Best Moving Companies in California (2024)

International Van Lines (USDOT #: 2293832) is an ideal moving company for long-distance moves into and out of California. California is one of the five states where IVL offers intrastate moves, but availability may be limited depending on where you live. The company provides full-service moving options in-house, such as packing, loading, transportation, unloading, and unpacking. We also find IVL’s specialty services for antiques, artwork, and pianos to be a standout.

IVL scored 4.9 out of 5 stars. Here’s how it did in each category:

• Moving services (59 out of 59 points): IVL meets your unique requirements with its comprehensive full-pack services and customizable partial-pack options. The company also goes the extra mile by offering specialized services, including custom crating for delicate items such as artwork.
• Insurance coverage (8 out of 8 points): The company scores all points for its range of insurance options, which include full-value protection plans. 
• Scheduling (8 out of 8 points): IVL boasts multiple communication channels to coordinate your move with its team easily. 
• Additional benefits (10 out of 13 points): It doesn’t currently offer financing options or DIY moving methods, but you can count on it for storage services and packing materials.
• Customer service (12 out of 12 points): IVL maintains a positive reputation on various online review platforms.

IVL focuses on full-service moves but offers partial and self-service options. You can work with the company to mix and match services to create the perfect moving package. The company provides additional security for your belongings with a full-value protection plan and short-term and long-term storage solutions.

Here’s a short list of some of the other services it offers in California:

• Bulky item relocation
• Large vehicle shipping
• Motorcycle shipping
• Temporary or permanent storage

IVL offers estimates over the phone or in person. We recommend an in-person consultation as it helps ensure your initial estimate is more accurate and allows you to get answers quickly. We used IVL’s online cost calculator to give you a rough estimate. Please note that this estimate is only general, and an in-person consultation is required to obtain a more precise and binding estimate.

• Sample quote: $5,250–$7,688 (three-bedroom home from Seattle to Los Angeles)
• Deposit: 25%
• Payment accepted: Cash, cashier’s check, credit card (deposit only), money order

IVL boasts an impressive A rating on its BBB profile but lacks accreditation from the organization. Numerous customers have lauded the prompt service experienced during the booking process, but there have been occasional reports of varying service quality among local IVL affiliates. Recent discussions on Reddit have highlighted instances where partner companies affiliated with IVL were deemed professional and accommodating.

American Van Lines (USDOT #: 614506) is a great option if you worry about handling high-value items properly. Every team member is a full-time mover with an average of 10 years of experience. This ensures you receive reliable and skilled service for your difficult or heavy items. American Van Lines supplies many industry-standard full-service options, such as furniture disassembly, packing, loading, transportation, unloading, and unpacking.

American Van Lines earned 4.4 out of 5 stars. Here’s how it did in each category:

• Moving services (59 out of 59 points): American Van Lines is another full-service mover that provides various types of moves throughout California. The company stands out for its specialized services for moving challenging items such as antiques, pianos, safes, and oversized furniture.
• Insurance coverage (8 out of 8 points): The company offers versatility in insurance options, allowing you to tailor protection based on your budget and specific requirements.
• Scheduling (4 out of 8 points): American Van Lines’ scheduling process could be more user-friendly. You can only make moving arrangements by contacting its customer service team via phone. It also limits its service hours to 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern on Saturdays, with no availability on Sundays.
• Additional benefits (8 out of 13 points): It lost points because it offers fewer supplementary options than some competitors with no financing or DIY moving services.
• Customer service (9 out of 12 points): American Van Lines maintains a generally positive online reputation. Unfortunately, some of the company’s trucks regularly fail federal inspections, potentially affecting the quality and safety of its moving services.

American Van Lines offers full-service and partial-pack options for local and long-distance moves. The company handles every part of a move from start to finish with services such as furniture disassembly, packing, loading, transportation, unloading, unpacking, and furniture reassembly. It provides partial-service moves as a cheaper alternative to its more expensive full-service moves. Here are some of its other services:

• Corporate relocation
• Military relocation
• Online shipment tracking
• Temporary and permanent storage
• White-glove relocation of artwork and antiques

American Van Lines doesn’t provide online quotes, but we obtained some information regarding potential moving costs from various online resources. We found information regarding a relocation between Seattle and Los Angeles. Below is a sample quote for a three-bedroom home, equivalent to approximately 10,000 pounds in weight, including loading services.

• Sample quote: $7,226
• Deposit: Up to 50%
• Payment accepted: Cash, cashier’s check, credit card, money order, and traveler’s check

American Van Lines stands out as a reputable moving company, holding an impressive A+ rating on its BBB profile. It also boasts a transparent pricing structure with straightforward estimates and no hidden fees.

We found online reviews that cited unexpected price hikes during moves and some customers encountering challenges communicating directly with moving crews. These observations align with similar feedback found on American Van Lines’ Yelp profile, indicating areas for potential improvement and emphasizing the importance of thorough communication and clarity throughout the moving process.

Safeway Moving Inc. (USDOT #: 237129) specializes in full-service moves for long-distance relocations, allowing you to transport household goods to California from anywhere in the U.S. The company can also coordinate moves overseas.

Many of its services are assigned to its crews, but the company will outsource a small percentage to partnered companies. Safeway remains the carrier of every move, so it’s responsible for any issues.

Safeway Moving earned 4.2 out of 5 stars. Here’s a breakdown of how the company performed in each category:

• Moving services (59 out of 59 points): Safeway stands out with its extensive selection of moving services, adeptly catering to various customer needs.
• Insurance coverage (5 out of 8 points): The company only provides two principal insurance options: released value and full-value protection.
• Scheduling (8 out of 8 points): Safeway facilitates moves via phone, email, and live chat, ensuring flexibility and convenience.
• Additional benefits (6 out of 13 points): The company might lack certain features such as shipment tracking, financing facilities, online tools, and moving calculators, but it compensates by providing essential packing materials and versatile storage options.
• Customer service (6 out of 12 points): Safeway’s network of partner companies influences the overall customer service experience, leading to variability in service quality and customer feedback. Regardless, Safeway is committed to actively resolving issues and enhancing its FMCSA profile, indicating an ongoing effort to elevate service standards and customer satisfaction.

Safeway’s long-distance movers can provide full packing assistance, which involves packing your belongings on the pickup date, transporting them to your new home, and helping you unpack them upon delivery. The company can also inventory your belongings to streamline the unpacking process and will use extra protective materials as necessary.

Below are some additional services Safeway offers:

• 24/7 customer service
• Moving assistance for older adults
• Temporary and permanent storage

Safeway offers flat-rate, binding estimates for moving services, ensuring transparent pricing. It evaluates each relocation project, considering factors such as shipment weight, distance, services required, and insurance. This process ensures more accurate and dependable quotes. We contacted Safeway through its online platform, and an agent provided a ballpark estimate.

• Sample quote: $6,722 (three-bedroom home from Seattle to Los Angeles)
• Deposit: Up to 40%
• Payment accepted: Cash, credit card, certified check, and money order

Safeway currently maintains a B- rating on its BBB profile. Safeway garners predominantly favorable reviews, with customers commending its superior service quality, meticulous quoting process, and robust insurance offerings. However, there have been troubling accounts of bait-and-switch tactics, where final prices significantly deviated from the initial quotes provided. Safeway’s BestCompany profile reflects a predominantly positive sentiment, and there is plenty of praise from California residents.

Interstate Moving and Relocation Group (IMRG) (USDOT #: 3034100) maintains a cross-country network of moving partners and brokers willing to transport your belongings to the Golden State. These partner companies include full- and self-service movers, allowing you to tailor services to your expectations. IMRG can often book moves quickly thanks to its large network.

IMRG earned 4.4 out of 5 stars. Below is how it performed in each category:

• Moving services (59 out of 59 points): IMRG excels by linking you with an expansive network of rigorously screened moving companies, ensuring a match for every possible need.
• Insurance coverage (5 out of 8 points): The company’s insurance options are limited, providing only partial- and full-value protection plans.
• Scheduling (8 out of 8 points): IMRG offers various communication methods, including phone and online tools.
• Additional benefits (6 out of 13 points): It offers a solid range of extra features to enhance the moving experience. These include valuable moving checklists, guides, and resources to help organize and streamline your move. Unfortunately, it lacks some industry-standard services such as storage solutions, truck rentals, and financial payment plans.
• Customer service (9 out of 12 points): IMRG’s online reputation is more positive than other companies in this review. It also boasts a clean FMCSA profile with no accidents reported in the past two years.

IMRG can schedule full-service moves through local and long-distance moving companies that provide full packing services for a more streamlined moving process. It can also refer you to self-service movers if you’d prefer minimal handling of your belongings by moving crews. Many providers offer a partial-packing service for fragile items only.

Here’s a short list of some of its other services:

• Cleaning
• Junk removal
• Piano moving
• Vehicle shipping

IMRG can provide a binding estimate, but we recommend requesting an in-home survey of your inventory instead of self-reporting the details of your shipment. This process will typically lead to a more accurate quote. We contacted the company and received the following ballpark estimate:

• Sample quote: $3,900–$7,000 (three-bedroom home from Seattle to Los Angeles)
• Deposit: Up to 33%
• Payment accepted: Credit card and check

IMRG holds a B rating on the BBB site and isn’t accredited. Positive feedback highlights the professionalism and competence of its moving crews, with customers appreciating the company’s efficient service. However, there are concerning reports of bait-and-switch pricing tactics, where final charges differ substantially from initial quotes.

Moving APT (USDOT #: 2247863) operates as a broker. The company connects you with professional movers in your area through one of the industry’s largest networks of independent moving companies. This makes it an ideal option if you prefer a more hands-off approach to the moving process. Once you’ve submitted your relocation request, Moving APT will coordinate with its partner moving company and oversee the entire moving process until your items are delivered. The company also provides 24/7 customer support to address any questions or concerns.

Moving APT scored 4.4 out of 5 stars. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the company’s performance across each category:

• Moving services (59 out of 59 points): Moving APT connects you with a network of proficient movers capable of fulfilling all standard moving services.
• Insurance coverage (5 out of 8 points): The company limits its insurance options to one released value and one full-value plan. 
• Scheduling (4 out of 8 points): It features a user-friendly website that provides comprehensive service information. However, the absence of online booking capabilities limits scheduling options to phone calls only.
• Additional benefits (8 out of 13 points): Moving APT offers moving truck rentals but doesn’t provide packing supplies and materials, which could benefit customers pursuing self-service moves.
• Customer service (12 out of 12 points): The company garners praise for its exceptional customer service, boasting higher customer review scores and response rates on platforms such as the BBB than many competitors.

Moving APT offers traditional full- and partial-service moving packages, both of which can be customized. Here are the company’s other services:

• Appliance disconnection and reconnection
• Custom crating
• Furniture disassembly and reassembly
• Packing
• Piano moving
• Storage
• Vehicle relocation

We used Moving APT’s cost calculator to estimate the cost of our move. However, we learned that Moving APT requires a virtual or in-person consultation for accurate pricing. After discussing the move with a sales representative, we received calls from three of Moving APT’s partners. So, if you plan on using Moving APT’s services, be prepared to receive calls from multiple interested moving companies.

• Sample quote: $1,575–$4,650 (three-bedroom home from Seattle to Los Angeles)
• Deposit: Varies between partners
• Payment accepted: Cash, check, and money order

Moving APT has a B+ rating on the BBB but isn’t accredited. Many reviews praise Moving APT for being efficient and providing quick quotes, but some customers have reported poor experiences with customer service after booking. We appreciate that Moving APT provides information and customer reviews for its partnered movers in California on its website.

JK Moving Services (USDOT #: 1065394) offers full-service and partial-service moving packages custom-made to fit your moving needs and budget. It’s also one of the few moving companies offering financing for moves. Customers can receive rates as low as 0% same-as-cash on their moves with JK Moving.* The company doesn’t offer intrastate moves within California, but it’s a great full-service option for cross-country moving into or out of the state.

*Subject to credit approval

JK Moving earned an exceptional rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars. Here’s how it did in each category:

• Moving services (59 out of 59 points): JK Moving offers various customizable moving services to meet diverse needs, including comprehensive full-pack assistance and partial-pack options.
• Insurance coverage (5 out of 8 points): The company’s insurance offerings encompass partial-value and full-value protection plans, providing varying levels of coverage to safeguard belongings during transit.
• Scheduling (8 out of 8 points): It facilitates hassle-free scheduling through phone and online channels. Customers can seamlessly book virtual or in-person estimates to suit their preferences and schedules.
• Additional benefits (10 out of 13 points): JK Moving stands out for its impressive range of supplementary benefits, including financing programs that allow you to spread out the cost of your move over time.
• Customer service (12 out of 12 points): The company boasts a stellar reputation backed by overwhelmingly positive reviews from satisfied customers. Furthermore, the company maintains a clean record on its FMCSA profile, with only minor incidents reported.

JK Moving offers industry-standard full-service options such as packing, loading, unloading, and unpacking. It collects details about your move and budget and determines what services are most beneficial for you to include in your package.

Here are some other services JK Moving offers for California residents:

• Government moves
• International moves 
• Office moves and information technology removal
• Shipment tracking
• Temporary and permanent storage

JK Moving customizes each package, so the company doesn’t feature sample pricing online. We contacted a JK Moving sales representative to get a quote. We initially received a rough estimate by texting the company, but it was suggested that we conduct a virtual self-survey to get a more accurate quote. What follows is a quote we received from our research via another guide. It’s roughly 200 miles less than Seattle to Los Angeles.

• Sample quote: $8,196 (three-bedroom home from Chicago to Hartford)
• Deposit: $250 upfront
• Payment accepted: Cash, credit card, certified check, and money order

JK Moving stands out with its remarkable A+ rating on its BBB profile, further solidified by stellar reviews across various platforms. The company has received praise for its highly skilled movers and flexible financing options, indicating its commitment to customer satisfaction and service excellence.