Movers in Montana charge about $90 to $140 per hour for a two-person crew on local jobs, and a two-bedroom interstate move from Montana is estimated at $3,000 to $7,100. Intrastate movers in Montana are licensed by the Montana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division, 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 Montana, with pricing data as of May 2026.
Key facts
Local rate, two movers
$90 to $140 per hour
2-bedroom interstate
$3,000 to $7,100
Intrastate regulator
Montana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division
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 Montana. 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 Montana actually looks like
Moving inside Montana means working around a May–September peak and a West labour market of roughly 1.1 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 Montana settles around $5,050, 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 Montana runs through the Montana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division. Transporting household goods for hire within Montana generally requires motor carrier authority from the Public Service Commission, and the commission grants it only where the record shows public convenience and necessity requires it. The authorisation is a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity 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.
Montana runs its heaviest volume May–September, and its metro areas feed most of that demand out of and around Helena. Population sits near 1.1 million, which is what sets how deep the local crew pool actually is in November–March.
How we select movers for this state
Nothing appears on this Montana page without a public record behind it. A company is listed here when it is headquartered in Montana 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
Montana moving cost snapshot
Two movers, ground-floor access, standard packing. Peak season in Montana is May–September.
Home size
Local move
Interstate move
Studio
$270–$700
$1,650–$4,260
1 Bedroom
$360–$840
$2,250–$5,538
2 Bedroom
$540–$1,260
$3,000–$7,100
3 Bedroom
$720–$1,680
$4,350–$11,005
4 Bedroom
$990–$2,240
$5,850–$15,265
5+ Bedroom
$1,260–$2,800
$7,200–$19,170
How many licensed moving companies are registered in Montana?
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 151 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in Montana, and 85 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a Montana address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in Montana. An interstate move into or out of Montana can be performed by a carrier registered in any state.
How many households move out of Montana each year?
IRS tax return data for filing years 2022 to 2023 records 18,571 returns moving out of Montana to another state, and 21,606 moving in, a net gain of 3,035 returns. A return approximates a household rather than a person. The same filings cover 30,370 individuals leaving and 35,634 arriving.
The states receiving the most Montana households were Washington (1,936 returns), California (1,338 returns) and Arizona (1,144 returns).
Arrivals came mainly from California (2,817 returns), Washington (2,530 returns) and Colorado (1,469 returns). These figures count all filers who changed address, not only those who hired a moving company.
Montana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division regulates household goods movers operating inside Montana, and sits within the Montana Public Service Commission. Movers are licensed under Title 69, chapter 12, MCA, Motor Carriers. The operating rules sit in ARM Title 38, chapter 3, PSC Motor Carrier Rules. Moves crossing the Montana state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration instead, a separate authorisation with separate requirements.
A mover doing work inside Montana must hold the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for household goods, issued by Montana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division. It exists specifically for household goods movers, whatever its title. The requirement sits in Title 69, chapter 12, MCA, Motor Carriers. An interstate carrier holding only a federal USDOT number is not authorised for Montana intrastate work by that number alone.
Search the company by name or licence number in the Motor Carrier Authority List, and confirm the record shows an active status. For a move leaving Montana, check the company's USDOT record in FMCSA SAFER as well. Holding one authorisation does not imply the other.
Montana licence lookupMontana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division: 1701 Prospect Avenue, PO Box 202601, Helena MT 59620-2601Verify by phone: 406-444-6199Verify by email: Transportation@mt.govFMCSA SAFER
How do I file a complaint against a Montana mover?
Complaints about a move inside Montana go to Montana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division through Motor carrier complaint form emailed to Transportation@mt.gov, 406-444-6150 or 800-646-6150 consumer assistance. A complaint about a move that crossed the Montana state line goes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration through the National Consumer Complaint Database instead.
Does Montana still require movers to hold state authority?
Yes. Montana removed the public convenience and necessity test for general freight carriers in 2015, but household goods were not part of that change: the Public Service Commission's own applicant guide still states that transportation for hire within Montana of household goods generally requires motor carrier authority from the commission, and that the commission grants it only where the record demonstrates public convenience and necessity requires it. A Montana mover is answering to an entry test that an ordinary Montana trucking company no longer faces.
Are there Montana moves the commission does not reach?
There are. Montana exempts household goods movement in and around towns of fewer than 500 people from the certificate requirement, and it exempts moves performed under a federal government contract. In a small Montana town, a mover working locally may lawfully hold no state certificate at all, so absence of a certificate there is not by itself evidence of an unlawful operator.
Montana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division publishes what applies to a company moving household goods in Montana. Each of the following comes from the agency's own pages:
A Montana certificate application costs $500 and must be filed by the 25th of a month to be noticed the following month.
A Montana corporation, partnership or limited liability company must be represented by legal counsel in a certificate proceeding; an individual applicant need not be.
The Montana commission must issue an order on a completed application within 180 days unless the applicant asks otherwise.
A Montana applicant for Class A authority files a proposed schedule of the tariff or rates it intends to charge as part of the application.
What is different about an interstate move from Montana?
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 Montana 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 Montana?
A move that leaves Montana is an interstate move and falls under federal authority, so the company needs active operating authority for household goods rather than only a Montana licence. A move that stays inside Montana is different: it is regulated by Montana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division, and the company needs Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity 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.
Montana season — quotes inside May–September run at the top of the $90–$140 hourly band; November–March quotes sit near the bottom.
Valuation — full-value protection typically adds 1% to 2% of the declared value to the total.
Montana licensing — Montana 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
Labor-only is the entry point in Montana: 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.
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 Montana 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 Montana
These companies have a verified headquarters or documented company location in Montana. Placement is based on documented location information, not a numeric ranking.
We currently do not have a company profile headquartered in Montana that meets our documentation requirements.
Companies
Featured Nationwide Movers
These companies publish broad nationwide moving service and are shown separately from companies based in Montana.
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.
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 Montana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division credential on an intrastate Montana job. State-licensed work requires it, and the agency publishes the register.
An hourly quote far under $90 in Montana. 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 Montana
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. Montana 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 Montana you're moving matters
Montana 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 Montana are estimated at $315–$2,480 depending on home size, while an interstate move out of Montana 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 Montana?
October through April is generally the cheapest window in Montana — 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 Montana licensed and insured?
All interstate moving companies must register with the FMCSA and carry a USDOT number. Montana also requires intrastate movers to register with the state — verify any quote against the FMCSA SAFER tool before signing.
Should I tip movers in Montana?
Tipping is customary but not required. A typical tip in Montana 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 Montana?
Book 4–6 weeks ahead for moves between May and September. For off-peak fall and winter moves in Montana, 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 MT interstate moves, request binding-not-to-exceed quotes whenever possible.
Who licenses movers in Montana
Intrastate household-goods movers in Montana are licensed by the Montana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division. Transporting household goods for hire within Montana generally requires motor carrier authority from the Public Service Commission, and the commission grants it only where the record shows public convenience and necessity requires it. The authorisation is a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity 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
