Movers in Iowa charge about $80 to $125 per hour for a two-person crew on local jobs, and a two-bedroom interstate move from Iowa is estimated at $2,400 to $5,700. Intrastate movers in Iowa are licensed by the Iowa Department of Transportation, Office of Motor Carrier Services, while any company moving household goods across state lines must hold FMCSA operating authority. Peak demand runs May to August, when quotes sit at the top of those ranges. BestMovers.info compares 182 licensed carriers serving Iowa, with pricing data as of May 2026.
Key facts
Local rate, two movers
$80 to $125 per hour
2-bedroom interstate
$2,400 to $5,700
Intrastate regulator
Iowa Department of Transportation, Office of Motor Carrier Services
Interstate licensing
FMCSA USDOT and MC authority
Peak season
May–August
Cities covered
1
Carriers compared
182
Pricing data as of
May 2026
Bottom line
Compare moving companies, Federal Records, and moving resources for Iowa. BestMovers.info publishes no numeric score, star rating or ranked order.
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Updated August 2026 Reviewed by Amanda Brooks6 companies analyzed
What moving in Iowa actually looks like
Demand in Iowa concentrates in May–August, when the state's 3.2 million residents do most of their moving. Booking in November–March instead is the single cheapest change available, worth 15% to 25%.
Two crew members at standard rates run roughly $103/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 Iowa settles around $4,050, though distance and packing services swing that meaningfully.
Local quirks worth pricing in: winter pickups that can slip a day after snowstorms, and a strong August student-move surge. None of these are dealbreakers, but they show up in the final bill if you don't ask about them upfront.
Verification in Iowa runs through the Iowa Department of Transportation, Office of Motor Carrier Services. Carrying household goods for hire between two points in Iowa requires an intrastate motor carrier permit from the Office of Motor Carrier Services, applied for on Iowa DOT form 441052 with a $150 fee and an active USDOT number. The permit is the credential the state issues for for-hire property carriage; it is not written for movers alone, since the same permit class covers liquid nondairy products. The authorisation is a Iowa intrastate motor carrier permit. 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.
Iowa runs its heaviest volume May–August, and its 1 covered metros feed most of that demand out of and around Des Moines. Population sits near 3.2 million, which is what sets how deep the local crew pool actually is in November–March.
How we select movers for this state
The Iowa shortlist is filtered before it is listed. A company is listed here when it is headquartered in Iowa 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
Iowa moving cost snapshot
Two movers, ground-floor access, standard packing. Peak season in Iowa is May–August.
Home size
Local move
Interstate move
Studio
$240–$625
$1,320–$3,420
1 Bedroom
$320–$750
$1,800–$4,446
2 Bedroom
$480–$1,125
$2,400–$5,700
3 Bedroom
$640–$1,500
$3,480–$8,835
4 Bedroom
$880–$2,000
$4,680–$12,255
5+ Bedroom
$1,120–$2,500
$5,760–$15,390
How many licensed moving companies are registered in Iowa?
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 578 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in Iowa, and 249 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a Iowa address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in Iowa. An interstate move into or out of Iowa can be performed by a carrier registered in any state.
IRS tax return data for filing years 2022 to 2023 records 36,361 returns moving out of Iowa to another state, and 33,853 moving in, a net loss of 2,508 returns. A return approximates a household rather than a person. The same filings cover 59,185 individuals leaving and 57,647 arriving.
The states receiving the most Iowa households were Illinois (4,586 returns), Nebraska (3,156 returns) and Minnesota (2,819 returns).
Arrivals came mainly from Illinois (5,280 returns), Nebraska (3,172 returns) and Minnesota (2,324 returns). These figures count all filers who changed address, not only those who hired a moving company.
Iowa Department of Transportation, Office of Motor Carrier Services enforces household goods moving rules in Iowa, and sits within the Iowa Department of Transportation. Movers are licensed under Iowa Code chapter 325A, with tariff approval at 325A.7A and insurance at 325A.6. Moves crossing the Iowa state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration instead, a separate authorisation with separate requirements.
Iowa issues no authorisation written specifically for household goods movers, so there is no mover credential number to look up. Iowa does still require operating authority to carry property for hire inside the state, and a mover must hold it: the credential is the Iowa intrastate motor carrier permit. It is not a mover licence, it is the authority any for-hire property carrier in Iowa holds, and a company moving your household goods inside Iowa without it is operating unlawfully. For a move crossing the Iowa state line, FMCSA registration applies instead.
Iowa does not publish a public register of intrastate permit holders that we have verified, so a permit is confirmed by asking the Office of Motor Carrier Services at OMCS@iowadot.us. For a move leaving Iowa, check the company's USDOT record in FMCSA SAFER as well. Holding one authorisation does not imply the other.
Iowa requires each mover to file its own rates rather than setting a ceiling. The mechanism is Tariff filed, posted and approved by the Iowa Department of Transportation under Iowa Code 325A.7A before any household goods move may be performed, so the rates are public and enforceable against the mover that filed them, but Iowa does not cap them. Rates on a move that leaves Iowa are not set by the state.
Complaints about a move inside Iowa go to Iowa Department of Transportation, Office of Motor Carrier Services through OMCS@iowadot.us. A complaint about a move that crossed the Iowa state line goes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration through the National Consumer Complaint Database instead.
What makes Iowa's tariff rule stricter than a filing requirement?
Approval. Iowa Code 325A.7A states that a motor carrier of household goods shall not undertake, engage in or participate in an intrastate move until its tariff has been filed, posted and approved by the department. Changes take thirty days' notice to the department and to the public, the department may hold a hearing to decide whether a tariff is just, reasonable and non-discriminating, and a tariff under suspension may not be put into effect. Iowa is one of the few states where the rate document is approved rather than merely lodged.
What insurance does Iowa require of an intrastate mover?
The federal minimums, filed by the insurer. Iowa Code 325A.6 adopts the limits in 49 C.F.R. part 387 for motor carriers under the chapter, and the Office of Motor Carrier Services takes evidence on a Form E filed by the insurance company's home office rather than by the carrier. Cargo insurance must be carried but is not filed with the state. Letting coverage lapse suspends the permit, and reinstatement costs $150 plus a fresh application and Form E.
Iowa Department of Transportation, Office of Motor Carrier Services publishes what applies to a company moving household goods in Iowa. Each of the following comes from the agency's own pages:
Iowa splits for-hire authority into a permit and a certificate, and household goods fall under the permit, with the tariff requirement attaching only to the household goods permit.
What is different about an interstate move from Iowa?
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 Iowa 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.
A move that leaves Iowa is an interstate move and falls under federal authority, so the company needs active operating authority for household goods rather than only an Iowa licence. A move that stays inside Iowa is different: it is regulated by Iowa Department of Transportation, Office of Motor Carrier Services, and the company needs Iowa intrastate motor carrier permit, which is general carrier authority rather than a licence written for movers. 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.
Iowa season — quotes inside May–August run at the top of the $80–$125 hourly band; November–March quotes sit near the bottom.
Weekend premium — Saturday slots in Iowa price above the same job on a Tuesday.
Iowa licensing — Iowa Department of Transportation, Office of Motor Carrier Services handles intrastate oversight, which changes what paperwork you can demand before deposit.
Full-service, labor-only, container, or rental truck
Labor-only is the entry point in Iowa: you supply the truck, the crew supplies the muscle. Two movers for a small apartment usually total $240 to $500, since the $80 to $125 hourly band still applies.
Once a household passes three bedrooms, full service is usually the cheaper mistake to avoid. Budget two to three times the labor-only figure; the premium buys equipment, insurance, and a crew that does this daily.
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 Iowa 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 Iowa
These companies have a verified headquarters or documented company location in Iowa. Placement is based on documented location information, not a numeric ranking.
Maher Brothers Transfer & Storage files from Cedar Rapids, Iowa as a single federal registrant with thirty-two power units and twenty-six drivers on the federal file. The company prints its own federal number on its website as 087390; that is zero-padding of the same registration this profile describes, not a competing identifier, and it is recorded as agreement rather than as a conflict. The company is an Allied Van Lines agent, and every Allied corporate identifier is held as a van-line number and is never recorded as a Maher identifier. The exact operating-authority classes on the registration were not readable in the sources reviewed, so none is asserted and none is ruled out. The federal file carries a Satisfactory safety rating dated 18 March 2009, which is a dated snapshot rather than a current certification. The company states first-party that the moving and storage business was founded in 1922.
Why is this company shown here?
Maher Brothers Transfer & Storage is headquartered in Iowa 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.
Colonial Van Lines Inc files from 1441 SW 29th Avenue in Pompano Beach, Florida, active on the federal census with 25 power units, 25 drivers and an MCS-150 filed 21 March 2025. The licensing record carries motor carrier of household goods authority granted 31 March 2010 and motor carrier of property authority recorded as reinstated on 27 June 2025, both active at the time of reading; no broker authority is carried on this registration. The federal file records a Satisfactory safety rating dated 28 June 2021 alongside a compliance review dated 3 October 2012. A safety rating is a dated federal snapshot of the review that produced it, not a current assessment of the company. The company publishes this USDOT number and MC docket in its own website footer, which is how the registration and the brand were joined. Two further registrations filing from the same address, one under the identical legal name and one under a Texas corporate name, are disclosed separately as related registrations rather than merged into this record. The company states it was founded in 2003.
Why is this company shown here?
Colonial 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 1434373Pompano Beach, FL2BR est. $2,200–$6,500
International Van Lines services overseas destinations in addition to US interstate work. What it is licensed to do federally is set out in the federal record on this page rather than described here.
Why is this company shown here?
International 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 2293832Coral Springs, FL2BR est. $2,700–$6,400
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.
No Iowa Department of Transportation, Office of Motor Carrier Services credential on an intrastate Iowa job. State-licensed work requires it, and the agency publishes the register.
An hourly quote far under $80 in Iowa. 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 Iowa
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. Iowa 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 Iowa you're moving matters
Iowa 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 Iowa are estimated at $315–$2,480 depending on home size, while an interstate move out of Iowa 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 Iowa?
October through April is generally the cheapest window in Iowa — 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 Iowa licensed and insured?
All interstate moving companies must register with the FMCSA and carry a USDOT number. Iowa also requires intrastate movers to register with the state — verify any quote against the FMCSA SAFER tool before signing.
Should I tip movers in Iowa?
Tipping is customary but not required. A typical tip in Iowa 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 Iowa?
Book 4–6 weeks ahead for moves between May and September. For off-peak fall and winter moves in Iowa, 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 IA interstate moves, request binding-not-to-exceed quotes whenever possible.
Who licenses movers in Iowa
Intrastate household-goods movers in Iowa are licensed by the Iowa Department of Transportation, Office of Motor Carrier Services. Carrying household goods for hire between two points in Iowa requires an intrastate motor carrier permit from the Office of Motor Carrier Services, applied for on Iowa DOT form 441052 with a $150 fee and an active USDOT number. The permit is the credential the state issues for for-hire property carriage; it is not written for movers alone, since the same permit class covers liquid nondairy products. The authorisation is a Iowa intrastate motor carrier permit.
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
