- Serving 50 states and 180 countries
- Excellent customer service
- One month of free storage
Moving to a new military base for a permanent or temporary change of station can be stressful–and even a bit scary if this is your first time away from home. Thankfully, the United States armed forces understand that moving even locally can be an intimidating process, which is why they provide allocations for you to hire a moving company to help with your relocation. While there are tons of moving companies located across the country, only a few have the familiarity with the military moving process that you need.
At House Method, we understand that no one wants to book a moving date without as much information as possible. This is especially true when it comes to a move as important as one to a new military base. We’ve created a comprehensive moving guide to the best military moving companies to help you rest easy before your stationing.
Our top recommended military moving companies for 2022:
Company | Website | Our Take | Our Rating | BBB Rating | Local Cost |
International Van Lines | Site | Best Full-Service Mover | 9.8 | B | $600 – $1,200 |
American Van Lines | Site | Most Transparent Pricing | 9.7 | N/A | $500 – $1,000 |
Moving APT | Site | Most Moving Partners | 9.6 | B | |
JK Moving Services | Site | Most Customizable Moving Experience | 9.5 | A+ | Call for a quote |
Allied Van Lines | Site | Most Vehicle Shipping Options | 9.4 | A+ | $750 – $1,350 |
U-Pack | Site | Most Widely-Available Container Service | 9.3 | A+ | N/A |
North American Van Lines | Site | Best Pricing Options | 9.2 | A+ | $750 – $1,350 |
International Van Lines is a full-service mover that has been in the moving industry for two decades. They have been awarded Newsweek’s Best Customer Service Award for several years, including 2022. You can get a free quote online by calling International Van Lines’ toll-free phone number or by using their MoveOne software. The MoveOne software allows you to do a virtual walkthrough with an IVL representative, all through your phone.
IVL is licensed and insured with the FMCSA as a Government Military Relocation Mover. Because IVL facilitates moves in every state of the country as well as in over 150 countries, they’re an excellent choice for your next military relocation. They can pack, load, and ship all your household goods by land, air, or sea.
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International Van Lines is a full-service moving company, which means that they offer an enhanced range of services over what you might typically expect from a moving company. You can currently book the following moving services and specialties when you move with International Van Lines:
Like most moving companies, International Van Lines uses the distance you’re traveling and the size of your property as the two primary factors in determining how much you’ll pay for your move. To help you estimate what you’ll pay for service, we’ve rounded up information on pricing from past International Van Lines customers and summarized it in the table below.
<250 miles | 500 miles | 1,000 miles | 2,000 miles | |
Two-bedroom home | $1,400 to $4,400 | $1,900 to $4,900 | $2,100 to $5,100 | $2,400 to $5,400 |
Four-bedroom home | $3,200 to $6,200 | $5,100 to $8,100 | $5,700 to $8,700 | $6,200 to $9,200 |
State Availability: All 50 states
Get a quote from IVL here.
American Van Lines background checks all its employees, and all employees are drug tested as well to ensure that your things are in the best hands. They also receive annual training in new techniques and developments in the moving industry so that each employee can stay on the top of their game and limit the possibility of breakage during your move as much as possible American Van Lines employs a flat-rate pricing system, which means that you should receive more expedient and efficient service than you would with other movers. This is because American only gets paid a flat rate, so the more happy customers they have, the more business they will get. It’s a win for them and especially a win for you.
Military relocation plans include packing materials, appliance disassembly, reassembly, and reinstallation, full-service packing, and short-term or long-term storage. American Van Lines packers and movers make an itemized list of your belongings and which boxes they’re packed in, and they individually wrap each item so that your belongings are kept safe during the moving process to your new home. This streamlined process allows you to relax during the oftentimes stressful military relocation process.
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American Van Lines currently offers the following services and unique moving processes:
Browse the table below to learn more about pricing from American Van Lines.
<250 miles | 500 miles | 1,000 miles | 2,000 miles | |
Two-bedroom home | $1,700 to $4,500 | $2,300 to $5,300 | $2,600 to $5,600 | $4,200 to $7,200 |
Four-bedroom home | $4,800 to $7,800 | $5,600 to $8,600 | $7,400 to $10,400 | $10,800 to $13,800 |
State Availability: 48 States
Get a quote from American Van Lines here.
our rating9.5
Moving APT is a broker that connects you with military movers all over the country. In fact, they specialize in setting up cross-country moves for their clients, especially those with specialty moving needs like a permanent change of station. Because they’re a broker, they can search through their immense database of partner companies and compare them to find the best deal for your needs and budget. Services that Moving APT offers to connect you with include full-service moves like the ones mentioned above, fragile-only moves, single-item packing and shipping, a moving checklist, packing materials, and overnight storage.
If you’re moving long-distance and trying to find the best services for your budget, you can use Moving APT and their list of more than 2,500 partners. If you do discover a moving plan with a different company that is cheaper than the one Moving APT found for you, they have price matching in place to be sure that you’re getting the best possible pricing on your upcoming move.
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Some of the services that Moving APT can schedule on your behalf can include:
The specific add-ons that you’ll be able to book alongside your moving process might vary depending on where you’re located and the carrier you’re partnered with. If you’re looking for a specific specialty service you need for your upcoming military move, be sure to ask your Moving APT representative about it. Chances are, if Moving APT cannot book the service on your behalf, they’ll be able to find someone who can.
Detailing exact pricing for Moving APT’s customers can be difficult, as many customers take advantage of the price matching policy offered by the broker. As a general statement on pricing, movers can usually expect to pay around $7,800 for a 1,000-mile move of a four-bedroom home. Click on the link below to claim your free quote from Moving APT’s team.
State Availability: All 50 States
Get a quote from Moving APT here.
our rating9.4
JK Moving Services has been working with government agencies like the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Census Bureau, and U.S. Agency for International Development, and more for years. They are a trusted military mover and an excellent choice for military members to use for their next move. JK Moving Services may have a lengthier and more intense quoting process than competitors, but you are assigned your own personal moving coordinator to help you through the hassle of moving, every step of the way.
Your personal moving coordinator will be in touch through each step of your move: scheduling, planning, packing, loading, moving, and unloading. You can reach JK’s 24/7 customer service with any questions or concerns about your move through JK’s mobile app. The mobile app also allows you to track your shipment. You can make your move as customized and detailed or as simple as you need — JK provides any moving service you could think of, and if they don’t, they have contractors who do.
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JK Moving Services currently offers the following services and unique moving processes:
JK Moving Services does provide long-distance travel across the entire country, but their team currently does not offer local moves outside of a few states, listed above.
Unfortunately, like Moving APT, JK Moving Services does not currently provide online estimates for its services. As a general rule, when you’re moving a two-bedroom home a distance of about 500 miles, you can usually expect to pay between $2,500 to $5,500 for service. While this figure is a bit higher than competitors, be sure to click on the link below to get your free quote before you choose a moving company.
State Availability: All lower 48 states.
Get a quote from JK Moving Services here.
our rating9.7
On their website, Allied Van Lines states that they have the largest moving network in the world. They have close to 50 years of experience in the moving game, and they can move you anywhere in the country as well as to more than 130 stations abroad. You don’t have to worry about tricky customs declarations or overseas shipping — your Allied move coordinator will handle all of those details of your moving experience so you can have as stress-free a move as possible.
Allied Van Lines is a full-service mover specializing in interstate moving and long-distance moving, but they can move you locally or internationally efficiently and professionally. They offer custom crating services for things like motorcycles, large electronics, or anything else that needs extra protection during transportation that doesn’t fit into traditional moving boxes. Allied does not outsource vehicle shipping to other companies — it handles all services in-house.
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Allied Van Lines currently offers the following services on its moves:
Browse the table below to learn more about pricing from Allied Van Lines.
<250 miles | 500 miles | 1,000 miles | 2,000 miles | |
Two-bedroom home | $1,800 to $4,500 | $2,400 to $5,400 | $2,700 to $5,700 | $4,400 to $7,400 |
Four-bedroom home | $3,300 to $6,000 | $5,700 to $8,700 | $7,500 to $10,500 | $10,900 to $13,000 |
State Availability: All 50 states
Get a quote from Allied Van Lines here.
our rating9.3
U-Pack is a moving container company. You can use them for your DIY move, but U-Pack drivers do the pick-up and drop-off of your items. The way it works is that you first figure out how much space you will need to pack up all your stuff. You then select the appropriate moving containers (and number, if you need more than one), and a U-Pack driver will bring the container to your home. You then pack everything and load it up yourself. The driver returns and your belongings are now on their way to your new home.
Because you are doing the packing, loading, unloading, and unpacking, the only thing you’re paying for is the square footage your stuff occupies and the transportation. You have no hassle of driving a large moving vehicle that you may not feel comfortable driving, especially on unfamiliar roads. If you need assistance with anything, you can use U-Pack’s Moving Staffers network to find people to hire for a specific job, like appliance installation or piano moving.
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U-Pack currently offers the following services to its customers:
You must be moving at least 200 miles with a U-Pack move.
One of the biggest benefits that come with working with U-Pack is the company’s instant online pricing. If you’d like to explore pricing estimates from previous customers before claiming your free quote, check out the table below.
<250 miles | 500 miles | 1,000 miles | 2,000 miles | |
Two-bedroom home | $600 to $1,600 | $1,200 to $2,200 | $1,600 to $2,600 | $2,100 to $3,100 |
Four-bedroom home | $800 to $1,800 | $1,800 to $2,800 | $2,800 to $3,800 | $4,100 – $5,100 |
State Availability: All 50 States
Get a quote from U-Pack here.
North American Van Lines is a full-service mover that not only provides services to all 50 states but can also help you move to 175 countries all over the world. They have been in the moving business since the 1930s, and North American is a company of firsts. They were the first long-haul movers to traverse the Alaska Highway. They are also the first moving company to create a simulator for their drivers so that they can be trained on how to handle inclement weather conditions and all types of terrain.
North American Van Lines offers appliance disconnection and reinstallation, fragile-only packing, crating, and they have predictable pricing so that you don’t have any surprises when it’s time to pay for your move. They also offer “not to exceed” pricing, which can be particularly beneficial for men and women who are planning a DIY military move and who need strict control over their bottom line before reimbursement.
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North American Van Lines currently offers the following services and specialty moving processes to its customers.
Browse the table below to learn more about pricing from North American Van Lines.
<250 miles | 500 miles | 1,000 miles | 2,000 miles | |
Two-bedroom home | $1,800 to $4,500 | $2,400 to $5,400 | $2,700 to $5,700 | $4,400 to $7,400 |
Four-bedroom home | $3,300 to $6,000 | $5,700 to $8,700 | $7,500 to $10,500 | $10,900 to $13,000 |
State Availability: All 50 States
Get a quote from North American Van Lines here.
What should you look for when checking out military moving services? The General Services Administration (GSA) is a government department that supports the basic functions of other government agencies. However, they also manage federal properties like duty stations, and they work with companies that have contracts with the government. You can look to see if a mover is connected with the GSA to ensure that you’ll be getting a quality moving service. You can also consider the following when searching for companies to help.
When you get a PCS, or permanent change of station, the military typically provides a dislocation allowance (DLA) that covers miscellaneous moving costs. Usually, not all of the expenses you’ll incur are covered by this DLA, but it does help to cover some of the expenses associated with moving, like fuel costs and some insurance plans. Here are some other costs that you may encounter during your military move.
If you’ve never been stationed away from home, it’s normal to feel a bit overwhelmed by the moving process. However, understand that the Department of Defense aims to make moving services for the men and women who serve as easy and affordable as possible. Still, even with your moving allocation, it’s important to know that you’re getting the best possible deal on your upcoming services — especially if you have specialty moving needs. We recommend getting a quote from each one of our recommended moving services listed above before booking your move date to be sure that you’re getting the best deal possible for you and your family.
Yes. The military pays for your relocation for a new PCA, and if you’re married and living in the same home together, the military includes your spouse in that move.
From the time that you are notified of a move to the actual execution of the move, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to multiple months. Sometimes you can be moved within five weeks if your move is local. Sometimes, it can take a few months for everything to be finalized, especially for international relations that require specialized visas and permits for your family members.
This depends on the distance of your move as well as the size of your household. If you’re moving as a single person who lives in a small apartment, your move will cost less than if you were moving a three-bedroom home and had several family members. The average cost of military relocation is around $4,000, but this can vary widely. Keep in mind you may not be able to get reimbursed for the total cost of your move; you may have to pitch in for a truck rental or packing supplies depending on your station and unique circumstances.
You can absolutely complete a DIY move when you move to change stations. There are very affordable ways to move, and since you’ll potentially be saving a lot of money doing it, there’s a good chance you’ll be reimbursed by the government for a good portion of your DIY move.
That depends, but in many military families’ experiences, no. The government will reimburse you for a lot of your expenses, but chances are there will be moving costs that you pay out of pocket that you’ll never get back. This is why it’s so important to get as many quotes as possible before booking your move date.
At House Method, transparency and trust are our most important values for the reader. We’ve done the homework for you and have researched several dozen moving companies so you can have the information you need to make the best choice for your move.
To make the most of our research, we developed a formula to objectively determine the best moving companies on a 10-point scale based on the following criteria:
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