Moving FAQ: San Diego movers, prices and your rights

One Stop charges $139 an hour for two movers and a truck, $189 for three, $239 for four, $289 for five and $339 for six, the same every day. Billing runs in 15-minute increments. A one-bedroom move takes 4 to 5 hours: $556 with two movers for 4 hours, up to $945 with three movers for 5.

Not at One Stop. Two movers and a truck cost $139 an hour, and billing runs in 15-minute increments. A studio usually fits inside that minimum. Loading help for a portable container is quoted separately, in writing.

A 2-bedroom move takes 4 to 7 hours with 2 or 3 movers, about $556 to $1,323 in labor. A 3-bedroom takes 4 to 9 hours with 3 movers and one or two trucks, about $756 to $1,951. Drive time, fuel and materials are extra. Your written quote gives the hours, crew size and a Not-to-Exceed price.

No. One Stop never charges for stairs. Moving blankets, padding and floor protection are included too, and wardrobe boxes are free to use on moving day.

Not on price. One Stop charges $139 an hour every day of the week, weekends and summer included. Dates fill faster from May through September, so book 3 weeks ahead in those months.

Yes. Your written Not-to-Exceed price lists the drive between your two addresses with every other charge before move day. A 15-minute drive is billed as 30 minutes, about $70 with two movers at $139 an hour.

Yes. It appears on your written quote with the drive time, so you see both before you book.

Bigger homes, usually 3 bedrooms and up, can need a second truck, and a 5- or 6-bedroom home up to three.

Compare the hourly rate, the minimum and the extras. One Stop is $139 an hour for two movers and a truck every day, with 15-minute billing after that. There are no stair fees, 50 boxes are free, blankets and floor protection are included, and you get a written Not-to-Exceed price.

Call (858) 633-8600 or request a free quote with your addresses and the big items. We do an in-home or virtual walkthrough, then give you the hours, crew size and price in writing. Every local move gets a written Not-to-Exceed price. For a rough number first, try the moving cost calculator.

Tipping is your choice, never expected and never added to your bill. If the crew did good work, many people tip each mover about $20 to $40 for a half-day move. Cold water or lunch on a hot day is always appreciated.

Yes. A deposit holds a local move. A long-distance move also takes a deposit to hold the date, and your written quote shows the amount. The deposit comes off your total, and rescheduling is free.

Book about 10 days ahead. From May through September, book about 3 weeks ahead. One Stop also takes last-minute moves when a crew is free.

Often, yes. Call (858) 633-8600 and we’ll check which crews are free. Same-week moves are easier outside May through September and away from the first and last days of the month.

Crews and the office work 7 days a week, 7 AM to 7 PM. The phone line is open 24 hours.

Moving blankets, padding, shrink wrap, floor and door-frame protection, wardrobe boxes to use on moving day, and 50 free moving boxes. There are no stair fees.

Yes. The crew takes apart beds, tables and other pieces that won’t fit through a door, wraps them, and puts them back together in your new home. That time is billed at the crew’s hourly rate like the rest of the move. Tell us about anything complex, like a wall bed or a large crib, when you book.

You, or someone you trust, should be there at the start to walk the crew through and sign the paperwork, and at the end to check everything arrived and sign off. In between you can come and go.

Anything flammable or hazardous: gasoline, propane tanks, paint, aerosols, cleaning chemicals and ammunition. Keep cash, jewelry, medications, passports and important papers with you.

A dedicated truck from San Diego has one price per city. Las Vegas and Henderson are $4,000, Phoenix-area cities $4,200, Tucson $4,500, Salt Lake City $6,500, Austin $10,200, Dallas $10,600 and Houston $11,950. Any other city: call (858) 633-8600 for today’s price.

Not with One Stop. Many interstate movers price by weight, which you only know after the truck is weighed. One Stop gives a dedicated truck one price per city, in writing before we load. A shared truck is priced by volume, at $11 per cubic foot.

Yes, a shared truck costs $11 per cubic foot, with a 400 cubic foot minimum ($4,400), and delivers within up to 21 days. It isn’t cheaper everywhere: to Las Vegas or Phoenix a dedicated truck costs $4,000–$4,200, carries only your household and arrives in 1–2 days.

On a dedicated truck: Los Angeles, Phoenix, Mesa, Prescott, Las Vegas, Henderson and Carson City take 1–2 days. St. George, Springdale and Salt Lake City take 2–3 days. Austin, Dallas and Houston take 3–4 days.

Yes. Los Angeles is billed by the hour at our crew rates, from $139 an hour for 2 movers and a truck. The Bay Area is $4,800–$5,200: San Jose $4,800, Oakland and San Francisco $5,000. Both are quoted in writing before you book. A move to Los Angeles takes 1–2 days on a dedicated truck.

A shuttle truck, used when the big truck can’t get close to your door, is $750. An elevator building adds $350. Both are added only when they apply, and stairs are always free.

Yes. One Stop moves from San Diego to any US state, with one price per city. Call (858) 633-8600 for today’s price. We also move people into San Diego on the same rate card, quoted in writing before we load.

Look up its USDOT number on the FMCSA SAFER website. Interstate movers also need operating authority (an MC number). One Stop’s are USDOT 1956864 and ICC/MC 694565.

Federal rules give two levels. Full Value Protection makes the mover repair, replace or pay the current value of a lost or damaged item. Released Value is free but pays only 60 cents per pound per item, and you have to choose it in writing. Your mover must also give you the FMCSA booklet “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move.”

Yes. One Stop holds your things in San Diego, then delivers them to any US state, with one price per city. Short-term storage during a move is included.

Yes for vault storage: every vault is climate- and humidity-controlled and held at 68–72°F, and climate control is included in the monthly price. The portable containers are steel and weather-sealed, but not climate-controlled.

Yes. One Stop moves you and stores your things itself, from its Sorrento Valley facility. Short-term storage during a move is included, vaults are kept at 68–72°F and quoted by size, and portable containers are $99 or $175 a month on your property.

Storage units in San Diego County run from $245 a month (5×10) to $730 (10×30); Orange County is $275 to $785. Vaults use the same monthly prices. Portable containers are $99 or $175 a month on your property; delivery, pickup and storage at our facility are quoted separately, in writing.

The standard container is 8 ft high, 8 ft deep and 5 ft wide and fits a studio apartment. The large is 7 ft wide and fits a 1 bedroom apartment. Both load at ground level, with no ramp.

Loading help is quoted separately, in writing, before you book. Loading a container usually takes about 2 hours. Each container comes with 25 free moving boxes.

Not in your driveway. A container in the street needs a City of San Diego Traffic Control Permit, valid for up to 7 days, at $87.68 a week plus an $87.68 processing fee. It can’t sit in front of a red, white or blue curb.

Yes. If your move-out and move-in dates don’t line up, short-term storage during the move is included. We hold your things in our Sorrento Valley warehouse and deliver on the new date.

Yes. Along with household goods, One Stop stores cars, small boats, golf carts and other large items. Space is quoted by size.

Check for a California CAL license number, a USDOT number if you’re leaving the state, reviews on Google, Yelp and the BBB, and crews of full-time employees rather than day laborers. One Stop is CAL-190616 and USDOT 1956864, rated A+ by the BBB and 4.3 on Google from 269 reviews, with full-time crews based in Sorrento Valley.

Yes. One Stop holds California license CAL-190616, USDOT 1956864 and ICC/MC 694565, carries $1 million in general liability and $1 million in workers’ comp, and is rated A+ by the BBB.

The Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS), part of the Department of Consumer Affairs. It took over from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on July 1, 2018, so a “PUC number” is no longer the license to look for. Check a mover’s CAL number on the DCA license search.

Not a binding one in California. A mover may give a written estimate only after a visual inspection of what’s moving, and the state calls phone or internet estimates illegal and possibly unenforceable. A rough range on the phone is fine; the real price comes in writing.

For a move inside California, the written estimate must follow a visual inspection of your things (Max 4 Item 108); we can do that in person or by video. For an interstate move, federal rules have allowed video surveys since 31 October 2022, and you can waive the survey only in writing (49 CFR 375.401).

Only within limits. California movers must give a Not-to-Exceed price for every household move. It can rise only through a signed Change Order for extra services you ask for, and a Change Order can’t be used because the mover underestimated.

A written estimate made after seeing your things, with a Not-to-Exceed price. If you book 3 or more days ahead, you also get a moving services agreement, the “Important Notice About Your Move,” and the state booklet for people moving household goods within California.

On a California move, basic protection pays $0.60 per pound per article (Max 4 Item 136). For a 50 lb TV that is $30, whatever it cost. On an interstate move, Full Value Protection is the federal default unless you waive it in writing.

Watch for a mover with no California license number, a firm price given without seeing your home or an inventory, a large cash deposit, or no written estimate. One Stop gives free quotes after seeing what’s moving and takes a deposit to hold the date.