Movers in Louisiana charge about $85 to $135 per hour for a two-person crew on local jobs, and a two-bedroom interstate move from Louisiana is estimated at $2,600 to $6,100. Intrastate movers in Louisiana are licensed by the Louisiana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division, while any company moving household goods across state lines must hold FMCSA operating authority. Peak demand runs October to April, when quotes sit at the top of those ranges. BestMovers.info compares 182 licensed carriers serving Louisiana, with pricing data as of May 2026.
Key facts
Local rate, two movers
$85 to $135 per hour
2-bedroom interstate
$2,600 to $6,100
Intrastate regulator
Louisiana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division
Interstate licensing
FMCSA USDOT and MC authority
Peak season
October–April
Cities covered
2
Carriers compared
182
Pricing data as of
May 2026
Bottom line
Compare moving companies, Federal Records, and moving resources for Louisiana. BestMovers.info publishes no numeric score, star rating or ranked order.
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Updated August 2026 Reviewed by Amanda Brooks5 companies analyzed
What moving in Louisiana actually looks like
Moving inside Louisiana means working around a October–April peak and a South labour market of roughly 4.6 million people. Off-peak dates in May–September price 15% to 25% below the summer band.
Two crew members at standard rates run roughly $110/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 Louisiana settles around $4,350, though distance and packing services swing that meaningfully.
Local quirks worth pricing in: summer heat, hurricane-season reschedules along the coast, and a heavier flow of inbound retirees. None of these are dealbreakers, but they show up in the final bill if you don't ask about them upfront.
Verification in Louisiana runs through the Louisiana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division. La. R.S. 45:164(E) requires every intrastate mover of household goods to secure a common carrier certificate from the Louisiana Public Service Commission before engaging in any activity related to moving household goods. The authorisation is a Common carrier certificate for household goods. Interstate carriers additionally need active FMCSA authority, which you can check on SAFER by USDOT number.
Keep the bill of lading and the inventory sheet after delivery; both are required if a claim goes to arbitration.
Louisiana runs its heaviest volume October–April, and its 2 covered metros feed most of that demand out of and around Baton Rouge. Population sits near 4.6 million, which is what sets how deep the local crew pool actually is in May–September.
How we select movers for this state
Selection for Louisiana starts from licensing, not marketing. A company is listed here when it is headquartered in Louisiana 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
Louisiana moving cost snapshot
Two movers, ground-floor access, standard packing. Peak season in Louisiana is October–April.
Home size
Local move
Interstate move
Studio
$255–$675
$1,430–$3,660
1 Bedroom
$340–$810
$1,950–$4,758
2 Bedroom
$510–$1,215
$2,600–$6,100
3 Bedroom
$680–$1,620
$3,770–$9,455
4 Bedroom
$935–$2,160
$5,070–$13,115
5+ Bedroom
$1,190–$2,700
$6,240–$16,470
How many licensed moving companies are registered in Louisiana?
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 411 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in Louisiana, and 143 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a Louisiana address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in Louisiana. An interstate move into or out of Louisiana can be performed by a carrier registered in any state.
How many households move out of Louisiana each year?
IRS tax return data for filing years 2022 to 2023 records 47,829 returns moving out of Louisiana to another state, and 37,576 moving in, a net loss of 10,253 returns. A return approximates a household rather than a person. The same filings cover 84,532 individuals leaving and 67,124 arriving.
The states receiving the most Louisiana households were Texas (15,068 returns), Mississippi (3,689 returns) and Florida (3,359 returns).
Arrivals came mainly from Texas (10,522 returns), Mississippi (3,108 returns) and Florida (2,765 returns). These figures count all filers who changed address, not only those who hired a moving company.
Louisiana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division regulates household goods movers operating inside Louisiana, and sits within the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Movers are licensed under La. R.S. 45:164(E), with household goods practice set by LPSC General Orders. Moves crossing the Louisiana state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration instead, a separate authorisation with separate requirements.
A mover doing work inside Louisiana must hold the Common carrier certificate for household goods, issued by Louisiana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division. It exists specifically for household goods movers, whatever its title. The requirement sits in La. R.S. 45:164(E), with household goods practice set by LPSC General Orders. An interstate carrier holding only a federal USDOT number is not authorised for Louisiana intrastate work by that number alone.
How can I verify a Louisiana mover before booking?
Search the company by name or licence number in the LPSC web portal, household goods mover search, and confirm the record shows an active status. For a move leaving Louisiana, check the company's USDOT record in FMCSA SAFER as well. Holding one authorisation does not imply the other.
Louisiana licence lookupLouisiana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division: Transportation Division, P.O. Box 91154, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70821-9154Verify by phone: 225-342-4439 or 888-342-5717FMCSA SAFER
Does Louisiana regulate what movers can charge?
Louisiana requires each mover to file its own rates rather than setting a ceiling. The mechanism is Tariff on file with the Commission, changed only by an Application for Tariff/Rate Change under the Transportation Tariff Rules at General Order R-32437, so the rates are public and enforceable against the mover that filed them, but Louisiana does not cap them. Rates on a move that leaves Louisiana are not set by the state.
How do I file a complaint against a Louisiana mover?
Complaints about a move inside Louisiana go to Louisiana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division through LPSC Transportation Division household goods complaint form, 225-342-4439, 888-342-5717. A complaint about a move that crossed the Louisiana state line goes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration through the National Consumer Complaint Database instead.
Does a Louisiana mover owe you a written estimate?
Yes, unless you sign the right away. Under the LPSC General Order dated 12 July 2013, every customer of a Louisiana household goods mover has the right to a written estimate. The customer may waive that right, but only through a waiver that clearly tells the customer the right exists. That makes the written estimate the default in Louisiana and the waiver the exception, and it means an intrastate Louisiana move quoted verbally with no signed waiver is out of step with the Commission's order.
What happens to a Louisiana relocation company that books an uncertificated mover?
It can be cited itself. The Commission states that relocation companies and third-party moving services that use non-certificated carriers in Louisiana are subject to citation by the LPSC for knowingly assisting in the violation of the Commission's orders. The certificate requirement therefore reaches past the carrier to the company that arranged the job, which is unusual: in most states the booking party is outside the licensing rule entirely.
Louisiana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division publishes what applies to a company moving household goods in Louisiana. Each of the following comes from the agency's own pages:
Louisiana household goods practice is set by Commission General Orders rather than a single code chapter: R-35848 of 16 March 2021 for household goods carriers, R-32668 of 12 July 2013 for estimates, and the 2008 orders on advertising.
What is different about an interstate move from Louisiana?
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 Louisiana 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.
What should you check before moving out of Louisiana?
A move that leaves Louisiana is an interstate move and falls under federal authority, so the company needs active operating authority for household goods rather than only a Louisiana licence. A move that stays inside Louisiana is different: it is regulated by Louisiana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division, and the company needs Common carrier certificate for household goods. 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.
Louisiana season — quotes inside October–April run at the top of the $85–$135 hourly band; May–September 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.
Louisiana licensing — Louisiana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division handles intrastate oversight, which changes what paperwork you can demand before deposit.
Full-service, labor-only, container, or rental truck
A studio or 1-bedroom in Louisiana rarely justifies full service. Book labor-only at $85 to $135 per hour, rent the truck yourself, and expect the loading to take three to four hours.
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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana
These companies have a verified headquarters or documented company location in Louisiana. Placement is based on documented location information, not a numeric ranking.
We currently do not have a company profile headquartered in Louisiana that meets our documentation requirements.
Companies
Featured Nationwide Movers
These companies publish broad nationwide moving service and are shown separately from companies based in Louisiana.
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
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.
Why is this company shown here?
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.
Why is this company shown here?
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.
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 Louisiana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division credential on an intrastate Louisiana job. State-licensed work requires it, and the agency publishes the register.
An hourly quote far under $85 in Louisiana. 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 Louisiana
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. Louisiana 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 Louisiana you're moving matters
Louisiana 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.
Local moves in Louisiana are estimated at $315–$2,480 depending on home size, while an interstate move out of Louisiana 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 Louisiana?
October through April is generally the cheapest window in Louisiana — 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 Louisiana licensed and insured?
All interstate moving companies must register with the FMCSA and carry a USDOT number. Louisiana also requires intrastate movers to register with the state — verify any quote against the FMCSA SAFER tool before signing.
Should I tip movers in Louisiana?
Tipping is customary but not required. A typical tip in Louisiana 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 Louisiana?
Book 4–6 weeks ahead for moves between May and September. For off-peak fall and winter moves in Louisiana, 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 LA interstate moves, request binding-not-to-exceed quotes whenever possible.
Who licenses movers in Louisiana
Intrastate household-goods movers in Louisiana are licensed by the Louisiana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division. La. R.S. 45:164(E) requires every intrastate mover of household goods to secure a common carrier certificate from the Louisiana Public Service Commission before engaging in any activity related to moving household goods. The authorisation is a Common carrier certificate for household goods.
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
