Local movers in San Diego, priced by the hour
$139 an hour. Two movers and a truck.
The short version: One Stop Moving & Storage moves San Diego homes for $139 an hour with two movers and a truck, $189 with three, up to $339 with six, the same rate every day. There’s a 4-hour minimum in San Diego County, then 15-minute billing. No stair fees, 50 free boxes, and a written Not-to-Exceed price before moving day.
- Licensed by the State of California, CAL-190616, moving San Diego since 2008
- Full-time employees on every crew, no day laborers
- Fuel $1 a mile ($50 minimum); drive time billed as California’s tariff sets it
- Google 4.3 stars from about 269 reviews, BBB A+
Since 2008
Moving San Diego
CAL-190616
California mover license
USDOT 1956864
Interstate, MC 694565
BBB A+
Better Business Bureau
98%
Of our customers come back (company records)
7 days
7 AM–7 PM, phone open 24 hours
What it costs
How much do local movers cost per hour in San Diego?
One Stop charges $139 an hour for two movers and a truck. Each extra mover adds $50 an hour, up to $339 for six. The rate is the same on weekdays, weekends and in summer. Billing runs in 15-minute increments.
Crew rates
Bigger crews cost less per mover-hour. A third mover costs 36% more per hour than two, so it pays off when it cuts the job by more than about a quarter. On a walk-up or a 2-bedroom it usually does.
Included at $0
- Stairs, any number of flights$0
- 50 moving boxes$0
- Blankets, padding and shrink wrap$0
- Floor and door protection$0
- Wardrobe boxes to use on move day$0
- Basic protection, 60¢ per lb per article$0
The rest of the rate card
By home size
How long does a local move take, by home size?
A studio usually takes two movers about 4 hours, $556 in labor. A one-bedroom usually takes 4 to 5 hours ($556–$945), a two-bedroom 4 to 7 hours ($556–$1,323) and a three-bedroom 4 to 9 hours with three movers ($756–$1,951).
These ranges come from One Stop’s own crew planning table. Stairs, the walk from the door to the truck, elevators and how much is packed before the crew arrives decide where in the range you land.
Fuel and drive time are added on top. Your free estimate gives the crew, the hours and a Not-to-Exceed price in writing.
Crew planning table
Labor at our crew rates, including any extra truck. Fuel and drive time are not included. Moves within San Diego County.
A sample bill
What does a real local move bill look like?
A two-bedroom move with three movers, 5 hours of loading and unloading and a 15-minute drive comes to $1,089.50. That’s $945 of labor, $94.50 for the drive billed at double time, and the $50 fuel minimum. Stairs, boxes and wrapping add nothing.
California’s Max 4 tariff sets how hourly moves are billed. Every mover licensed by the state works under the same rule, so ask any company you compare how it bills drive time.
Small move? Your written Not-to-Exceed price lists every charge before move day.
Line by line
Example only, built from the rate card. Your written estimate covers your addresses and inventory.
Your price in writing
What is a Not-to-Exceed price, and do I get one?
Yes. Every One Stop local move gets a written Not-to-Exceed price. It’s the most you pay for the job as described. California lets a mover give an estimate only after a visual inspection, so we walk through your home in person or by video first.
Movers in California have been licensed by the Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS) since July 1, 2018, not the PUC. Check any mover’s CAL number on the state license search. Ours is CAL-190616.
The rules that protect you
How it works
How does a local move with One Stop work?
Five steps: ask for a quote, get a written estimate, book with a deposit, then move day and setup. Book about 10 days ahead, or 3 weeks ahead from May through September.
1
Call or ask online
Tell us both addresses, the home size and any big or fragile items. The phone line is open 24 hours.
2
Free written estimate
We see what’s moving, in person or by video, and send the crew size, the hours and a Not-to-Exceed price.
3
Book
A deposit holds your date. Rescheduling is free.
4
Moving day
Floors and door frames get covered. Furniture is taken apart where needed, blanket-wrapped and loaded.
5
Unload and place
Every piece goes to the room you choose. Reassembly and unpacking are on the clock when you want them.
What we move
What kinds of local moves do you handle?
Apartments, condos, houses, dorms, small offices and single big items anywhere in San Diego County. Each one is billed at the same crew rates. What changes is the crew size, the access plan and the paperwork your building asks for.
Apartments and condos
Elevator bookings, loading-dock windows, HOA move rules and certificates of insurance, planned before move day. Floor runners and door protection at both ends.
Get a condo quoteHouses
Garages, patios, hillside driveways and long walks to the street, planned so the crew size and truck fit the job. No stair fees.
Storage between homesSmall moves
A few rooms or a few big pieces. Billing runs in 15-minute increments.
Specialty and last-minute movesStudents and dorms
UCSD, SDSU and USD move-ins, booked as local moves at the regular hourly rate.
Summer storage in a containerPianos and safes
Upright and grand pianos and safes, with the padding, equipment and crew each one needs. Priced in writing.
Piano movingSmall offices
Desks, files and workstations moved around your working hours, with the building’s paperwork handled.
Office movingLocal know-how
What should you know about moving in San Diego?
Most San Diego move-day problems are about access, not furniture. Condo towers want insurance papers, hillside streets need the right truck, beach streets have little parking, and summer, military orders and college move-in fill the calendar. Tell us early and we plan for it.
HOAs and insurance certificates
Most condo towers and many HOAs ask for a certificate of insurance (COI) naming the building before movers can use the elevator or dock. Send us the building’s request when you book and we send the COI and confirm the move window.
Hills and canyons
Mission Hills, La Mesa, Del Cerro and much of North County have steep driveways and long walks to the street. Tell us when you book so we send the right crew size. There are no stair fees.
Parking at the coast and downtown
Downtown, Little Italy, North Park and the beach towns often have nowhere to park a truck. Ask your building about a loading zone. A storage container parked on a City of San Diego street needs a Traffic Control Permit: up to 7 days, $87.68 a week plus an $87.68 fee (IB 718).
Military PCS moves
Miramar, Coronado, Point Loma and Camp Pendleton families move on orders. Give us your report date early, and keep a container or storage unit in mind if housing isn’t ready yet.
College move-in weeks
UCSD, SDSU and USD move-in days cluster in late August and early September, inside our busy season. Book about 3 weeks ahead and send us the building’s move-in rules.
Outside the county
Orange County moves use the same hourly crew rates. Riverside County is served for long-distance moves only.
Orange County moversWhere we move
Where do your local crews work?
All of San Diego County, every day, at the same hourly rates. Crews start from our Sorrento Valley base. Each city page has neighborhood notes and local details.
North County coast: Carlsbad movers, Oceanside movers, Encinitas movers, Del Mar movers.
Inland North County: Escondido movers, Poway movers.
City of San Diego: La Jolla movers, Carmel Valley movers, Mission Valley movers.
South Bay: Coronado movers, National City movers, Chula Vista movers.
East County: La Mesa movers, El Cajon movers, Alpine movers.
Beyond the county: Orange County movers at the same hourly rates, or see every area we serve.
Dates don’t line up?
Can you store my things between homes?
Yes. Short-term storage during a move is included. For longer gaps, a portable container on your property is $99 a month (standard) or $175 (large), and storage units in San Diego County start at $245 a month.
Storage rates
Containers are steel and weather-sealed, not climate-controlled; delivery, pickup and facility storage are quoted in writing. Vault storage is climate- and humidity-controlled at 68–72°F. Month to month.
Questions
Local moving questions
Short answers. Prices, booking, packing, storage and your rights are covered in full in our FAQ.
All moving questionsHow much do local movers cost per hour in San Diego?
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 rate is the same every day of the week.
Is there a minimum for a small move?
Yes. Billing runs in 15-minute increments.
Why is drive time doubled on a California local move?
Your written Not-to-Exceed price lists the drive between your two addresses with every other charge before move day.
Do you charge for fuel?
Yes. It appears on your written estimate with the drive time.
What is a Not-to-Exceed price, and do I get one?
It’s the most you pay for the move as described in writing. Every One Stop local move gets one, after we see what’s moving in person or by video, because California allows estimates only after a visual inspection.
Do you charge for stairs?
No. There are no stair fees. Stairs add time, so tell us about them when you book and we plan the right crew size.
When do I need a second truck, and what does it cost?
Larger homes, usually three bedrooms and up, can need a second truck. It costs $250 in San Diego County, $350 in Orange or Riverside County and $425 in Los Angeles County.
What does the 60-cents-per-pound protection cover?
Basic protection, included on every move, pays up to 60 cents per pound per article, as California’s tariff sets it (Item 136). A 40-lb TV pays at most $24, so it’s a limit, not full replacement value.
What is included in the hourly rate?
The crew and truck, 50 free boxes, blankets, padding and shrink wrap, floor and door protection, wardrobe boxes to use on move day, and basic protection. Stairs cost nothing extra.
Do you take furniture apart and put it back together?
Yes. Disassembly and reassembly are part of the job and billed on the clock at your crew’s hourly rate, like the rest of the move.
How many movers do I need for a 2-bedroom?
Two or three. A 2-bedroom usually takes 4 to 7 hours, $556 to $1,323 in labor. Three movers cost less per mover-hour ($63 against $69.50) and often finish sooner on walk-ups.
How far ahead should I book a local move?
About 10 days ahead most of the year, and about 3 weeks ahead from May through September. Rescheduling is free.
How much is the deposit for a local move?
One Stop takes a deposit to hold your date. Rescheduling is free.
Do you move to and from Orange County?
Yes, at the same hourly crew rates.
Talk to a person
Get a free, written quote
Tell us what’s moving and where. You get the crew size, the hours and a Not-to-Exceed price in writing, free, usually within hours. The phone line is open 24 hours.