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Sean Donnelly is a writer for USA TODAY Homefront. His content draws on more than three years of experience in the moving industry. He started as a laborer and was quickly promoted to moving crew leader. Sean also served as a move coordinator, where he conducted in-home and virtual estimates for customers. During his time in the industry, Sean assisted more than 500 clients with their relocation needs. Thanks to his years of hand-on experience, he understands all aspects of moving — from proper preparation to the quote process to effective packing techniques. Sean studied English literature and creative writing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and is still located in the greater Springfield area. When he isn’t writing, Sean is a cohead coach of the boxing team at his alma mater.
We’ve reviewed the best moving companies in Michigan for local and long-distance moves. We recommend starting with quotes from Allied Van Lines and Two Men and a Truck’s Detroit location to get an idea of how much your move will cost from our two top picks.
Here, you’ll find full breakdowns of many of the best Michigan moving companies based on our proprietary methodology. Each can provide you with basic or comprehensive moving assistance, complete with packing, vehicle shipping and more.
We recommend getting quotes from companies with a long-distance presence for interstate moving needs. Doing so will grant you access to a larger network of locations, moving crews and trucks, which can streamline lengthier multiday moves.
We chose the following moving companies as Michigan’s best local and long-distance options. Each offers a wide range of services and features high customer review scores.
Long-distance:
Local:
We’ve listed our top overall moving companies for comparison here. Each rated highly due to their respective service offerings, availability, pricing structures and customer review scores.
The following moving companies either operate offices in Michigan or have partner companies that service the state. These locations can help with local and long-distance moves.
Allied Van Lines is a national moving carrier with 500 locations across all 50 states. This carrier has many locations in Michigan, including highly rated offices in Romulus in the Detroit area and Traverse City in the north.
Service area: 50 states and 130 countries
Base services:
Add-on services:
Storage: Allied offers short- and long-term storage services at most of its local office locations.
Quote type: Long-distance quotes are flat rates based on shipping weight and move distance.
Pricing: Allied offers quick quotes for three-bedroom or smaller moves via an InstaQuote tool online. You must call a customer representative and schedule a visual review of your inventory for binding pricing.
Sample cost: We got a sample quote for a three-bedroom 1,800-mile move. The representative we spoke to stressed that this was a ballpark estimate since we couldn’t schedule a video call or in-person consultation. With no add-on services, Allied quoted us $7,000 for the move. Full-service packing would increase the total price to approximately $10,000.
Deposit: None
Payment methods: Allied accepts cash, certified checks, money orders and all major credit cards.
Allied provides released-value protection for all moves. Beyond this, it provides Extra Care Protection for a higher rate. This covers the total cost of repairing or replacing lost or damaged goods. The exact cost for this coverage will depend on your location and on the total value of your inventory.
Allied Van Lines has a rating of 1.1 out of 5 stars on the Better Business Bureau (BBB). However, its high ratings for individual locations on Google offset this low nationwide score. Its Romulus location has a star rating of 4.5 out of 5 on Google Reviews through more than 100 reviews, while its Traverse City location has a 4.8 out of 5 Google Reviews score. Positive reviews mention speedy booking processes and efficient moves. Negative reviews mention damaged furniture, but this is not the norm for these locations.
North American Van Lines (NAVL) is a national and international moving company with more than 500 locations throughout the United States. Its local agents offer residential and commercial moving services with numerous add-on options.
Storage: NAVL provides short- and long-term storage for both local and long-distance moves.
Quote type: NAVL offers binding and “not-to-exceed” pricing options for most moves.
Pricing: Long-distance pricing is based on shipment weight and the distance between your current and new home.
Sample cost: We called NAVL for a pricing estimate on a three-bedroom, 1,800-mile move. Our representative took down basic move details and contact information. They then stated that we would have to speak with our local NAVL office and schedule an in-person or video call estimate for binding pricing.
Payment methods: NAVL accepts cash, certified checks and money orders for payment.
NAVL provides released-value protection for all moves at no additional cost. It also provides full-replacement-value coverage for all moves. Under this plan, your shipment is valued at $6 per pound. This coverage costs between 5% and 6% of your total declared shipment value.
North American Van Lines has a rating of 1.1 out of 5 stars on BBB. Negative reviews here mention late deliveries for long-distance moves and damage to furniture. However, many NAVL branches have favorable reviews. This includes its Lansing location, which has a star rating of 4.2 out of 5 on Google Reviews. Positive reviews focus on the high quality of moving crews it provides.
Moving APT is a moving broker with partners throughout all 50 states. This mover offers resources and guides, including a moving blog to help you at all stages of the planning process. While Moving APT does not directly handle moving services, many of its partner companies have positive customer reviews and experienced moving teams.
Service area: 50 states
Storage: Moving APT offers 30 days of free storage for all long-distance moves. Aside from this, many of its partners offer short- and long-term storage options.
Quote type: Moving APT provides binding quotes if its moving coordinators can conduct video calls or in-person estimates.
Pricing: Long-distance quotes are based on shipment weight and move distance.
Sample cost: We got a ballpark quote for a three-bedroom 1,800-mile move. With full-service packing, our rate would be $5,399, including 30 days of free storage.
Deposit: Moving APT takes deposits of up to 33% of your total moving cost.
Payment methods: This mover accepts cash, checks and credit cards for payment.
Moving APT offers released-value protection with all moving plans. Aside from this, some of its partner companies offer full-value protection options at an added cost. Moving brokers do not handle damage claims, so you’ll have to file complaints with the partner company that handles your move — not Moving APT — in case of loss or damage.
Moving APT has a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars on BBB. Reviewers comment on Moving APT’s partner companies being professional in their conduct and enabling efficient moving processes. Negative reviews mention a lack of punctuality by long-distance moving crews.
If you’d rather book with a local mover, the following providers can offer direct service to all points in Michigan.
Two Men and a Truck is a nationally known moving company with locally owned branches in 46 states. Many of its local branches offer service profiles on par with national van lines. This and the positive customer reviews for many local branches make it a popular choice for moving clients in the Detroit area.
Service area: Two Men and a Truck services local moves in the Detroit area along with interstate moves to the rest of the country.
Quote type: Two Men and a Truck’s local quotes are based on hourly rates. The number of movers and trucks assigned to your move determines these prices.
Pricing: Two Men and a Truck offers a comprehensive portal for online moving quotes. There, you can select exact packing needs and purchase packing supplies, which will all be factored into your final quote.
Sample cost: We got a sample quote for a three-bedroom move between Ann Arbor and Gregory, Michigan, which totals about 30 miles of driving. Our total cost range would be between $1,446 and $1,904. The exact cost would depend on how long the move took; our free moving quote showed an estimate of 5.5 to 7.5 total hours.
Deposit: Our moving estimate did not mention any deposit requirements.
Payment methods: This mover accepts all major credit cards.
Two Men and a Truck offers released-value protection at no added cost. It also provides valuation coverage, which reimburses clients for the full value of lost or damaged items. Our moving quote included a $100 blanket charge for valuation coverage, which all clients have the option to waive before moving day.
This mover’s Detroit location now has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews. Positive reviews praise the friendliness and punctuality of the moving crews. One recent negative review cited high charges for a small move, which could be due to a lack of understanding about minimum charges from movers.
All Around Moving & Storage has a four-decade track record of providing local and long-distance moving help in Michigan. As a local agent for National Van Lines, it has access to a nationwide moving network, which makes it easy for Michigan residents to book interstate moving services.
Service area: This mover services the entire state.
Quote type: This mover offers ballpark quotes based on hourly rates for local moves.
Pricing: Hourly rates are based on the number of movers and moving trucks assigned to a move.
Sample cost: We contacted All Around Moving & Storage for a ballpark quote for a three-bedroom move. This mover replied via email to try to schedule an in-home estimate, which we could not complete. You should plan to conduct a thorough walk-through of your goods in person or via video call to get pricing.
This mover offers a full customer portal, including convenient online payment and move tracking in one location. Once you submit your quote request, you can access this portal. This makes contacting customer service representatives to amend your quote or submit complaints far easier.
Deposit: No deposit requirements are mentioned on this mover’s website.
Payment methods: Accepted payment methods include wire transfers, money orders, cash and all major credit cards. This mover charges a 3% fee for all credit card payments.
All Around Moving & Storage does not advertise insurance options beyond the minimum released-value protection. However, National Van Lines, a local agent of this company, provides valuation coverage options. You should ask your move coordinator about potential coverage options when you book.
All Around Moving & Storage now has a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews. Reviews are largely positive, with clients mentioning solid moving experiences and speedy crews. However, some negative reviews mention that filing damage claims for furniture items took far longer than clients would have liked. Such reviews mention that, after goods were delivered at clients’ new homes, it was difficult to reach All Around Moving & Storage for compensation.
Palmer Moving Services is a local agent of Atlas Van Lines. As a whole, this carrier provides more than 10,000 moves per year. This gives prospective moving clients access to a nationwide network with numerous additional service options and a large fleet of moving trucks for local and interstate needs.
Service area: Palmer Moving Services offers moving help throughout the entire state of Michigan.
Quote type: Local moves are assigned ballpark quotes based on hourly rates.
Pricing: The number of movers and moving trucks assigned to a move determines the exact hourly rate.
Sample cost: We contacted Palmer Moving Services for a quote. We were told we would have to set up a video call or in-person consultation to get pricing information for a local or long-distance move. Despite not yielding pricing information, this mover responded quickly and explained its quote process transparently.
Deposit: None required
Payment methods: This mover accepts payment via credit card through its own online customer portal.
Palmer Moving Services offers basic released-value coverage for all moves. It also advertises Replacement Cost Protection Plans at an added cost but states that clients must speak with a company representative for pricing.
Palmer Moving Services now has a star rating of 4.5 out of 5 on Google Reviews. Positive reviews include testimonials from clients who have moved with Palmer multiple times and compliments to moving crews involved in local and interstate relocations.
Here, we’ve listed a few factors that should influence which movers you pursue for free quotes.
Prepare a list of any special services you may need before requesting a quote from a full-service moving company. Before you start the quote process, take a comprehensive inventory of your home and write down all of the major items you plan to take with you. This will help you determine some of your add-on service needs.
These can include the following:
Be aware of the type of moving company with which you book your move. Movers operate under two main service models: brokers and carriers.
Moving brokers operate as middlemen between you and household goods movers. Instead of providing service directly, they contract moving services out to actual moving companies. Often, these brokers take large deposits up-front as commission for booking a move.
Moving carriers, on the other hand, are more traditional moving companies. Carriers directly book and handle all moves, often with little or no deposit required for local relocations.
Depending on the length of your move, your moving company will have different regulation requirements it must follow. These regulations give consumers recourse if moves go badly and ensure that all movers are properly insured.
All long-distance moving companies must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This governing body requires all movers to carry active United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and Motor Carrier (MC) numbers. Use these numbers to look up a given mover’s registration status before booking any moving services.
All Michigan intrastate moving companies must be registered with the state Public Service Commission (MPSC). This governing body issues Intrastate Motor Carrier Certificates and MPSC numbers to all moving companies legally operating in the state.
Your move distance will affect not only the overall cost of your move but also the billing structure your movers will follow, whether hourly or flat-rate. Be aware of this and request written copies of any moving estimate you receive.
Long-distance moves are usually assigned transparent bottom-line rates based on move distance and total shipment weight. Long-distance moving companies will often weigh their trucks before and after loading to render accurate weights. Add-ons like packing services can also inflate costs.
We got several interstate moving quotes for a three-bedroom home moving 1,800 miles. With no add-ons, our average cost was $7,329. Packing services raised the average cost to $9,155.
Local movers charge by the hour. The number of movers and moving trucks assigned to your move will determine hourly rates. Most local movers provide ballpark estimates, with the final total determined by how long your move actually takes.
Similarly, most movers have minimum charges, which total between two and four hours of labor at your quoted hourly rate. So, even if you’re hiring movers to move a single item within your home, you’ll still have to pay the minimum rate.
All moving companies provide released-value protection for moves at no additional cost. This provides 60 cents per pound per item in reimbursement if goods are lost or damaged during a move.
Beyond this, some moving companies offer full-value protection at an added cost. Under such coverage plans, you’ll be able to set a declared dollar amount of coverage for your entire shipment. Your premium for this coverage will be a percentage of this dollar amount. The exact added charge will depend on your moving company of choice and how they structure their coverage plans.
We recommend getting quotes from Allied Van Lines and Two Men and a Truck’s Detroit location before planning any Michigan move. Allied Van Lines’ 500 locations across the country and large moving trucks give you access to numerous add-on services and a large moving network.
Similarly, Two Men and a Truck’s nationwide presence and locally owned franchises throughout the country allow you to shop locally while affording you the convenience of a long-distance moving company.
Get quotes from at least three moving companies before booking your relocation. Ensure you know the company’s business model (broker or carrier), pricing structure, available add-ons and coverage plans before signing a contract.
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 accurate as of April 2024.
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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