If you’re looking for a long-haul mover in Florida, we recommend International Van Lines (IVL). IVL’s wide geographical reach and nationwide broker partners can make your long-distance move easier. Its straightforward quote process and posted rates online for add-on services enable clients to book moves within a set budget.
For local moving needs in the Sunshine State, Easy Florida Moving is our top choice. It boasts years of experience and a positive reputation among customers in the state.
Moving is stressful, expensive and physically demanding, but top-notch professional movers can ease your burden. All the Florida moving companies we reviewed rated highly on our proprietary rating scale for service offerings, coverage area and customer review scores. We recommend getting quotes from at least three movers before booking.
Popular moving companies in Florida
- International Van Lines: Our top pick
- American Van Lines
- Safeway Moving
- Allied Van Lines
- JK Moving Services
- North American Van Lines
- Moving APT
Our top choices for Florida moving companies
Carefully consider each company’s costs, services, coverage area and reputation before signing a contract.
Best long-distance movers in Florida
Here are our top picks for national movers that operate in Florida and elsewhere.
International Van Lines
Allied Van Lines
American Van Lines
Best movers for a local Florida move
The movers below are some of the best choices for intrastate Florida moves. These providers offer efficient local moving services with some out-of-state options.
Easy Florida Moving
White Glove Moving, Storage & Delivery
Brooks Moving and Hauling
Making an informed choice: A guide to professional movers
When researching moving companies for an upcoming local or long-distance relocation, consider the following factors to ensure you hire the right movers for the job.
Intrastate moving companies in Florida are regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). This body issues Intrastate Moving numbers (IM#). Look up a company’s IM# to ensure it has a valid license before hiring it for your move.
If you’re planning an interstate move, your moving company of choice must have a valid United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) number, as well as a Motor Carrier (MC) number. Confirm registration status for any mover via the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) database before booking.
All moving companies provide released liability coverage for lost or damaged goods. This covers you at a rate of 60 cents per pound per item. Most moving companies offer additional coverage options, such as full-value protection, at an added cost.
If any of your items have been lost or damaged during a move, file a claim with your mover within the designated time frame. This is usually 30–90 days after your move.
Tipping movers isn’t required. That said, if you’re particularly impressed by how your moving crew handles your relocation, consider leaving a tip.
If yours is a local or one-day move, $5 per mover per hour is typical. Long-distance or multiday moves are usually tipped at $40 to $50 per mover per day.
Moving services
Conduct a thorough walk-through of your home six to eight weeks before your scheduled moving date. Write down a full inventory list of goods you plan to keep and ones you plan to get rid of.
Based on your inventory list and the logistics of your move, decide which services you need from a moving company. These can include the following:
- Packing
- Unpacking
- Crating for antiques
- Storage
- Vehicle shipping
- Debris removal
- Assembly and disassembly
Brokers vs. carriers
During your research, you’ll notice two different service models — carriers and brokers. While carriers directly handle moving services, brokers contract out moves to other companies. Note that the broker service model can cause miscommunications and fluctuations in quality, as the company itself isn’t providing trucks and movers.
Moving regulations
Florida moving companies that only offer in-state services are regulated by a statewide governing body. Moving companies that advertise interstate or cross-country relocation packages are regulated at a federal level.
Regulations for local movers
The FCACS regulates all moves within the Sunshine State. All movers have Intrastate Mover numbers, which you can use to confirm a provider’s operating status. If you’re booking with a moving company that offers both local and interstate service, look up both local and federal registration statuses before your move.
Regulations for long-distance movers
All long-distance moving companies are required to have active United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and Motor Carrier (MC) numbers. These numbers will usually be displayed on any official moving estimates and contracts and should be visible on a company’s website. You should look up a mover’s registration status with these numbers before even getting a quote.
Moving costs
Local moves are often assigned ballpark estimates when you get an in-person or online quote. These approximate figures are determined by the number of movers and moving trucks assigned to your move.
Long-distance moving companies assign more defined flat rates for relocation services. Such figures take shipment weight and move distance into account and include all labor and add-on services you request.
Local moving costs in Florida
We received quotes for 30-mile moves between Port St. Lucie and Jupiter, Florida. These three-bedroom quotes had defined hourly rates assigned, with estimated total labor times ranging from nine to 10 hours for basic service. Packing services could add at least five hours of labor time to the move, which substantially raised estimated costs. With these hourly rates, the total cost for this move ranged $1,675–$3,424 without packing.
Long-distance moving costs
Our team got several three-bedroom quotes from top nationwide providers. The long-distance moving companies we included in this guide each have brick-and-mortar locations in Florida that provide direct services. The three quotes for 1,800-mile moves above ranged between $6,276 and $7,003.88 without packing. Full-service packing for three-bedroom homes would add anywhere from $900 to $3,000 extra.
Moving insurance
All moving companies provide a baseline level of coverage for lost or damaged items. This released liability protection is the industry standard and offers 60 cents per pound per item for such claims.
Many movers offer additional coverage, which is referred to as full-value protection or valuation coverage. This coverage usually costs between 3% and 5% of the total dollar value of your declared inventory value.
Most moving companies have limited windows for filing damage claims after your actual move date, which can range from 30 to 90 days. Review your moving contract before signing to fully understand your coverage options and claim window.
Moving scam protection
According to Mark Elder, sales manager of Easy Florida Moving, moving scams are unfortunately frequent in Florida. “There is a common practice of deliberately lowballing the rate at the front end and then charging the customer a much higher amount, either in the beginning or the end of the move,” he said. “This is a particularly common practice with brokers.”
One way to spot these scams is to compare quotes from several companies. If there’s only a small difference in price between quotes, you’re probably dealing with legitimate movers. If you get a quote that’s half as much as the others, “that is a huge red flag,” said Elder.
In February 2024, the Florida Senate unanimously voted to advance SB 304, a bill designed to protect consumers from predatory moving companies and brokers. The bill applies specifically to moves within the Sunshine State and sets several new requirements for the state’s moving industry. The Florida House of Representatives unanimously approved the bill on March 5, 2024.
Under SB 304, moving brokers must do the following:
- Maintain a $50,000 performance bond or certificate of deposit in a Florida bank
- Explain explicitly that broker fees are not part of the move’s cost
- Clarify that a broker only refers consumers to a moving company but does not perform the moving services
The law would also ban brokers from issuing contracts that include the estimated total moving cost. That figure must come from the moving company carrying out the service.
If signed into law, moving companies will be required to sign contracts that include these factors:
- Estimated cost and date of moving service
- Contact information for the workers performing the move
- Location information for the goods moved, shipped or stored
- An itemized breakdown of all services
- A clear and easy-to-find disclosure of all acceptable forms of payment
Brokers and moving companies that violate the law could face up to $50,000 in fines. Additionally, if a mover doesn’t offload a consumer’s goods and the police verify that services have been paid for, the mover could face a third-degree felony. This charge could result in five years in prison and $5,000 in fines.
While Florida lawmakers are confident SB 304 will curb these dishonest practices, Mark Elder isn’t sure. “As far as I understand,” he explained, “SB 304 is designed to not let unlicensed companies or individuals provide moving services. I am not sure how that will be different from the practices that are already in place and are enforced by the licensing office.”
Final take: Get multiple quotes from Florida movers before booking your local or interstate move
Although International Van Lines is our top pick, take the time to research potential moving companies to find the right team for your specific move. Then, get quotes from multiple movers before finalizing a deal.
Starting your moving process this way will help you to set an accurate budget for your move. We recommend allocating at least 20% more than your highest quoted rate to account for potential overages.
We recommend getting quotes from at least three movers before you book. International Van Lines’ interstate and international reach makes most moves accessible through its Florida location. Easy Florida Moving and White Glove Moving, Storage & Delivery are among the best-reviewed local movers in the state and can offer comprehensive local moving assistance for any intrastate relocation needs.
Our rating methodology for moving companies
Our moving recommendations are all backed by our detailed rating methodology. To fairly assess both interstate and local movers, we have tailored two sets of review standards for long-distance and intrastate movers.
Both sets of review standards assess factors including reputation and customer satisfaction, availability and range, services offered, pricing and quote practices and customer service. We rate each moving company out of 100 possible points. We then divide the final score by 20 to obtain the 5-star rating we feature in our reviews.
BBB and Google Reviews are accurate as of January 2024.
Top local moving companies in Florida
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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