Movers in Alaska charge about $120 to $180 per hour for a two-person crew on local jobs, and a two-bedroom interstate move from Alaska is estimated at $6,500 to $14,000. Alaska runs no separate household-goods licensing program, so only companies moving household goods across state lines appear in the federal FMCSA register. Peak demand runs May to September, when quotes sit at the top of those ranges. BestMovers.info compares 182 licensed carriers serving Alaska, with pricing data as of May 2026.
Key facts
Local rate, two movers
$120 to $180 per hour
2-bedroom interstate
$6,500 to $14,000
Intrastate regulator
No state licensing program
Interstate licensing
FMCSA USDOT and MC authority
Peak season
May–September
Cities covered
1
Carriers compared
182
Pricing data as of
May 2026
Bottom line
Compare moving companies, Federal Records, and moving resources for Alaska. BestMovers.info publishes no numeric score, star rating or ranked order.
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Updated August 2026 Reviewed by Amanda Brooks7 companies analyzed
What moving in Alaska actually looks like
Alaska, capital Juneau, prices moves off a May–September peak. Households that can move in November–March pay 15% to 25% less and get first pick of experienced crews.
Two crew members at standard rates run roughly $150/hr in most of the state, with downtown high-rise jobs and gated communities pulling toward the upper end. A typical 2-bedroom interstate move out of Alaska settles around $10,250, though distance and packing services swing that meaningfully.
Local quirks worth pricing in: long driveways, gated communities with check-in rules for trucks, and long distances between metros that turn a short-sounding move into a full driving day. None of these are dealbreakers, but they show up in the final bill if you don't ask about them upfront.
BestMovers.info has not yet confirmed, against a current government page, which Alaska agency licenses movers operating inside the state, so this page does not name one. Any move that crosses the Alaska state line is authorised federally, so ask for the USDOT number and check the carrier in FMCSA SAFER, and ask any local-only company in Alaska for its business registration and proof of cargo insurance in writing.
Confirm valuation coverage in writing. Released-value protection pays 60 cents per pound, which is not insurance on anything worth moving.
Alaska runs its heaviest volume May–September, and its 1 covered metros feed most of that demand out of and around Juneau. Population sits near 0.7 million, which is what sets how deep the local crew pool actually is in November–March.
How we select movers for this state
The Alaska shortlist is filtered before it is listed. A company is listed here when it is headquartered in Alaska or its record shows coverage of the state, and when we can describe it from sourced fields: federal registration, operating authority, founding year, and service coverage. We publish no numeric score and rank nobody first.
Which company suits your move is a question of scope and date, not of a score: BestMovers.info publishes no numeric score, star rating or ranked order. The pricing model behind the estimates on this page is dated May 2026.
Pricing
Alaska moving cost snapshot
Two movers, ground-floor access, standard packing. Peak season in Alaska is May–September.
Home size
Local move
Interstate move
Studio
$360–$900
$3,575–$8,400
1 Bedroom
$480–$1,080
$4,875–$10,920
2 Bedroom
$720–$1,620
$6,500–$14,000
3 Bedroom
$960–$2,160
$9,425–$21,700
4 Bedroom
$1,320–$2,880
$12,675–$30,100
5+ Bedroom
$1,680–$3,600
$15,600–$37,800
How many licensed moving companies are registered in Alaska?
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 385 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in Alaska, and 54 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a Alaska address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in Alaska. An interstate move into or out of Alaska can be performed by a carrier registered in any state.
IRS tax return data for filing years 2022 to 2023 records 16,482 returns moving out of Alaska to another state, and 15,109 moving in, a net loss of 1,373 returns. A return approximates a household rather than a person. The same filings cover 30,613 individuals leaving and 26,621 arriving.
The states receiving the most Alaska households were Washington (1,600 returns), Texas (1,349 returns) and California (1,143 returns).
Arrivals came mainly from California (1,363 returns), Washington (1,310 returns) and Texas (1,256 returns). These figures count all filers who changed address, not only those who hired a moving company.
BestMovers.info has not yet confirmed, against a current government page, which Alaska agency licenses movers operating inside the state, so this page does not name one. Any move that crosses the Alaska state line is authorised federally: the carrier must hold a USDOT number and interstate household goods operating authority, both checkable in FMCSA SAFER.
For a move that stays inside Alaska, where no federal authority applies, ask the company in writing for its Alaskabusiness registration, the name of any state authorisation it holds, and proof of cargo and liability insurance. Absence of a named regulator on this page means we have not verified one, not that Alaska licenses nobody.
What should you check before moving out of Alaska?
A move that leaves Alaska is an interstate move and falls under federal authority, so the company needs active operating authority for household goods rather than only an Alaska licence. A move that stays inside Alaska is different: Alaska agency pages were read in full and publish neither a mover-specific credential nor a rate rule, so there is no Alaska licence named here to check. Check which kind of move you are booking before you compare quotes, because the two are verified in different places.
Distance — local moves under 50 miles are billed hourly; cross-state jobs are billed by weight + mileage.
Home size — going from a 1-bedroom to a 3-bedroom roughly doubles crew time and truck space.
Stairs and access — every flight above the first commonly adds $25–$100; long carries from truck to door add similarly.
Packing — full-pack service usually adds 30–45% to a base move; partial packing (kitchen + fragiles only) adds 10–20%.
Season — book a Saturday move in late June and expect to pay 20–30% more than the same job mid-week in February.
Specialty items — pianos, gun safes, large aquariums, and oversized art each carry their own line item.
Alaska season — quotes inside May–September run at the top of the $120–$180 hourly band; November–March quotes sit near the bottom.
Truck access — if the truck cannot park within 75 feet of the door, expect a long-carry or shuttle charge.
Alaska licensing — BestMovers.info has not yet confirmed which Alaska agency oversees intrastate moves, so check FMCSA SAFER for the carrier's federal authority before you pay a deposit.
Full-service, labor-only, container, or rental truck
For a 1-bedroom apartment moving across town, a labor-only crew (you rent the truck, they load) is the cheapest option that still beats calling friends. In Alaska metros that runs about $360 to $720 for two movers over three to four hours.
Full service earns its price on 3+ bedroom homes, stairs at both ends, or any interstate job you are not driving yourself. It runs roughly two to three times labor-only, and that covers blankets, dollies, fuel, and the truck.
The container route splits the difference. Providers such as PODS, U-Pack, and 1-800-PACK-RAT drop a unit at the curb. You load on your schedule, the company drives. On a Alaska interstate move the container route is usually cheaper than a full-service van line, because you are supplying the loading labor the carrier would otherwise charge for. Bestmovers.info holds no container rates, so price the provider quote for your own lane and dates. The catch is the delivery window, which is set by the provider rather than promised to you, and limited recourse for damage during loading, since you packed it.
Companies
Moving Companies Based in Alaska
These companies have a verified headquarters or documented company location in Alaska. Placement is based on documented location information, not a numeric ranking.
Alaska Terminals files from Anchorage as a single federal registrant with nineteen power units and sixteen drivers on the federal file. The registration carries an active docket, MC-508071, and a second docket on the same row that the file marks inactive; the inactive docket is recorded as observed on the registration and no role is asserted for it. The company is an Atlas Van Lines agent, and Atlas corporate identifiers stay van-line numbers and are never attached to this registration. The exact operating-authority classes were not readable in the sources reviewed, so none is asserted. The federal file carries a Satisfactory safety rating dated 27 January 2006; that is a dated federal snapshot from twenty years ago and is not a current safety certification or an editorial verdict. The company states first-party that it opened in 1981.
Why is this company shown here?
Alaska Terminals is headquartered in Alaska according to its published company location.
Sourdough Express Inc files from Driveway Street in Fairbanks, Alaska, active on the federal census with one hundred and thirteen power units, one hundred and thirty-seven drivers, a current MCS-150 filing and docket MC-118527 on the registration. The filed contact email uses the company's own domain, tying registrant and brand inside the federal data. This registration is the primary one described on this page. Other registrations sharing the Sourdough name and contact ecosystem were located and are disclosed separately as related registrations with the relationship recorded as unresolved: nothing here calls any of them a predecessor, a sibling or a superseded filing, and the freight forwarder authority carried by one of them belongs to that registrant alone and is not presented as authority held by Sourdough Express Inc. FMCSA safety rating on file: Satisfactory, dated 18 February 2025, following a compliance review dated 14 February 2025; it is stored as the dated federal snapshot it is. The company states it has served Alaska since 1898.
Why is this company shown here?
Sourdough Express is headquartered in Alaska according to its published company location.
American Van Lines states first-party that it staffs moves with W2 employees rather than day labour. It requires a deposit to hold a move date, so ask what portion is refundable and by when before you pay it. We publish no BBB grade and hold no complaint dataset, so nothing here rates the company's service.
Why is this company shown here?
American Van Lines publishes broad nationwide moving service on its own site. It is shown separately from companies based in this area and its presence here is not evidence of a local office.
USDOT 614506Pompano Beach, FL2BR est. $2,900–$6,800
One of the oldest moving brands in the US, Bekins runs an agent-affiliate model similar to Allied, with interstate shipments booked under the Bekins registration and performed by affiliated agents.
Why is this company shown here?
Bekins Moving Solutions publishes broad nationwide moving service on its own site. It is shown separately from companies based in this area and its presence here is not evidence of a local office.
USDOT 2256609Indianapolis, IN2BR est. $3,000–$7,000
Budd Van Lines Inc is an independent nationwide carrier rather than an agent of a national van line, which is rare at this size: the federal census records 124 power units and 102 drivers filed from Somerset, New Jersey. Because the company holds its own active common and contract authority with household goods on the licensing record and no broker authority, the entity you contract with is the entity that hauls the shipment. The company's own history pages date the business to 1975.
Why is this company shown here?
Budd Van Lines publishes broad nationwide moving service on its own site. It is shown separately from companies based in this area and its presence here is not evidence of a local office.
United Van Lines is the largest brand under UniGroup and publishes the annual National Movers Study. It offers shipment tracking and a published claims process; we hold no dataset that compares its claims outcomes with other carriers.
Why is this company shown here?
United Van Lines publishes broad nationwide moving service on its own site. It is shown separately from companies based in this area and its presence here is not evidence of a local office.
Wheaton World Wide Moving shares a parent company with Bekins and moves interstate household goods through an agent network under its own federal registration.
Why is this company shown here?
Wheaton World Wide Moving publishes broad nationwide moving service on its own site. It is shown separately from companies based in this area and its presence here is not evidence of a local office.
A demand for cash deposit over $100 before move day. Reputable carriers bill on or after delivery.
A quote without a USDOT number on the paperwork. No USDOT means no FMCSA accountability if something goes wrong.
A "binding" estimate with no inventory list attached. Without inventory, the binding part is meaningless.
Refusal to do a video survey or in-home estimate for moves over 5,000 lb.
A blank Bill of Lading on move day. Sign nothing blank. Ever.
A name change in the last 12 months on the FMCSA record. It often signals a previous carrier under a complaint cloud.
An intrastate Alaska mover claiming a federal licence for an in-state move. FMCSA authority covers interstate work only, and Alaska issues no household-goods licence of its own.
An hourly quote far under $120 in Alaska. Below-market rates on a local job usually reappear as stair, carry, or materials charges on the invoice.
An eight-week timeline that actually works in Alaska
Eight weeks out: get three written quotes. Two should be in-home or video surveys. One online quote is fine for comparison only — it will rarely be the binding number.
Six weeks out: book the carrier. Ask for binding-not-to-exceed pricing in writing. Confirm valuation coverage (released vs. full-value protection — there is a real difference if a TV gets dropped).
Four weeks out: order packing supplies if you're self-packing. Boxes go on sale at U-Haul and Home Depot in late winter and late summer.
Two weeks out: confirm parking, building COIs, and elevator reservations at both ends. Alaska buildings vary wildly here — some need 72 hours notice, some 30 days.
One week out: pack a personal essentials box (medications, chargers, three days of clothes, toilet paper, coffee, scissors, the lease/closing folder) and keep it with you, not on the truck.
Move day: walk the truck before driver pulls away. Sign the Bill of Lading only after the inventory list matches. First week in the new place, file any damage claim within nine months — that's the federal interstate window.
Where in Alaska you're moving matters
Alaska pricing varies by metro. Downtown cores with high-rise residential typically run 10–20% above the state median because of COI requirements, freight elevator wait time, and tighter parking. Suburban single-family moves usually land near the median. Rural pickups outside metro service areas often add a per-mile travel fee from the nearest depot.
Local moves in Alaska are estimated at $315–$2,480 depending on home size, while an interstate move out of Alaska is estimated at $3,000–$7,000 for a two-bedroom household. Distance, packing services, and the time of year all shift those numbers.
When is the cheapest time to move in Alaska?
October through April is generally the cheapest window in Alaska — most movers cut rates 15–25% outside the May-to-September peak. Mid-month, mid-week pickups give the biggest discounts.
Are moving companies in Alaska licensed and insured?
All interstate moving companies must register with the FMCSA and carry a USDOT number. Alaska also requires intrastate movers to register with the state — verify any quote against the FMCSA SAFER tool before signing.
Should I tip movers in Alaska?
Tipping is customary but not required. A typical tip in Alaska is $20–$40 per mover for a half-day local job, or $50–$100 per mover for a full day or long-distance move.
How far in advance should I book a mover in Alaska?
Book 4–6 weeks ahead for moves between May and September. For off-peak fall and winter moves in Alaska, two weeks is usually enough notice.
What's the difference between binding and non-binding estimates?
A binding estimate locks in your price based on the inventory at the time of the survey — the mover can't charge more on move day for the same items. Non-binding estimates can change based on actual weight or volume. For AK interstate moves, request binding-not-to-exceed quotes whenever possible.
Who licenses movers in Alaska
Alaska does not run a separate household-goods licensing program. We have not yet confirmed a state licensing agency for intrastate movers here against a current government page, so this page does not name one. Interstate carriers are registered with the federal FMCSA and can be checked in SAFER.
How we evaluate moving companies: we verify federal registration and operating authority against FMCSA records, record carrier or broker classification, note state licensing where a state regulator publishes it, and state the limits of what we could source. No numeric score, star rating or ranked order is produced from those checks. Read full methodology
