Long-distance movers for San Francisco homes

A long-distance move out of San Francisco has two challenges. The miles are the easy one. The other is loading a 26-foot truck on a city street: steep blocks, Victorian flats with long interior stairs, high-rises with freight elevator slots and insurance paperwork, and very little legal curb. We plan the San Francisco end first, because a smooth loading day keeps the whole move on schedule.

Any of these can instead be a binding flat fee for a reserved truck. In 2026 our long-distance requests from San Francisco included Los Angeles, the Oregon coast and Westchester County, New York.

The truck and its ramp need about 40 feet of curb. When there is no legal place to park at your building, a temporary parking permit can be processed through SFMTA; start early, because it takes time. If the crew has to double-park and gets a citation, it is added to the bill, so the permit is usually worth it. If your street is too tight for a full-size truck, David looks at the access before move day and tells you whether a shuttle is needed. Details are on our SF parking permit guide.

• Book the freight elevator for loading day and ask how long the slot is.
• Ask management whether they need a certificate of insurance. Ours is free; we need the management name, mailing address and email.
• Count the stairs in a walk-up, including the front steps.
• Find out where the building wants the truck: the street, a loading zone or a garage entrance.

For the building side of a move, see building and HOA moves.

By weight. Your estimate lists the estimated weight, a rate per pound and a minimum space reservation. Extra weight is billed at the same rate per pound. The final price follows the actual weight, so the estimate is non-binding. Within California the minimum is 3,000 lb and delivery is within 7 business days, with no extra charges for stairs, elevator, long carry or shuttle. For moves out of state, delivery is within 30 days of your first available date, and those delivery-end services can be charged.

Flat fee for a reserved truck. One binding price. The truck is reserved for your shipment, the same team loads and unloads, and pickup and delivery are guaranteed. Within California, reserving the truck at 5,000 lb also gets next-day delivery.

Half at pickup and half on delivery, by cash, money order, Visa or Mastercard, with a 3% card fee. Basic valuation at $0.60 per pound per article is included; full-value protection is sold by Baker International at bakerintl.com (mover ID 17421). All mileage, taxes and tolls are included, and there is no weekend fee.

• Bay Area to Los Angeles
• Bay Area to Orange County
• Bay Area to Seattle and Portland
• Bay Area to Texas
• Bay Area to Chicago
• Bay Area to New York

• San Francisco movers: local moves in the city
• Interstate movers
• Intrastate movers
• How long-distance moves are priced