For most Texas households, Allied Van Lines is the strongest interstate pick, while Two Men and a Truck usually wins on local hourly jobs. Expect $95–$145/hr for two movers and a typical 2-bedroom interstate move from Texas in the $2,800–$6,700 range. Off-peak prices apply outside October–April.
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Texas regulates intrastate household-goods movers through the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV). Every Texas mover must hold an active TxDMV Motor Carrier Registration with the "Household Goods" authority before they can lawfully take a deposit. The TxDMV "Truck Stop" portal is free and lets you verify licensing in under a minute.
Texas has had the highest net inbound migration in the country every year since 2015 according to U-Haul, U-Pack, and IRS migration data. That keeps inbound capacity tight and inbound prices roughly 10–18% higher than equivalent outbound lanes — a 2BR from California to Austin generally costs more than the same 2BR going the other direction.
The state is geographically huge. A "local" Houston-to-Austin move (~165 mi) is regulated as intrastate by TxDMV, not as a federal interstate move, even though the drive is longer than New York to DC. Make sure your estimate uses a TxDMV-compliant tariff, not a fabricated "long distance" rate sheet.
Top-tier van lines win here. Inbound capacity is tight and brokers can be unreliable on tight delivery windows; a binding-not-to-exceed price from a household-name van line is worth the 5–10% premium for any 2BR+ load.
Established regional carriers with a TxDMV number, a real address, and 5+ years on the road consistently beat van-line pricing on local hourly work. Crews of 3 are usually a better value than crews of 2 on anything larger than a 1BR.
Outbound TX lanes are cheaper than inbound, and consolidator/container services (PODS, U-Pack) are very competitive on TX → CA, TX → CO, and TX → FL where backhaul demand is steady.
I-610 and I-45 traffic patterns mean Friday afternoon loads regularly add a billable hour. Tuesdays book at the lowest effective rate.
Inbound from CA, NY, and IL is the hottest lane in the country — lock in interstate quotes 4–6 weeks ahead.
Largest pool of registered movers in the state; the most price-competitive metro for local hourly.
Strong military/PCS market — SDDC-approved carriers are worth shortlisting if you have eligibility.
Verify any Texas intrastate mover's TxDMV number using the free "Truck Stop" lookup. For interstate moves originating or terminating in Texas, cross-check the carrier's USDOT and MC numbers through FMCSA SAFER.
Texas has a wide-open moving market, which is great for price competition and dangerous for consumers who don't vet. The TxDMV's annual enforcement reports list dozens of cease-and-desist actions every year against unlicensed operators — most of them sourced from Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Google Local Service Ads that haven't been carefully verified. The single best thing you can do before booking is search the company's legal name in the TxDMV "Truck Stop" tool and confirm an active Household Goods authority.
On interstate moves into Texas, plan further ahead than you would in most states. The U-Haul Growth Index has had Texas in its top three inbound states every year of the last decade, and Austin, Dallas, and Houston all show interstate carrier capacity reaching effective sell-out 3–4 weeks before peak summer dates. If you wait until two weeks out, you will pay 20–30% more or be forced into a lower-tier carrier.
Local-hourly economics in Texas favor the consumer right now. Diesel prices are below the national average, labor floors are reasonable (BLS May 2024 OEWS shows Texas roughly at the national mean for SOC 53-7062), and the dense pool of registered carriers keeps competition real. Two binding quotes and a third for benchmarking is the right shopping pattern — a single quote almost always overpays.
If you're moving on the Gulf Coast between June and November, treat hurricane risk as a real underwriting question, not a footnote. Confirm in writing that the carrier's cargo and liability insurance covers named-storm cancellations, partial loads in transit, and warehouse storage at the origin. Reputable carriers will produce a certificate of insurance in 24–48 hours; if they hesitate, walk away.
Texas sits in the South, with about 30.5 million residents and a peak moving window of October–April. If your timeline is flexible, May–September pricing typically lands 15–25% lower with much better crew availability.
Two crew members at standard rates run roughly $120/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 Texas settles around $4,750, 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.
Every carrier on this page is filtered against the same checks before it ranks: an active USDOT number, a current FMCSA SAFER profile, a complaint ratio under the industry median, BBB accreditation status, and at least 24 months of trading history. Companies with open lawsuits or recent rate disputes get marked down even if their licensing is current.
Allied Van Lines ranks first for full-service interstate jobs out of Texas on this scoring; Two Men and a Truck edges ahead when the move is local, hourly, and under 5,000 lb. Prices and rankings are reviewed every six months — last refresh: May 2026.
Two movers, ground-floor access, standard packing. Peak season October–April adds 15–25%.
| Home size | Local move | Interstate move |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $285–$725 | $1,540–$4,020 |
| 1 Bedroom | $380–$870 | $2,100–$5,226 |
| 2 Bedroom | $570–$1,305 | $2,800–$6,700 |
| 3 Bedroom | $760–$1,740 | $4,060–$10,385 |
| 4+ Bedroom | $1,045–$2,320 | $5,460–$14,405 |
For a 1-bedroom apartment moving across town, a labor-only crew (you rent the truck, they load and drive) is usually the cheapest path that still beats begging friends. Expect $300–$700 for two movers and three to four hours of work in most Texas metros.
Full-service makes more sense for 3+ bedroom homes, anything with stairs at both ends, or interstate moves where you're not driving the truck yourself. Yes it costs more — usually 2–3x labor-only — but the price covers blankets, dollies, fuel, and the truck.
Portable containers (PODS, U-Pack, 1-800-PACK-RAT) sit in the middle. You load on your schedule, the company drives. For Texas interstate moves between 600 and 1,800 miles, container pricing often comes in 30–45% under a traditional van line. The catch is delivery windows of 3–10 business days and limited recourse for damage during loading (you packed it).
Allied operates one of the largest North American moving networks through agent-affiliates. The brand earns high marks for full-value protection and international relocations, less so for last-minute or budget-tier jobs.
Atlas runs a federated agent network with strong corporate relocation operations. Customer experience tracks closely to which local agent handles your shipment, which is worth checking before signing.
United is the largest brand under UniGroup and publishes the well-known annual National Movers Study. Claims handling and tracking tools rank above the industry median based on FMCSA data.
North American (part of SIRVA) leans toward complex and high-value relocations, with strong piano and antique handling. For a basic studio across town, a local independent will almost always undercut their price.
Mayflower is the second large UniGroup brand alongside United, with comparable pricing and similar full-service options. The 'Snapmoves' product is worth comparing for smaller interstate jobs.
IVL handles roughly 180 countries in addition to US interstate jobs. Their hybrid broker model can be useful for international shipments but introduces variability on the domestic side.
JK Moving runs its own crews and trucks (no agent network) and consistently lands at the top of customer satisfaction surveys. Worth the premium for complex DC-area moves; possibly overkill for a 1-bedroom across town.
American Van Lines uses W2 employees rather than day labor, which shows in handling quality. The required deposit policy is the main customer complaint pattern in BBB data.
One of the oldest moving brands in the US, Bekins runs an agent-affiliate model similar to Allied. Strong mid-tier choice when major UniGroup brands are booked solid.
Wheaton (part of the same parent as Bekins) tends to land in the middle on price among van-line brands. Reliable choice for standard interstate jobs in major metros.
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. Texas 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.
Texas 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.