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Elite Moving & StorageLos Angeles
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Long distance

Long distance movers in Los Angeles

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The short answer

Long distance movers in Los Angeles pack, crate and truck a household to another city or state, then deliver it within dates agreed in writing. Elite Moving & Storage plans white glove long-distance moves from Los Angeles and Southern California, starting with a private walkthrough, an itemized inventory and a written estimate that sets out the truck, the valuation and the delivery dates.

Long Distance Moving

Popular routes

Route pages cover what changes at the far end: building rules, transit windows and storage while the new home is readied. Every other destination is planned the same way, from a walkthrough and a written estimate.

What is included

What a long-distance move with Elite includes

  • Walkthrough and written estimate

    We see the home in person or by video, build an itemized inventory and put the estimate in writing before anything is packed.

  • Packing and crating for the road

    A long haul means more handling and days of vibration. Crates built to size are available for art, stone, glass and mirrors, and everything else is packed for the trip.

  • Dedicated or shared truck

    An exclusive-use truck carries only your home and drives direct. A shared load costs less and runs on a wider delivery window. You choose with the trade-offs laid out.

  • Valuation explained in writing

    Full Value Protection and Released Value explained before you sign, with high-value pieces listed on the inventory so everyone knows what is on the truck.

  • Storage-in-transit

    If the new home is not ready, the shipment can be held in storage along the way and delivered when it is, as part of the same move.

  • Delivery and placement

    At the new home, floors and entries are protected, furniture is placed to your floor plan, cartons are unpacked on request and the debris leaves with the crew.

Long distance movers for Southern California homes

A move across the country is two local moves joined by several days of road. What decides how it goes happens at either end: packing, loading, and delivery into a Manhattan co-op or a gated drive outside Austin.

Elite Moving & Storage plans long-distance moves from homes across Southern California, from Beverly Hills and Santa Monica to Newport Beach and Irvine. Each one runs the way a white glove move runs at home, with one written plan from the walkthrough to the last carton.

Long distance can mean San Francisco or New York, and the rules differ. A move within California falls under the Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS). A move across a state line falls under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

How a white glove cross-country move works

  1. Walkthrough. We see the home, in person or by video, and record every room, every piece that needs a crate and the access at both addresses.
  2. Written estimate. You receive an itemized inventory and a written estimate, binding or non-binding, with packing, crating, valuation and any storage listed separately.
  3. Truck plan. A dedicated truck carries only your household and drives direct on a tighter window. A shared load costs less and runs on a wider one. Either way, the pickup and delivery dates go in writing.
  4. Packing and crating. Paintings, stone tops and chandeliers can travel in crates built to size. Collections are planned with fine art moving.
  5. Loading day. Each item is tagged against the inventory, and you review the bill of lading before the truck leaves.
  6. Delivery and placement. Floors and entries are protected, furniture is placed to plan and the debris leaves with the crew.

Interstate movers and your federal protections

When a move crosses a state line, the FMCSA sets the rules. Six are worth knowing:

  • Registration. Interstate household goods movers must be registered with the FMCSA and show their USDOT number. Look any mover up on the FMCSA website, and check whether you are hiring the mover or a broker who resells the job.
  • The booklet. Your mover must give you the FMCSA booklet Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move.
  • Estimates. On a non-binding estimate, you pay no more than 110 percent of it at delivery, with any balance billed at least 30 days later.
  • Full Value Protection or Released Value. Interstate movers must offer both. Full Value Protection makes the mover liable to repair, replace or pay for lost or damaged items, up to the declared value of the shipment. Released Value costs nothing extra and pays 60 cents per pound per article, and you must choose it in writing. At that rate, a 10-pound painting is covered for $6.
  • Items of extraordinary value. Under Full Value Protection, a mover can limit its liability for any item worth more than $100 per pound unless you list it on the shipping documents.
  • Claims. You have nine months from delivery to file a written claim, and interstate movers must offer an arbitration program for loss and damage disputes.

Within California, a mover’s basic liability is the same 60 cents per pound per article, so valuation is worth settling in writing on every long-distance move.

Storage-in-transit when the new home is not ready

Closings slip and renovations run long. Storage-in-transit holds the shipment in a warehouse and delivers it when the new home is ready. It is usually capped at 90 days. After that it converts to permanent storage and the mover’s interstate liability ends, and the mover must tell you in writing before it does. For longer holds, full-service storage keeps everything on one inventory until you send for it.

International moves from Los Angeles

Moving abroad adds customs to the plan. Household goods usually leave Southern California by ocean container through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, or by air freight for smaller shipments. At home, the walkthrough, packing and crating are the same. The paperwork, customs rules and timeline are not, so raise a move abroad at the first conversation.

Other routes from Southern California

The route guide for moving from Los Angeles to New York covers co-op and condo rules, bicoastal households and storage while a New York apartment is readied. Other routes, planned the same way:

  • Los Angeles to Miami and South Florida
  • Los Angeles to Austin and Dallas
  • Los Angeles to Seattle
  • Los Angeles to Nashville
  • Los Angeles to San Francisco, a move within California under BHGS rules

For an executive whose company is paying for the move, see corporate relocation.

How it works

Six steps, planned in writing

See the full process
  1. 01

    Private walkthrough

    We walk the home or office with you, in person or by video, and note every piece that needs special handling.

  2. 02

    Written inventory and plan

    You receive an itemized inventory, a crating list for art and fragile pieces, a crew and truck plan, and a written estimate.

  3. 03

    Building and HOA coordination

    We handle certificates of insurance, loading dock and elevator reservations, gate access and any street parking permits the move needs.

  4. 04

    Protection and packing

    Floors, doorways and railings are protected first. Furniture is wrapped, fragile pieces are packed with the right materials, crates are built for pieces that need them, and every box is labeled by room.

  5. 05

    Placement to plan

    Furniture is placed to your floor plan, beds are assembled, art is staged by the wall it belongs on, and packing debris leaves with the crew.

  6. 06

    Follow-up

    We check in once you have settled, to handle anything that needs adjusting, hanging or returning to storage.

Questions

Long distance moving questions, answered

How much do long distance movers cost from Los Angeles?

Interstate moves are priced mainly by the weight or volume of the shipment and the distance, then by packing, crating, access at both homes, a dedicated or shared truck, storage-in-transit and the valuation you choose. As a planning guide, a white glove move from Los Angeles to New York runs about $9,000 to $20,000 for an apartment, $20,000 to $45,000 for a three to four bedroom home, and more for larger homes and estates. A walkthrough produces a written estimate you can compare line by line.

Are long distance movers worth it?

For a household with fine furniture, art or a fixed closing date, usually yes. A full-service long-distance mover packs and crates for several days on the road, offers the valuation options federal law requires on an interstate move, and delivers and places everything at the new home. A rental truck or container costs less, but you do the packing and loading, and most of the risk of damage sits with you.

How do I choose a long distance moving company in Los Angeles?

Look up the mover's USDOT number on the FMCSA website for an interstate move, or its CAL-T permit with the Bureau of Household Goods and Services for a move within California. Ask whether you are speaking to the mover or to a broker. Insist on a walkthrough and a written estimate built from an itemized inventory, and get the valuation options and delivery dates in writing.

What is the difference between a binding and a non-binding estimate?

A binding estimate fixes the price for the items and services it lists. If you add items, the mover can reaffirm it, revise it in writing or convert it to a non-binding estimate before loading. A non-binding estimate is the mover's best figure, and the bill follows the actual weight and services. On an interstate move, you pay no more than 110 percent of a non-binding estimate at delivery, with any balance billed no sooner than 30 days later.

How are my belongings protected on an interstate move?

Interstate movers must offer two levels of liability. Full Value Protection makes the mover responsible for repairing or replacing lost or damaged items, or paying their value, up to the declared value of the shipment. Released Value costs nothing extra but pays only 60 cents per pound per article, and you must choose it in writing. Any item worth more than $100 per pound should be listed on the shipping documents, or the mover can limit its liability for it.

What is an exclusive-use truck on a long-distance move?

An exclusive-use truck carries only your household. It loads on your schedule, drives directly to the new home and usually delivers within a tighter window than a shared load, with fewer stops along the way. It costs more than a shared load, where several households travel on one truck, and it is the usual choice for collections, crated art and moves timed around a closing.

What is storage-in-transit on an interstate move?

Storage-in-transit, or SIT, is temporary warehouse storage that is part of an interstate move, used when the new home is not ready on arrival. It is usually capped at 90 days. If the shipment stays longer, it converts to permanent storage, the mover's interstate liability ends and the warehouse's terms apply. Your mover must tell you in writing before that happens.

How long does a cross-country move from Los Angeles take?

It depends on the distance, the size of the shipment and the truck. A dedicated truck from Los Angeles to the East Coast usually spends about a week on the road, while shared loads run on wider delivery windows, often two to three weeks. Packing and crating add a day or more before loading. The pickup and delivery dates should be written into your paperwork before you sign.

Related

Often planned together

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Tell us what is moving and when. We will arrange a walkthrough, in person or by video, and send a written plan and estimate.

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