Movers in California charge about $110 to $175 per hour for a two-person crew on local jobs, and a two-bedroom interstate move from California is estimated at $3,500 to $8,500. Intrastate movers in California are licensed by the Bureau of Household Goods and Services, while any company moving household goods across state lines must hold FMCSA operating authority. Peak demand runs May to September, when quotes sit at the top of those ranges. BestMovers.info compares 182 licensed carriers serving California, with pricing data as of May 2026.
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California's moving market is split between two regulators. Intrastate moves (origin and destination both inside the state) fall under the Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS), part of the California Department of Consumer Affairs, which issues the Household Movers permit still commonly called a Cal-T number; household-goods regulation transferred from the California Public Utilities Commission to BHGS on 1 July 2018. Interstate moves fall under FMCSA. A licensed CA intrastate mover should display its permit number on every estimate, truck, and ad.
Labor costs are the dominant pricing input. The BLS May 2024 OEWS puts California's mean hourly wage for laborers and freight handlers (SOC 53-7062) at roughly 27% above the national mean. That feeds directly into the published hourly tariff, which is why the same two-mover crew that bills $95/hour in Phoenix bills $140–$165 in Los Angeles or San Jose.
Geography compounds it. A "local" job inside LA County can cross 30 miles of freeway with stop-and-go traffic, which lawfully bills as on-site time. Bay Area street parking, SF permit zones, and high-rise freight elevator windows routinely add 1–2 billable hours that would not exist in a flat-state metro.
We default to a top-tier van line (Allied, Mayflower, North American) for any 3BR+ household over 1,000 miles. The binding-not-to-exceed price, mature claims process, and consistent agent network are worth the 8–12% premium over a regional broker on long, expensive lanes.
Independent regional carriers with a published BHGS Household Movers permit, a real warehouse address, and a public complaint history are worth quoting against a van line on a 1–2 day local job. Ask for the hourly rate with a crew of three as well as two, and compare the projected hours rather than the rate alone.
Container services (PODS, U-Pack, 1-800-PACK-RAT) are competitive on CA to AZ/NV/UT lanes where backhaul is tight and on studio / 1BR loads under 3,000 lb where a full van line minimum is overkill.
Friday afternoon load times routinely add a billable hour in traffic. Schedule a Tuesday or Wednesday morning if possible.
Most SF buildings require a Certificate of Insurance (COI) naming the building as additional insured — confirm the mover can issue one within 48 hours.
Military discounts and PCS partnerships are common; SDDC-approved carriers are worth shortlisting if you're eligible.
Cheaper labor floor than coastal metros — if you can stage a local move out of Sacramento, expect 12–18% lower hourly rates than the Bay.
Verify any CA intrastate mover's Household Movers permit (Cal-T number) through the BHGS licence lookup before signing. BHGS also administers Maximum Rate Tariff 4, which sets the maximum rates a permit holder may charge on an intrastate move. For interstate moves, cross-check the carrier's USDOT and MC numbers in the FMCSA SAFER system.
If you remember one thing about hiring a mover in California, make it this: check that the company holds a current Household Movers permit from BHGS before you sign anything. Unlicensed operators advertise on classified and social marketplaces, quote well below the market by phone, then add weight or stair charges at delivery. BHGS publishes enforcement actions and a licence lookup; both are free to search and take a minute.
California's interstate market is more competitive than it looks. Because so many people leave the state every year — IRS migration data shows roughly 340,000 net departures in the most recent reporting cycle — backhaul capacity into California is unusually tight, and moving out of California is usually 8–15% cheaper than moving in on the same lane. If you have any flexibility on dates, request both binding and non-binding quotes and compare them side by side; binding-not-to-exceed is the safer instrument on a long lane.
Liability in California is a two-layer decision. Released value protection, the default on an interstate move, pays $0.60 per pound per article, which is a small settlement on a light expensive item. Full value protection is the paid alternative and settles at repair, replacement, or cash equivalent under the terms of the tariff; the price depends on the value you declare and the deductible you choose, so ask for it in writing on the bill of lading rather than accepting a verbal figure.
Finally, a word on timing. California's moving season runs May through September, and the last weekend of June plus the last weekend of August are the two single most expensive booking days of the year. If your situation allows, a mid-week move in October or February will save you 18–25% on labor and roughly 10% on interstate line-haul. Schools, leases, and closings drive the seasonality — not the carriers — so the discount is real, not a markdown.
California, capital Sacramento, 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 $143/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 California settles around $6,000, 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.
Verification in California runs through the Bureau of Household Goods and Services. A mover operating inside California must hold an active Household Movers permit issued by the Bureau of Household Goods and Services. The authorisation is a Household Movers (HHM) permit, commonly called a Cal-T number. Interstate carriers additionally need active FMCSA authority, which you can check on SAFER by USDOT number.
Get every quote in writing with an inventory attached, and compare at least three before paying a deposit.
California runs its heaviest volume May–September, and its 19 covered metros feed most of that demand out of and around Sacramento. Population sits near 39 million, which is what sets how deep the local crew pool actually is in November–March.
Nothing appears on this California page without a public record behind it. A company is listed here when it is headquartered in California 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.
Two movers, ground-floor access, standard packing. Peak season in California is May–September.
| Home size | Local move | Interstate move |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $330–$875 | $1,925–$5,100 |
| 1 Bedroom | $440–$1,050 | $2,625–$6,630 |
| 2 Bedroom | $660–$1,575 | $3,500–$8,500 |
| 3 Bedroom | $880–$2,100 | $5,075–$13,175 |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,210–$2,800 | $6,825–$18,275 |
| 5+ Bedroom | $1,540–$3,500 | $8,400–$22,950 |
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 6,941 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in California, and 1,624 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a California address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in California. An interstate move into or out of California can be performed by a carrier registered in any state.
FMCSA motor carrier census, Company Census FileData as of 2026-08-10
IRS tax return data for filing years 2022 to 2023 records 368,462 returns moving out of California to another state, and 262,257 moving in, a net loss of 106,205 returns. A return approximates a household rather than a person. The same filings cover 616,041 individuals leaving and 406,844 arriving.
The states receiving the most California households were Texas (44,417 returns), Arizona (28,402 returns) and Nevada (26,210 returns).
Arrivals came mainly from Texas (24,970 returns), New York (18,440 returns) and Washington (17,871 returns). These figures count all filers who changed address, not only those who hired a moving company.
IRS SOI state-to-state outflow fileIRS SOI state-to-state inflow fileData as of tax filing years 2022 to 2023
Bureau of Household Goods and Services regulates household goods movers operating inside California, and sits within the California Department of Consumer Affairs. Movers are licensed under Household Movers Act, California Business and Professions Code section 19225.5 et seq.. Moves crossing the California state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration instead, a separate authorisation with separate requirements.
A mover doing work inside California must hold the Household Movers (HHM) permit, commonly called a Cal-T number, issued by Bureau of Household Goods and Services. It exists specifically for household goods movers, whatever its title. The requirement sits in Household Movers Act, California Business and Professions Code section 19225.5 et seq.. An interstate carrier holding only a federal USDOT number is not authorised for California intrastate work by that number alone.
Source: Agency licensing page
Search the company by name or licence number in the Bureau of Household Goods and Services public licence lookup, and confirm the record shows an active status. For a move leaving California, check the company's USDOT record in FMCSA SAFER as well. Holding one authorisation does not imply the other.
Yes, for moves inside the state. California sets a ceiling through Maximum Rate Tariff 4, and a mover may charge less than the prescribed rates but may not exceed them. Rates on a move that leaves California are not set by the state.
Complaints about a move inside California go to Bureau of Household Goods and Services through Bureau of Household Goods and Services consumer complaint process. A complaint about a move that crossed the California state line goes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration through the National Consumer Complaint Database instead.
California complaint channelFMCSA National Consumer Complaint Database
The Bureau of Household Goods and Services, and not since long. Responsibility for household goods movers in California moved from the California Public Utilities Commission to the Bureau of Household Goods and Services with effect from 1 July 2018. Guidance written before that date names the earlier agency, so a page telling you to contact the California Public Utilities Commission about a California mover is out of date rather than wrong about the state.
Moves crossing a state line are authorised by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration under a USDOT number and interstate household goods operating authority. A California state licence does not cover that work, and the federal record is the one to check: confirm the USDOT number is active and authorised for household goods before paying a deposit.
Last verified against agency pages: 2026-08-09
A move that leaves California is an interstate move and falls under federal authority, so the company needs active operating authority for household goods rather than only a California licence. A move that stays inside California is different: it is regulated by Bureau of Household Goods and Services, and the company needs Household Movers (HHM) permit, commonly called a Cal-T number. Check which kind of move you are booking before you compare quotes, because the two are verified in different places.
California publishes a lookup, so you can confirm a licence yourself before you book. California licence lookup
The out of state checklist sets out what changes when the move crosses a line, and the moving checklist sets out the weeks before it.
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 California metros that runs about $330 to $700 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 California 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.
These companies have a verified headquarters or documented company location in California. Placement is based on documented location information, not a numeric ranking.
Atlas agent and one of the largest West Coast interstate operators. Strong corporate-relocation track record with Fortune 500 clients.
Ace Relocation Systems is headquartered in California according to its published company location.
South Bay mover with steady operations across Silicon Valley and the Peninsula. Tech-relocation experience.
Bay Area Movers is headquartered in California according to its published company location.
Chipman Corporation, carrying the Chipman Relocations trading name, files from San Ramon, California, active on the federal census with a household goods cargo entry, and the licensing file returns a freight forwarder docket for the same registration. The company is a UniGroup agent, and the two further registrations printed on its website identify United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit rather than Chipman; they are held in the van-line relationship layer and never attached to this record. A separate registrant in Kent, Washington carries the brand's trading name and a first-party email domain on its filing, which is enough to disclose it and not enough to state the corporate relationship, so it is recorded as unresolved. The business dates itself to 1939.
Chipman Relocation & Logistics is headquartered in California according to its published company location.
Daly Movers files from Garden Grove, California as a single federal registrant with eleven power units and eleven drivers on the federal file. The registration's operation code is recorded exactly as filed, an intrastate non-hazardous operation, and this profile does not restate that filing as independently verified interstate authority; equally, nothing here concludes the company cannot handle interstate work through its verified Wheaton agency relationship. The two layers are kept apart. The Wheaton docket number that appears in the company's published material belongs to the van line and is never recorded as a Daly identifier. The exact authority classes on Daly's own registration were not readable in the sources reviewed. No federal safety rating is on file. The company's own history wording is relative and inconsistent, so no founding year is stored.
Daly Movers is headquartered in California according to its published company location.
Marketplace that connects you with local moving labor by the hour, billed transparently with reviews. Pairs well with a U-Haul rental or a PODS container for budget DIY moves.
HireAHelper is headquartered in California according to its published company location.
These companies publish broad nationwide moving service and are shown separately from companies based in California.
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.
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.
Mayflower Transit is the second large UniGroup brand alongside United Van Lines and runs full-service interstate moves through an agent network under its own federal registration.
Mayflower Transit 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.
North American Van Lines is part of SIRVA and moves interstate household goods through an agent-affiliate network. The federal registration shown here belongs to the van line, not to the local agent that loads the truck.
North 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.
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.
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.
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.
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. California 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.
California pricing varies city by city. 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.
Intrastate household-goods movers in California are licensed by the Bureau of Household Goods and Services. A mover operating inside California must hold an active Household Movers permit issued by the Bureau of Household Goods and Services. The authorisation is a Household Movers (HHM) permit, commonly called a Cal-T number.
Bureau of Household Goods and ServicesResearched and written by Grant Holloway · Reviewed by Amanda Brooks · Last reviewed August 2026
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