Use this comprehensive guide to find the best coast-to-coast mover for your next move and make sure you get the best customer service and a stress-free experience.
BEST OVERALL
BEST CUSTOMER REVIEWS
BEST FOR LONG DISTANCE
Moving coast to coast can be overwhelming and downright scary! Packing up your entire life and moving to a totally different part of the country is full of unknowns, but the moving process itself doesn’t have to be.
MovingFeedback.com was founded specifically to make it easier to find best moving companies. Throughout our years of experience, we’ve worked with and screened thousands of moving companies to bring you this list of the best coast to coast movers.
Our process includes eliminating any company with fewer than 100 customer reviews or an average rating of 4 or lower.
Then, we compare features like prices, services offered, customization, and customer satisfaction to come up with our favorite coast to coast moving companies.
The average cost of a coast to coast move is between $6,300 and $9,200. A number of factors go into determining the final cost, and the table below will help you start to plan your budget:
Distance | 1 Bedroom | 2 – 3 Bedroom | 4 – 5 Bedroom |
---|---|---|---|
2000 miles | $1800 – $3500 | $3100 – $7800 | $4500 – $11000 |
2500 miles | $2100 – $3900 | $2500 – $5100 | $5800 – $14800 |
3000+ miles | $1600 – $3900 | $3500 – $8700 | $4900 – $9100 |
Moving cross country can take some time, and depending on the actual distance needed to travel, as well as some other factors, it can take anywhere from 7-21 days, on average.
Distance | ETA |
---|---|
2000 miles | 5-14 days |
2500 miles | 6-21 days |
3000+ miles | 7-21 days |
In addition to distance, the size of your shipment, time of year and type of service you sign up for will all impact how long it takes to get your shipment:
4.9 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.5 |
Best Overall | Best for Long Distance | Best Customer Reviews | Most Affordable | Best For Local |
15% Seniors & Military Discounts | 18% Flexibility Discount | 20% Seasonal Discount | 15% Student Discount | Not Disclosed |
$2700-$6200 (Avg. 2-3 bedroom) | $2900-$6500 (Avg. 2-3 bedroom) | $2850-$6350 (Avg. 2-3 bedroom) | $2200-$5400 (Avg. 2-3 bedroom) | $2300-$5600 (Avg. 2-3 bedroom) |
Get a Quote | Get a Quote | Get a Quote | Get a Quote | Get a Quote |
Read Review | Read Review | Read Review | Read Review | Read Review |
Here’s our list of the top coast-to-coast moving companies that we are sure will provide you with a smooth relocation experience.
BEST OVERALL
Moving APT dedicated team of moving industry experts works closely with their customers to create the perfect customized moving plan to meet any needs and budget.
The company connects consumers with reputable, highly-trained, and professional movers in their area to complete coast-to-coast as well as local or other long-distance moves. They are FMCSA-certified and offer competitive prices and stellar customer service.
BEST CUSTOMER REVIEWS
With a reputation as one of the best interstate moving company nationwide, Native Van Lines works with a large network of cross country moving companies.
Native Van Lines is fully licensed and has permits to handle all types of moves – local, long-distance, corporate, and residential – and offers professional customer service.
BEST FOR LONG DISTANCE
No list of top coast to coast moving companies would be complete without Adams Van Lines on it. This company has been around since 2002, offering a whole gamut of services to help with every step of the moving process. Adams Van Lines is all about customer service, making sure that every move is as stress-free as possible.
MOST AFFORDABLE
Over the last 20 years of being in operation, Pricing Van Lines has expanded their offerings to include coast-to-coast residential and commercial moving services.
The company is one of the best when it comes to a hassle-free move using reliable and carefully-vetted movers offering excellent customer service.
BEST FOR LOCAL
iMoving has a network of over 600 moving companies throughout the country, many of which offer coast to coast moving services.
iMoving connects people with the top moving companies in their area that offer the range of services they need including full service packing and unpacking, furniture disassembly and reassembly, and a range of storage options.
Licenses:
DOT#: N/A MC#: N/A
Type:
Local and Long Distance
We recommend getting quotes from more than one moving company so that you can compare and contrast and understand what you’re getting for your money. Each company has its own pricing policy, but all take into account the following factors:
Coast to coast moves are long, there’s no getting around that! A 3,000 mile move is going to be costly, but the exact mileage will help determine the price.
Your total belongings will be weighed in order to determine the final price. If you can get rid of some things you don’t want or need anymore, you can bring down the cost a bit.
Most moving companies offer a range of additional optional services like packing and storage. If you need any of these add-ons, they come with a fee that you should make sure you ask about when getting a quote.
The same applies for large pieces of furniture or things like pianos that might need extra wrapping or packaging.
There may also be additional fees if the movers have to carry your belongings a long distance from the truck to the front door or if there are elevators or multiple flights of stairs involved.
The cheapest way to move from coast to coast is probably to opt for a moving container. While hiring full-service movers is pretty cost-effective for a short-distance or local move, the further the distance the more the costs increase.
Remember, when you move from coast to coast, you are paying for the time it takes to drive, possibly for lodging for the driver and moving team, as well as the time it takes to load and unload.
If you choose to use a moving container, the container is delivered to your old home and you pack and load it yourself – already significant savings. Then it is picked up and transported cross-country where it is delivered to your new home.
The container is probably transported on a large truck with other shipments, so you are not paying the full cost on your own. At the other end, again you are responsible for the unloading, which leads to more cost savings.
While it’s certainly cheaper to use a moving container than to hire a coast to coast moving company, keep in mind that part of what you are paying for with a full service mover is the convenience. So you need to do the calculations and determine whether or not the trade-off is worth it. If you can afford a full service mover, it may be worth the time-savings.
A coast to coast move is likely to cost an average of $6,300 to $9,200 depending on the exact mileage and size of your shipment.
Because a coast to coast move can be spread out over a number of days, it’s better to tip a flat amount rather than calculate a tip on a per-hour basis.
It’s generally accepted to tip about 15-20% of the total cost of the move, and then split that amount among the whole team. Keep in mind with some long distance moves, there will be one team that helps load up the truck at the original location and a different team that unloads at your new home – make sure you tip both teams!
Moving coast-to-coast can take anywhere from 5-21 days, depending on a number of factors including how large your shipment is (a bigger shipment is actually likely to arrive faster as it can fill up a whole truck and doesn’t rely on waiting for additional shipments) and the availability of the shipping company’s drivers.
A binding estimate means that the price given to you before the move is the price that you will pay, regardless of any unforeseen costs that may crop up. If the move ends up taking longer than they thought, for example, that does not come at a cost to you.
If, however, you add a significant amount of additional boxes to move and that’s why it takes longer, that is not considered part of the binding estimate and would likely have to pay extra.
A non-binding estimate is the moving company’s best guess as to how much the move will cost based on seeing how much stuff you have and knowing the distance to travel.
The exact price will only be given to you at the end of the move and can vary significantly from the estimate.
It’s up to you, but if you do not insure your belongings during the move then you may have no recourse if something gets damaged. It’s generally fairly inexpensive to get basic coverage that will protect you in case anything needs to be repaired or replaced.
Different long distance moving companies might have their own definitions, but it’s probably safe to assume that any move over 100 miles is considered long distance and the price will increase accordingly as the number of miles increases. Moves that are less than 100 miles are considered local and will cost less.
We research and analyze huge amounts of data so that you can make the most educated and informed decision when it comes to choosing your local or long-distance movers.
We dig through customer reviews to get the real scoop on the 6 P’s:
Moving cross country can be scary and overwhelming, but with the help of a reputable and experienced coast to coast moving company, you can have a smooth and stress-free move. The companies we highlight in this article have a proven track record of excellent customer service and you can’t go wrong in selecting any one of them for your move.
We do, of course, suggest getting more than one quote before making your final decision to ensure that you get the best deal.