What counts as a small move
A small move is a job where a few pieces of furniture, not a whole household, are the point: a sofa from a store or a seller, a bed and dresser for a new room, a desk for a home office, or a studio apartment with a few large pieces and some boxes.
Small moves are common in Los Angeles because many people live in apartments, share housing or buy furniture secondhand. They are also easy to underestimate. A single sectional can still mean stairs, a tight turn in a hallway and a parking problem at both ends.
How a small move is priced
We price small moves the same way as other local moves: by the hour, with a 3-hour minimum. Two movers with a truck cost $129 per hour paid by cash, Zelle, Venmo or check. Blanket wrapping and standard disassembly and reassembly are included.
Because the first three hours are billed even if the job finishes sooner, plan the whole job at once. If you also need a piece taken to a storage unit, a second pickup across town or heavy furniture rearranged at the new place, include it in your request so the stops and time are in your estimate.
Measure before you book
Most problems on small moves are about fit rather than weight. Measure the largest piece, then measure the narrowest point on its route: front doors, hallway turns, stairwells and the elevator.
Send the measurements with a photo of each large item. If a sofa is unlikely to fit, it is better to find out before moving day than in the hallway.
- Height, width and depth of each large piece, including legs and handles
- Width of doorways and hallway turns at both addresses
- Elevator door width and cab depth, if there is an elevator
- Which legs, headboards, glass tops or shelves can come off
Get the pieces ready
Empty drawers and shelves of anything heavy or breakable, and remove loose cushions and glass shelves where you can. If you take a piece apart yourself, keep the screws and small hardware in a labeled bag and tape it to the piece.
The crew wraps furniture in moving blankets and handles standard disassembly and reassembly, such as bed frames and table legs. Tell us in advance about TVs, mirrors, glass and marble, so we can plan how each one is protected and carried.
Clear the path before the crew arrives. Roll up loose rugs, move plants and small tables out of the way and prop open doors that close on their own. A clear route is safer for your floors and walls and shortens the job.
When two movers are not enough
Most small moves need two movers. A very heavy piece, a long carry up several flights of stairs or a tight time window can call for a larger crew. If that applies to your move, we confirm the crew size and its rate in your written estimate before you book.
Pickups from stores and private sellers
If you are buying a piece from a store, a showroom or a private seller, confirm the pickup address, the floor, the seller's available hours and whether the item is ready to carry out. If you have not seen it in person, ask the seller for measurements and photos.
Include the seller's pickup window in your request, and plan for someone to be there to release the item when the crew arrives.
Moving items into or out of storage
A storage unit is a common second stop. Check the facility's access hours, whether the crew needs a gate code and where a truck can park near your unit. Include the unit's size and floor in your request.
Book with all the details in one message
For a quick and accurate estimate, send the pickup and delivery addresses, floors and elevator access, your preferred date and time, and a list of items with photos and measurements of the large pieces. We work from 9 AM to 10 PM every day, so evening slots can be a good fit for small jobs.