Movers in Wisconsin charge about $90 to $135 per hour for a two-person crew on local jobs, and a two-bedroom interstate move from Wisconsin is estimated at $2,600 to $6,100. Intrastate movers in Wisconsin are licensed by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services, 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 Wisconsin, with pricing data as of May 2026.
Key facts
Local rate, two movers
$90 to $135 per hour
2-bedroom interstate
$2,600 to $6,100
Intrastate regulator
Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services
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 Wisconsin. 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 Wisconsin actually looks like
Moving inside Wisconsin means working around a May–September peak and a Midwest labour market of roughly 5.9 million people. Off-peak dates in November–March price 15% to 25% below the summer band.
Two crew members at standard rates run roughly $113/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 Wisconsin settles around $4,350, 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 Wisconsin runs through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services. Wisconsin requires intrastate motor carrier operating authority for property, applied for on form MV2843, and issues a certificate numbered with the prefix LC. The authority covers carrying property for compensation generally; Wisconsin does not issue a separate household goods credential. The authorisation is a Intrastate operating authority for property, certificate number prefixed LC. Interstate carriers additionally need active FMCSA authority, which you can check on SAFER by USDOT number.
Keep the bill of lading and the inventory sheet after delivery; both are required if a claim goes to arbitration.
Wisconsin runs its heaviest volume May–September, and its 2 covered metros feed most of that demand out of and around Madison. Population sits near 5.9 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 Wisconsin starts from licensing, not marketing. A company is listed here when it is headquartered in Wisconsin 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
Wisconsin moving cost snapshot
Two movers, ground-floor access, standard packing. Peak season in Wisconsin is May–September.
Home size
Local move
Interstate move
Studio
$270–$675
$1,430–$3,660
1 Bedroom
$360–$810
$1,950–$4,758
2 Bedroom
$540–$1,215
$2,600–$6,100
3 Bedroom
$720–$1,620
$3,770–$9,455
4 Bedroom
$990–$2,160
$5,070–$13,115
5+ Bedroom
$1,260–$2,700
$6,240–$16,470
How many licensed moving companies are registered in Wisconsin?
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 1,104 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in Wisconsin, and 401 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a Wisconsin address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in Wisconsin. An interstate move into or out of Wisconsin can be performed by a carrier registered in any state.
How many households move out of Wisconsin each year?
IRS tax return data for filing years 2022 to 2023 records 57,226 returns moving out of Wisconsin to another state, and 57,382 moving in, a net gain of 156 returns. A return approximates a household rather than a person. The same filings cover 88,836 individuals leaving and 91,196 arriving.
The states receiving the most Wisconsin households were Minnesota (8,321 returns), Illinois (8,111 returns) and Florida (5,044 returns).
Arrivals came mainly from Illinois (11,331 returns), Minnesota (8,003 returns) and Florida (3,779 returns). These figures count all filers who changed address, not only those who hired a moving company.
Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services enforces household goods moving rules in Wisconsin, and sits within the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles. Movers are licensed under Wisconsin Statutes chapter 194, motor vehicle transportation. Moves crossing the Wisconsin state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration instead, a separate authorisation with separate requirements.
Does Wisconsin issue a mover-specific authorisation?
Wisconsin issues no authorisation written specifically for household goods movers, so there is no mover credential number to look up. Wisconsin does still require operating authority to carry property for hire inside the state, and a mover must hold it: the credential is the Intrastate operating authority for property, certificate number prefixed LC. It is not a mover licence, it is the authority any for-hire property carrier in Wisconsin holds, and a company moving your household goods inside Wisconsin without it is operating unlawfully. For a move crossing the Wisconsin state line, FMCSA registration applies instead.
How can I verify a Wisconsin mover before booking?
Wisconsin issues an LC certificate number with intrastate property authority. We have found no public Wisconsin register for it, so the number is confirmed with Motor Carrier Services on 608-266-9900. For a move leaving Wisconsin, check the company's USDOT record in FMCSA SAFER as well. Holding one authorisation does not imply the other.
Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services: Motor Carrier Services, P.O. Box 7979, Madison WI 53707-7979Verify by phone: 608-266-9900Verify by email: irp-ifta@dot.wi.govFMCSA SAFER
How do I file a complaint against a Wisconsin mover?
Complaints about a move inside Wisconsin go to Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services through irp-ifta@dot.wi.gov, 608-266-9900. A complaint about a move that crossed the Wisconsin state line goes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration through the National Consumer Complaint Database instead.
No, it issues a general for-hire property authority. A company moving household goods inside Wisconsin applies for intrastate motor carrier operating authority for property on form MV2843 and receives a certificate numbered LC, the same credential a carrier hauling other freight receives. Wisconsin publishes no household goods certificate distinct from that authority, so the question to ask a Wisconsin mover is whether it holds an LC number.
Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services publishes what applies to a company moving household goods in Wisconsin. Each of the following comes from the agency's own pages:
Wisconsin numbers intrastate property authority with an LC prefix and passenger authority with a PC prefix.
What is different about an interstate move from Wisconsin?
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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin?
A move that leaves Wisconsin is an interstate move and falls under federal authority, so the company needs active operating authority for household goods rather than only a Wisconsin licence. A move that stays inside Wisconsin is different: it is regulated by Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services, and the company needs Intrastate operating authority for property, certificate number prefixed LC, which is general carrier authority rather than a licence written for movers. Check which kind of move you are booking before you compare quotes, because the two are verified in different places.
Wisconsin publishes no lookup, so a licence is confirmed by calling Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services on 608-266-9900.
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.
Wisconsin season — quotes inside May–September run at the top of the $90–$135 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.
Wisconsin licensing — Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services 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 Wisconsin rarely justifies full service. Book labor-only at $90 to $135 per hour, rent the truck yourself, and expect the loading to take three to four hours.
Choose full service when the inventory is large, the access is bad, or the destination is out of state. The cost sits at two to three times labor-only and includes the truck, padding, and fuel that labor-only leaves to you.
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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin
These companies have a verified headquarters or documented company location in Wisconsin. Placement is based on documented location information, not a numeric ranking.
We currently do not have a company profile headquartered in Wisconsin that meets our documentation requirements.
Companies
Featured Nationwide Movers
These companies publish broad nationwide moving service and are shown separately from companies based in Wisconsin.
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.
Colonial Van Lines Inc files from 1441 SW 29th Avenue in Pompano Beach, Florida, active on the federal census with 25 power units, 25 drivers and an MCS-150 filed 21 March 2025. The licensing record carries motor carrier of household goods authority granted 31 March 2010 and motor carrier of property authority recorded as reinstated on 27 June 2025, both active at the time of reading; no broker authority is carried on this registration. The federal file records a Satisfactory safety rating dated 28 June 2021 alongside a compliance review dated 3 October 2012. A safety rating is a dated federal snapshot of the review that produced it, not a current assessment of the company. The company publishes this USDOT number and MC docket in its own website footer, which is how the registration and the brand were joined. Two further registrations filing from the same address, one under the identical legal name and one under a Texas corporate name, are disclosed separately as related registrations rather than merged into this record. The company states it was founded in 2003.
Why is this company shown here?
Colonial 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 1434373Pompano Beach, FL2BR est. $2,200–$6,500
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.
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 Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services credential on an intrastate Wisconsin job. State-licensed work requires it, and the agency publishes the register.
An hourly quote far under $90 in Wisconsin. 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 Wisconsin
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. Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin you're moving matters
Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin are estimated at $315–$2,480 depending on home size, while an interstate move out of Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin?
October through April is generally the cheapest window in Wisconsin — 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 Wisconsin licensed and insured?
All interstate moving companies must register with the FMCSA and carry a USDOT number. Wisconsin also requires intrastate movers to register with the state — verify any quote against the FMCSA SAFER tool before signing.
Should I tip movers in Wisconsin?
Tipping is customary but not required. A typical tip in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin?
Book 4–6 weeks ahead for moves between May and September. For off-peak fall and winter moves in Wisconsin, 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 WI interstate moves, request binding-not-to-exceed quotes whenever possible.
Who licenses movers in Wisconsin
Intrastate household-goods movers in Wisconsin are licensed by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services. Wisconsin requires intrastate motor carrier operating authority for property, applied for on form MV2843, and issues a certificate numbered with the prefix LC. The authority covers carrying property for compensation generally; Wisconsin does not issue a separate household goods credential. The authorisation is a Intrastate operating authority for property, certificate number prefixed LC.
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
