Movers in Washington, DC

In DC, the parking permit is the move. Everything else — the rowhouse stairs, the residential permit zones, the freight elevator, the alley — is downstream of one question: can the truck legally stop in front of your door on the day? Get that right and a DC move is straightforward. Get it wrong and you pay for the carry, by the hour.

Local moving rates in Washington, DC

Our local moving rate is $185 per hour with a four-hour minimum. That covers the truck, the crew, protective wrap, dollies and straps, and the drive between your two addresses. Flat-rate quotes are available for long-distance moves, single-item jobs, and freight.

The four-hour minimum is not a sales tactic. It is close to what a real move takes once you count the walk from the truck to the door, the wrap-and-pad time at the front end, and the reassembly at the other end. What moves the number up or down is access — stairs, parking distance, elevator waits — far more than square footage. Send us both addresses and we will give you a real figure.

What we handle in Washington, DC

• Local moving
• Long-distance moving
• Residential moving and office and commercial moves
• Packing and furniture assembly
• Piano moving and other heavy specialty items
• Senior moving and downsizing
• Car shipping

What we plan for in Washington, DC

Emergency no-parking permits

DDOT issues temporary no-parking permits and the signs have to go up on the block ahead of your move date. On a Capitol Hill, Shaw, Columbia Heights or Petworth street where every space is taken by 6 p.m., that permit is the single highest-value thing you can arrange, and it costs a fraction of the extra hours it saves. Apply as soon as you have a date, and tell us so we plan the truck around the reserved space.

Rowhouse stairs and the front steps

The classic DC rowhouse gives you a flight of exterior steps, a narrow front door and an interior staircase that turns at the landing. Box springs, sleeper sofas, armoires and anything rigid over about six feet are the pieces that stall the job. Tell us the large items and the floor when you book — sometimes the answer is that a piece has to come apart, and that is much better known a week out than on the morning.

Buildings with a loading dock, and buildings without

Condo and apartment buildings across the District generally require a reserved freight elevator, a certificate of insurance naming the building, and moving inside set hours; many also have their own move-in fee and their own paperwork. That reservation is what protects your date. Give us the building at booking and we will get the certificate over and the elevator booked in advance. We carry a certificate and will provide it on request.

Residential permit parking and alleys

Most residential blocks are permit-restricted, and in a lot of neighborhoods the rear alley is the better approach — when it is wide enough, which it often is not. We would rather look at both the street and the alley in advance and plan a shuttle than commit a full-size truck to a block it cannot work.

Coming in from Maryland

We are a Maryland crew, so a DC move usually means a loaded run down I-95, the Baltimore-Washington Parkway or 295. That drive is billable time on an hourly move, which is why we schedule the loaded leg outside the commuter peaks rather than sitting in them on your clock.

Nearby areas we serve

• Silver Spring, MD
• Takoma Park, MD
• Hyattsville, MD
• Bethesda, MD
• Arlington, VA
• Alexandria, VA
• See all of our service areas

Book a Washington, DC move

Call 443.622.4869, email info@mosbymovers.com, or request a free quote. Tell us both addresses, the date, and how many stairs are involved, and we will come back with a straight answer on time and cost.