Movers in Michigan charge about $90 to $140 per hour for a two-person crew on local jobs, and a two-bedroom interstate move from Michigan is estimated at $2,700 to $6,300. Intrastate movers in Michigan are licensed by the Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section, 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 Michigan, with pricing data as of May 2026.
Key facts
Local rate, two movers
$90 to $140 per hour
2-bedroom interstate
$2,700 to $6,300
Intrastate regulator
Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section
Interstate licensing
FMCSA USDOT and MC authority
Peak season
May–September
Cities covered
0
Carriers compared
182
Pricing data as of
May 2026
Bottom line
Compare moving companies, Federal Records, and moving resources for Michigan. BestMovers.info publishes no numeric score, star rating or ranked order.
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Updated August 2026 Reviewed by Amanda Brooks10 companies analyzed
What moving in Michigan actually looks like
Moving inside Michigan means working around a May–September peak and a Midwest labour market of roughly 10 million people. Off-peak dates in November–March price 15% to 25% below the summer band.
Two crew members at standard rates run roughly $115/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 Michigan settles around $4,500, 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 Michigan runs through the Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section. Public Act 254 of 1933 requires every intrastate for-hire carrier, household goods movers included, to hold CVED Authority from the Michigan State Police before operating on a public roadway in Michigan. The authorisation is a CVED Authority, intrastate operating authority for household goods. Interstate carriers additionally need active FMCSA authority, which you can check on SAFER by USDOT number.
Check whether the company quoting you is the company loading the truck; brokers subcontract, and the carrier's record is the one that matters.
Michigan runs its heaviest volume May–September, and its metro areas feed most of that demand out of and around Lansing. Population sits near 10 million, which is what sets how deep the local crew pool actually is in November–March.
How we select movers for this state
Selection for Michigan starts from licensing, not marketing. A company is listed here when it is headquartered in Michigan 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
Michigan moving cost snapshot
Two movers, ground-floor access, standard packing. Peak season in Michigan is May–September.
Home size
Local move
Interstate move
Studio
$270–$700
$1,485–$3,780
1 Bedroom
$360–$840
$2,025–$4,914
2 Bedroom
$540–$1,260
$2,700–$6,300
3 Bedroom
$720–$1,680
$3,915–$9,765
4 Bedroom
$990–$2,240
$5,265–$13,545
5+ Bedroom
$1,260–$2,800
$6,480–$17,010
How many licensed moving companies are registered in Michigan?
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 2,860 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in Michigan, and 521 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a Michigan address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in Michigan. An interstate move into or out of Michigan can be performed by a carrier registered in any state.
How many households move out of Michigan each year?
IRS tax return data for filing years 2022 to 2023 records 82,550 returns moving out of Michigan to another state, and 73,063 moving in, a net loss of 9,487 returns. A return approximates a household rather than a person. The same filings cover 131,212 individuals leaving and 121,795 arriving.
The states receiving the most Michigan households were Florida (10,659 returns), Texas (6,285 returns) and Ohio (5,970 returns).
Arrivals came mainly from Florida (8,263 returns), Ohio (5,728 returns) and Illinois (5,300 returns). These figures count all filers who changed address, not only those who hired a moving company.
Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section regulates household goods movers operating inside Michigan, and sits within the Michigan State Police. Movers are licensed under Motor Carrier Act, Public Act 254 of 1933. Moves crossing the Michigan state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration instead, a separate authorisation with separate requirements.
A mover doing work inside Michigan must hold the CVED Authority, intrastate operating authority for household goods, issued by Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section. It exists specifically for household goods movers, whatever its title. The requirement sits in Motor Carrier Act, Public Act 254 of 1933. An interstate carrier holding only a federal USDOT number is not authorised for Michigan intrastate work by that number alone.
Search the company by name or licence number in the Michigan CVED motor carrier authority search, and confirm the record shows an active status. For a move leaving Michigan, check the company's USDOT record in FMCSA SAFER as well. Holding one authorisation does not imply the other.
Above 40 miles, yes; at or below it, no. Michigan treats a move of 40 miles or less between origin and destination as unregulated, charged by the hour at a negotiable rate, and regulates a move over 40 miles on weight and mileage, with tariff bureau membership required of the carrier unless it is working under a continuous contract.
So the distance of the move, not the state line, decides whether a Michigan price is a regulated one. Ask which side of 40 miles your move falls on before comparing quotes, because an hourly rate under the boundary and a weight-and-mileage rate above it are not comparable numbers. Rates on a move that leaves Michigan are not set by the state at any distance.
How do I file a complaint against a Michigan mover?
Complaints about a move inside Michigan go to Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section through MSP-CVED-RCS@michigan.gov, 517-284-3250. A complaint about a move that crossed the Michigan state line goes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration through the National Consumer Complaint Database instead.
It depends on the distance. Michigan treats a move of 40 miles or less between origin and destination as unregulated: the mover may charge by the hour and the rate is negotiable. On a move over 40 miles the rates are regulated and set on weight and mileage, with supplemental charges for packing, unpacking, stairs and lifts, and the customer must be given a non-binding estimate. The 40-mile line, not the state line, is what changes how a Michigan move is priced.
How much do you pay a Michigan mover on delivery if the bill exceeds the estimate?
110 percent of the non-binding estimate, with the rest due later. The Michigan State Police state that under the Motor Carrier Act a mover may request payment before the truck is unloaded, and that where charges exceed the non-binding estimate the customer pays 110 percent of the estimate at delivery and the balance within 30 days. Claims for loss or damage must be filed in writing within 30 days.
Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section publishes what applies to a company moving household goods in Michigan. Each of the following comes from the agency's own pages:
Michigan household goods carriers renew CVED Authority every year between 1 October and 1 December, and authority not renewed by 1 January is revoked.
A Michigan household goods applicant files a Form H cargo certificate on top of the Form E liability certificate every intrastate carrier files.
What is different about an interstate move from Michigan?
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 Michigan 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 Michigan?
A move that leaves Michigan is an interstate move and falls under federal authority, so the company needs active operating authority for household goods rather than only a Michigan licence. A move that stays inside Michigan is different: it is regulated by Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section, and the company needs CVED Authority, intrastate operating authority 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.
Michigan season — quotes inside May–September run at the top of the $90–$140 hourly band; November–March quotes sit near the bottom.
Weekend premium — Saturday slots in Michigan price above the same job on a Tuesday.
Michigan licensing — Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section 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 Michigan: you supply the truck, the crew supplies the muscle. Two movers for a small apartment usually total $270 to $560, since the $90 to $140 hourly band still applies.
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.
Containers are the middle option for Michigan households. 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 Michigan 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 Michigan
These companies have a verified headquarters or documented company location in Michigan. Placement is based on documented location information, not a numeric ranking.
Corrigan Moving & Storage Company trades as Corrigan Moving Systems and Premier Relocations, filing from Dearborn, Michigan with 245 power units and 215 drivers on the federal census, an unusually large in-house fleet for a regional agent. The company has been family-owned since 1929 and describes itself as the third largest mover inside the United Van Lines system, so a long-haul leg may be performed by that network rather than by Corrigan directly. Corrigan Moving Systems - New York LLC is a separately registered company and is not covered by the record on this page.
Why is this company shown here?
Corrigan Moving Systems is headquartered in Michigan according to its published company location.
Morse Moving & Storage files from Romulus, Michigan as a single federal registrant with forty-three power units and thirty-seven drivers on the federal file, one of the larger owned fleets among independents in the state. No current MC docket is carried on that registration in the controlling federal source, and none is imported from anywhere else: the field stays empty rather than being filled with a van-line number. The registration's operation code is recorded exactly as filed, intrastate only for non-hazardous cargo, and this profile neither restates that filing as independently verified interstate authority nor concludes that the company cannot take part in interstate moves through its Allied agency relationship, which the company states began in 1989. The two layers are kept apart, and Allied corporate identifiers are never recorded as Morse identifiers. The exact operating-authority classes were not readable in the sources reviewed. No federal safety rating is carried on the file. The company states first-party that Herb and Vi Morse founded the business in 1954.
Why is this company shown here?
Morse Moving & Storage is headquartered in Michigan according to its published company location.
Palmer Moving & Storage Co, carrying the Palmer Moving Services trading name, files from Warren, Michigan with household goods and general freight cargo entries and a docket recorded on the licensing file as MC-406654. The registration's own operating configuration is intrastate, and the interstate household work the company advertises is performed in relation to Atlas Van Lines rather than under independent interstate authority established here; the two are kept separate on this page rather than merged into a single claim. The number shown alongside the Atlas agent branding on the company's site identifies the van line and is held in the van-line relationship layer instead of on this record. The business dates itself to 1910.
Why is this company shown here?
Palmer Moving Services is headquartered in Michigan according to its published company location.
One of the oldest US van lines with consistent performance metrics in FMCSA data. The 100% Satisfaction Guarantee program covers a refund clause unusual in the industry.
Why is this company shown here?
Stevens Worldwide Van Lines is headquartered in Michigan according to its published company location.
The largest local-focused moving franchise in the US with 350+ locations. Pricing is competitive for local hourly work but their long-distance arm is less mature than van-line brands.
Why is this company shown here?
Two Men and a Truck is headquartered in Michigan 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.
No Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section credential on an intrastate Michigan job. State-licensed work requires it, and the agency publishes the register.
An hourly quote far under $90 in Michigan. 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 Michigan
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. Michigan 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 Michigan you're moving matters
Michigan 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 Michigan are estimated at $315–$2,480 depending on home size, while an interstate move out of Michigan 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 Michigan?
October through April is generally the cheapest window in Michigan — 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 Michigan licensed and insured?
All interstate moving companies must register with the FMCSA and carry a USDOT number. Michigan also requires intrastate movers to register with the state — verify any quote against the FMCSA SAFER tool before signing.
Should I tip movers in Michigan?
Tipping is customary but not required. A typical tip in Michigan 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 Michigan?
Book 4–6 weeks ahead for moves between May and September. For off-peak fall and winter moves in Michigan, 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 MI interstate moves, request binding-not-to-exceed quotes whenever possible.
Who licenses movers in Michigan
Intrastate household-goods movers in Michigan are licensed by the Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section. Public Act 254 of 1933 requires every intrastate for-hire carrier, household goods movers included, to hold CVED Authority from the Michigan State Police before operating on a public roadway in Michigan. The authorisation is a CVED Authority, intrastate operating authority 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
