Moving to
Moving to or from Chicago, IL
Haulest keeps 479 reviews of a move into or out of Chicago, dated 2017 to 21 Sept 2026. Haulest is not a carrier, and the priced reviews show a median of $3,500 coming in, $3,560 going out, and $907 for a move that stays inside Illinois.
Anthony BaleMoving industry professional, author and writerReviewed 2026-09-24
Moving to Chicago
The median for a move into Chicago is $3,500 across 185 priced reviews.
Inbound origins cluster around Los Angeles, CA; Phoenix, AZ; New York, NY. The median for a move into Chicago is $3,500 across 185 priced reviews. Jobs that stay inside Illinois land at a median of $907 across 97 priced reviews. Check moving costs before you treat either figure as your own quote.
Price parity sits above the US baseline. The 2024 BEA figure for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro is 103.6, against a US baseline of 100. Illinois as a whole is 100.0. That parity covers everyday prices, not the truck bill. If you are weighing the move, try the move or stay calculator.
What reviewers paid, Chicago. A median needs 10 priced reviews. Reviews dated 2017 to 21 Sept 2026.
| Move | Median paid | Priced reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Into Chicago from elsewhere | $3,500 | 185 |
| Out of Chicago | $3,560 | 229 |
| From Chicago within the state | $907 | 97 |
| Price level, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (US = 100) | 103.6 | BEA 2024 |
Sources: Haulest review file, 21 Sept 2026 (reviewer-reported whole-move prices); US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, read 2024.
Moving out of Chicago
The median cost of leaving Chicago is $3,560 across 229 priced reviews.
Outbound moves most often land in New York, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL. The median cost of leaving Chicago is $3,560 across 229 priced reviews. A move that leaves Illinois is interstate, so federal rules (USDOT, FMCSA) apply. A move that stays inside the state follows Illinois rules on the state page.
Posted reviews cluster in Jun, May, Aug and thin out in Nov, Jan, Feb. The file dates the review, usually a few weeks after the move, so the quiet months are a softer window for booking. Ask for a quote early if your date falls in the busier cluster. A peak season check helps you see how timing changes the bill.
Where reviewers came from and went, Chicago.
| Moved in from | Reviews | Moved out to | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | 11 | New York, NY | 6 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 7 | Los Angeles, CA | 5 |
| New York, NY | 7 | Miami, FL | 5 |
| Miami, FL | 5 | San Francisco, CA | 5 |
| San Diego, CA | 4 | Dallas, TX | 5 |
Source: Haulest review file, 21 Sept 2026 (reviewer-reported whole-move prices).
What makes a Chicago move harder
Damage shows up in 30.3% of these reviews, and the mean rating across the file is 3.18.
Name the access limits up front. Reviews of Chicago moves most often cite stairs and walk-ups, elevators, parking and truck access. Send that detail with the inventory, before anyone prices the job, so the quote matches the building and the street. If the first number assumes an easy unload, the second number will not share the joke. See how to read a moving estimate.
Damage shows up in 30.3% of these reviews, and the mean rating across the file is 3.18. That share is worth a written question on how claims work and what the crew will wrap. Photograph the pieces you care about before they leave the room. The rating is a mean of the reviews on file, not a promise about your move.
Access problems named in Chicago reviews
Stairs and walk-ups · 20 reviews
“In Oakland, the foreman was great, but the movers were pretty roughly handling our stuff; I saw movers toss some of our boxes down the flight of stairs.”
Elevators · 15 reviews
“I had been telling them that I have to book the elevator weeks ago, at least inform me about this.”
Parking and truck access · 9 reviews
“About two weeks prior to my scheduled move, I contacted the alderman’s office of my district to inquire about parking permits/no parking signs for my move.”
Tight streets and driveways · 7 reviews
“I was advised by the dispatcher, there would be an additional fee of $350.00 for the shuttle as the truck cannot gain access to the building.”
Heat and weather · 5 reviews
“My move day ranged from dry to rain to sleet.”
Most-reviewed movers based in Chicago
Sorted by review count, not rating. A listing is not an endorsement.
- Harold Kass Worldwide Moving260 reviews · 4.8 stars
- Best Price Moving & Storage259 reviews · 4.6 stars
- Alliance Movers Inc.231 reviews · 4.6 stars
- Allstates Moving and Storage LLC61 reviews · 4.6 stars
- Premier Chicago Movers44 reviews · 3.9 stars
- Expert Movers Inc26 reviews · 4.0 stars
- Verlys Pro Moving Labor23 reviews · 2.7 stars
- Moovers Chicago Inc15 reviews · 5.0 stars
Before you hire
Four checks before a deposit
Written estimate after a look
Interstate movers must give the booklet and a written estimate after a survey or a full description. A $499 ad is not an estimate.
FMCSA Protect Your MoveLegal name matches SAFER
USDOT on the paper, the truck doors, and the census. A different name is the walk.
USDOT / Companies House lookupWalk from cash and blank paper
FTC: unregistered interstate, huge deposit, cash only, or a blank contract. Photograph and leave.
FTC: hiring a mover110% on a COD non-binding job
Pay up to 110% plus agreed extras and they must hand over the load. Not a cap on extras you signed.
US interstate rules
Reviewed by Anthony Bale, 24 Sep 2026. Corpus as of 21 Sept 2026. Drafted with grok-4.7-medium via cursor-agent on 2026-09-24, then edited. Haulest is not a carrier.
Ask out loud
Questions people ask
- How much does a move to Chicago cost?
- In this file the median for a move into Chicago is $3,500 across 185 priced reviews. A move that stays inside Illinois has a median of $907 across 97 priced reviews. Distance, weight, and access will push a real quote off that median.
- How much does it cost to leave Chicago?
- The median for moves out of Chicago is $3,560 across 229 priced reviews. The destinations named most often are New York, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL. If the move leaves Illinois, it is interstate and federal rules under USDOT and FMCSA apply.
- When do Chicago move reviews pile up?
- Reviews cluster in Jun, May, Aug and thin out in Nov, Jan, Feb. Those dates are when the review was posted, usually a few weeks after the move. Book earlier if your move date sits near the busier months.
- What do Chicago move reviews warn about?
- The access problems named most are stairs and walk-ups, elevators, parking and truck access. 30.3% of these reviews mention damage, and the mean rating is 3.18. Tell the mover about access before the quote so the price is built on the real building.
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About Anthony Bale
A moving industry professional, author and writer. Anthony has been at different positions in the industry for the last 10 years, gaining significant knowledge on the relocation process. He himself has moved 6 times already, which helped him explore the other side of the moving process.
At Haulest he writes the US cost, hiring, and rights pages, reading the licensed review file every week so the numbers on the page are the numbers people reported.
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