Movers in New Jersey charge about $115 to $175 per hour for a two-person crew on local jobs, and a two-bedroom interstate move from New Jersey is estimated at $3,100 to $7,200. Intrastate movers in New Jersey are licensed by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Regulated Business 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 New Jersey, with pricing data as of May 2026.
Key facts
Local rate, two movers
$115 to $175 per hour
2-bedroom interstate
$3,100 to $7,200
Intrastate regulator
New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Regulated Business Section
Interstate licensing
FMCSA USDOT and MC authority
Peak season
May–September
Cities covered
2
Carriers compared
182
Pricing data as of
May 2026
Bottom line
Compare moving companies, Federal Records, and moving resources for New Jersey. 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 New Jersey actually looks like
New Jersey, capital Trenton, 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 $145/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 New Jersey settles around $5,150, though distance and packing services swing that meaningfully.
Local quirks worth pricing in: tight street access, frequent walk-ups, building COIs, and a September lease-turnover spike. None of these are dealbreakers, but they show up in the final bill if you don't ask about them upfront.
Verification in New Jersey runs through the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Regulated Business Section. A company moving household goods inside New Jersey must hold a licence from the Division of Consumer Affairs: PM to move only, PW to warehouse only, or PC for both. The authorisation is a Public Mover and Warehouseman licence. Interstate carriers additionally need active FMCSA authority, which you can check on SAFER by USDOT number.
Book the elevator, permit, or gate access before the crew is booked. Access problems, not driving time, cause most New Jersey overruns.
New Jersey runs its heaviest volume May–September, and its 2 covered metros feed most of that demand out of and around Trenton. Population sits near 9.3 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 New Jersey starts from licensing, not marketing. A company is listed here when it is headquartered in New Jersey 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
New Jersey moving cost snapshot
Two movers, ground-floor access, standard packing. Peak season in New Jersey is May–September.
Home size
Local move
Interstate move
Studio
$345–$875
$1,705–$4,320
1 Bedroom
$460–$1,050
$2,325–$5,616
2 Bedroom
$690–$1,575
$3,100–$7,200
3 Bedroom
$920–$2,100
$4,495–$11,160
4 Bedroom
$1,265–$2,800
$6,045–$15,480
5+ Bedroom
$1,610–$3,500
$7,440–$19,440
How many licensed moving companies are registered in New Jersey?
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 1,941 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in New Jersey, and 1,030 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a New Jersey address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in New Jersey. An interstate move into or out of New Jersey can be performed by a carrier registered in any state.
How many households move out of New Jersey each year?
IRS tax return data for filing years 2022 to 2023 records 130,460 returns moving out of New Jersey to another state, and 109,470 moving in, a net loss of 20,990 returns. A return approximates a household rather than a person. The same filings cover 209,418 individuals leaving and 177,236 arriving.
The states receiving the most New Jersey households were New York (26,793 returns), Florida (20,113 returns) and Pennsylvania (18,767 returns).
Arrivals came mainly from New York (43,699 returns), Pennsylvania (16,075 returns) and Florida (9,047 returns). These figures count all filers who changed address, not only those who hired a moving company.
New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Regulated Business Section regulates household goods movers operating inside New Jersey, and sits within the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Office of the Attorney General. Movers are licensed under N.J.A.C. 13:44D, with the liability rule at N.J.A.C. 13:44D-4.6. Moves crossing the New Jersey state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration instead, a separate authorisation with separate requirements.
A mover doing work inside New Jersey must hold the Public Mover and Warehouseman licence, issued by New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Regulated Business Section. It exists specifically for household goods movers, whatever its title. The requirement sits in N.J.A.C. 13:44D, with the liability rule at N.J.A.C. 13:44D-4.6. An interstate carrier holding only a federal USDOT number is not authorised for New Jersey intrastate work by that number alone.
How can I verify a New Jersey mover before booking?
Search the company by name or licence number in the New Jersey licence verification, and confirm the record shows an active status. For a move leaving New Jersey, check the company's USDOT record in FMCSA SAFER as well. Holding one authorisation does not imply the other.
New Jersey licence lookupNew Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Regulated Business Section: Regulated Business Section, P.O. Box 45028, Newark, New Jersey 07101Verify by phone: 973-504-6442 or 973-504-6512Verify by email: pmw_info@dca.njoag.govFMCSA SAFER
Does New Jersey regulate what movers can charge?
New Jersey requires each mover to file its own rates rather than setting a ceiling. The mechanism is Tariff, a formal schedule of rates and charges kept at the mover's main office and on file with the Division of Consumer Affairs, so the rates are public and enforceable against the mover that filed them, but New Jersey does not cap them. Rates on a move that leaves New Jersey are not set by the state.
How do I file a complaint against a New Jersey mover?
Complaints about a move inside New Jersey go to New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Regulated Business Section through pmw_info@dca.njoag.gov, 973-504-6442. A complaint about a move that crossed the New Jersey state line goes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration through the National Consumer Complaint Database instead.
What must a New Jersey mover hand you before the truck is booked?
Three things. A New Jersey licensed public mover must perform an on-site or virtual survey of the goods being moved, give you a completed written estimate, and provide the State-approved brochure "Important Notice to Consumers Using Public Movers and Warehousemen", in print or as a digital link. The estimate is calculated off the mover's tariff, which is filed with the Division of Consumer Affairs, so the number quoted is meant to trace back to a schedule the State holds.
How much is a New Jersey mover liable for if something breaks?
One dollar per pound per article, unless you buy more. Under N.J.A.C. 13:44D-4.6 a New Jersey mover's mandated minimum liability on an intrastate move is $1.00 per pound per article, so a damaged six-pound vase is a six-dollar claim. New Jersey also requires the mover to give you the Order for Service at least 24 hours before the scheduled move date so you can read it before signing, and a Bill of Lading on completion.
What does New Jersey require of a permitted mover?
New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Regulated Business Section publishes what applies to a company moving household goods in New Jersey. Each of the following comes from the agency's own pages:
New Jersey issues three licence types for this trade: PM to move, PW to warehouse, and PC to do both.
What is different about an interstate move from New Jersey?
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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey?
A move that leaves New Jersey is an interstate move and falls under federal authority, so the company needs active operating authority for household goods rather than only a New Jersey licence. A move that stays inside New Jersey is different: it is regulated by New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Regulated Business Section, and the company needs Public Mover and Warehouseman licence. Check which kind of move you are booking before you compare quotes, because the two are verified in different places.
New Jersey sets its own minimum carrier liability for an in-state move at $1.00 per pound per article under N.J.A.C. 13:44D-4.6, against the federal released-value level of 60 cents per pound per article on an interstate move.
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.
New Jersey season — quotes inside May–September run at the top of the $115–$175 hourly band; November–March quotes sit near the bottom.
Crew size — a third mover adds roughly 35% to the hourly rate but often cuts total hours by a third on jobs over four hours.
New Jersey licensing — New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Regulated Business Section 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 New Jersey rarely justifies full service. Book labor-only at $115 to $175 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey
These companies have a verified headquarters or documented company location in New Jersey. Placement is based on documented location information, not a numeric ranking.
A. Fazio Moving & Storage files from Ramsey, New Jersey as a single federal registrant with five power units and two drivers on the federal file, and no parent, franchise network, van-line relationship or sibling registration located in the records reviewed. The company prints its own federal identifiers on its website and they match the registration described here. The exact operating-authority classes carried on the registration could not be read from the sources reviewed, so no authority role is asserted in either direction. No federal safety rating is carried on the file; a compliance review date from the 1960s exists in the record but a review date is not a rating and is not published as one. The company describes its history only in relative terms, so no founding year is stored.
Why is this company shown here?
A. Fazio Moving & Storage is headquartered in New Jersey according to its published company location.
A. Santini Moving & Storage files from Dayton, New Jersey. The federal registrant is a New Jersey storage corporation trading under the Santini moving name, with sixteen power units and six drivers on the federal file. A second registration in the same name is carried on the federal file as inactive and shares the company's published telephone number; that shared number is a real bridge, but no corporate filing establishing the relationship was read, so the registration is disclosed as related and unresolved and nothing about succession or ownership is asserted. The exact operating-authority classes on the active registration were not readable in the sources reviewed. No current federal safety rating is on file; an old compliance review date exists and is not published as a rating. The company's own history wording is relative, so no founding year is stored.
Why is this company shown here?
A. Santini Moving & Storage is headquartered in New Jersey according to its published company location.
Bohrens Moving and Storage Inc files from Robbinsville, New Jersey, active on the federal census with 19 power units and 23 drivers, and carries docket MC-4368 on the registration. The federal filing records the trade names Bohrens Logistics and Bohrens Fine Art Transportation, both of which sit on this one registration rather than on separate federal companies. The operating-authority presentation read for this registration shows motor carrier of household goods and motor carrier of property authority; the detailed Licensing and Insurance page was unavailable at the time of reading, so nothing further is stated about authority and no broker authority is inferred. No federal safety rating is on file, which is neither a positive nor a negative signal. The company states first-party that it is an agent of United Van Lines; United Van Lines is a separate registrant and any United corporate identifier is recorded as a van-line identifier rather than stored on this record. The company states first-party that it was founded in 1924.
Why is this company shown here?
Bohren's Moving & Storage is headquartered in New Jersey according to its published company location.
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 is headquartered in New Jersey 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
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 New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Regulated Business Section credential on an intrastate New Jersey job. State-licensed work requires it, and the agency publishes the register.
An hourly quote far under $115 in New Jersey. 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 New Jersey
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. New Jersey 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 New Jersey you're moving matters
New Jersey 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 New Jersey are estimated at $315–$2,480 depending on home size, while an interstate move out of New Jersey 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 New Jersey?
October through April is generally the cheapest window in New Jersey — 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 New Jersey licensed and insured?
All interstate moving companies must register with the FMCSA and carry a USDOT number. New Jersey also requires intrastate movers to register with the state — verify any quote against the FMCSA SAFER tool before signing.
Should I tip movers in New Jersey?
Tipping is customary but not required. A typical tip in New Jersey 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 New Jersey?
Book 4–6 weeks ahead for moves between May and September. For off-peak fall and winter moves in New Jersey, 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 NJ interstate moves, request binding-not-to-exceed quotes whenever possible.
Who licenses movers in New Jersey
Intrastate household-goods movers in New Jersey are licensed by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Regulated Business Section. A company moving household goods inside New Jersey must hold a licence from the Division of Consumer Affairs: PM to move only, PW to warehouse only, or PC for both. The authorisation is a Public Mover and Warehouseman licence.
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
