Serving Tacoma, Pierce County, WA and surrounding areas

Movers in Tacoma, WA Local & Long-Distance Moving Company

A third-floor walk-up in the Stadium District, a Craftsman in the North End, orders out of JBLM. A crew pads and wraps the furniture, loads the truck in tiers, and sets everything down in the right rooms at the other end.

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Two movers and a truck typically run $140 to $190 an hour. Most one-bedroom moves total $450 to $900. Bigger homes need a bigger crew. See typical Tacoma prices or text your move to (253) 527-6834.

Two movers loading boxes up the ramp of a moving truck on a hillside street above a harbor — 1 Ramp and hand truck: a local move by the hour

2 Over the Narrows or down I-5: long distance

3 Pianos, safes and heavy items

4 Boxes that still need packing

Desks, files and servers? Commercial moves

Service type: Residential and commercial
Primary coverage: Tacoma & Pierce County
Local billing: By the hour, per the state tariff
Estimates: In writing before you book
Heavy pieces: Pianos and safes by flat price

How much do movers cost in Tacoma, WA?

Direct answer: Most local moves in Tacoma are billed by the hour: typically $140 to $190 an hour for two movers and a truck, and $190 to $260 for three. A one-bedroom apartment usually totals $450 to $900, and a three-bedroom house $1,300 to $2,400. Stairs, long carries and packing add time.

Inside Washington, a household move of 55 miles or less is billed by the hour under the state tariff, and the clock normally includes the drive from the mover's yard to your door and back. That makes the hourly rate only half the picture. The other half is how many hours the job takes, and that comes down to four things: how much you own, how far it has to be carried, how many stairs are in the way, and how ready the house is when the crew walks in.

A longer move is priced differently. Past 55 miles the bill is built from the weight of the shipment and the distance, so a move to Spokane or Portland gets a different kind of estimate. See long-distance movers in Tacoma for how that works, and local movers in Tacoma for an hour-by-hour breakdown.

Typical Tacoma moving prices
Service	Typical range	What it covers
Two movers and a truck	$140 – $190/hr	Studios, one-bedrooms and small loads. Pads, dollies and straps included
Three movers and a truck	$190 – $260/hr	Two and three-bedroom homes, or any job with stairs
Four movers and a truck	$250 – $330/hr	Larger houses and office floors
One-bedroom apartment, local	$450 – $900	Typical total at three to five hours
Three-bedroom house, local	$1,300 – $2,400	Typical total at six to nine hours
Packing, per packer	$45 – $75/hr	Labor only. Boxes, paper and tape are billed by what is used
Tacoma to Portland, two-bedroom load	$1,800 – $3,200	Priced by weight and miles, not by the hour

Ranges are typical for the Tacoma area and are not a fixed menu or a quote. Your price comes as a written estimate for your home, your inventory and your date before anything is booked.

Tell us about the move in one tap.

Pick the kind of move and your messages app opens with it filled in. Add where you are moving from and to, the date, and a few photos of the big pieces, then press send. Nothing is stored on this site.

Local house or apartment moveMost common request Long-distance move Office or shop move Piano or safe Packing help

Text This for a Quote Or Call (253) 527-6834

Photos of the garage, the stairs and anything heavy make the estimate far more accurate.

How many movers and hours does your move need?

Direct answer: A studio or one-bedroom usually takes two movers three to five hours. A two-bedroom takes two or three movers four to seven hours. A three-bedroom house takes three or four movers six to nine hours, and a four-bedroom house often needs four movers for a full day or longer.

Adding a mover raises the hourly rate and usually lowers the total. Two people carrying a sectional down a flight of stairs are slow and tired by noon. Three people can run a chain: one staging in the house, one on the walk, one building tiers in the truck. What the estimator is weighing:

Volume. A packed garage or a basement shop can equal two extra bedrooms.
Stairs. Every flight adds time to every single piece, at both addresses.
The carry. A truck that has to park half a block away on a steep street doubles the walking.
Heavy singles. A piano, a gun safe or a treadmill may need a fourth person for twenty minutes.
Readiness. Loose items that are not boxed are the most common reason a job runs over.

Older Tacoma houses add their own wrinkles. A 1910s foursquare off North Proctor Street often has a tight turn at the top of the stairs, and a box spring that went in before a remodel may only come out through a window. Mention it when you call. A piano or a safe is its own job: see piano movers in Tacoma.

Before the truck arrives

Box everything small. If it fits in a box, it goes in a box, taped top and bottom.
Hold the curb. Park your own cars in front the night before so the truck gets the space.
Empty the dressers. Light clothing can sometimes stay. Books, papers and anything loose cannot.
Defrost and drain. Unplug the freezer a day ahead and disconnect the washer hoses.

What moving services can you book in Tacoma?

Direct answer: Five services cover nearly every move in Tacoma: local residential moves billed by the hour, long-distance moves priced by weight and miles, commercial moves for offices and shops, piano and heavy-item moves at a flat price per piece, and packing. They combine, such as packing the kitchen the day before a local move.

01Local moversCrew and truck by the hour for moves inside Pierce County$140 – $260/hr 02Long-distance moversMoves across Washington and out of state, priced by weight and miles$1,800 – $7,500 03Commercial moversOffices, shops and clinics moved after hours or over a weekend$190 – $330/hr 04Piano moversUprights, grands, safes and other heavy single pieces, flat price per piece$250 – $1,100 05Packing servicesWhole-house, kitchen-only or fragile-only packing with materials$300 – $1,600

Prices shown are typical Tacoma ranges, not quotes. Not sure which one fits? Text the details and you will be pointed to the right one.

Is hiring movers better than renting a truck?

Direct answer: For a house, usually yes. A crew with a truck, pads and dollies finishes a three-bedroom home in a day, and the mover carries liability for damage. Renting a truck costs less on paper and suits a studio or a small one-bedroom when you have strong help and no stairs.

The rental price on the side of the truck is not the cost of a do-it-yourself move. Add mileage, fuel, the damage waiver, a dolly, a stack of furniture pads, pizza for friends, and a day or two of your own time. For a studio across town it still wins. For a house, the gap is smaller than most people expect.

A portable container sits in between. It works well when the dates at the two addresses do not line up, and poorly on Tacoma's steeper blocks, where a container cannot be set on a sloped street and many driveways are too short or too tilted for one.

Comparison: full-service movers vs. rental truck vs. portable container
Factor	Full-service movers	Rental truck, do it yourself	Portable container
Who lifts	The crew	You and whoever shows up	You, or hired labor at each end
Who drives	The mover	You, in a 26-foot truck	The container company
Pads, dollies, straps	On the truck	Rented or bought separately	Bought separately
Damage coverage	Carrier valuation, in writing	Your own risk	Limited, contents often excluded
Time for a 3-bedroom house	One day	A weekend or more	Several days, on your schedule
Best for	Houses, stairs, heavy furniture	Studios and small loads	Gaps between move-out and move-in

Which parts of Tacoma and Pierce County do you cover?

Direct answer: Coverage takes in all of Tacoma plus Lakewood, University Place, Fircrest, Ruston, Fife, Puyallup, Parkland, Spanaway, Steilacoom, DuPont and Gig Harbor, including Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Crews run the I-5, SR-16, I-705, SR-7 and SR-512 corridors every week, and long-distance moves leave from anywhere in that area.

Serving Tacoma, Pierce County, WA and surrounding areas. Routes are planned around the roads that actually slow a loaded truck here: I-5 through the Tacoma Dome curves, the SR-16 climb toward the Narrows, and the grades between downtown and Hilltop.

North End and ProctorThe North End, Proctor District, Old Town, Ruston and Point Ruston, out to Point Defiance.
Downtown and StadiumDowntown, the Stadium District, Hilltop and the Thea Foss Waterway, off I-705.
South and East TacomaSouth Tacoma, the Lincoln District, Fern Hill and the Eastside, along I-5 and SR-7.
West sideThe West End, 6th Avenue, Fircrest and University Place, along SR-16.
Lakewood and JBLMLakewood, Steilacoom, DuPont and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south on I-5.
Puyallup valleyFife, Puyallup and Sumner by way of SR-167 and SR-512.
Across the NarrowsGig Harbor over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge on SR-16.
Parkland and SpanawaySouth on SR-7, Pacific Avenue.

Do movers in Washington need a license?

Direct answer: Yes. A company moving household goods within Washington must hold a household goods permit from the Utilities and Transportation Commission, which also publishes the tariff that sets rate limits. Moves that cross a state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and require a USDOT number. Either way, you are owed a written estimate.

The state tariff does more than set a price band. It spells out what has to be on the estimate, what the mover owes you if something is damaged, and how far the final bill may run past a nonbinding estimate. Ask for the permit number on any estimate you are handed, and look it up on the commission's website before you sign.

Nonbinding estimate

The mover's best calculation of hours or weight. The final bill follows the actual time or weight, within the limit the tariff sets above the estimate.

Binding estimate

A fixed price for the listed inventory and services. It changes only if you add items or services, and then only with a written supplement.

Coverage for your goods is a separate choice made on the estimate. Basic valuation is included at no charge and pays by weight, 60 cents per pound per item. Full value protection costs more and covers repair or replacement. Businesses have their own paperwork: see commercial movers in Tacoma.

What else do people ask about moving in Tacoma?

Direct answer: The most common questions are how far ahead to book, whether movers work in the rain, what a crew will not carry, whether to tip, and how the Narrows Bridge toll is handled. Short answers are below, and the full Tacoma moving FAQ goes deeper.

How far ahead should you book movers in Tacoma?

Two to four weeks ahead is comfortable for most of the year. From May through September, and at the end of any month, aim for four to six weeks, since summer is peak season for both civilian moves and military orders at JBLM. Midweek and mid-month dates are the easiest to get.

Do movers work in the rain?

Yes. Rain is a normal working condition from October through April around Puget Sound. Mattresses and upholstered pieces are bagged or wrapped, floors are covered with runners, and the truck is backed as close to the door as the street allows. Only ice or heavy snow normally moves a date.

What will movers not move?

Movers do not carry hazardous items: propane tanks, gasoline, paint thinner, pool chemicals, ammunition and similar materials. Most will not take perishable food or live plants on a long-distance trip. Keep cash, jewelry, medication, passports and other documents with you in your own car.

Should you tip movers?

Tipping is optional and never part of the estimate. When a crew has worked hard and taken care of the house, many customers tip each mover directly once the truck is empty. Cold water or coffee on the job is appreciated just as much, especially on a stair-heavy move.

Who pays the Tacoma Narrows Bridge toll on a move to or from Gig Harbor?

The toll is collected on eastbound trips, heading toward Tacoma, and a truck pays more than a car because the rate goes up with the number of axles. It is normally passed through at cost and should appear as its own line on your written estimate.

Have a move date in mind?

(253) 527-6834

Say where you are moving from and to, how many bedrooms or offices, and the date. You get a written estimate before anything is booked. Prefer not to talk? Text the details and a few photos of the big pieces.

Call for a Quote Text Your Move