Houston, TX
Long distance movers in Houston
A trailer may stand on a Houston street for two hours. A full-size move takes longer than that, so we either pull a loading-zone permit or shuttle from a legal spot — decided at survey, priced before the day.
- Shuttle priced where a trailer cannot stand
- Loading zone permit where one is needed
- COI issued to the building or the HOA
- USDOT 2138595 · MC-744411 checkable on FMCSA SAFER
Houston, TX
What a long distance move from Houston involves
Houston caps a trailer at two hours and issues no moving permit.
We stage the day around the clock and quote one binding price before you pack. It sits inside the price you were quoted rather than arriving afterwards.
The rest is the ordinary work: a survey that counts what you own, a binding price in writing, our own crew loading and delivering, and thirty days of storage if your dates slip.
Moving services in Houston
-
Long distance moving Out of Houston on our own trucks.
-
Auto transport Open or enclosed, with $100,000 or $500,000 of cover.
-
Packing and crating Partial up to fifteen boxes, full beyond, crates for the rest.
-
Storage Thirty days included on a long move.
-
Moving insurance What each level of cover actually pays.
Why people book us for a move from Houston
- 1,789
- Households moved
- 160
- Crew
- 28
- Cities
-
Your quote is your final price, in writing after the survey
-
Trained crews on our own payroll, never day labor
-
Licensed and insured under our own USDOT and MC authority
-
Thirty days of storage included on long distance moves
What it costs
What moving from Houston typically costs
Price comes from weight and mileage first, then access — and in Houston access usually means how the trailer gets close enough.
| Home size | Typical weight | To New York | To Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio or 1 bed one bedroom of contents | 2,000 – 3,500 lb | $2,461 – $5,693 | $2,645 – $5,757 |
| 2 – 3 bedrooms the most common interstate move | 4,000 – 9,000 lb | $3,612 – $8,184 | $3,543 – $7,491 |
| 4+ bedrooms often needs a trailer to itself | 10,000 – 14,000 lb | $6,256 – $10,715 | $5,944 – $10,379 |
The dollar ranges are the MARKET rate for these lanes, not our quote: Houston to New York and Houston to Los Angeles. moveBuddha's monthly dataset of live quotes across vetted movers, last updated 31 August 2026. Weights are the industry rule of thumb. We price your move from a survey of your actual inventory and give you one binding number in writing, which is why no figure above is presented as ours.
Get a binding priceIncluded and extra
What your final price includes
The complaint in this industry is always the bill that grew. This is the line between included and extra, before you have to ask.
- Included One truck, one crew The crew that loads you is the crew that unloads you.
- Included Storage for 30 days Useful when a closing slips.
- Included Basic cover 60 cents for every pound an item weighs.
- Extra Full cover Pays to repair or replace what we list together.
- Extra Packing and crates Up to 15 boxes is partial, more than that is full.
- Extra Car shipping Open or enclosed.
How your move from Houston works, step by step
Four points where something is decided. The first two happen before a truck is booked.
-
Survey, and the street
We count the inventory and look at where a trailer can lawfully stand, how far the carry is from there, and whether the address needs a loading-zone permit.
-
Permit or shuttle
Whichever the address calls for goes on the estimate before booking. The two-hour limit is the reason one of them is always needed on a full-size load.
-
Load day
Through the summer the crew starts early, and the shuttle runs to the trailer rather than the trailer waiting against a parking clock.
-
Transit and delivery
One carrier, one crew, and a delivery window rather than an hour — between August and October that window allows for the Gulf.
Long distance moving routes from Houston
Road distance and the transit window we plan against on the lanes we run most from Houston.
- Trailer on the street
- 2 hours the legal limit, containers included
- Rental truck
- 72 hours residential, while loading
- Street permit
- Only sometimes metered, loading zone or permit parking
- To the east coast
- 5–9 days Houston to New York, 1,628 mi
Sources: City of Houston ParkHouston large and commercial vehicle rules; Houston Permitting Center commercial vehicle loading zone permits.
Houston's two-hour curb clock, and why there is no permit
Houston does not ask a household mover for a permit to work an ordinary residential street. What it does have is a clock.
A trailer or large vehicle — a portable storage container counts — may stand on a public street for two hours. A short-term rental truck loading or unloading in a residential area gets up to seventy-two. Those two limits sitting side by side are the whole logistics of a Houston move, because a full-size interstate load does not finish in two hours. So the job runs one of two ways: a commercial loading-zone permit from the Houston Permitting Center where the address allows it, or a shuttle — a smaller truck works your door and transfers to the trailer parked somewhere it can lawfully sit.
Either way it is a decision made at survey and a line on the estimate, not something improvised on the morning. A crew that discovers the limit on the day is a crew moving your house against a parking clock.
The other Houston variable is the season. Hurricane season runs from the first of June to the end of November, and on the Gulf that is not weather trivia — a named storm moves delivery windows and occasionally load dates. We will not drive a loaded trailer into a warning, and a booked move that has to be rescheduled for one is rescheduled rather than driven.
What decides a Houston move
A parking clock, a permit, and a storm season
None of the three is difficult once it is known before the day. All three are expensive when they are found on it.
2 hours a trailer on a public street
Two hours at the curb, by ordinance
Against seventy-two hours for a short-term rental truck loading in a residential area. A full interstate load does not fit in two hours, which is why the shuttle or the loading-zone permit is decided at survey.
Class B / C commercial vehicle loading zone
When Houston needs a loading permit
No permit is needed for an ordinary residential street, but a metered space, a loading zone, a blocked sidewalk or a permit-parking area all change that. We file it where the address needs it.
Jun–Nov hurricane season on the Gulf
Moving through Gulf hurricane season
Deliveries into and out of the coast get a wider spread from August to October, and we will not load into a named-storm warning. A booked move gets rescheduled at no charge rather than driven into it.
Sources: ParkHouston large and commercial vehicle rules; Houston Permitting Center; NOAA hurricane season dates.
Protection
Moving insurance: what your belongings are covered for
Every interstate move carries released-value liability by law, and it is lower than almost everyone expects: sixty cents per pound of the item, not what the item is worth. On a shuttle move your things are handled twice rather than once, which is exactly when the difference between the two options shows up.
- 60¢ / lb
- released value — free, but you have to choose it
- Full value
- the federal default if you choose nothing
- $100k / $500k
- auto transport, open or enclosed
A shuttle means two handlings. Crating is what makes that a non-event.
What each level actually paysWant the shuttle and the permit priced before you book?
Two ZIP codes and a move size is enough to start.
Where we load in Houston
Three kinds of address, three kinds of load.
-
Inner Loop towers
Downtown · Midtown · Uptown
Bay, lift and hours set by management, with the certificate issued before the day rather than at the loading dock.
-
Older inner streets
The Heights · Montrose · Rice Military
A trailer gets two hours on a public street. That is why the shuttle or the loading-zone permit is decided at survey.
-
Across the metro
Katy · Sugar Land · The Woodlands · Pearland · Cypress
Driveways and wide streets, so no permit and a short carry. Outside the city the two-hour curb rule does not apply.
Reviews from customers on our long-distance lanes
“they efficiently removed a pool table from the basement and an upright piano from the living room, along with the standard large furniture pieces for donation or disposal.”
-
Ryker H.
Read on GoogleMy residence was a quaint cottage in Modesto, nestled on a hillside with a driveway resembling a winding road. A skilled team of technicians managed to skillfully navigate two compact moving trucks up this challenging driveway. Read the full review Read less
My residence was a quaint cottage in Modesto, nestled on a hillside with a driveway resembling a winding road. A skilled team of technicians managed to skillfully navigate two compact moving trucks up this challenging driveway. They then promptly got to work, packing 85 boxes of books and various other household items with impressive speed. Within the first seven hours, they had packed and loaded one of the trucks, thoughtfully leaving me an area to sleep, eat, and handle my emails. The following morning, they were punctual, arriving shortly after seven. By just after nine, my house was emptied, cleaned, and all my belongings were securely loaded onto the trucks. The new location was close to the old one, and the team swiftly unloaded, unwrapped, and arranged everything in my new home. (They left the unpacking of the books to me.) The team from Cross Country Movers Group then departed just before noon. Their service was remarkably quick, smooth, meticulous, and efficient. The cherry on top was that the final cost came in under the initial estimate, making for a satisfying conclusion to the moving process.
-
Rachel E.
Read on YelpTim was the person who organized my move. He was extremely helpful and responsive. They coordinated movers on the pickup and delivery end who were professional and quick. Read the full review Read less
Tim was the person who organized my move. He was extremely helpful and responsive. They coordinated movers on the pickup and delivery end who were professional and quick. I have to leave off one star because there was a LOT of drama in delivery — after waiting nearly 3 weeks for delivery I was told my stuff would be delivered after the "guaranteed" deadline. Three hours arguing over the phone got them to make the delivery happen in the agreed upon time. Other than being without my things for 3 weeks — almost longer — it was an overall positive experience! All my items are accounted for and looking good. Thanks to everyone, especially Tim, for your help!
-
Allen M.
Read on GoogleIn a pinch, i needed a moving service and a friend pointed me towards a technician from a certain moving company. After reaching out to the technician, he reassured me that they could handle the job of moving my tenants out over two consecutive weekends. Read the full review Read less
In a pinch, i needed a moving service and a friend pointed me towards a technician from a certain moving company. After reaching out to the technician, he reassured me that they could handle the job of moving my tenants out over two consecutive weekends. He was agreeable and flexible to my needs. On the day of the first move, he was punctual and we reviewed all the items in the apartment that needed relocation. Afterward, he briefed his two team members, who happened to be among the friendliest people i've ever encountered. They were extremely careful and patient. The following week, they returned promptly and completed the rest of the move. i can't recommend the technician and his team enough – they are real pros at what they do and you won't be let down. Their rates are very fair considering the successful outcome. I'll be enlisting their services for a third time soon.
Where to go next
-
Movers across Texas
state guide
-
Movers in Los Angeles
the lane we run most west
-
Long distance moving
how the price is built
-
Areas we serve
the states we run into
Do I need a permit for the moving truck?
Usually not on an ordinary residential street. A permit comes into it when the truck has to occupy a metered space, use a commercial loading zone, block a sidewalk or roadway, or park in a residential permit-parking area — and the Houston Permitting Center issues commercial vehicle loading zone permits for those cases.
Then why is there a shuttle on my estimate?
Because of the clock rather than the permit. A trailer or large vehicle may stand on a Houston public street for two hours, while a short-term rental truck loading in a residential area gets up to seventy-two. A full interstate load does not finish in two hours, so either the address supports a loading-zone permit or a smaller truck works your door and transfers to the trailer parked where it can lawfully sit.
Does that limit apply to a storage container too?
Yes. The two-hour limit on a public street covers portable storage units as well as trailers, which catches people who assume a container can simply be left on the curb for a weekend.
How does hurricane season affect my move?
It widens the delivery spread rather than changing the price. Between August and October we build more room into the window, and we will not load a truck into a named-storm warning — a booked move gets rescheduled at no charge rather than driven into it.
You are an interstate carrier — what about a move inside Texas?
Different regulator. Interstate is federal: USDOT 2138595 and MC-744411, checkable on the FMCSA register. A move that starts and ends in Texas requires an active TxDMV certificate under Chapter 218 of Title 43 of the Administrative Code, and you can check any company in the TxDMV "Truck Stop" database — an Active status means licensed.
What if I have a dispute with a mover in Texas?
Texas gives you something most states do not: a shipper may make a written request to TxDMV for mediation. It is worth knowing before you need it, and worth checking that whoever you book with is actually in the register that makes it available.
What is my furniture actually insured for?
By default sixty cents per pound of the item — the federal released-value standard, included at no cost. That is weight, not worth. Full-value protection is the paid alternative on an inventory we declare together, and it earns its keep on a shuttle move where the load is handled twice.
Moving out of Houston?
The access settled, the shuttle priced, and a binding number before you commit.
Get a price for your move from Houston
Two ZIP codes and a date is enough to start. A coordinator confirms where the trailer can stand and whether the address needs a shuttle before anything is booked.