Guides
Moving tips & checklist
Practical advice from crews that run 50+ moves a week across Southern California.
Quick tips before moving day
- Empty all furniture before the move — dressers, desks, and shelves travel empty. It's safer for your items and easier on the crew.
- Pack in same-size boxes and keep each under about 50 lbs — they stack securely in the truck and move faster.
- Reserve parking for the truck as close to the entrance as you can — a shorter carry means fewer billable minutes.
- If your building has a freight elevator, book it with management in advance.
- You're welcome to pack small items like dishes and clothes yourself — it trims hours off the job.
Moving an apartment without the stress
A move can be a bright event instead of a stressful one — what it takes is planning and a crew with a process. Here's how a move with us works:
- Get your quote — tell us from, to, and what you're moving; we text back a clear hourly quote, usually within 15 minutes.
- Confirm the details — we lock the date, crew size, and rate in writing.
- Move day — the crew arrives on time, wraps and protects everything, loads, drives, and unloads — one disciplined process.
- Walkthrough & pay — you inspect your items, we confirm the final hours, and you pay after the job is complete.
Office moves
Time is money — an office move has to be quick and predictable. We handle office and commercial moves with the same disciplined process — inventory, wrap, load, deliver — with minimal downtime for your business. You'll only have to update the address on your site and tell your customers where to find you.
How to choose a moving company
Thousands of complaints against movers are filed every year — damaged items, hidden fees, late crews, no-shows. Here's how to avoid becoming one of them:
- Start with recommendations from friends, neighbors, and colleagues.
- Read recent reviews — and look at how the company responds when something goes wrong.
- Get quotes from several companies and compare what's included, not just the hourly rate.
- Verify the license and insurance — a California mover should have a CAL-T number and USDOT registration (ours: CAL-T204822 · USDOT 3703948).
- Read the contract before signing, and keep your own inventory of the items.
- Get the final price confirmed in writing — and make sure you receive a receipt.
Fragile and valuable items
Fragile and valuable items get special attention: we wrap them in moving blankets, stretch film, and boxes as part of the standard process, and every move is covered by our cargo and general liability insurance. Note: pianos and pool tables are the two things we don't move — for those, we recommend a dedicated specialty mover.
What makes up the cost of a move
- Crew size — the base rate covers 2 movers + 1 truck; each additional mover is +$30/hr.
- Hours worked — there's a 4-hour minimum; after that we bill in 30-minute increments.
- The day — Mon–Thu $139/hr, Fri & Sun $149/hr, Saturday and month-end (the 25th–5th) $159/hr.
- The drive between addresses — billed as Double Drive Time under California law, instead of a travel fee.
- A truck fee from $75 — and no stair, long-carry, or other hidden fees.
Licensed and insured
Before you book any mover, make sure the company is licensed and insured — it protects you from fraud and financial loss. Reliable Moving Services is fully licensed, bonded & insured for general liability and cargo (USDOT 3703948 · CAL-T204822), and a certificate of insurance is available on request.