How much does it cost to move out of Seattle?

Across 68 priced reviews, the median is $5,350. People leaving most often head to Boston, MA; San Diego, CA; Orange, CA. A move that leaves Washington is interstate and falls under USDOT and FMCSA, and the state page covers a move that stays inside Washington.

When should I book a Seattle move?

Reviews cluster in Oct, Aug, Jun and thin out in Dec, Apr, Feb. Those are post dates, usually a few weeks after the move, so the job itself was a little earlier. If your dates can flex, aim toward the thinner months in Dec, Apr, Feb.

What should I tell the mover before a Seattle quote?

Name the access limits before they price the job. The problems these reviews name most are tight streets and driveways, elevators, stairs and walk-ups. 40.2% of reviews mention damage and the mean rating is 2.40, so put access and damage concerns in writing before you accept the number.

Moving day in Seattle: the nearer mover grips both handles of a steel hand truck; its toe plate supports the box.

Moving to

Moving to or from Seattle, WA

Haulest is not a carrier, and this page rests on 169 reviews of moves into or out of Seattle dated 2017 to 3 Nov 2026. The median to arrive is $4,170 across 94 priced reviews, and the median to leave is $5,350 across 68 priced reviews.

Anthony BaleMoving industry professional, author and writerReviewed 2026-09-24

Moving to Seattle

the median for a move into Seattle is $4,170

Where people come from. The reviews that name an origin most often list San Francisco, CA; Sacramento, CA; Boston, MA. That is who is moving into Seattle in this file of 169 reviews, dated 2017 to 3 Nov 2026. If the move stays inside Washington, state rules live on the state page. Compare the trip with a move or stay check before you hire.

What the move costs. Across 94 priced reviews, the median for a move into Seattle is $4,170. Moves that stay inside Washington sit lower, at a median of $2,965 across 11 priced reviews. The 2024 BEA price parity for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro is 111.1, against 107.0 for Washington and 100 for the US, so the metro sits above both the state and the country.

What reviewers paid, Seattle. A median needs 10 priced reviews. Reviews dated 2017 to 3 Nov 2026.

Move	Median paid	Priced reviews
Into Seattle from elsewhere	$4,170	94
Out of Seattle	$5,350	68
From Seattle within the state	$2,965	11
Price level, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (US = 100)	111.1	BEA 2024

Sources: Haulest review file, 3 Nov 2026 (reviewer-reported whole-move prices); US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, read 2024.

Top-rated movers in and near Seattle

Each has 5+ reviews and 4.0+ stars. Movers reviewed in the last 3 years come first, then by rating weighted by how many reviews back it. Few Seattle movers qualify, so the list goes on with the best elsewhere in the state; each card says where the mover is based. No mover pays to be on this list.

Get free quotes from Seattle movers See all 23 movers in Seattle

Moving out of Seattle

Reviews cluster in Oct, Aug, Jun and thin out in Dec, Apr, Feb.

Where people go. The destinations named most often are Boston, MA; San Diego, CA; Orange, CA. Across 68 priced reviews, the median cost to leave Seattle is $5,350. That sits above the inside Washington median of $2,965 across 11 priced reviews. A move that leaves Washington is interstate, and USDOT and FMCSA rules apply. State rules for a move that stays inside Washington are on the state page.

When to book. Reviews cluster in Oct, Aug, Jun and thin out in Dec, Apr, Feb. That is when reviews were posted, usually a few weeks after the move, so plan the truck a little earlier than those post dates. The thin months in this file are Dec, Apr, Feb. Use a peak timing check when you pick the week.

Where reviewers came from and went, Seattle.

Moved in from	Reviews	Moved out to	Reviews
San Francisco, CA	6	Boston, MA	2
Sacramento, CA	4	San Diego, CA	2
Boston, MA	4	Orange, CA	2
Los Angeles, CA	3	Madison, CT	2
New York, NY	3	Denver, CO	2

Source: Haulest review file, 3 Nov 2026 (reviewer-reported whole-move prices).

Reviews of Seattle moves by the month they were posted.

11Jan

9Feb

11Mar

8Apr

15May

19Jun

14Jul

22Aug

17Sep

23Oct

13Nov

7Dec

What makes a Seattle move harder

40.2% of these reviews mention damage, and the mean rating across the file is 2.40.

Access and damage. The access problems these reviews name most are tight streets and driveways, elevators, stairs and walk-ups. 40.2% of these reviews mention damage, and the mean rating across the file is 2.40. That is the record in 169 reviews dated 2017 to 3 Nov 2026. Treat it as a warning about the building and the truck.

Before the quote. Tell the mover about every access limit the building has, using tight streets and driveways, elevators, stairs and walk-ups as the checklist this file supports. Put damage risk in the same note, since 40.2% of reviews mention it. Ask for the estimate in writing and compare it with a cost calculator and a guide on how to read an estimate.

Access problems named in Seattle reviews

Tight streets and driveways · 6 reviews
“Today they call and demand I pay 300 for a shuttle to move my stuff from the moving truck into the shuttle and then to my apartment.”
Elevators · 4 reviews
“They then proceeded to say that ‘their boss wanted to charge an elevator fee which was $600, unless I tipped them $150’.”
Stairs and walk-ups · 3 reviews
“I suggested a route involving 15 stairs, but the movers defined a flight as seven steps, causing the stairs to count as three chargeable units.”
Parking and truck access · 2 reviews
“Not being able to park an 18 wheeler in the parking lot.”

Planning ranges by home size, Seattle, September 2026. Planning range, not a bid. Research fallback. Not a first-party median. Compiled in September 2026 from published industry tables and public quote examples. A phone survey still wins.

Home	Local research range	Longer haul research range
Studio	$600 to $1,200	$2,200 to $4,800
1 bedroom	$900 to $1,800	$2,600 to $5,600
2 bedroom	$1,400 to $2,900	$3,200 to $7,200
3 bedroom	$2,100 to $4,000	$4,400 to $9,600

What does access in Seattle add to the price?

Seattle rain is not ambience. It is slip risk and ruined cartons. Hills in Queen Anne, Magnolia, and parts of West Seattle stop a long truck. Apartment buildings downtown want a COI and a weekday window. I-5 timing decides whether a local hop stays local. Moves to Bainbridge or the Peninsula add a ferry booking. Interstate out toward Los Angeles or Denver is a real line-haul. Washington does not replace FMCSA for interstate work. Ask for the USDOT before a deposit.

A Queen Anne street that cannot take a 26-foot box gets a shuttle. Wet cardboard on a wood stair is how a cheap hourly quote dies.

Housing pulse

Seattle, WA housing, 2026

Median sale price: $847,195; -0.3% on a year earlier
Homes sold in the month: 2,973; -7.5% on a year earlier
Median days on market: 13
Months of supply: 2.7

Homes sold is the closest public count of households changing address. When it climbs, so does demand for trucks and crews in the same weeks.

Source: Data provided by Redfin, a national real estate brokerage, May 2026, read 1 Oct 2026.

Route pages from and to Seattle

What a moving crew earns around Seattle

Half of the hand movers in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA area earn less than $22.95 an hour (US: $19.35); truck drivers, $34.25. An hourly quote for a crew pays two or three of them, plus the truck, fuel, insurance, and the company's margin, so the rate per mover is usually two to three times the wage. A rate near the wage itself means someone is not insured or not paid.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: 53-7062 Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand (29,490 jobs in the area); 53-3032 Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. The occupation includes warehouse work, not only moving crews. BLS wage data

Doing it yourself

Renting a truck in Seattle

Which truck fits your home, and what to check before you book one here.

Studio10 to 12 ft truck380 to 450 cu ft. The smallest box truck. No ramp at any brand.
1 or 2 bedroom15 to 16 ft truck658 to 800 cu ft. The most rented size and the smallest with a ramp.
3 bedroom20 to 22 ft truck1,016 to 1,200 cu ft. U-Haul and Penske only; Budget skips from 16 to 26 ft.
4 bedroom26 ft truck1,682 to 1,700 cu ft. The largest you can drive on a regular licence.

For comparison: reviewers who hired full-service movers on moves from Seattle within the state paid a median $2,965 (11 priced reviews). The truck line above is fuel only: add the rental, mileage or days, coverage, equipment, tolls, a night on the road, and your time.

All truck sizes U-Haul vs Penske vs Budget DIY or movers calculator

Sources: Brand spec pages (U-Haul, Penske, Budget) (mpg and fuel type); US EIA weekly retail prices (week of 26 Oct 2026).

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 Move
Legal name matches SAFER
USDOT on the paper, the truck doors, and the census. A different name is the walk.
USDOT / Companies House lookup
Walk from cash and blank paper
FTC: unregistered interstate, huge deposit, cash only, or a blank contract. Photograph and leave.
FTC: hiring a mover
110% 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

Sources

Links go to the publisher. Haulest does not add findings. Checked September 2026; if the live page moved, believe the agency.

FMCSA Protect Your Movefmcsa.dot.gov · Government · checked September 2026

Reviewed by Anthony Bale, 24 Sep 2026. Corpus as of 3 Nov 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 it cost to move to Seattle?: Across 94 priced reviews, the median is $4,170. Moves that stay inside Washington have a median of $2,965 across 11 priced reviews. The 2024 BEA price parity is 111.1 for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro and 107.0 for Washington, with the US at 100.
How much does it cost to move out of Seattle?: Across 68 priced reviews, the median is $5,350. People leaving most often head to Boston, MA; San Diego, CA; Orange, CA. A move that leaves Washington is interstate and falls under USDOT and FMCSA, and the state page covers a move that stays inside Washington.
When should I book a Seattle move?: Reviews cluster in Oct, Aug, Jun and thin out in Dec, Apr, Feb. Those are post dates, usually a few weeks after the move, so the job itself was a little earlier. If your dates can flex, aim toward the thinner months in Dec, Apr, Feb.
What should I tell the mover before a Seattle quote?: Name the access limits before they price the job. The problems these reviews name most are tight streets and driveways, elevators, stairs and walk-ups. 40.2% of reviews mention damage and the mean rating is 2.40, so put access and damage concerns in writing before you accept the number.

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.

All 61 pages by Anthony

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