We recommend Allied Van Lines and JK Moving Services for long-distance and interstate Pennsylvania moves. Allied Van Lines’ 500-plus branches nationwide mean it’s available in most areas, and its carrier-only status ensures you always know who’s handling your move.
JK Moving is our next choice for Pennsylvania moves. Its mover training program enables its crews to offer quality service for packing, crating and antiques. It’s your best bet if you have more specialized moving needs.
If you’re moving locally, we recommend Gentle Giant Moving Company. It has 4.9 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews and services more than 15,000 relocations annually. Its presence on both coasts is another plus if you’re moving cross-country.
Whether you’re moving to Pennsylvania for the beautiful scenery in the Poconos, city life in Philly or the lower cost of living in one of its rural areas, booking the best moving company for your situation will lead to an easier transition to your new home. Each mover on our list scored highly on our rigorous grading scale for service offerings, coverage area, pricing practices and customer review scores.
Popular moving companies
We vetted the best moving companies in Pennsylvania. Each provider is licensed and has a lengthy track record for quality service.
Long-distance:
Our top choices for Pennsylvania movers
We recommend these moving companies for any moving need. Each rated well on our grading scale’s five customer service and seven pricing factors.
Best long-distance movers in Pennsylvania
If you’re planning a long-distance move, the movers listed here offer the best available coverage and service options within Pennsylvania.
Best movers for a local Pennsylvania move
Each of the following registered moving companies offers comprehensive local moving service options and features positive customer reviews. We selected moving companies that featured clear proof of local registration and responded quickly to quote requests, aside from demonstrating quality customer service.
Making an informed choice: A guide to professional movers
When you go into any quote process, you’ll want to keep a few key factors in mind to properly evaluate any mover. Doing so will help ensure that you get quotes from movers that fit your needs and budgetary restrictions.
Moving services
The first step to a successful move is determining the basic and additional services you need. To do this, conduct a full walk-through of your home and list all goods you plan to take with you and those you plan to discard. With this list, write down any services you may need from your movers. These can include the following:
- Packing
- Unpacking
- Crating for antiques or fragile items
- Piano moving
- Vehicle shipping
- Storage services
- Home staging
- Debris or junk removal
Carriers vs. brokers
Before you book, you should know your mover’s basic service model. Relocation companies operate as one of two types: carriers and brokers.
- Moving carriers own a fleet of trucks and staff moving labor to directly provide all services they book. Because all aspects of your move are overseen internally, this can lead to tighter quality control and better customer service.
- Moving brokers operate as middlemen between carriers and clients. They often take large deposits as booking fees upfront and do not take responsibility for lost or damaged goods during moves.
Moving regulations
All movers have to adhere to specific rules and regulations. These requirements will vary depending on your move type.
Regulations for interstate and long-distance movers
Long-distance moving companies are federally regulated and must maintain active United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and Motor Carrier numbers. Use these to look up a given mover’s registration status in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) database.
Regulations for intrastate and local movers
Local moving companies that operate within Pennsylvania must carry active state Public Utilities Commission (PUC) numbers. These must be displayed on all moving trucks, estimates and moving contracts that a given intrastate carrier provides.
Moving costs
Your move type impacts the pricing structure you receive during your quote with any given mover. Being aware of this will lead to more clarity when viewing written estimates.
Long-distance moving costs
Long-distance relocations are assigned more all-inclusive flat rates. These take overall move distance and total inventory weight into account. Additional services such as packing can also increase overall costs. Long-distance moving companies often provide binding estimates that don’t increase unless your inventory or service needs do.
Local moving costs in Texas
Local moves are billed at hourly rates. These are set by the number of movers and moving trucks assigned to your move. Local movers will not provide binding estimates or flat fees for packing. Instead, your move cost is determined by how long your move takes.
Moving insurance
Moving companies must provide a baseline level of moving insurance for reimbursement if items are lost or damaged during a move. This released-value protection offers 60 cents per pound per item. In addition, most movers offer additional coverage options. These are usually called full-value protection or valuation coverage. While they aren’t technically “insurance,” these policies offer increased reimbursement at an added cost.
Final take: Get quotes from Allied Van Lines and Gentle Giant Moving Company for a smooth Pennsylvania move
Contacting qualified moving companies is a key initial step in any move. We recommend that you start any Pennsylvania moving process with quotes from Allied Van Lines and Gentle Giant Moving Company. Each offers comprehensive local and interstate coverage for moves and has locations in multiple states for smooth moves to most U.S. locations.
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.
Google Reviews information is accurate as of April 2024.
Top local moving companies in Pennsylvania
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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