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Florida attracts more inbound movers than any other state, but it also leads the nation in moving scams. This guide ranks nine reputable moving companies for local and interstate Florida moves, breaks down 2026 pricing ($116/hr average for local, $2,500 to $7,500 for interstate), and walks you through the verification steps that separate licensed carriers from shady brokers. If you need a coordinator-led interstate move, AmeriSafe Van Lines offers dual carrier-broker authority from its Boynton Beach headquarters.
Florida accounts for roughly 26% of all net inbound moving searches nationwide, according to moveBuddha’s 2026 Moving Trends Report. No state income tax, warm weather year-round, and housing costs that still work for middle-income buyers keep the pipeline full. But that demand also attracts fraud. Since 2019, Florida’s Attorney General has levied approximately $27 million in fines and restitution against moving firms and brokers operating deceptively.
Finding a legitimate moving company in Florida means knowing who actually owns trucks, who just sells jobs to the lowest bidder, and how recent changes to state law protect you. This guide covers all of it.
Get a quote from AmeriSafe for your Florida move, or keep reading to compare all nine picks.
At-a-Glance Comparison Table
Company | Best For | Type | Deposit Required | Pricing Model | FL Local Moves? | Notable Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AmeriSafe Van Lines | Coordinator-led interstate moves | Dual (Carrier + Broker) | Yes (non-refundable after 72 hrs) | Custom quote | Yes | Can use own trucks or partner carriers |
American Van Lines | Flat-rate long-distance; specialty items | Carrier | 10–50% | Flat-rate | Yes | Binding flat-rate estimates standard |
Allied Van Lines | No-deposit booking | Carrier | No | Weight-based | Via agents | No upfront deposit needed |
Mayflower | Premium customer experience | Carrier | Yes | Weight-based | Via agents | Highest customer satisfaction scores |
United Van Lines | Shipment tracking for interstate | Carrier | Yes | Weight-based | Via agents | Real-time tracking portal |
Safeway Moving | Flat-rate with free storage | Carrier | Yes | Flat-rate | No | 30 days free storage included |
North American Van Lines | Corporate relocations | Carrier | Yes | Weight-based | Via agents | 500+ agent locations |
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK | Local/in-state Florida moves | Carrier (franchise) | Varies | Hourly | Yes | Junk removal add-on |
Colonial Van Lines | App-based quoting for long-distance | Carrier | Yes (can be high) | Flat-rate | No | Mobile app for inventory and quotes |
Our Top Picks
1. AmeriSafe Van Lines
Best for: Interstate moves from Florida with a dedicated personal coordinator
AmeriSafe Van Lines is headquartered in Boynton Beach, Florida, and holds both interstate motor carrier and interstate moving broker authority through the FMCSA, plus Florida intrastate (IM) and broker (MB) licensing. That dual authority means the company can dispatch its own trucks on certain routes or assign qualified partner carriers when capacity or geography calls for it. Most companies are one or the other. AmeriSafe is both.
Every move gets a dedicated coordinator who handles the process from quote through delivery. The company also maintains separate phone lines for sales and post-booking customer service, so you’re not stuck in a sales funnel when you need a delivery update.
Pricing: Custom-quoted based on inventory, distance, and add-on services. No published tier structure.
Services: Full and partial packing services, short and long-term storage, senior moving assistance, special handling for pianos and antiques, commercial moves.
Deposit: Required; becomes non-refundable 72 hours after signing.
Regulatory transparency: Publishes FMCSA consumer rights documents and arbitration information directly on its website.
Tradeoffs:
No published pricing tiers, so you need to call or submit a quote form to get numbers.
Deposit is non-refundable after the 72-hour window, which is tighter than some competitors.
As with any dual-authority company, the crew that shows up may be a partner carrier rather than AmeriSafe’s own team.
Why it matters for Florida: Being based in South Florida gives AmeriSafe direct familiarity with the state’s unique challenges: humidity, hurricane season scheduling, and the high-demand snowbird corridors. Its dual authority model is something most top long-distance movers don’t offer.
2. American Van Lines
Best for: Flat-rate long-distance moves and specialty item transport
American Van Lines is a registered carrier (not a broker) that offers flat-rate pricing on long-distance moves. A cross-country three-bedroom relocation runs roughly $7,746, while in-state and regional three-bedroom moves range from $4,760 to $5,899. Local moves start at $720 for a one-bedroom.
Services: Long-distance across all 48 contiguous states, local moves in Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Specialty handling for antiques and pianos.
Deposit: 10–50% upfront depending on move specifics.
Binding estimates: Standard, which puts American Van Lines ahead of the 57% of movers that don’t offer them (per a 2025 This Old House survey of 1,000 recent movers).
Tradeoffs:
Storage warehouses are limited to Florida, Texas, and North Carolina. If your move ends somewhere else, in-transit storage gets complicated.
The deposit range tops out at 50%, which is steep compared to competitors.
Local moves only available in four states.
3. Allied Van Lines
Best for: No-deposit booking with flexible scheduling
Allied Van Lines is one of the oldest names in moving and the only major carrier on this list that doesn’t require a deposit to book. Long-distance moves typically range from $3,500 to $9,000, with cross-country relocations running $10,000 to $14,000 depending on home size and distance.
Services: Full-service packing, storage, auto transport, international moves.
Training: Maintains a fully staged home at its Florida headquarters as a teaching facility for movers and agents.
Tradeoffs:
Allied operates through a network of local agents, so your actual moving crew varies by location. Quality is inconsistent.
Pricing is weight-based, meaning your final cost can shift if the actual weight exceeds the estimate.
Getting an upfront binding estimate can take more effort than with flat-rate competitors.
4. Mayflower
Best for: Premium customer experience on guided moves
Mayflower scored higher than any other company in a U.S. News survey of former moving customers, earning an overall rating of 4.45 out of 5. It’s part of the UniGroup family (a sister company to United Van Lines) and serves customers who prioritize service quality over the lowest price.
Long-distance moves for a two to three-bedroom home usually range from $8,000 to $10,000. Larger homes push into the $10,000 to $17,000 range. Mayflower also offers a Snapmoves container option for cost-conscious movers who want to load their own belongings.
Services: Full-service packing, storage, auto transport, corporate relocations.
Tradeoffs:
Pricing is at the high end of the market. You pay for the brand and customer experience.
Standard service comes with a three-day delivery window, not a specific date.
Like Allied, Mayflower uses local agents, so crew quality varies.
5. United Van Lines
Best for: Interstate moves with real-time shipment tracking
United Van Lines lands at the top of U.S. News’ Best Interstate Moving Companies rating and maintains over 500 agents nationwide. Its standout feature is a shipment-tracking portal that lets you check the status of your belongings in transit, something most van lines still don’t offer.
Services: Long-distance, local (through agents), international, corporate, storage, packing.
Tradeoffs:
Pricing is difficult to pin down upfront. You’ll often need an in-home or video survey before getting numbers.
Claims handling gets mixed reviews. Some agents resolve issues quickly while others drag out the process.
Agent-dependent quality, same as other van line models.
6. Safeway Moving
Best for: Flat-rate pricing with complimentary storage included
Safeway Moving is based in Fort Lauderdale and offers flat-rate pricing with 30 days of free storage included. The company operates in all 50 states and holds a 4.7 Trustpilot rating from over 230 reviews, along with 4.45 stars from 349 BBB customer reviews.
Services: Full-service packing, long-distance moving, storage, disassembly and reassembly.
Tradeoffs:
The BBB grade is D- due to slow response times to complaints. The customer review scores are high, but the company’s handling of formal complaints has lagged.
Practitioners on Reddit and consumer forums report occasional communication gaps during peak season, with updates going quiet for days during cross-country hauls.
Not available for local-only Florida moves.
7. North American Van Lines
Best for: Corporate relocations and large-home moves
North American Van Lines provides quotes for local, long-distance, and international moves through its network of 500+ agents. The company is a strong option for employer-sponsored relocations, where its corporate services infrastructure and nationwide agent footprint simplify complex multi-family moves.
Services: Packing, unpacking, storage, furniture assembly, corporate relocation management.
Tradeoffs:
Multiple ConsumerAffairs reviews report damage issues and slow claims resolution.
Pricing lacks transparency until you go through a full estimate process.
Quality depends heavily on which local agent handles your move.
8. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK
Best for: Local and in-state Florida moves
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK stands out as the top choice for in-state Florida moves thanks to its balance of efficient handling and solid customer service. The franchise model means locations are locally owned and operated, with crews that know their metro area well. They also offer junk removal, which is useful if you’re downsizing.
Services: Full-service local moving, interstate moves, junk removal, packing and unpacking.
Special items: Safes, pianos, heavy furniture.
Tradeoffs:
Not ideal for long-distance or cross-country moves. Interstate service exists but isn’t the core competency.
Franchise quality varies from location to location. Check local reviews, not just the national brand.
Does not handle antiques or offer international moves.
9. Colonial Van Lines
Best for: Long-distance moves from Florida with mobile-app quoting
Colonial Van Lines has been based in Pompano Beach, Florida, for more than 50 years and completes over 12,000 moves annually. The company’s mobile app lets you catalog your inventory and get a quote without scheduling an in-home survey, which is convenient for people planning moves early.
Services: Long-distance moving across 48 states, packing, storage.
Tradeoffs:
The upfront deposit can be quite high, and the exact amount isn’t published until you receive a quote.
No local-only move option.
Fewer customer reviews are available than from the van line giants, making it harder to assess consistency.
How Much Do Movers Cost in Florida?
Local moves
Florida local movers typically charge by the hour at an average rate of $116 per hour. Total costs range from $420 for a studio apartment to $3,833 for a large home, depending on access challenges, stairs, and add-on services like packing.
Here’s how local costs break down by home size:
Home Size | Average Cost |
|---|---|
Studio | $444 |
1 Bedroom | $720 |
2 Bedroom | $1,260 |
3 Bedroom | $1,980 |
5+ Bedroom | Up to $3,857 |
Interstate moves
Interstate moves from Florida run between $2,500 and $7,500 for most standard homes. The national average for an interstate move sits around $9,060, so Florida’s costs can actually fall below the mean depending on your route and timing.
Popular route estimates for 2026:
Route | Cost Range |
|---|---|
$3,500 – $7,000 | |
$5,500 – $10,000+ | |
$2,500 – $5,500 |
Saving money on a Florida move
Moving mid-week and during the off-season (October through March) can save up to 20% compared to weekend and holiday bookings. Florida’s snowbird traffic keeps demand unusually high even outside the traditional summer peak, so booking early matters more here than in most states.
Always request a binding estimate in writing. In a 2025 This Old House survey of 1,000 recent movers, fewer than half (43.1%) received one. But among those who did, 88.7% said their final total matched the quoted rate. That’s a strong argument for insisting on it.
How to Choose a Moving Company in Florida (Verification Checklist)
Florida’s regulatory environment is tighter than most states’, and for good reason. Here’s a step-by-step process to vet any mover before signing.
Step 1: Check FMCSA registration. Every company performing interstate moves must have a USDOT number and an MC number. Search them on the FMCSA SAFER database and confirm the operating status shows “Authorized.”
Step 2: Verify FDACS registration for intrastate moves. Florida law under Chapter 507 requires any company offering in-state household moving to register with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and obtain an Intrastate Mover (IM) number. That number must appear on vehicles, contracts, and advertising.
Step 3: Ask directly, “Are you a broker or a carrier?” This is the single most important question. A carrier owns trucks and employs crews. A broker sells your job to someone else. More on this below.
Step 4: Demand a binding estimate. Get it in writing. Non-binding estimates are just guesses, and they leave room for the price to spike on moving day. For guidance on what makes a moving quote trustworthy, it helps to understand the different types of estimates before you start calling.
Step 5: Verify insurance minimums. Under Senate Bill 304 (effective July 2024), Florida movers must carry $500,000 in general liability coverage, plus cargo and workers’ compensation insurance.
Step 6: Check complaint history. Search the BBB, FMCSA complaint records, and the Florida AG’s consumer protection database. A pattern of complaints matters more than any single review.
Broker vs. Carrier: What Florida Consumers Must Know
This distinction is the biggest source of confusion and complaints in the Florida moving industry, and most comparison articles skip over it entirely.
A carrier owns trucks, employs moving crews, and physically handles your belongings. When something goes wrong, there’s one company responsible.
A broker is a sales operation registered with the FMCSA to arrange moves, not perform them. Brokers have no trucks and no crews. They quote you a price, then sell your job to a third-party carrier you may never hear of until moving day. When furniture gets damaged or boxes go missing, the broker points to the carrier, and the carrier points to the broker. You’re stuck in the middle.
This isn’t hypothetical. One Axios reporter shared the experience plainly: “When I was getting ready to move to St. Pete earlier this year, I didn’t do my homework and used one of these scam brokers. The great estimate I got on the phone was way off when it came time for the real movers to load up my boxes, and I waited almost a month to get my stuff back.”
The problem is concentrated geographically. Of 238 Florida-based moving brokers registered with the FMCSA, 190 operate out of Broward, Palm Beach, or Miami-Dade counties. South Florida is essentially the national hub for moving broker operations.
The “hostage move” problem
In the worst cases, unvetted movers load your possessions onto a truck and then demand a price far higher than the quoted amount. Fran Roga of the Broward County Consumer Affairs Division has warned that these operators can “up the price as much as five times once everything is loaded onto the truck.” JK Moving’s David Cox describes it as a recurring pattern where fake movers “show up, load a customer’s possessions, and then demand an exorbitant ransom for their return.”
Florida’s Senate Bill 304 now makes it a third-degree felony, with fines up to $50,000, for a mover or their agent to refuse a law enforcement order to release a customer’s household goods. That’s real teeth. For more red flags and prevention tactics, see this guide on how to avoid moving scams.
Dual-authority companies
A smaller category of companies holds both carrier and broker authority. This means they can dispatch their own trucks on certain routes and broker to vetted partner carriers on others. It offers more flexibility than a pure carrier (which may decline routes outside its network) and more accountability than a pure broker (which never touches your belongings). AmeriSafe Van Lines operates under this dual-authority model.
Florida Moving Tips
Plan around hurricane season. June through November brings the risk of tropical storms that can delay moves by days or weeks. If your timeline is flexible, aim for October through March when both weather and demand work in your favor.
Budget for humidity-protection packing. Florida’s humidity and near-daily summer downpours make it one of the trickiest states to move into. Moisture can warp wood furniture, damage electronics, and ruin cardboard boxes. Ask your mover about climate-appropriate packing materials, or consider professional packing services if you’re moving valuable items.
Book early. Year-round snowbird traffic keeps Florida’s demand moving higher than most states, even outside peak summer months. Last-minute bookings often mean paying a premium or getting stuck with a less reliable crew.
Get at least three estimates. In-home or video surveys produce more accurate quotes than phone-only estimates. Compare not just the price but the estimate type (binding vs. non-binding), included services, and insurance coverage.
Keep critical items with you. Personally transport medications, important documents, jewelry, and irreplaceable items. No insurance policy fully compensates for a lost medication or a missing passport.
Consider senior moving assistance if applicable. Florida’s large retiree population means several movers offer specialized downsizing and senior-focused services. These programs typically include extra help with sorting, packing fragile items, and coordinating with assisted-living facilities.
Florida’s New Moving Law: Senate Bill 304
Effective July 1, 2024, Florida’s Senate Bill 304 significantly tightened regulations on movers and brokers. Here’s what changed:
Annual license renewals are now mandatory, with digital registration through FDACS.
Insurance minimums increased to $500,000 in general liability, plus cargo and workers’ compensation coverage.
The IM number must be displayed on all business materials, contracts, advertising, and vehicles.
Holding goods hostage is now a third-degree felony punishable by fines up to $50,000.
Operational reports must be submitted to maintain active registration.
Florida’s Attorney General has taken action against more than 18 movers and moving brokers, and a $1.83 million civil settlement was announced in March 2026 against NYC Holdings LLC, Navistar Van Lines LLC, and owner Zane Taranto for deceptive household-goods practices. These aren’t abstract risks. They’re active enforcement actions.
Planning a move from Florida? Contact AmeriSafe Van Lines for a custom quote from a company with dual carrier-broker authority and a Boynton Beach home base.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to hire a moving company in Florida?
Local moves average $116 per hour, with total costs ranging from about $420 for a studio to $3,857 for a five-bedroom home. Interstate moves from Florida typically range from $2,500 to $7,500, though cross-country routes like Florida to California can exceed $10,000.
Are moving brokers legal in Florida?
Yes. Moving brokers are legal and must register with the FMCSA. However, they don’t own trucks or employ movers. They sell your job to a third-party carrier. Of 238 Florida-based brokers registered with the FMCSA, 190 are concentrated in South Florida’s Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade counties. Always ask whether a company is a broker or a carrier before booking.
How do I verify a Florida mover’s license?
For interstate moves, search the company’s USDOT and MC numbers on the FMCSA SAFER database. For intrastate (within Florida) moves, verify their IM registration number through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Every licensed Florida mover must display their IM number on vehicles, contracts, and ads.
What is a binding estimate and why does it matter?
A binding estimate locks in your price. The mover can’t charge more than the quoted amount for the services listed. A non-binding estimate is just an approximation, and your final bill can be higher. In a 2025 survey of 1,000 recent movers, only 43% received a binding estimate, but nearly 89% of those who did said the final cost matched the quote.
What happens if a mover holds my belongings hostage?
Under Florida’s Senate Bill 304, refusing to release a customer’s household goods when ordered by law enforcement is a third-degree felony. Violators face fines up to $50,000. If this happens to you, call local law enforcement immediately and file a complaint with FDACS at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352).
What is a dual-authority moving company?
A dual-authority company holds both carrier and broker licenses. This means it can use its own trucks and crews on some moves while assigning vetted partner carriers on others. This model offers more route flexibility than a pure carrier and more accountability than a pure broker.
When is the cheapest time to move to Florida?
October through March offers the best combination of lower demand, better pricing, and reduced hurricane risk. Moving mid-week instead of on weekends can save up to 20%. Avoid the peak summer months and holiday weekends when rates are highest and crews are stretched thin.
Where do I file a complaint against a Florida mover?
File a complaint online with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services or call 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352). For interstate movers, you can also file with the FMCSA’s National Consumer Complaint Database.
