If you've ever moved in Los Angeles, you know the city has its own physics. The 405 doesn't move. The Sepulveda Pass takes whatever you budgeted plus 40 minutes. Your loading zone is occupied by an unmarked grey Sprinter. We've done 12,483 LA moves and our crews still encounter something new every week — but the structure of a good moving day rarely changes.
Two weeks out
- Get a binding quote. Not non-binding. The difference will save you $400-$800 on a typical 1 BR.
- Apply for parking permits on both ends. LA Department of Transportation needs 24-48 hours notice. We pull them for you if you book at quote time.
- Reserve the freight elevator for any building that has one. Most DTLA towers, Westside high-rises, and newer Hollywood buildings require 72 hours notice plus a COI naming the building as additional insured.
- Audit your stuff. Every cubic foot you move costs money. Donate / sell / trash anything you've forgotten you owned.
The week before
- Pack non-essentials first — books, off-season clothes, decor.
- Label every box with the destination room, not just the contents. "Kitchen — top cabinets" is more useful than "dishes".
- Disconnect the fridge 24 hours early and let it defrost on a towel. Saves an hour on move day.
- Confirm with your dispatcher. A real human at ABC will text you a day before to confirm arrival window and parking situation.
Move day morning
- Be packed and ready 30 min before the arrival window. Crews who arrive to a half-packed home charge the same hourly rate; you've just added an hour of packing time at moving-crew prices.
- Set aside an "essentials box" — phone chargers, toiletries, medicine, paperwork, a change of clothes. Carry it yourself.
- Pets and kids: out of the house. Coffee shop, grandma's, doggy daycare. Saves stress for everyone.
- Walk the crew through when they arrive. "This stays, that goes, this is fragile, the keys to the dolly are in the kitchen drawer."
After the last box
- Walk both spaces with the crew lead. Confirm everything is on the truck before signing. Re-walk the new place before they leave.
- Sign one form. If you're being asked to sign anything weird (additional fees, weight reweighs, "stair surcharges"), call the dispatcher first.
- Tipping is appreciated, never required. LA standard: $20-$40/mover for a half day, $40-$60 for a full day. Crews split tips evenly.
- File any damage claims within 30 days (you have 9 months legally; we recommend 30 so the details are fresh).
The thing nobody talks about
The single biggest predictor of a smooth LA move isn't the company, the truck, or the weather. It's whether you've decluttered before move day. Every cubic foot of stuff you don't move is $5-$20 you don't pay and an hour you don't lose. Be ruthless. The bookshelf you've moved through three apartments? Maybe its journey ends here.
Want to talk to a dispatcher about your specific LA move? Get a free local-moves quote →