These are the questions we field again and again: how the flat rate by home size gets set, what that $1M of cargo protection actually covers, and the way our crews deal with parking permits, freight elevators, and a sticky DC summer. Scroll on and you will probably find what you need spelled out already.
Nothing here fits? No problem — spell out your situation on the quote form, or reach us through the contact page. A real person at the shop replies the same day you write, and usually inside the hour.
What does a local move cost in DC?
You can take it hourly or as one flat rate. Hourly is $145/hr with two movers, $185/hr with three, and $245/hr with a four-mover crew. As a flat rate by home size: a studio runs about $450 to $720, a one-bedroom $720 to $1,200, a two-bedroom $1,200 to $2,050, a three-bedroom $2,050 to $3,400, and a four-bedroom $3,350 to $5,300. Stairs, a long haul from the curb, or added packing shift the number. After we gauge the home and the access, we put the rate in writing, and that written figure is exactly your bill, no more.
Are you licensed and insured?
We are. Payne Free Moving holds active registration across DC, Maryland, and Virginia, our interstate work runs on US DOT and MC authority, and every job carries $1M of cargo coverage. You are welcome to review the paperwork anytime, and we will issue whatever certificate of insurance your building or condo board needs ahead of the date.
What kinds of moves do you handle?
Everything. Local and long-distance, houses and apartments, high-rise condos, office and commercial relocations, packing, piano moving, senior and downsizing moves, climate-controlled storage, and last-minute or same-day jobs. We are a full-service general mover, so whether it is a single studio or a four-bedroom household headed across the country, it goes on the schedule and stays with our own crew start to finish.
How far ahead should I book?
Give us about two weeks if you want a Saturday or the last few days of a month, since that is when leases roll over and the calendar packs out. Weekday and mid-month dates tend to open up on as little as a few days' notice, and whenever a truck would otherwise be parked, we will gladly slot in a same-day or last-minute job — a quick call to (202) 849-2170 sorts it.
Do you require a deposit?
For most local jobs there is nothing to pay ahead of time; a short confirmation call the day before is all it takes. Larger moves, and any job that crosses a state line, lock the date with a small refundable deposit that we apply toward your final balance.
What is your service area?
We run out of Northeast DC and cover the whole DMV from there — Capitol Hill, Shaw, Columbia Heights, Georgetown, Navy Yard, NoMa, and the rest of the District, plus Arlington, Alexandria, Bethesda, Silver Spring, Rockville, Fairfax, and out toward Loudoun — and we run regular long hauls up and down I-95 to New York, Philadelphia, Richmond, and points past them.
How does the parking and the No-Parking permit work?
Most DC blocks need a Temporary No-Parking (Emergency No-Parking) sign posted on the street ahead of the move so the truck has a legal spot, since rowhouse blocks rarely have a driveway. We handle the permit and post the sign for you; figure a small permit and sign fee, which we spell out in the written quote. It saves the crew from carrying your couch an extra block and saves you a parking headache on moving day.
Can you handle a high-rise condo or a building with a freight elevator?
All the time. The Navy Yard, NoMa, Wharf, and Mount Vernon Triangle towers come with freight-elevator reservation windows, loading-dock rules, and certificate-of-insurance requirements, and we work them constantly. Tell us the building when you book, and we will reserve the elevator window, line up the dock, and send the property manager the COI naming them specifically, all before the truck rolls.
Can you manage a walk-up or a tight rowhouse stairway?
Constantly. The third-floor brick walk-ups of Columbia Heights and Adams Morgan, the tight stoops and English-basement entries of Capitol Hill and Shaw, the back stairs of Georgetown townhouses — that is our daily bread. Our crew walks the route first, maps out how the carry will go, and loads whatever dollies, straps, and pads that particular stairwell calls for. Just flag the floor and stair type when you book so the right gear comes along.
How does DC weather factor into a move?
Summers here turn hot and swampy with afternoon thunderstorms, and the occasional winter ice storm can shut the region down. We run padded trucks, shrink-wrap upholstery against the damp, and time the carry to dodge the worst of an afternoon storm or a hard-freeze morning. If a move has to wait between leases, our climate-controlled storage keeps your things steady instead of letting them sit in a hot garage.
Do you offer packing and supplies?
Yes. We do full packing, partial packing, or fragile-only kitchens and china, and we bring the boxes, paper, tape, and wardrobe cartons with us. You can also buy supplies from us and pack yourself. Tell us how much help you want at booking and we will fold the packing labor and materials into the written flat figure so there are no surprises.
Will you take furniture apart and put it back together?
Yes, it is built into the job. Bed frames, sectionals, dining tables, desks, anything that has to shed its legs to clear a tight Capitol Hill doorway or a switchback stairwell gets broken down at the pickup and rebuilt in the new room. Our crew brings the tools and bags the hardware so it does not wander, which is how a piece that would never fit whole still rides up the stairs unscratched.
Do you move offices and government relocations?
Regularly. Office suites and federal or government relocations fill a good portion of our DC calendar, and we usually run them after hours or on a weekend so your operation never stops. Working with your facilities team, we line up the dock access, the certificate of insurance, and the elevator slots, and our crew can take apart and rebuild cubicles and conference rooms.
Can you supply a certificate of insurance for my building?
Absolutely — it is routine for us with condo boards, downtown towers, and apartment management offices around the DMV. Send over whatever your building requires when you book, and a certificate that names them specifically reaches you well ahead of the date, at no cost.
Do you offer storage between moves?
We do. A climate-controlled unit runs roughly $120 to $300 a month by size, kept at even temperature and humidity so nothing warps or molds. It really pays off when the new place is not ready yet or a closing date slips. Everything stays padded and locked up while you sort out the timing, and we redeliver the day you say go.
How do interstate moves work?
An interstate job goes out under our US DOT and MC authority, quoted as either a flat or weight-based rate, with the same crew that loaded you in DC staying aboard all the way to the door at the other end. Your shipment never gets handed off, posted to a load board, or swapped between trailers at some warehouse along the way. A good share of these runs carry a household moving for a new job or a federal worker reassigned to a fresh posting.
Will you move a piano or other heavy specialty pieces?
Yes. Uprights and grands, gun safes, pool tables, gym gear, and oversized antiques all travel on heavy-duty dollies, the right boards, and proper strapping. Add roughly $350 to $520 for an upright and $600 to $920 for a baby grand on top of the move itself, since each one needs extra hands and equipment. Flag the piece at booking and the crew shows up with the rigging it takes.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We take bank transfers, debit cards, and all the major credit cards. You do not owe a thing until everything is set in the new place and you have walked through it — the full flat figure was laid out plainly long before we close the job out.
What happens if I need to cancel?
Let us know a couple of days ahead that you need to cancel or push the date and your deposit comes back whole. Schedules shift, and we do not punish anyone for it; the earlier you tell us, the sooner that slot opens up for someone else.
Should I tip the crew?
We never fold a tip into the charge, and the flat quote is whole on its own, though carrying a full household up four flights of a Columbia Heights walk-up in July does tend to inspire one. Plenty of folks land somewhere around 15 percent of the bill split across the crew, or a set amount per mover — completely up to you.