Having lived in Colorado, I understand the unique challenges posed by the geography and climate. From where I lived in Grand Junction, you could be in seemingly different worlds in less than a day, from the Utah desert to Grand Mesa to snow in Aspen. For anyone moving into or out of the state, hiring a moving company in Colorado that is successfully able to navigate these unique challenges is a tall order.
4.5
One month of free storage included with your move
Provides moves in all 50 states
Offers air & ocean freighting
4.0
Flat rate pricing for all moves
Offers price matching
Expedited moves between big cities
4.2
Top-notch packing services
Nationwide partner network
Comprehensive moving calculator
Worry not. I’ve researched, read reviews, secret shopped, called representatives, and gotten sample quotes, so you don’t have to waste time during your move vetting who’s best to hire. In this article, I’ll break down how each Colorado moving company stacked up against Today’s Homeowner 2024 review criteria. We score moving companies based on factors like Basic Services and Cost, Customization, Reputation, Transparency, and more. I’ll also clearly lay out the pros and cons of each of my top five moving companies in Colorado and share what I like and what I dislike about each. In the end, you’ll walk away with a clear, informed view of which moving company is best suited for your needs.
Top 5 Colorado Moving Companies
- International Van Lines is the best option for international moves with numerous options, like port-to-port, door-to-door, and door-to-port. It can move your items by ocean freight (cheaper) or air (faster). Its website is full of useful information about the international moving process, including customs and 3rd party international freight carriers. Its international moving services also include vehicle shipping.
- Safeway Moving is the best company by customer reviews and satisfaction, with consistent 3+ ratings across the four major review websites used in our standard. My experience shopping with Safeway Moving was exceptional and stood out from its competition on the list. It also offers referral rewards of up to 10% of the sales price on local moves and 5% on long-distance moves.
- Interstate Moving & Relocation Group (IMRG) has a convoluted quote that includes opaque technical language, like “tariff” and “binding estimate,” that customers will likely find frustrating. Its quotes are also full of inexplicable discounts that smack of gimmicky marketing and dishonesty. I was given a “AAA/Availability/Relocation/Manager/Online Discount,” and I’m still not entirely sure what it means.
Read our full Moving Methodology for more details.
My Expert Recommendation
Safeway Moving is my personal pick. It has consistently solid reviews. It’s not a broker, so it does the move with its own trucks and workers. This allows the company to have complete control and oversight of the move process, which is essential to the timely resolution of potential issues. Most importantly, of all the companies I dealt with, it had the best customer service. The sales representative I dealt with was personable, professional, and incredibly helpful in educating me about the ins and outs of the moving process, even going so far as to provide me with government resources to help avoid scams. For those who value customer service and a company that is ready to earn your business, Safeway Moving is the company you’re looking for.
International Van Lines is my second overall pick for the breadth of services and customizations offered. No other company on the list has as much experience with so many different types of moves, whether local or international. With the addition of rarely offered services, like auto shipping, it’s an easy choice for me. With International Van Lines, I could move overseas, door-to-door, with expedient air shipping and vehicle relocation. That kind of thorough service and ability to tackle even the most difficult moves makes it stand out from its competitors. It’s the best option for anyone who doesn’t want to deal with searching for a company with the right services to do their move. International Van Lines has all of them.
Colorado Moving Companies I Didn’t Include
U-Pack
While I think U-Pack is a great service (and a popular one), it missed the list because it’s, first and foremost, a container service. A moving service includes professional movers who can assist with various aspects of the move, like disassembly, loading, packing, and the like. Despite how much I like it, U-Pack doesn’t offer those kinds of services. It’s strictly a self-move and storage solutions service.
Colorado Moving Company
Colorado Moving Company missed the list because of a couple of problems. Perhaps the biggest issue is that it only does local moves. Beyond that, options and services are very limited. Reviews are also ubiquitously poor and outline multiple failures, like damaged items, poor customer service, and delays on pickup and delivery. Its website is also very dated and lacks almost all the features you’d expect from a modern company: quote tool, list of services, disclosures, and more. Most glaringly, it doesn’t list Colorado Moving Company’s Department of Transportation (DOT) number, which is unsettling.
Compare The Highest Rated Moving Companies In Colorado
| Company | Rating | BBB Rating | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
A |
$1,400–$9,200 |
VISIT SITE | |
|
A+ |
$1,700–$13,800 |
VISIT SITE | |
|
B |
$1,250 – $8,500 |
VISIT SITE | |
 |
C |
$3,000–$11,200 |
VISIT SITE | |
 |
A+ |
$1,200–$11,250 |
VISIT SITE | |
 |
B |
$1,200–$11,250 |
VISIT SITE | |
 |
A+ |
$600–$5,100 |
VISIT SITE | |
 JK Moving Services |
A+ |
$3,000–$6,000 |
Editor’s Note: The ratings provided were accurate at the time of publication.
Our Reviews of the Best Moving Companies In Colorado
International Van Lines
4.5
Our Rating
International Van Lines has options and services to accommodate any type of move, from local furniture moves to whole-house international moves. Whatever kind of move you’re facing — however far — they’ve got you covered. I was specifically impressed by international moving services (it ranks as one of our top international moving companies). Not only does it have various options (port-to-port, door-to-port, door-to-door), but it also offers various services, like vehicle shipping. Even more impressive, it offers a choice between air and ocean shipping.
Even in the areas that overlap other companies on the list (like local moving), I found International Van Lines to be highly competitive in pricing and service options.
What’s more, its website is incredibly thorough and informative, not only detailing its offerings but also providing general explanations about the moving and shipping process.
Reviews are polarized. I attribute this to a failure to clearly communicate expectations to the customer, especially in terms of costs. International Van Lines stands in opposition to other companies on the list, like Safeway Moving and American Van Lines, that have consistently solid reviews. It suggests that the failure is on the company, not the customer.
Because of the variable nature of moving, costs can’t be perfectly predicted. Companies are forced to adjust costs on the fly to compensate for risks and expenses. Some companies, like American Van Lines, do well in communicating those variables. Based on the reviews and company responses to complaints to the Better Business Bureau, International Van Lines falls short in clearly communicating those variables, leaving the customer blindsided by unexpected costs and thus, frustrated.
International Van Lines provides a huge breadth and depth of services, which makes them stand out from the crowd. If I had to choose one company for all my moving needs, present and future, I’d choose this one.
As it pertains to polarized reviews, in my research, I came to conclude that the discrepancy had probably more to do with mismatched expectations than genuinely poor service. The nature of costs in the moving industry is highly variable, so the customer should expect that the final cost won’t always align with the initial quote.
Ultimately, International Van Line’s best quality is the diversity and completeness of the services it offers — for example, you can ship a vehicle internationally or move all your items by air. Moving is a complex affair often undertaken on a strict timeline, so having a company that can accommodate that endeavor in its entirety, whether it’s a local move or an international one, is an enormous benefit. Other companies on the list simply fall short of achieving that level of service.
International Van Lines has the most offered services of any company on our list. It can take care of a local move, long-distance, international — it can even relocate your business. For that, it earned a perfect score and a personal thumbs up from me.
| Service | Availability (Yes or No) |
| Local Moving | Yes |
| Long Distance/Interstate Moving | Yes |
| International Moving | Yes |
| Packing and Unpacking | Yes |
| Loading and Unloading | Yes |
| Storage Services | Yes |
Cost
Shopping with International Van Lines was a pleasant experience. The sales representative even accommodated me by giving me three quotes with different sets of options. For a basic two-bedroom move from Denver to Chicago, I was quoted $5744.51. This was right in line with its competitors and even included a discount. This is how the basic quote was itemized:
- Basic Estimate Price: $5,494.50
- Origin & Destination Fee: $450.00
- Full Packing Service: $0.01
- Discount: – $200.00
- Total Estimate: $5,744.51
- Total Estimate Including Packing Service: $5,934.51
Editor’s Note: The cost data provided in this article is based on Today’s Homeowner’s standardized sample moving scenario from Denver to Chicago, for a single-family home, with a move date set 8 weeks away. Please be aware that these estimates may vary depending on factors such as additional services required and market fluctuations. The cost data presented was accurate at the time of publication.
Available Discounts
With International Van Lines, if you book far enough out, you get a discount. While secret shopping for a quote, I booked three months out and was offered a 10-15% discount. It also provides a 15% senior citizen discount, so it’s a great choice for older homeowners.
International Van Lines has a fantastic variety of customization options, and they extend across all the services it offers. However, it was docked a point for lacking a home staging option. While not the most demanded service, companies like Moving APT do offer it, so it does count against them here.
| Customization Options | Availability (Yes or No) |
| Assembly/ Disassembly | Yes |
| Sells Packing Materials | Yes |
| Offers Valuation Coverage | Yes |
| Piano Moving | Yes |
| Car Shipping | Yes |
| Special Item/ Antique Moving | Yes |
| Custom Crating | Yes |
| Junk Removal | Yes |
| Home Staging | No |
International Van Lines scores high marks across several top review sites. BBB gives them an A, while Trustpilot gives them 4.5 stars, a sign of strong overall experiences by customers. They may not have a perfect reputation, but compared to other providers like IMRG or Moving APT, an A rating from the BBB is a strong indicator that International Van Lines stands out from the crowd.
Like many companies on this list, International Van Lines suffers from some polarized reviews. My research indicates that it’s caused by a failure to adequately communicate the variable nature of moving costs to the customer. This leaves them surprised by unexpected additional costs and, often, frustrated. If the numbers say anything, it’s that International Van Lines could improve at managing expectations.
| Rating Site | Rating | Number of Reviews |
| BBB | A | Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating |
| Trustpilot | 4.5 | 52 |
| 2.5 | 94 | |
| Yelp | 1.5 | 32 |
Editor’s Note: The ratings provided were accurate at the time of publication. Google and Yelp ratings vary by branch – figures in this table are from the Chicago branch.
{Editor’s Note: Multiple branch offices in reviews}
Most Common Praise for International Van Lines
There are consistently positive reviews of pricing and communication, but what I see the most praised is the professionalism of the workers who load and unload. Customers state that they’re prompt, and friendly, and complete the process within the estimated time frame.
Most Common Criticism for International Van Lines
Communication difficulties are the most commonly cited problem. In some cases, a customer’s sales representative vanishes, leaving the customer to deal with another representative who isn’t familiar with their move. In other cases, it’s sporadic, infrequent communication. In the worst cases, customers report not being able to get a hold of anyone at all.
Transparency is on par with other companies, but like other companies, there’s a problem with inaccurate quotes. That doesn’t necessarily mean hidden fees but rather stated fees that the company adds on because of the variable nature of moving. This is a point of frustration in reviews I’ve read. It’s a good reminder to read thoroughly and understand all aspects of pricing before you agree to a move.
American Van Lines
4.0
Our Rating
Though American Van Lines is a general-purpose mover, it specializes in long-distance moves. That quality makes it stand out from the rest. Long-distance moves are complicated, and having a company with experience and expertise makes the whole process much less daunting. With its variety of services and options — including moving pianos, antiques, fine art, and even office moving — it can tackle any move, no matter how large or complex. In fact, it’s one of our recommended antique movers for its flat-rate pricing and guaranteed price match.
I specifically like that it’s a primary mover and not a broker. This means it has its own moving trucks and equipment and, through that, control over the entire process. Not only does that give customers a single point of contact, it means that any potential problems can be addressed by the company and resolved directly.
Despite many strong points, I’m disappointed by its lack of junk removal and car transportation services. Car transportation, especially, hurts its position as long-distance movers. According to the United States Census Bureau, most families and individuals have vehicles – multiple, often – so not offering car transportation seems frustratingly short of a complete moving service. There are cheap ways to ship a car cross-country, but it would be nice if this was an optional service.
It also doesn’t offer international moving. In an increasingly globalized world, international moving isn’t uncommon, so not providing services to that market seems like a missed opportunity.
American Van Lines is a go-to for long-distance moving. Owning its own fleet of trucks and having its own moving professionals is a huge plus for the customer. While a lack of car transportation is a point against it, it offers a full array of standard options and services, otherwise making it fully able to accommodate any long-distance moving needs.
Since it doesn’t do international moves, it’s only suited for domestic, local, and cross-country moves. Missing that option is a disappointment, but I feel like it’s a strong company with good offerings otherwise. I can’t say it would be my confident first choice for a moving company, but it would certainly be among the top contenders.
American Van Lines loses a point for no international moving option. In our modern, interconnected world, international moves are common, so it’s unfortunate to see an otherwise great company lack that option. International moving aside, it offers a full complement of standard services, so it’s perfectly suited for any local or interstate moves.
| Service | Availability (Yes or No) |
| Local Moving | Yes |
| Long Distance/Interstate Moving | Yes |
| International Moving | No |
| Packing and Unpacking | Yes |
| Loading and Unloading | Yes |
| Storage Services | Yes |
Cost
American Van Line’s quote was right in line with its competitors on the list. After going through the process twice, both sales representatives pushed to do the inventory over the phone rather than online. All other companies on the list encouraged me to do the inventory process in their online system. Both processes have their pros and cons — online can be done at your leisure, while over-the-phone is quicker — so it’s a matter of personal preference, but I’m including it for anyone with a busy schedule or a dislike for talking on the phone.
Unfortunately, during the quote process, I didn’t receive an itemized quote, despite requesting it be emailed to me. Instead, I was quoted over the phone. For a two-bedroom move from Chicago to Denver:
- Total Shipping: $3,444
- Total Shipping + Packing/Unpacking Service: $4181
Editor’s Note: The cost data provided in this article is based on Today’s Homeowner’s standardized sample moving scenario from Denver to Chicago, for a single-family home, with a move date set 8 weeks away. Please be aware that these estimates may vary depending on factors such as additional services required and market fluctuations. The cost data presented was accurate at the time of publication.
Available Discounts
While it has special accommodations for military moves, it doesn’t have any standard discounts. Some websites claim it has certain discounts, but I didn’t find any evidence or receive any confirmation of this. I find this disappointing, as most of its competitors offer standard discounts for groups like military members and seniors.
Customization is the weakest category for American Van Lines. It lacks some of the standard customization options that are standard among its competitors, namely car shipping and junk removal. Beyond that, it offers most standard moving services.
To its credit, American Van Lines has an outstanding piano moving service. AVL movers are trained in proper techniques for dismantling, reassembling, and installing pianos. They have extensive experience in moving various piano types, including grand pianos, vertical pianos, electric pianos, and digital pianos. Trained AVL movers will reassemble, reinstall, and test your piano to ensure proper functionality.
| Customization Options | Availability (Yes or No) |
| Assembly/ Disassembly | Yes |
| Sells Packing Materials | Yes |
| Offers Valuation Coverage | Yes |
| Piano Moving | Yes |
| Car Shipping | No |
| Special Item/ Antique Moving | Yes |
| Custom Crating | Yes |
| Junk Removal | No |
| Home Staging | No |
American Van Lines scores well with BBB, Trustpilot, and Google reviewers. Yelp is the outlier, but it’s also the outlier with every other company on the list. I attribute this more to the fickle nature of the internet and internet communities than American Van Lines or any other company on the list. Some internet communities can be hyper-critical, some can be relaxed, and there’s not often a rhyme or reason to it. That said, among its competitors, American Van Lines skews toward the higher side of ratings.
| Rating Site | Rating | Number of Reviews |
| BBB | A+ | Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating |
| Trustpilot | 3.3 | 2.2 |
| 4.1 | 833 | |
| Yelp | 2.2 | 433 |
Editor’s Note: The ratings provided were accurate at the time of publication. Google and Yelp ratings vary by branch – figures in this table are from the Chicago branch.
{Editor’s Note: Multiple branch offices in reviews.}
Most Common Praise for American Van Lines
Timeliness is the most common praise I’ve seen across multiple review sites. Customers report that drivers and loading personnel are prompt and meet the scheduled times. In situations where the ball was dropped, American Van Lines reached out to the customer to resolve the situation. Its willingness to own up to mistakes and correct the problem is a big green flag for me.
Most Common Criticism for American Van Lines
Some customers report issues communicating with salespersons and coordinators. While the company is generally praised as timely, getting a firm time and date for things like pick-up and delivery seems to be an obstacle for some.
I’ve come across a few complaints about opaque pricing or hidden fees. Some customer reviews do report final costs going over the initial quote, but this is standard for all companies that don’t guarantee a fixed price. I don’t personally hold that against them, as there are plenty of variables that are difficult to anticipate when moving. It loses points for ambiguous customer service hours, specifically in the case of after-hours and emergency communications.
Interstate Moving & Relocation Group
4.2
Our Rating
I like that Interstate Moving & Relocation Group (IMRG) is a company with 25 years of experience and generally positive reviews. Longevity and customer opinion are the best indicators of a reputable company.
My favorite part is a bit hidden from view. In my research, I found that it has a third-party arbitration process in case of a dispute. Arbitration is a great alternative to potential lengthy litigation when or if something goes wrong. While you should always consult with an attorney regarding making these types of decisions, I’m pleasantly surprised to see that it offers this as an option.
Despite generally positive reviews, I’ve read numerous complaints about poor customer service, lost and damaged items, and inflated final costs. Interstate Moving & Relocation Group is a moving broker, meaning it contracts out the physical move to other companies, and I suspect this is where the issues begin.
Compared to primary movers, like American Van Lines, IMRG doesn’t have control over the entire moving process, which can lead to the aforementioned issues. Because the company contracts out the work to other independent companies, IMRG can’t exercise complete oversight, nor can it directly intervene when issues arise.
At the risk of being overly harsh, I’m skeptical of shipping brokers. Because they don’t own any equipment or employ the laborers who do the actual moving, they’re too far removed from the process to be useful if any kind of conflict arises. Coupled with the fact that broker contracts aren’t straightforward, nor are shipping brokers honest about it, I’d advise you to consider hiring a carrier over a broker.
On the positive side, it’s got great service and customization options to fit whatever needs you have. Its reviews skew to the positive side — not an easy feat. It offers third-party arbitration in case of a dispute. And it has good estimation tools. There’s certainly a lot to love there.
On the negative side, the poor reviews seem to focus on the same few problems: poor estimation, lost and damaged items, and poor customer service. Those things are hard to ignore. While it’s my opinion that these are probably the product of being a shipping broker and not the company’s fault, per se, it’s still an issue that a potential customer needs to be aware of.
Interstate Moving & Relocation Group is a top-shelf choice when it comes to services. It offers a full range of options and add-ons, so no competitor can say it has a leg up on them in that regard. Whatever your moving needs, IMRG more than has you covered.
| Service | Availability (Yes or No) |
| Local Moving | Yes |
| Long Distance/Interstate Moving | Yes |
| International Moving | Yes |
| Packing and Unpacking | Yes |
| Loading and Unloading | Yes |
| Storage Services | Yes |
Cost
IMRG’s bid was high compared to the other companies on this list. I didn’t like that there were confusing items in the quote, like “tariff” and “binding estimate fee,” with no explanation offered by the sales representative. Quotes from all other companies on the list were clear and self-explanatory, so this seems needlessly obtuse.
Be warned, despite charging a binding estimate fee, because IMRG is a broker, this doesn’t mean the price is guaranteed. In lieu of a lengthy discussion of how contracts work with moving brokers, the final cost can still be over what was initially quoted in the binding estimate.
Total Tariff: $4531.00
Total Tariff Discount: – $2502.40 (55.23%)
Basic Estimate Price: $2028.60
Fuel Surcharge: $304.29
Full Packing Service: $724.50
Full Unpacking Service: $362.25
Binding Estimate Fee: $2655.28
Online Discount: – $1500.00
Basic Valuation Protection: $0.00
Total Move Estimate: $4574.92
Editor’s Note: The cost data provided in this article is based on Today’s Homeowner’s standardized sample moving scenario from Denver to Chicago, for a single-family home, with a move date set 8 weeks away. Please be aware that these estimates may vary depending on factors such as additional services required and market fluctuations. The cost data presented was accurate at the time of publication.
Available Discounts
IMRG offers a standard $500 discount to anyone who books a move through its toll-free number. Since this is ubiquitous to all customers and quotes, I don’t consider it a discount. It’s just duplicitous and deceitful marketing.
Interstate Moving & Relocation Group has strong offerings in customization. They do everything from run-of-the-mill services like assembly and disassembly to white-glove services like junk removal and custom crating.
The only thing I can fault IMRG for is the lack of a home staging option. While it loses a technical point for it, it’s worth noting that, of all the companies on the list, only Moving APT offers home staging. It would be nice if IMRG had it, but it’s also not surprising that it doesn’t.
| Customization Options | Availability (Yes or No) |
| Assembly/ Disassembly | Yes |
| Sells Packing Materials | Yes |
| Offers Valuation Coverage | Yes |
| Piano Moving | Yes |
| Car Shipping | Yes |
| Special Item/ Antique Moving | Yes |
| Custom Crating | Yes |
| Junk Removal | Yes |
| Home Staging | No |
IMRG is high-middle for reviews. It’s not winning any awards among customers, on average. But it’s also not being buried in scorn. The majority of complaints center around a few core issues that the company, according to its responses to complaints to the Better Business Bureau, seems to be working to fix. On the other side, there are plenty of glowing reviews as well. So, on the balance, I find that it evens out.
| Rating Site | Rating | Number of Reviews |
| BBB | B | Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating |
| Trustpilot | N/A | N/A |
| 3.6 | 1,142 | |
| Yelp | 2.2 | 80 |
Editor’s Note: The ratings provided were accurate at the time of publication.
Most Common Praise for Interstate Moving & Relocation Group
Customers consistently praise the moving team. They report that they’re friendly, professional, and prompt. Good pricing is the second most common praise, which is one of the benefits of hiring a moving broker who can shop around for the best deal.
Most Common Criticism for Interstate Moving & Relocation Group
The company seems to struggle with poor customer service, poor estimation and lost and damaged items. I wouldn’t characterize them as common complaints, implying that many people report them. But they are consistent among the customers that report a bad moving experience.
Though there are some complaints of hidden fees or inflated final costs, they’re overwhelmed by customer reports of good pricing and accurate estimation. The only thing that I can criticize is a lack of GPS tracking. Because it’s a broker that hires out the work to a third party, it doesn’t have in-house tracking. However, tracking may be possible with the third-party carrier, so it’s worth asking about.
Safeway Moving
4.1
Our Rating
Safeway Moving has, far and away, some of the best online reviews I’ve seen. Customers consistently report great service, good pricing, punctuality, and professionalism. As notoriously difficult as internet reviewers can be, I consider this a great indicator of quality service.
Personally, this company would be my first choice. It may not have every moving service — and it may lack some of those nice-to-haves, like online tracking — but its great reviews and feedback from customers really impressed me.
As well, the sales representative I spoke to outclassed his peers in the other companies on this list. He was personable, helpful, and thorough in explaining all aspects of the move, how Safeway Moving differed from its competitors, and even gave me general shopping tips that didn’t directly benefit Safeway Moving. More than his competitors, I felt like he was really trying to earn my business.
Safeway Moving doesn’t have online tracking, and I think that’s a bit frustrating to the modern customer. Considering that you’re entrusting them with all of your worldly possessions, not having the ability to track where your possessions are compromises your peace of mind.
Compared to its competitors, Safeway Moving’s website is low on information. Other companies, like Interstate Van Lines, have page after page of useful information — even a blog. Considering how commonplace the internet and e-commerce have become, I find it disappointing that it hasn’t invested more in that space.
All things considered, this is a solid company. It may not stand out on any particular services or options, but its consistently high reviews are a testament to outstanding service. That isn’t to say its services are lacking, though. Safeway Moving offers an industry-standard array of services and options, so you shouldn’t be left wanting in any case.
Compared to its competitors, Safeway Moving is lacking on the technical side of things. Its website could use some fleshing out, and its lack of online shipment tracking is a bit dated. I can forgive those things, as it’s a smaller company than its competitors, but I hope to see them in the future.
Safeway Moving’s services are industry standard, so you shouldn’t find yourself having to make compromises on your move. However, it does lose points for lacking a local moving service. Either way, that service is standard among its competitors and a common expectation of customers, so it’s certainly a point against them.
| Service | Availability (Yes or No) |
| Local Moving | No |
| Long Distance/Interstate Moving | Yes |
| International Moving | Yes |
| Packing and Unpacking | Yes |
| Loading and Unloading | Yes |
| Storage Services | Yes |
Cost
Safeway Moving had one of the lower costs of the bunch. For a two-bedroom move from Denver to Chicago, it was $3775.00. This was a basic move with assembly and disassembly included and limited standard packing.
- Basic Estimate Price: $3500.00
- Fuel Surcharge: $175.00
- Packing Materials: $100.00
- Total Moving Estimate: $3775.00
- Total Moving Estimate w/ Packing Service: $4275.00
Editor’s Note: The cost data provided in this article is based on Today’s Homeowner’s standardized sample moving scenario from Denver to Chicago, for a single-family home, with a move date set 8 weeks away. Please be aware that these estimates may vary depending on factors such as additional services required and market fluctuations. The cost data presented was accurate at the time of publication.
Available Discounts
Safeway Moving offers discounts to veterans, seniors, students, teachers, and first responders. It also provides discounts for booking thirty or more days in advance. While not a discount, I felt it worth mentioning: it donates a portion of proceeds of all moves to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Safeway Moving customization options are right in line with its competitors. But like many of its competitors, it doesn’t offer home staging. So, it gets bumped down for that. On the upside, they utilize climate-controlled trucks to move pianos, which ensures that the instrument isn’t adversely affected by rapid changes in temperature and humidity. A small detail but a valuable one for customers with pianos.
| Customization Options | Availability (Yes or No) |
| Assembly/ Disassembly | Yes |
| Sells Packing Materials | Yes |
| Offers Valuation Coverage | Yes |
| Piano Moving | Yes |
| Car Shipping | Yes |
| Special Item/ Antique Moving | Yes |
| Custom Crating | Yes |
| Junk Removal | Yes |
| Home Staging | No |
The overwhelmingly positive feedback is Safeway Moving’s biggest selling point, in my opinion. While many of its competitors have polarized reviews, Safeway Moving is highly rated across all reviews and review sites that I’ve researched.
| Rating Site | Rating | Number of Reviews |
| BBB | B- | Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating |
| Trustpilot | 4.7 | 35 |
| 3.4 | 199 | |
| Yelp | 4.8 | 382 |
Editor’s Note: The ratings provided were accurate at the time of publication.
Most Common Praise for Safeway Moving
While praise is fairly consistent across all aspects, I noticed two things that stood out: speediness and a seamless process. Customers report that Safeway Moving was quick, and they state that the process from start to finish was stress-free and easy to get through.
Most Common Criticism for Safeway Moving
Damaged items was a common thread in the comparatively few complaints against Safeway Moving. I can’t say for certain if there’s a common cause for those complaints or if they’re just unfortunate accidents. However, I will qualify it by saying that damaged items were a common complaint among all companies on the list — Safeway Moving isn’t unique in that regard.
Transparency is generally good, but there are two issues. First, Safeway Moving doesn’t offer GPS tracking, which makes the physical move opaque. The sales representative informed me that this was changing — they did have some trucks with GPS — however, it wasn’t their entire fleet. Nonetheless, this unfortunately puts Safeway Moving behind all other companies on this list.
Second, it doesn’t offer sample pricing. That’s not a huge deal, merely a mild annoyance when shopping around. But again, this is a fairly standard practice across the industry and offered by all other companies on this list, so Safeway Moving is a step behind here.
Moving APT
3.9
Our Rating
Longevity is a key indicator of trust, and Moving APT has been at it for 22 years. And even though it’s a moving broker that doesn’t control the entire moving process, there are some advantages there. Moving APT offers to find you the cheapest moving company, which is helpful for customers on a tight budget.
Its standout quality is that it offers home staging, and it’s the only company on the list to do so. For anyone on a busy schedule, home staging can relieve a large part of the stress of moving.
Moving APT’s website is odd and unintuitive. Though you can find plenty of information, it’s buried in menus that aren’t immediately obvious, leading to a somewhat frustrating experience. That kind of confusing experience can make it difficult to research the company properly, and that’s a disadvantage to customers.
It also misses on a couple of minor things. I couldn’t find any published customer service hours, which is important information. A reliable and transparent system of communication is essential for a move, so that’s an unfortunate oversight. They also lack transparency compared to competitors by not offering GPS tracking and status disclosures.
Although Moving APT’s longevity in the industry is impressive, I otherwise found this company to be fairly average.
On the positive side, it’s one of the few companies on the list to offer home staging, so that’s something to keep in mind. For the elderly, disabled, or even just the busy parent, a complete moving service from home staging to unpacking is a great option to have.
On the negative side, it’s one of the least transparent companies I’ve dealt with. It doesn’t check many of the boxes I like to see when dealing with an expensive service: no sample pricing, no GPS tracking, and a lack of status disclosures, among other things.
Moving APT offers a complete array of services, so you should have no problem finding what you need. It even has a few non-listed, niche services, namely furniture moving and budget moving companies. So if you need a couch moved, or you’re on a budget and need the cheapest move possible, they can accommodate you.
| Service | Availability (Yes or No) |
| Local Moving | Yes |
| Long Distance/Interstate Moving | Yes |
| International Moving | Yes |
| Packing and Unpacking | Yes |
| Loading and Unloading | Yes |
| Storage Services | Yes |
Cost
Moving APT quoted me at $3,400.00 for a basic two-bedroom move from Denver to Chicago. Of all the quotes, this was the lowest. This price included a disassembly/assembly service. Full packing and unpacking cost an additional $1,848.00, which was much higher than competitors.
- Basic Estimate Price: $3,326.40
- 3 Day Window: -$1,622.59
- Fuel Surcharge: $498.96
- Lawnmower Handling Fee: $75.00
- Exercise Equip Handling Fee: $75.00
- Carrier Total: $2,901.00
- Booking Fee: $499.00
- Total Moving Estimate: $3,400.00
- Total Moving Estimate w/ Packing/Unpacking Service: $4,750.00
Providing the company with a flexible moving window, as opposed to a fixed move date, significantly contributed to my cost savings. I offered a five-day window, and, as you can see, it saved me $1,622.59.
Editor’s Note: The cost data provided in this article is based on Today’s Homeowner’s standardized sample moving scenario from Denver to Chicago, for a single-family home, with a move date set 8 weeks away. Please be aware that these estimates may vary depending on factors such as additional services required and market fluctuations. The cost data presented was accurate at the time of publication.
Available Discounts
Moving APT offers discounts for military members, seniors and for early booking. You can also get potential discounts through being flexible about pick-up dates. If you agree to a range of possible moving dates rather than a specific moving day, the representative might be able to get you a better deal.
Moving APT’s customization options are great. It ticks all our boxes for a truly full-service moving company: assembly and disassembly, piano moving, car shipping, and more. Most noteworthy, it offers home staging where its competitors on the list don’t. Home staging is a tremendously useful service for the busy homeowner, and it’s an invaluable service for those with mobility challenges. For that, Moving APT earned a perfect score in this category.
| Customization Options | Availability (Yes or No) |
| Assembly/ Disassembly | Yes |
| Sells Packing Materials | Yes |
| Offers Valuation Coverage | Yes |
| Piano Moving | Yes |
| Car Shipping | Yes |
| Special Item/ Antique Moving | Yes |
| Custom Crating | Yes |
| Junk Removal | Yes |
| Home Staging | Yes |
Reviews are maddeningly divergent. For example, as you can see in the chart below, reviewers on Google rate the company highly, while reviewers on Yelp rate it poorly. I’ve read through hundreds of reviews, and I didn’t find any reasons to suspect that anything nefarious was going on with them. I can only conclude that Moving APT suffers problems with consistency in its service.
| Rating Site | Rating | Number of Reviews |
| BBB | B+ | Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating |
| 4.0 | 301 | |
| Yelp | 1.3 | 171 |
Editor’s Note: The ratings provided were accurate at the time of publication.
Most Common Praise for Moving APT
Reviewers most often mention the professionalism of the moving crew, drivers, and people on the ground, generally. Descriptions like “fast,” “prompt,” and “timely” are common, and they mostly seem pleased with the customer-facing side of the business.
Most Common Criticism for Moving APT
The most reported problems were poor communication and mismanaged expectations. In my opinion, they’re both two sides of the same coin. Communication is infrequent or unclear, which leads customers to expect things that never happen or happen later than they want.
This is the weakest category from Moving APT. It first lacks sample pricing, which makes the process of shopping around unnecessarily involved and overly committal. Having to work with representatives through an entire formal quote process only to find there’s better pricing elsewhere is frustrating. Beyond that, the lack of GPS tracking was acceptable 20 years ago, but the customer of today expects it. I feel the company could be doing much more to increase transparency.
What to Look for in a Reputable Moving Company in Colorado
The most important part of hiring a moving company is to check and make sure it’s licensed and insured. You can and should ask for proof of this directly. Licensing is done by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Colorado also requires movers to register with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, which has convenient online tools for customers and movers alike.
Beyond that, a strong online presence is a must. Make sure it not only has a good online presence — website, reviews, social media — but a long-standing presence. Reviews, while sometimes polarized, are also valuable in assessing a company’s reputation. Make sure to read reviews across multiple websites to get a broad overview of customer opinion and preference websites that require users to verify that they were customers.
How To Avoid Moving Scams in Colorado
As the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So, always trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right about the company, don’t question it. Just politely decline and move on to the next company. Your worldly possessions are too valuable to entrust to a company you don’t feel comfortable with.
Outside of that, here are some red flags to watch out for:
- Lack of licensing information on their website, like Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) registration information and Department of Transportation (DOT) number.
- Generic email address that doesn’t include the company name.
- Generic introduction on the phone that doesn’t include the company name.
- Any mover that claims to have been in business for years but lacks the online presence to prove it.
- Reviews on 3rd party websites that are suspiciously flattering.
- Pushy sales tactics meant to pressure you into agreeing as quickly as possible.
- Doesn’t provide you with a copy of “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” which is federally required to be provided to customers by the moving company at the time of the move.
- Doesn’t accept credit cards or requires a large up-front deposit.
- Doesn’t provide exact addresses for stored items.
Colorado Moving Company News
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, and based on US Census data, Colorado ranks fourth among US states in outmigration. Forty-two out of every 1,000 Colorado residents migrated out of the state in 2021, despite a net increase in migrants between January and February 2021 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
4.5
One month of free storage included with your move
Provides moves in all 50 states
Offers air & ocean freighting
4.0
Flat rate pricing for all moves
Offers price matching
Expedited moves between big cities
4.2
Top-notch packing services
Nationwide partner network
Comprehensive moving calculator
FAQs
How Much Does a Moving Company Cost in Colorado?
The average cost for a 3-bedroom home is $2,100 locally and $5,500 long-distance. To get the best deal possible, check out our guide on negotiating with a moving company.
Should You Tip Movers in Colorado?
The standard tip is 10–20% of the total cost of the move, but some people prefer to tip $5–$10 per mover per hour. For a more complete discussion of tipping, see our guide on how much to tip movers.
Are Moving Companies in Colorado Worth It?
A moving company is worth it in Colorado for anyone looking to eliminate a large part of the stress of moving, but I don’t think a self-move is necessarily worse. See our article on DIY vs. professional moving for a look at the pros and cons of each.
If you are committed to hiring a moving company, planning is one of the best ways to minimize the stress and hassle of moving. Pre-packaging and staging can be done well before the moving company arrives or even before it’s hired. You can learn more about how to prepare for a move with The Complete Moving Checklist (and Survival Guide).
