How to Research and Make Comparisons Among Local Moving Companies

When hiring a moving company for your upcoming move, conducting thorough research becomes essential. While information about national providers is often readily available, gathering specific details about local moving companies can be more challenging. Making an informed choice is crucial as a highly-rated national moving company might not necessarily deliver the best service or prices in your area. Conversely, opting for a larger company over a smaller one might offer you a better deal. Although we can’t determine your ultimate preference, we can certainly guide you on the necessary steps to discover it.

In the following sections, we will outline how to research and compare local moving companies actively. This process will enable you to hire the most valuable team at the most favorable price.

Know What You’re Looking For

• When hiring a moving company, many establish specific guidelines for moving truck size and required assistance locations. It’s crucial to determine your non-negotiable requirements early in the process. This approach prevents you from investing time in researching local moving companies that cannot fulfill your needs. Most companies directly display transportation coverage and capacity details on their websites.

Compile a List of Options

• Keeping these high-level needs in focus, initiate your search and compile an initial roster of local moving companies suitable for the task. You can refine your fundamental requirements by selecting your move type, such as full service, auto transport, office moves, etc.

Look at Reviews

• Now comes the slightly more challenging part—once you’ve compiled your list, it’s time to delve into comparisons. A great starting point is reviews, as the experiences of past customers often provide the most accurate insight into what you can anticipate from local moving companies. Fortunately, we simplify accessing trustworthy feedback by providing a readily accessible list of reviews directly from the directory (you’ll find the link under each company’s logo).
• Furthermore, apart from perusing reviews on our platform, explore feedback from other credible sources like Google and Facebook. Consider availability, scheduling convenience, pricing, and service quality comments. If a company aligns differently with your needs and expectations based on the reviews you come across, remove them from your list of potential candidates.

Get Quotes

• Indeed, budget consideration plays a significant role when you research and compare local moving companies. Therefore, we suggest obtaining quotes from a minimum of three different movers. Prices can vary substantially, even among companies catering to the same areas. Since the cost for each move is greatly influenced by factors like the volume of belongings, the moving date, and the amount of labor required, reaching out directly for a quote is a better approach than attempting to piece together cost details from a company’s website.
• Utilize the “Get Quote” feature on our moving company directory to connect with local moving companies easily. This allows you to communicate your requirements and obtain a cost estimate as precise as possible. You’ll be prompted to provide a comprehensive moving inventory, so ensure you clearly understand your belongings—huge items like furniture and appliances—enabling each company to furnish an accurate quote.
• While cost is crucial, there are other factors besides this when choosing among local moving companies. Please pay attention to the pricing structure (hourly versus fixed rate) and note the inclusions mentioned in the quoted estimate (does it cover moving blankets, packing services, etc.). With this information, you can refine your list to include local moving companies with the best price and overall value.
• Remember that quotes are estimates and may not exactly match the final price on a moving day. However, they offer a general baseline for selecting the most cost-effective option. Additionally, check if any local moving companies are running promotions or if discounts apply to you—many companies provide deals for veterans, seniors, and specific groups of individuals.

Book Your Service

• Assuming you’ve completed the steps above, you should now have identified a company you wish to schedule your move with. In this scenario, it’s time to verify their availability and secure your service. If you’ve shortlisted a few companies that meet your requirements, reach out to all of them to confirm their availability. Mention that you’re still in the process of deciding on the best option. One company might reduce their prices to gain a competitive advantage.
• Scheduling service with a moving company is straightforward and often achievable online. When communicating with the company, inform them about your flexibility regarding the moving date. Specific dates and times are more cost-effective than others, and they can offer you an even better rate if you’re open to a range of available time slots.

Additional Tips for Hiring a Local Moving Company

• Seek referrals from your acquaintances. Contact trusted friends and family members to gather information about their encounters with moving companies in your vicinity. It’s plausible that someone you know had either a negative experience with a highly-rated company or a positive one, revealing valuable insights.
• Always verify licenses and insurance. Only engage a moving company that provides substantiation of their claim and insurance. Visit fmcsa.dot.gov to confirm the validity of a company’s U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) number.
• Exercise caution regarding warning signs. If anything strikes you as suspicious during your research and comparison of moving companies, rely on your instincts and eliminate that name from your list. Indicators of concern include companies that demand deposits before the moving day and those that lease rather than own their moving vehicles.
• Adhering to the steps and guidance outlined above ensures you enlist a moving company that correctly accomplishes the task at a reasonable cost. Explore our supplementary moving articles for more comprehensive information on facilitating a smooth move.

• finding a moving company
• hiring a moving company
• local
• local move
• moving companies
• moving company