Military Movers in San Diego — PCS & PPM
Orders change. The plan keeps up.
The short version: One Stop Moving & Storage helps San Diego service members and families with PPM (do-it-yourself) moves, off-base local moves, portable containers and storage during deployment. Local moves are $139 an hour for two movers and a truck, containers start at $99 a month, and active-duty and veteran discounts on containers are available on request.
- Crews work 7 days a week, 7 AM–7 PM; the phone line is open 24 hours
- Portable containers, Standard $99/mo or Large $175/mo, with 25 free boxes
- Climate-controlled vaults at 68–72°F while you deploy
- Licensed CAL-190616, USDOT 1956864, 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 military movers cost in San Diego?
The same as any One Stop move: $139 an hour for two movers and a truck, $189 for three, with 15-minute billing after that. You get a written Not-to-Exceed price before moving day. Out-of-state moves go on a dedicated truck at one price per city.
For a PPM, the price you pay us is a cost you claim against your government payment, so get your transportation office’s approval before you book anyone. Military discounts apply to portable containers, on request; ask when you call.
Your written Not-to-Exceed price lists the drive between your two addresses with every other charge before move day. A deposit holds your date.
Typical local PCS move, labor only
| Home | Crew | Hours | Labor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 2 movers | 4 (minimum) | $556 |
| 1 bedroom | 2–3 movers | 4–5 | $556–$945 |
| 2 bedrooms | 2–3 movers | 4–7 | $556–$1,323 |
| 3 bedrooms | 3 movers | 4–9 | $756–$1,951 |
| 4 bedrooms | 3–5 movers | 4–8 | $756–$2,562 |
Hours × crew rate from One Stop’s published tariff; the top of the 3- and 4-bedroom ranges includes a second truck. Fuel, drive time and materials are extra. Your written estimate uses your own inventory and addresses.
PCS vs PPM
What is the difference between a PCS move and a PPM?
A PCS is the permanent change of station itself. It can ship by a government-arranged mover booked through DPS, or as a PPM, where you move yourself or hire your own help and the government pays you based on what it would have spent. A PPM needs 3 things: your orders, transportation office approval and certified weight tickets.
| Government-arranged shipment | PPM (formerly DITY) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who books the mover | The government, through the Defense Personal Property System (DPS) | You. You move yourself, rent a container or hire a mover |
| How it’s paid | The government pays the carrier | You get paid based on the Government Constructed Cost (GCC) for the weight you actually move |
| Before you start | Schedule as soon as you get orders | Orders in hand and approval from your transportation office (TO) |
| Paperwork | Handled through DPS | Empty and full weight tickets from a certified scale for each trip, plus receipts |
| Where One Stop fits | Storage before or after the shipment, and moves your entitlement doesn’t cover | Crew, truck, packing, a container or storage, on an itemized invoice |
PPM rules from the Military OneSource PPM fact sheet and the Naval Base San Diego household goods page, checked Oct 2026. Rules change; confirm your own entitlement with your transportation office before you book. One Stop does not issue weight tickets; they come from a certified weigh station.
Portable containers
Can I use a portable container for a PCS or PPM move?
Yes. A Standard container (8 ft tall, 8 ft deep, 5 ft wide) is $99 a month and fits a studio apartment; a Large (7 ft wide) is $175 and fits a 1 bedroom apartment. Both come with 25 free boxes, month to month, and military discounts for active duty and veterans on request.
Load it on your own schedule while it sits at your place, with 24/7 access. Delivery, pickup, moving it to a new address and shipping it out of state (48 continental states) are quoted in writing before you book. Shipping to Arizona, Nevada or the Bay Area takes about 2–4 business days; coast to coast, about 5–10.
Same- or next-day delivery is available for most San Diego County ZIP codes. The truck needs about 30 ft of clearance and level ground. On base, ask your housing office about placement before you book.
Container prices
Good to know
Deployment and gaps
Where can I store my things during a deployment?
In a climate- and humidity-controlled vault at 68–72°F, or a storage unit. San Diego County units run $245 a month for 5 × 10 ft up to $730 for 10 × 30 ft. Loading into storage is $750 per truck, each access visit is $75, and billing is monthly, not prorated.
Short-term storage during a move is included, which covers the common gap between checking out of housing and getting keys to the next place.
If the government is paying for your storage, check the time and dollar limits with your transportation office first; anything past your authorized period is your own cost.
Storage units, San Diego County
Fees
Prices from One Stop’s published tariff. Orange County units run $275 to $785.
Bases we work near
Which San Diego military bases do you serve?
All of them, from Camp Pendleton in the north to Naval Base San Diego in the south, and every off-base neighborhood around them. The City of San Diego names 7 installations in the region. For on-base moves, your housing office sets the gate, parking and move-window rules.
| Installation | Branch | Nearby area pages |
|---|---|---|
| Naval Base San Diego (32nd Street) | Navy | National City, Chula Vista |
| Naval Base Coronado (NAS North Island) | Navy | Coronado |
| Naval Base Point Loma | Navy | San Diego coastal |
| MCAS Miramar | Marine Corps | University City, Poway |
| Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton | Marine Corps | Oceanside |
| MCRD San Diego | Marine Corps | Central San Diego |
| Coast Guard Sector San Diego | Coast Guard | Central San Diego |
Installation list from the City of San Diego, military installations, checked Oct 2026.
How it works
How does a military move with One Stop work?
Four steps. Get your orders and, for a PPM, your transportation office approval; tell us the dates, addresses and what’s moving; get a written price; then we move, store or drop the container. From May to September, book about 3 weeks ahead when you can.
1
Orders and approval
Orders in hand. For a PPM, counseling and approval from your transportation office first.
2
Tell us the plan
Report date, both addresses, base housing rules and whether you need storage or a container.
3
Written price
Crew size, hours and a Not-to-Exceed price, or a written container quote, usually within hours.
4
Move day
Floors and doors protected, furniture wrapped, placed room by room. Keep every receipt for your claim.
Questions
Military moving questions
Short answers. Prices, booking, packing, storage and your rights are covered in full in our FAQ.
All moving questionsCan you coordinate base access and housing office requirements?
Yes. Tell us the gate, parking and move-window rules your housing office gives you, and we plan the crew around them. Off base, we send apartment and HOA certificates of insurance ($1M general liability, $1M workers’ comp).
Can I hire One Stop for a PPM?
Yes, as your own hired help. Get your orders and transportation office approval first, and ask them how a hired mover’s invoice counts toward your PPM. You get an itemized invoice; weight tickets come from a certified weigh station, not from us.
Do you do government-arranged (DPS) household goods shipments?
Those carriers are assigned by the government through DPS. One Stop helps with PPMs, local off-base moves, storage and moves you pay for yourself.
Do you offer a military discount?
Yes, on portable containers: active-duty and veteran discounts are available on request. Ask for it when you book. Moves are billed at the same rates for everyone, from $139 an hour for two movers and a truck.
What if my orders change at the last minute?
Call (858) 633-8600; the line is open 24 hours. Short-term storage during a move is included, and a container can hold your things month to month with no early-return penalty.
Can you pack everything, or just the fragile rooms?
Either. Packing is billed at the same crew hourly rates, and boxes are sold by the piece, $5 to $7 for standard boxes. Every move comes with 50 free boxes, and wardrobe boxes are free to use on move day.
Where can I store my things while I’m deployed?
In a climate-controlled vault at 68–72°F or a storage unit. San Diego County units run $245 to $730 a month, plus $750 per truck to load in and $75 per access visit.
Can a container go to my next duty station?
Yes. Containers ship to the 48 continental states, quoted in writing before you book. Arizona, Nevada and the Bay Area take about 2–4 business days; coast to coast, about 5–10.
How far ahead should I book a PCS move?
As soon as you have orders and approval. From May to September, book about 3 weeks ahead when you can. Same- or next-day container delivery is available for most San Diego County ZIP codes.
Are your crews full-time?
Yes. Full-time employees, no day laborers. One Stop is licensed by the State of California (CAL-190616), holds USDOT 1956864 and MC 694565, and has moved San Diego since 2008.
Do you move out of state?
Yes. Long-distance moves go on a dedicated truck at one price per city; for example Las Vegas is $4,000 and Phoenix $4,200. Other cities are quoted in writing.
Talk to a person
Got orders? Get a written price.
Tell us your report date, both addresses and what’s moving. 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.