Frequently Asked Questions - Moving
We've been moving families and offices since 2006, and we've heard every question twice. Here are the answers we give our own neighbors in Hollywood and across every metro we serve.
Pricing & Cost FAQs
A local move in Hollywood typically runs between $550 and $1,400 for a one- to two-bedroom home, and $1,800 to $3,200 for a three- to four-bedroom house. The final figure depends on your home's size, the walking distance from door to truck, whether we're packing for you, and any specialty items like pianos or safes. We don't guess over the phone. A Milestone coordinator surveys your home in person or by video, then puts a binding written number on the page. That number doesn't move on load day, not at the scale, not at the curb. Call (855) 890-3455 and we'll schedule your survey - estimates are free.
An interstate move from Hollywood to New York City generally ranges from $3,500 to $8,500 depending on shipment weight, packing services, and whether you need storage. Summer months and end-of-month dates cost more because demand on the I-95 corridor peaks then. We base interstate quotes on a federally mandated weight-and-distance formula, not hourly guesses. After our survey, you'll have a binding written quote and a guaranteed delivery window. Call (855) 890-3455 for a free written estimate.
Renting a truck yourself costs less upfront but often costs more by the end. A Budget Truck Rental or U-Pack container in the Hollywood area might run $150 to $400 for the rental alone, but add fuel, tolls, insurance, equipment, pizza for friends who don't show, and the value of a Saturday you'll never get back. Professional movers bring the truck, the muscle, the blankets, the straps, and the liability if something breaks. For most families, the break-even point is a two-bedroom home or any move involving stairs, tight parking, or furniture worth more than the move itself. Call (855) 890-3455 and we'll help you do the real math.
Stairs, elevators, and long carries are built into your binding written quote, never added as surprise fees on move day. During your survey, we measure the walk from truck to door, count flights, and note elevator restrictions. That information goes into your fixed price. If the building manager springs a freight-elevator reservation we didn't know about, we adapt without tacking on charges. The price we quote is the price you pay.
Full packing service typically adds 25% to 40% to your base move cost, depending on how much you've already handled. Partial packing - kitchens, fragile items, wardrobe boxes - can be priced room by room. We use materials from local suppliers, and everything we pack rides under our full-value protection. If you prefer to pack yourself, we'll deliver Uline boxes, paper, and tape ahead of time and still carry the liability for anything we load. Call (855) 890-3455 to discuss which approach fits your timeline and budget.
Service & Process FAQs
Book four to six weeks ahead for summer moves and end-of-month dates, two to three weeks for off-peak periods. Hollywood's snowbird season, January through March, sees heavy northbound volume on I-95 as families head back to New York City, Park Slope, and Sunnyside. Last-minute moves happen - we answer the phone 24/7 - but your preferred date and crew are more secure with advance notice. Call (855) 890-3455 to hold your window.
A Milestone coordinator walks through your home room by room, noting furniture dimensions, appliance disconnects, fragile items, and access challenges like narrow staircases or low-hanging branches. The survey takes 20 to 45 minutes and can be done in person or by video call. Within 24 hours, you receive a binding written quote with line-item pricing, a pickup window, and a delivery window. No deposit is required to reserve your date.
For local moves, yes - one crew, start to finish. For interstate moves, your driver and lead mover stay with the truck, while local crews at origin and destination handle the heavy lifting. Every crew member is on our payroll, background-checked, and trained to Hollywood headquarters standards. We don't use day labor or gig workers. The crew that packs your grandmother's china in Hollywood isn't a group of strangers texting from a parking lot in Bayonne.
A one-bedroom apartment in Hollywood takes three to five hours to load and move locally. A three-bedroom house takes six to ten hours. Interstate transit to New York City, Jersey City, or Secaucus runs three to seven days depending on shipment size and routing. We give you a pickup window and a delivery window before we leave your driveway, and we call before we knock at both ends. If weather or traffic shifts our timeline, you hear from us first.
Leave clothing in dresser drawers - we blanket-wrap the piece and move it intact. Remove anything heavy, fragile, or liquid from drawers and cabinets: books bend tracks, perfume bottles leak, and a forgotten wine glass doesn't survive the truck. Kitchen cabinets should be emptied entirely. Your coordinator will flag any pieces that need special handling during the survey.
Brands & Parts FAQs
We operate a fleet of straight trucks and tractor-trailers we own and garage locally, from 16-foot city trucks for tight Hollywood streets and Bushwick alleys to 53-foot vans for interstate hauls up I-95. Every truck carries a full inventory of Milwaukee hand trucks, four-wheel dollies, furniture pads, jamb guards, and floor runners. We don't rent trucks by the day or send equipment that isn't ours.
We deliver Uline boxes, wardrobe cartons, dish packs, paper, tape, and mattress bags to your door ahead of move day. Pricing is competitive with retail, and you only pay for what you use. Unopened bundles are picked up and credited back. For fragile or high-value items, we recommend letting our crew pack with materials rated for transit - the protection follows the item under our full-value coverage.
U-Pack delivers a container to your driveway; you load it, they drive it. Milestone handles everything - survey, packing, loading, transit, unloading, and placement in your new home. U-Pack works well for flexible timelines and minimal furniture. Milestone fits families who need a binding quote, a guaranteed delivery window, and accountability if something goes wrong. We're not cheaper than self-service, but we're accountable for every box from door to door.
Licensing & Insurance FAQs
Yes. Every Milestone Moving Co. location is required to hold the federal motor carrier authority and state credentials their routes demand. For interstate moves from Hollywood to New York City, Jersey City, or anywhere beyond Florida, we operate under full DOT authority with published tariff rates. Your rights and remedies are governed by federal law, and we provide the required "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move" booklet before we load.
Every Milestone move includes released-value coverage at 60 cents per pound per article at no charge, plus the option to purchase full-value protection. Everything we pack rides under our full-value protection standard. For 90 days after delivery, if anything we moved or packed isn't right, one phone call brings a Milestone crew or a Milestone check. We don't subcontract claims to a third-party administrator that loses your paperwork.
Check their DOT number on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website, confirm their address isn't a mailbox or vacant lot, and insist on an in-person or video survey before any quote. Legitimate movers don't demand large deposits, don't quote by cubic feet alone, and don't operate solely through text message. Milestone has been at this since 2006. Our trucks carry our name, our crews wear our uniforms, and our Hollywood headquarters trains every location we operate.
Emergency & Response FAQs
We answer the phone 24/7, and same-week moves happen regularly when another closing falls through or a lease starts early. Availability depends on crew and truck positioning in your metro. Hollywood to Fort Lauderdale or Miami is easier to cover last-minute than a peak-season haul to Dyker Heights or East Harlem. Call (855) 890-3455 - we'll tell you honestly what we can do and when.
We maintain climate-controlled storage facilities in every metro we serve, including Hollywood and the New York City area. Your shipment can be held short-term or long-term, then delivered when your new place is ready. Storage-in-transit is priced by weight and duration, and everything stays on the same bill of lading so coverage never lapses. We don't abandon your belongings in a warehouse across state lines.
We move in rain; we pause for hurricanes and tropical storms when authorities advise against travel. Hollywood's summer thunderstorms are routine - we bring floor runners, door jamb seals, and extra padding to keep moisture out of your home and off your furniture. If a named storm closes I-95, we call you before you call us, with a revised window and options. Safety comes first, but so does communication.
Warranty & Guarantees FAQs
The Move-Right Guarantee is our written promise on every Milestone move. The quote is binding: once we have surveyed your home, the number cannot rise, not on the ramp, not at the scale, not at delivery. The windows are honored: we give you a pickup window and a delivery window, and if anything shifts you hear it from us before it happens. Everything we pack rides under full-value protection, and for 90 days after delivery, if anything we moved or packed isn't right, one phone call brings a Milestone crew or a Milestone check. No hostage loads. No surprise fees. Our name is on the truck, so the move is on us.
Report any damage within 90 days of delivery. A Milestone claims specialist - not a subcontractor, not an insurance adjuster working three states away - will inspect the item, arrange repair or replacement, and issue payment if warranted. Most claims are resolved within two weeks. The process exists because we pack like it's ours, but when something goes wrong, we answer on the first call.
Our guarantee is specific and written, not vague and verbal. The binding quote, the honored window, the vetted crew, the full-value protection, and the 90-day claims desk - these are the concrete promises we make and keep. Dale Whitmore built this standard in 2006 after watching too many families learn that a handshake and a smile don't survive a missing dining table. We put it in writing because that's what moves with you.
Written by Dale Whitmore, Owner at Milestone Moving Co., serving Hollywood since 2006.
Still Have Questions?
We are happy to help. Call us anytime - 24/7 emergency service available.
(855) 890-3455