now provides long-distance moving across the U.S. For over 50 years, the company has been offering a variety of full-service moving packages. They have won one of Newsweek's 'Best Customer Service' Awards twice, in 2019 and 2021.
Allied Van Lines is an expert broker-carrier. They can take care of your move with their own team, or they can outsource to other carriers in areas where they don't offer direct services. A company representative can walk you through what options are available for your move. Allied Van Lines has over 90 years of professional moving experience.
JK Moving prides itself on the use of modern technology to help make moving fast and easy. They utilize technologies like climate-controlled storage and GPS tracking to help everything in your move go smoothly. Since its founding in 1982, JK Moving has also prioritized the use of sustainable practices, such as recycling its materials. The company partners with Fight for Children, the Race for Hope, and Habitat for Humanity.
According to our research, the best movers in San Francisco are California Movers USA South San Francisco, Gentle Giant Moving Company, and California Movers Local & Long Distance Moving Company.
We choose our best San Francisco movers based on several weighted factors. These include the kinds of moves the company offers (local, interstate, and/or international), if they have additional services such as packing, their insurance offerings, the ease of scheduling, and reviews on other websites including the BBB.
You should inform your movers beforehand if you have things that are unusual, oversized, or expensive. Some moving companies might charge an extra fee to move these items, and some might not be able to move them at all. We strongly recommend talking to your movers at least a few weeks before your move, ideally prior to signing a contract. This helps avoid any last-minute headaches.
Cost and convenience are both important when planning your move. Most people move during the summertime, which makes moving in these months busier and more expensive. With about 138,316 students attending college within 15 miles of San Francisco, you may want to reconsider moving in May and August, when the majority of them will be moving as well.
You'll also want to take into account the weather when you move. San Francisco tends to have cool temperatures. This means that you may want to move outside of the coldest months of the year, to avoid possible icy roads.
A full-service moving company can handle nearly every step of the process. Full-service companies offer packing services and will help load the truck. Self-service movers provide only the truck and driver. When doing it all on your own, you'll need to plan on renting and driving the truck, on top of everything else.
Your best option will depend on how much work you want to do and how much money you want to spend. If you do everything yourself, you won't need to pay a company, but you'll need to do a lot of work. Full-service companies will be more expensive, but also reduce your workload the most. Self-service movers are in-between.
We recommend getting in touch with two or more of the companies from our list of San Francisco's best movers to compare prices and decide which option is best for you.
Moving insurance, which is often called contents protection by movers, is very valuable when moving. Moving insurance protects your things in case something gets lost or damaged during your move. Having this insurance up front can provide you peace of mind, and will protect you in case something happens to your items.
