FAQs & Moving Tips
Yes, we are licensed by the Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS). Our license number is CAL-T 191175.
You can verify our compliance by visiting the State's official website. Simply search for our company name or enter our CAL-T number (191175) to view our licensing information.
It’s important to note that many companies operate unlawfully with only a city business license, but California law requires moving companies to be licensed through BHGS. The Bureau’s website is updated daily, and you can also view all insurance requirements there. Click here to look up movers on BHGS website.
No. This is the most popular question by far and a very important one. We don’t have any hidden fees and will actually disclose to you the top hidden charges in the industry.
Request a free quote online and we will also send you some additional common hidden fees the industry often charges.
Yes, gratuity is gladly accepted but not a requirement.
Yes, we are always happy to provide you with any certificates that may be required by building management or more oftentimes required when moving from or to commercial properties. All we ask is we have these requests emailed to us. Certificate holders are usually very specific as to how they are listed as additional insured.
We do ask that you remove any breakables such as perfume, cologne bottles, and any other fragile items. Clothes are generally okay left packed in the drawers, however if you have excessively large or heavy dresser or armoire you may consider emptying the drawers to facilitate the move.
Some moving companies won’t alert you of their procedures and on move day they come with extra boxes and will require all the drawers to be emptied so that they may sell you their boxes and charge a packing fee.
Premium Movers worst case scenario you have a large dresser upstairs full of clothes to heavy to be moved as is. We remove all the drawers carry the dresser downstairs and place all drawers back in the unit and once we blanket wrap it we can easily dolly the heavy dresser to the truck.
We always pay and no it isn’t added to the bill. We go the Bay Area quite often and our entire fleet is equipped with FasTrak to pay for all bridge/road tolls.
Some of our competitors will just ask for the cash to cross the bridge before heading down to the Bay and with some moving trucks having as many as 6 axles you may be unexpectedly paying $35-$50 for some of the Bay Area Bridges.
The 3rd or 4th day after your expected closing date is usually a recommended choice. While many try to schedule on the actual closing date of their home, delays often occur, escrows are delayed or loans don’t fund in time. The stress of having to reschedule due to the unforeseen delays can be avoided. With 20 years of moving experience we are far too familiar with delays from construction, remodeling, occupancy permits, etc. When possible allow yourself a cushion of time with both homes.
If you will be renting your new home the possibility of delay is less likely and the 2nd day of possession is an optimal choice. Rescheduling is a common occurrence and we strive to accommodate your first choice when changing dates.
We offer the same rate 6 days a week and Saturday’s are usually the most popular choice. If you do want to move on a Saturday we recommend securing your date in advance.
Midweek specials are regularly posted on our website and typically are offered Tuesday-Thursdays.
This depends on how large your move is and the distance being traveled. A small Studio move a few blocks away can be scheduled with little notice, but a large home to Southern California for example, should usually be scheduled with 1-2 weeks' notice. The more notice we receive the better your selection becomes on the date and time of arrival.
For those wanting a morning move our general arrival time is 7am. Office and commercial moves are usually requested for a 5pm start and are completed by our swing shift crew so no need to worry that the movers have been working all day. We can accommodate most requests that are made in advance.
All of our employees have a minimum of seven (7) years moving experience. We are a family owned and operated company with a zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol in the work place. Unlike many of our large competitors we have a true limit of how many moves we will accommodate. That's because we won't ever call a temp agency or labor staff to fill our moving jobs. If you hire us it's because we will take on the project with “Premium Movers” only. If another project comes up for tomorrow and we are already booked we gladly offer the next available date. If that doesn't work we would rather offer no service than bad service. We know our staff and guarantee great service, we don't know who the temp agency will send and won't risk it...ever!
The summer is always a high demand for movers due to the fact people prefer to move when the kids are out of school. The most congested weeks of the summer months are the last weeks of every month. Everyone tries to move out before the next month’s rent is due. While we maintain our same low rates for everyday of the summer many movers charge more for these ultra peak weeks. Reserving your move in advance is recommended about 2-3 weeks. The more notice the better.
The most common items that require disassembly for transportation are bed frames, bunk beds, canopy, water beds, cribs, tables, and a china hutch usually is a two piece unit secured to the base by a simple screwed bracket. While we have no separate fees for individual items, if you are paying by the hour, the more work you save us is the more money you will save in the end. Quick tip: If your furniture requires a unique tool be sure to have it available, on moving day.
Exclusive use to the elevators is ideal, and make for a smooth move. Park your vehicles in front of your building or home the night before the move. We recommend blocking off 35’-40’ for parking and maneuvering. To insure a space in a highly transited street you may need to reserve a parking permit thru your local police department. They are often needed in deliveries to cities such as San Francisco.
Have a clear idea as to the new setup at your new home. The best plan of action is having a diagram of the rooms with the layout of the furniture. Remember the tape measure does not lie. If you measure all your furniture beforehand you will be able to determine the proper arrangement at the new location. If your move is to a smaller location, or includes an above average amount of boxes we recommend the boxes being placed in the garage at delivery. This will allow you to bring in manageable quantities to unpack at your convenience.
Such as television sets, DVD players, surround sound, home computers, stereos, etc., 24 hours in advance of a move so they will be at room temperature on moving day. This will also speed things up the day of the move.
Prior to the mover’s arrival, whenever possible. Water lines from the washer, gas line valve on the dryer, ice maker line on the refrigerator, and of course the gas valve on any oven/range.
Moving to a smaller home or a different floor-plan. Play it safe and move the large furniture over first. Many people often commit this mistake and transport over all the small items and boxes to their new home. On the second trip there is no space left to bring in the furniture. If you want to save time by bringing boxes over beforehand unload them in the garage or an area out of the way of the movers or the placement of furniture.
Boxes should be taped at both seams top & bottom. Folding flaps is an unsafe method. Boxes with open lids or tops risk losing their contents and are not safely stackable. We recommend using high quality boxes. Used professional moving boxes are great on the environment and perfect for movers. Do not use grocery boxes, such as banana or apple boxes with open tops. Plastic packing tape only, paper tape is not as sturdy and duct tape does not hold to cartons as good.
Place these items on there sides and not laying flat. This lessens the chance of breakage. Wrap all fragile items in unprinted newsprint, tissue, or bubble wrap. Clean newsprint works best and is cost effective. Fill the empty air pockets in the box with crumpled newspaper. Filling the boxes completely allows minimal chance of the box being crushed.
Should be removed from lamps and packed into boxes. Be sure to label these fragile.
Heavy items: such as books, magazines, and weights should be packed in a small standard moving box such as 16”x12.5”x12.5” (also known as 1.5cu ft box).
Hold a garage sale or call for a donation pickup service such as Goodwill or Salvation Army.
From lawn mowers, generators, weed wackers, and other garden equipment.
Stock up on boxes and tape, so many people plan on having just enough boxes and end up making multiple last minute trips to purchase more boxes. We recommend having 20 boxes more than you think you'll need on moving day. There is always that undiscovered closet you didn't pack or goods found in the attic. Also, your mover may recommend packing items you may have thought could be shipped loose.
Label exactly what room you want the box moved to at the new house.
Labeling the sides of the box instead of the top. This makes all the information visible when you have a stack of boxes being wheeled in on a dolly.
This is a great tip to use especially on larger home moves. Green for office, yellow for den, orange for bonus room/loft, etc. Moving to 2 level condo; designate one color for each level.
If it fits in a box - pack it. The rule applies from your standard small box of 1.5 cubic ft to your extra large box of 6.0 cubic ft. Wardrobe boxes can be extremely useful for the odd and over-sized items we accumulate over time. Such as snowboards, ski equipment, golf bags, boogie boards, miscellaneous sporting equipment, weed blowers, trimmers, clippers, rakes, shovels, and other gardening tools.
While all these items can be moved without the use of a box it's definitely a worthwhile investment. The box will not only protect these items from damage but it will make the move much easier for you or the moving company you hire. It especially pays off when you are moving locally and thus paying for movers by the hour. Having invested in packing several wardrobes will speed things up more than you think. Each wardrobe can be easily moved to the truck with a dolly versus several trips hand carrying the odd items mentioned above.
Search the internet for the best rates, ask about AAA discounts and military personnel specials.
Most rental truck companies allow this at no additional cost. Just try to give them as much notice as possible.
With so many companies to rent from you will quickly find out not all 16' trucks are the same size. Company A might have a truck with a loading space of 16'L x 8'H x 7 1/2'W. Company B might have a 16'L x 7 1/2'H x 6'W. The best way to compare the space of the truck is to ask for all 3 inside dimensions. Some companies may post cubic feet per truck for a quick comparison. When picking up the truck take your tape measure along for reassurance.
You don't want to arrive on the morning of your move day and find out they have no truck available for you. By you calling and alerting them of your reservation it forces them to double check that they have a truck available for you. There has been times where a truck is not available due to an error in their system of over booking and the customer is sent to a different location to pick up their rental. This can be a major set back, there's your time to pickup the truck and then if you hired movers they might be at your home, on the clock, waiting for you to arrive. Should they transfer your reservation to another location that is out of the way for you don't hesitate on asking for a discount or even a credit for the additional mileage you will incur.
Don't rely on the fuel gauge. Do an actual visual inspection. Rental trucks have large fuel tanks, often two, one on each side of the truck. You should be able to easily see the fuel by removing the cap. If you see it's low simply ask them to top it off before you leave. We have been around trucks long enough to know most mark full at 90-95% fuel capacity. That may result in you being short 5-10 gallons.
Remember these are constantly being updated in the computers and typos do occur. The mileage is usually the most expensive factor in a rental.
Many of you might have rental car protection when rented through your credit card company. Confirm the insurance applies to commercial vehicles, in most cases it does not. The insurance cost on the rental is usually costly but definitely worth it.