Movers · Nashville, TN
The Nashville homeowner's guide to moving
What the work involves, what drives the price, what your options are, and what a bad job looks like — written so you can judge any moving company in Middle Tennessee, including us.
Estimate request
Tell us about the job.
It comes straight through to us and we respond immediately.
Warning signs
How to know you need us
If you recognize any of these, it is worth having somebody look before it becomes a larger job.
- Closing dates on the two properties that do not line up
- More to move than a weekend and a rented truck will absorb
- Stairs at one end, or an elevator building with a booking window
- A piano, a safe or something else nobody wants to lift
- A previous quote that changed once the truck was loaded
- Needing storage between one closing and the next
Your options
More than one right answer.
A moving company who only ever recommends the most expensive option is not giving you advice. Here is the honest range.
Full-service move
Packing, loading, transport, unloading and placement. The most expensive option and the only one that takes the whole thing off you.
Move only, you pack
Crew and truck for the day, with your own boxes ready to go. The most common local arrangement.
Labor only
Loading and unloading a truck or container you have arranged. Useful for long-distance moves on a budget.
Move and store
Into storage on one date and out on another, which is what closing-date gaps usually need.
What it costs
What actually drives the price.
We do not quote moving over the phone, because an honest number needs somebody to look at the job. These are the things that move it.
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Volume, not just bedrooms
A three-bedroom house can be half full or packed to the attic. Movers price on what is actually going, which is why a walk-through or a video survey produces a quote that holds.
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Access at both ends
Stairs, elevators, long carries from the truck and narrow streets all add hours. It is the most commonly under-quoted factor in the trade.
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Local versus long-distance
Local moves are usually an hourly crew rate; long-distance is priced on weight or volume and distance. They are different contracts with different protections.
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Packing
Full packing, partial packing or self-packing is a large swing. Self-packing is cheaper and shifts the risk of breakage to you.
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Specialty items
Pianos, safes, gun cabinets, large appliances and oversized artwork need the right equipment and are priced individually rather than folded in.
Every estimate is free, written and carries no obligation — including the parts we would find only after starting, which are priced up front rather than left open.
What happens
From your call to the finished job.
Survey and quote
In person or by video. A quote given without seeing what is going is an estimate that will move on the day.
Written estimate
Hourly rate or binding estimate, crew size, truck size and what is excluded, agreed in writing before anything is booked.
Packing
A day or two ahead for a full pack, so moving day is loading rather than packing and loading.
Moving day
Inventory, load, transport, unload and place. Furniture reassembled and boxes put in the rooms they belong in.
Done badly
What goes wrong, and why it matters.
These are the shortcuts that make a quote look cheaper and cost you more later. Ask anyone you are considering about them.
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Accepting a quote given over the phone without a survey
It is the single most common source of a moving-day price change, and by then you have very little leverage.
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Not checking the USDOT number and insurance
Interstate movers are federally registered and the registration is public. It takes two minutes to look up.
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Assuming basic valuation is insurance
Released-value protection is around sixty cents per pound, which on a television is a few dollars. Full-value protection is a separate election.
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Leaving the elevator unbooked
A building that will not release the elevator turns a scheduled crew into an expensive wait.
Before you hire anyone
Six questions worth asking any moving company.
Including us. If a contractor cannot answer these easily, that is the answer.
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Are you licensed for moving and can I see the certificate?
A licensed and insured contractor will have this to hand and will not be irritated by the question.
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Is the estimate written, itemized and free?
A verbal number is not an estimate. Itemized means you can compare two quotes on the same basis.
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What happens if you find something once you start?
The honest answer names a rate and a process. The answer to worry about is that it never happens.
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Who is actually doing the work?
Employee crew or subcontractor is not a wrong answer either way, but you should know which, and who carries the insurance.
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What is the workmanship warranty, and is it in writing?
Materials carry a manufacturer warranty. Workmanship is the contractor, and it should be written down.
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Will you pull the permit?
For permitted work, a contractor who suggests skipping it is telling you something important about the rest of the job.
FAQ
Choosing a moving company in Nashville
How do I choose a moving company in Nashville?
Check the license and the insurance certificate, get the estimate in writing and itemized so you can compare quotes on the same basis, and ask what happens if something is found once work starts. A contractor who cannot answer those easily has told you what you need to know.
Should I get more than one quote for moving?
Yes, and compare what is in them rather than the number at the bottom. The cheapest quote is often cheapest because it leaves something out, and on moving the thing left out is usually the preparation that decides how long the work lasts.
Is the cheapest moving quote usually a bad idea?
Not automatically — but an unusually low number is information. Ask specifically what is included, what grade of material is quoted, who is doing the work and what the workmanship warranty is. If all four answers are good, the low quote is a good quote.
Do I need a permit for moving in Nashville?
It depends on the scope. Metro Nashville and the surrounding counties permit and inspect a good deal of this work, and a contractor suggesting you skip a required permit is telling you something about how they approach the rest of the job. We pull the permits our work requires.
How far in advance should I book moving?
A few weeks where you can. Booking in the quiet season usually means better scheduling and sometimes better pricing than booking in the rush, and it gives you time to make the selections properly.
Free estimate
Need a moving company in Nashville today?
Tell us what is going on and we will get you a free estimate from a local moving company. No obligation, no pressure.