Home › Service areas › Seattle
Seattle movers for moves across the city, down I-5 to Tacoma and Olympia, or out of state.
If you need movers in Seattle, Caravan Moving LLC is a small licensed Washington household goods carrier that takes on moves from a one-bedroom on Capitol Hill to a house headed out of state. We don't have a Seattle office: we're based in Rochester, in Thurston County, and schedule Seattle moves from there. We run one 24-foot lift-gate truck with a crew of two to four, and every move starts with a free written estimate.
Where the 55-mile line falls
How Seattle movers price a move.
Washington sets the rate basis by how far your shipment travels, from the address it leaves to the address it arrives at: 55 miles or less is priced by the hour, and over 55 miles by weight and distance. From Seattle, that line falls somewhere between Tacoma and Olympia. How pricing works covers the detail.
Inside Seattle
A move from Ballard to West Seattle is well under 55 miles, so it's priced by the hour under Washington Tariff 15-C, within the minimum and maximum the Utilities and Transportation Commission sets.
Seattle and Tacoma
Tacoma is about 35 miles down I-5, so moves between the two cities are usually on hourly rates too, and your written estimate states which applies. If Tacoma is your end of the move, the Tacoma movers page has the local detail.
Seattle and Olympia
Olympia is about 60 miles from Seattle. That puts most moves between them just past the line and onto weight and distance pricing, depending on the exact addresses. The same basis applies to any move of over 55 miles inside Washington, such as Seattle to eastern Washington. Movers in Olympia covers the Thurston County end.
Long-distance moves out of state
If you need long-distance movers from Seattle to another state, the move runs under FMCSA rules instead of Tariff 15-C. We carry it under our own federal authority, MC 1781177, so your job isn't sold on to a broker. See long-distance and interstate moves.
Elevators, hills and somewhere to park the truck
On a move inside Seattle, more of the hours tend to go on access than on driving. Apartment and condo buildings Downtown, in South Lake Union, on Capitol Hill and First Hill, and in Ballard often mean a reserved elevator, a shared loading area and a long hallway between the truck and your door. Older houses bring narrow stairs and steep front steps, and Queen Anne has some of the steepest streets in the city.
Where parking is tight, the Seattle Department of Transportation runs Temporary No Parking Zones that can hold curb space for a moving van. Not every curb space can be reserved and applications need lead time, so check with SDOT well before moving day. Tell us if a zone has been reserved at either address. We ask how close a 24-foot truck can get at each one before we write the estimate.
- Apartment and condo moves with elevators, stairs and long carries
- Houses with steep steps, tight stairwells and sloping driveways
- Moves between Seattle and Tacoma, Olympia or Thurston County, in either direction
- Interstate moves out of Seattle under MC 1781177
- Office moves, with the lift gate for heavy equipment
- Loading and unloading only when you've rented the truck
Booking from Rochester
How a booking works.
If you're comparing moving companies in Seattle, WA, ask each one for its UTC permit number and whether it is the carrier or a broker. Our permit, USDOT and MC numbers are on the verify page.
Call when you have a date
The owner answers. There is one truck, so an early call leaves more dates open.
Describe both ends
Addresses, floors, elevators, and where the truck can park at each one.
We look at your things
State law requires a visual inspection before we quote, in person or by video for smaller jobs. The written estimate is free and says whether the move is hourly or weight and distance.
One crew, both ends
The people who load in Seattle unload at the other end. We have no warehouse, so nothing changes trucks on the way.
Seattle questions
What to ask before you book.
How much do movers cost in Seattle?
We can't give you a real number before seeing your things, and in Washington a price over the phone isn't a legal estimate. Moves inside Seattle, or between Seattle and Tacoma, are usually priced by the hour, and the hours depend on stairs, elevators, parking and how much is already boxed. How pricing works explains the limits the Commission sets.
Is a move from Seattle to Olympia hourly or by weight?
Usually by weight and distance. Olympia is about 60 miles from Seattle, so most moves between them land just past the 55-mile line, depending on the exact addresses. Your written estimate states which applies before anything is loaded.
Do you have an office in Seattle?
No. Caravan Moving LLC is based in Rochester, in Thurston County, and schedules Seattle moves from there. You can look up our household goods permit, THG072095, on utc.wa.gov before you call.
Do you do long-distance moves from Seattle to other states?
Yes. Interstate moves run under our own federal authority, MC 1781177, and your things stay on our truck with our crew the whole way. Federal rules require an interstate mover to give you a copy of, or a link to, the FMCSA publication “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” before the bill of lading is signed.
Do I need to reserve the elevator for my Seattle move?
Ask your building manager. If the building reserves elevators for moves, book a window at each address that has one. Send us the reserved times, which entrance or loading area to use and any rules about moving hours when you book, so the estimate reflects the carry.
Moving in or out of Seattle
Movers for Seattle, WA, with the estimate in writing first.
Send us both addresses. We'll look at what's moving and put the number on paper, free, before anything goes on the truck.
WA UTC Permit THG072095 · USDOT 4476646 · MC 1781177