The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 180 household goods registrants whose physical address is in Seattle, WA, and 30 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. BestMovers.info holds no Seattle price measurement, only the Washington range on the Washington page. Moves that stay inside Washington are licensed by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. Steep streets in Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, and West Seattle add long-carry fees; SDOT permits run $30 + $0.
Key facts
Local rate, two movers
$105 to $160 per hour
2-bedroom interstate
$3,100 to $7,300
Intrastate regulator
Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission
Interstate licensing
FMCSA USDOT and MC authority
Company profiles shown
5
Pricing data as of
May 2026
Quick answer
Seattle's market is shaped by steep streets in Capitol Hill and Queen Anne, SDOT moving-permit rules, and a tech-driven inbound flow. Here's what licensed Seattle movers charge in 2026.
Common service neighborhoods: Capitol Hill, Ballard, Queen Anne, Fremont, Wallingford, Belltown.
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Updated August 2026 Reviewed by Brittany Evans5 companies analyzed
The local moving market in Seattle, WA (2026)
Seattle's market is shaped by steep streets in Capitol Hill and Queen Anne, SDOT moving-permit rules, and a tech-driven inbound flow. Here's what licensed Seattle movers charge in 2026.
Market context
What shapes the local moving market
Seattle's moving market combines high carrier costs (labor, fuel, regulatory) with steep-street access challenges. Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, and West Seattle all have grades that add long-carry surcharges and force smaller trucks. The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC) regulates intrastate movers under a published tariff.
Tech relocations from Amazon, Microsoft, and the broader Puget Sound tech corridor drive year-round inbound demand. Outbound flows have grown sharply since 2022.
Neighborhoods
Access notes by neighborhood
Capitol Hill
Steep grades; long-carry surcharges common; SDOT permit usually required.
Ballard
Mostly easier access; some narrow streets in residential blocks.
Queen Anne
Steep grades especially in Upper Queen Anne; smaller trucks (24 ft) recommended.
Outbound interstate from Seattle is well-supplied year-round on Western lanes. Pull the moving cost calculator for a route-specific baseline.
Local moves
WUTC regulates intrastate under published tariff. SDOT moving permit standard for trucks blocking street parking.
Long-distance moves
FMCSA-regulated. Verify USDOT and confirm carrier vs broker.
Top routes
Popular outbound routes
to Portland, OR
175 mi · same-day
to San Francisco, CA
810 mi · 3–5 days
to Denver, CO
1,320 mi · 4–7 days
to Phoenix, AZ
1,420 mi · 5–7 days
to Chicago, IL
2,065 mi · 7–10 days
Seasonality
May through September is peak with end-of-month adding crunches. Tech-cycle relocations stay year-round but concentrate June–August. Winter is cheapest but introduces snow/ice reschedule risk in November and February.
Checklist
Practical considerations
Apply for SDOT moving permit 3 business days ahead
Verify WUTC intrastate registration (in-state) or USDOT (interstate)
Get hill-carry pricing for Capitol Hill / Queen Anne / West Seattle in writing
How far is Seattle from the places people move to most?
Seattle to Portland, OR is 175 driving miles, about 3 hours behind the wheel, with a typical transit of 1 to 3 days.
Seattle to San Francisco, CA is 810 driving miles, about 12 hours behind the wheel, with a typical transit of 3 to 6 days.
Seattle to Los Angeles, CA is 1,140 driving miles, about 17 hours behind the wheel, with a typical transit of 4 to 8 days.
Seattle to Boise, ID is 491 driving miles, about 9 hours behind the wheel, with a typical transit of 2 to 5 days.
Seattle to New York City, NY is 2,837 driving miles, about 51 hours behind the wheel, with a typical transit of 7 to 14 days.
Seattle to Phoenix, AZ is 1,392 driving miles, about 27 hours behind the wheel, with a typical transit of 4 to 8 days.
Driving distances and transit windows from the routes dataset; transit days are carrier delivery spreads, not guarantees.
Estimate your Seattle moving cost
Get a personalized estimate before any sales call. Editorial estimate based on broader national moving-cost data; BestMovers.info does not maintain a separate Seattle transaction-price dataset.
IRS county migration data for filing years 2022 to 2023 records 68,606 returns moving out of King County, the county Seattle sits in, and 67,282 moving in. A return approximates a household rather than a person. Those filings cover 109,084 individuals leaving and 94,148 arriving.
The counties receiving the most households from King County were Snohomish County (10,534 returns), Pierce County (9,291 returns) and Los Angeles County, CA (1,799 returns).
Arrivals came mainly from Snohomish County (7,334 returns), Pierce County (6,086 returns) and Los Angeles County, CA (2,363 returns).
These figures come from federal tax return data and cover all household moves, not only those using professional movers.
How many licensed moving companies are registered in Seattle?
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 180 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in Seattle, and 30 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists an address in Seattle. It is not the number of companies that will serve a move there: a mover registered in a neighbouring city can take the job, and a company registered in Seattle may not.
Moving crews quoting Seattle work Capitol Hill, Ballard, Queen Anne, Fremont, Wallingford, Belltown and the surrounding areas.
Who licenses movers operating in Seattle
Movers working inside Seattle are licensed by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, whose licence, lookup route and complaint channel are set out on the Washington page.
These companies have a documented headquarters or company location in Seattle or its metro. Placement is based on documented location information, not a numeric ranking.
Editorially independent, funded by referral fees. We may be paid when you request a quote from a company listed here. Payment does not decide who is listed or the order they appear in, and we publish no score or star rating. Advertising disclosure
Continental Van Lines files from Seattle, Washington as a single federal registrant. The company publishes Alaska and international service, and that service description is not read as evidence of federal authority: no freight forwarder authority was located on the record reviewed, so none is stated, and the character of the business is not used to infer a role the federal file does not show. Nothing here is a finding that the company lacks authority it needs; it is a statement about the records read. No federal safety rating is on file, which is neither a positive nor a negative signal. The company states first-party that it was founded in 1952.
Why is this company shown here?
Continental Van Lines publishes its headquarters in Seattle, WA.
Hansen Bros Transfer & Storage Co Inc, trading as Hansen Bros. Moving & Storage, files from Aurora Avenue North in Seattle, active on the federal census with forty-six power units, forty-two drivers, a current MCS-150 filing and docket MC-59073 on the registration. The federal trade name matches the consumer-facing brand and the company's own footer publishes the same registration number, so registrant and brand agree from two directions. The licensing record shows more than one authority role on the registration, and the roles are reported separately rather than merged: holding broker authority alongside carrier authority is a fact about the docket, not a statement that any particular household move is brokered. The company is an Allied Van Lines agent; Allied holds its own separate federal registration and no Allied identifier is stored here or presented as Hansen's. The Washington UTC permit number the site publishes is a state identifier and is not recorded as a federal registration. FMCSA safety rating on file: Satisfactory, dated 10 October 2006, following a compliance review dated 4 October 2006; that is a dated federal snapshot rather than a current assessment. The company states it has served the Puget Sound area since 1890.
Why is this company shown here?
Hansen Bros. Moving & Storage publishes its headquarters in Seattle, WA.
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.
32 companies with a Seattle address on their federal registration hold a granted household goods authority from the FMCSA, and 16 of those identify as a moving business in their legal or trade name. The 16 listed below are the ones registered with the agency longest, ordered by the federal registration date, earliest first. Registration age is the agency's own record. It is not a ranking, it is not a quality judgement and it is not a recommendation.
206 active registrants in Seattle tick household goods among their cargo types on the census form, and 62 of those carry any authority row at all. The cargo tick box is filled in by the registrant, so this list uses the agency grant instead, then sets aside general freight, trucking, logistics and courier registrants that hold the authority without presenting themselves as household movers. It is not every mover serving Seattle: a company based elsewhere may serve the city, and a registered address is not a service area.
CASCADE MOVING & STORAGE INC
USDOT 1699274 · 430 S CLOVERDALE ST, SEATTLE, WA 98108
It filed 3 power units, registered with the FMCSA on October 17, 2007, and holds granted federal household goods authority under docket MC623796, active as common carrier.
USDOT 2962927 · 4601 SHILSHOLE AVE NW, SEATTLE, WA 98107
It filed 1 power unit, registered with the FMCSA on January 17, 2017, and holds granted federal household goods authority under docket MC005796, active as common carrier.
CHHJ SEATTLE LLC, trading as COLLEGE HUNKS HAULING JUNK AND MOVING
USDOT 3074631 · 4229 W MARGINAL WAY SW, SEATTLE, WA 98106
It filed 12 power units, registered with the FMCSA on December 5, 2017, and holds granted federal household goods authority under docket MC1481948, active as common carrier and contract carrier.
USDOT 3227005 · 1200 W NICKERSON ST, SEATTLE, WA 98119
It filed 30 power units, registered with the FMCSA on December 31, 2018, and holds granted federal household goods authority under docket MC1304454, active as contract carrier.
USDOT 3986749 · 9418 20TH AVE SW, SEATTLE, WA 98106
It filed 2 power units, registered with the FMCSA on November 16, 2022, and holds granted federal household goods authority under docket MC1494414, active as common carrier.
USDOT 4029171 · 13433 GREENWOOD AVE N APT 335D, SEATTLE, WA 98133-1817
It filed 1 power unit, registered with the FMCSA on February 15, 2023, and holds granted federal household goods authority under docket MC1749250, active as common carrier.
It filed 1 power unit, registered with the FMCSA on February 9, 2026, and holds granted federal household goods authority under docket MC1796666, active as common carrier.
Data as of 2026-08-15 from the FMCSA company census, with authority status as of 2026-08-16. The query behind this list. Information provided by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Does a federal registration mean a Washington licence?
No. Federal registration and Washington authorisation are separate. The list above shows the federal record only, and we have not verified whether any company listed holds a Washington licence or permit.
A mover operating inside Washington needs the Household Goods Carrier permit (permit numbers carry an HG prefix) from the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. Its rates sit in uTC requires permitted movers to charge reasonable rates.
Peak demand across Washington runs May–September. Dates outside that window, and dates away from the last and first few days of any month, are where carriers have spare capacity — and spare capacity is what makes a crew negotiable on price.
We do not publish a percentage saving for moving off-peak in Seattle. We hold no month-by-month booking price data for this city, and a discount figure taken from a national average would not describe this market. What we can say is structural, and it holds in every market:
Mid-month beats month-end. Leases and closings cluster at the turn of the month, so that is when crews are fully booked and least flexible.
Mid-week beats the weekend. Saturday is the single most requested moving day; a Tuesday or Wednesday competes with far fewer households for the same trucks.
Off-peak beats May–September. Outside the peak window, carriers are trying to keep crews working rather than turning jobs away.
Flexibility is the lever, not the calendar alone. On an interstate move, giving the carrier a pickup window of several days rather than one fixed date is usually worth more than any single date choice, because it lets them combine your shipment with another on the same lane.
The only reliable way to price a specific date is to put the same date in front of several licensed carriers and compare written estimates. Ask each one what the same move costs two weeks earlier or later — the gap between those two numbers is your real off-peak saving in Seattle, measured on your move rather than on an average.
A tip is never part of a written estimate and never part of a binding price. It is discretionary, it is paid per mover rather than per crew, and it is handed to each mover directly at the end of the job rather than to the foreman to divide. Our working guideline scales with hours rather than with the value of the shipment, because that is how moving labour is actually priced:
$10 to $20 per mover for a job of two hours or less.
$20 to $40 per mover for a local move under four hours.
$40 to $60 per mover for a full day, meaning six hours or longer.
These are a BestMovers.info editorial guideline, not a survey result. We hold no tipping survey for Seattle and no federal record covers gratuities, so nothing here is a local figure. Read the full tipping guide for stairs, long carries, storage and interstate deliveries, where the crew that loads is not the crew that unloads.
Where can you get free moving boxes in Seattle?
Free boxes come from businesses that receive stock in cartons and throw the cartons away, and from households that finished moving last week. The sources are the same in every city, including Seattle:
Liquor stores, which have the sturdiest small boxes with dividers
Bookshops, for small boxes rated for weight
Grocery stores, for produce boxes
Offices, for paper boxes with lids
Appliance and furniture retailers, for large flat cartons
Buy Nothing groups and Facebook Marketplace
Craigslist free listings
The U-Haul box exchange
Anyone in your building who has moved in recently
Ask in the morning, when the overnight delivery has just been unpacked and the cartons have not yet been flattened. Skip anything damp, greasy or previously used for produce that leaked. The free boxes guide covers how many you need by home size — those counts are BestMovers.info planning estimates rather than measured figures — and which boxes are worth buying rather than scavenging.
There is no separate cost dataset for Seattle. Using the national estimate, a one-bedroom local move is estimated at $420–$930 and a two-bedroom local move at $630–$1,395, while a two-bedroom interstate move from Seattle is estimated at $3,000–$7,000. Final price depends on distance, packing services, and date.
When is the busiest moving season in Seattle?
Late May through August is the peak window in Seattle, with the heaviest volume around month-end weekends. Established companies commonly book out several weeks in advance during this period.
Should I get an in-home estimate or an online quote?
For local moves under 2,500 lb, an online or phone estimate is usually accurate. For interstate moves out of Seattle or 3+ bedroom households, request a video survey or in-home estimate so the binding price reflects your actual inventory.
What's the most reliable way to verify a Seattle mover?
Check the company's USDOT number on the FMCSA SAFER website, look at their BBB profile and current accreditation, and read recent reviews on Google and Yelp. Avoid any mover unwilling to share a USDOT number on request.
How long does a typical Seattle move take?
A 1-bedroom local move in Seattle usually takes 3–5 hours with two movers. A 3-bedroom local move runs 7–10 hours, and most movers won't book a same-day move past 4 PM start time.
Do I need an SDOT permit for moving in Seattle?
If your truck will block a parking spot on a public street, yes. Skipping it risks a citation.
Are Seattle movers more expensive than Portland?
Portland is one of the cheapest West Coast metros.
Can a 26-foot truck handle Capitol Hill?
Often no: many movers cap truck size at 24 feet or smaller in the steepest blocks. Verify this in advance, since a smaller truck may mean two trips and double the labor.
How we evaluate Seattle movers: we verify federal registration and operating authority against FMCSA records, record carrier or broker classification, and note state licensing where the state regulator publishes it. The list above is not ranked and carries no numeric score. Read the full methodology
