Here’s what comes up time and again: the way a flat rate by home size gets settled, what that $1M of cargo protection truly covers, and how the crews handle on-street parking, historic-home access, and a real New England winter. Scan down and odds are your answer is already sitting here.
Yours isn’t covered? No trouble — lay it out on the quote form, or catch us via the contact page. Someone real here writes back the day you reach out, usually well within the hour.
What does a local move cost in Portsmouth?
Your pick: by the hour or as one fixed figure. The hourly side reads $135/hr with two movers, $175/hr with three, $225/hr with four. Going flat against the home: roughly $420 to $680 for a studio, $680 to $1,140 for a one-bedroom, $1,140 to $1,950 for a two-bedroom, $1,950 to $3,250 for a three-bedroom, and $3,180 to $5,000 for a four-bedroom. A haul from far down the street, more flights, or packing on top will nudge it. Once we measure the place and how we get in, that rate gets written down, and the written line is precisely what you owe.
Are you licensed and insured?
On both counts, yes. Operations run across New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts; interstate jobs ride on US DOT and MC authority; and $1M of cargo coverage sits behind every move. The paperwork is yours to inspect whenever, and any certificate of insurance a building or condo board wants gets cut ahead of moving day.
What kinds of moves do you handle?
The whole range. Around-town and cross-country, single-family houses and apartments, downtown condos, office and commercial jobs, packing, piano work, downsizing and senior moves, climate-controlled storage, plus short-notice and same-day runs. Being a full-service general mover means a lone studio or a four-bedroom household bound across the map both land on the calendar and travel start to finish with people on our own payroll.
How far ahead should I book?
Roughly two weeks is the safe call for a Saturday or those last few days of any month, since leases flip then and the slots tighten up. Midweek and mid-month dates tend to open with just a couple days' lead, and any day a truck would sit idle otherwise, we're glad to squeeze in a short-notice or same-day run — one call to (603) 436-2150 sets it in motion.
Do you require a deposit?
Local jobs almost never ask for anything ahead of time; a brief check-in call the day prior does the trick. Larger relocations, and anything crossing a state border, secure the date through a modest refundable deposit, which then comes off your final total.
What is your service area?
Portsmouth is base, and the whole Seacoast falls within range from there — the South End, downtown, Atlantic Heights, New Castle, Greenland, Newington, then onward to Dover, Rochester, Somersworth, Durham, Exeter, Hampton, Rye, and Stratham, and over the Memorial Bridge into Kittery, York, and Eliot. On top of that we make regular long runs along I-95 toward Boston, Manchester, Portland, and points well past.
How does parking and access work on a historic block?
A driveway is rare on plenty of South End and Exeter homes, which leaves the truck out at the curb for the day, and those curb spots vanish fast once the summer crowds arrive. Ahead of time we walk the block, tuck the rig as close to the door as the street allows, and where a city permit or a held space would help, we set that up and fold any small fee into the written quote. The payoff: no extra block of hauling for the crew, no parking scramble for you on the day.
Can you handle a downtown condo or a building with an elevator?
Routinely. Buildings at Portwalk, the waterfront, and around downtown come with elevator reservation slots, loading-area rules, and certificate demands, and they fill a chunk of our calendar. Give us the building when you reserve, and ahead of the ramp dropping we'll hold the elevator window, square away the loading area, and get the property manager a COI that names them by name.
Can you handle a walk-up or a narrow historic stairway?
That's the daily grind. Picture third-floor walk-ups off Islington Street and the West End, the slim doors and steep flights inside South End and Exeter colonials, the rear stairwells of converted Newmarket mill lofts. Before lifting a thing, the crew walks the path, sorts out the carry, and packs whatever dollies, straps, and pads the stairwell will demand. Note the floor and the stair style when you reserve and the right gear rides along.
How does Seacoast weather factor into a move?
Real snow, ice, and nor'easters define the winter here, and summers run humid with the stray cloudburst. Through the cold stretch a plowed, shoveled path makes all the difference, so down go extra floor coverings and salt-and-slush runners, with the carry timed around the storm. If a move has to pause while you wait on the next place, our climate-controlled storage holds everything steady instead of leaving it exposed to the freeze-and-thaw swing.
Do you offer packing and supplies?
Certainly. Full packs, partial packs, or just the breakables in the kitchen and china cabinet, and we show up carrying boxes, paper, tape, and wardrobe cartons. Rather pack solo? Pick up the supplies from us. Say how much help you'd like when you reserve, and the packing labor and materials roll into the written flat figure, leaving no late surprises.
Do you disassemble and reassemble furniture?
Yes, it's baked into the work. Bed frames, sectionals, dining tables, desks — whatever must surrender its legs to slip through a snug South End door or round a switchback colonial stair gets broken down where it stands and rebuilt in its new room. Our people bring the tools and bag every screw so none of it strays, and that's exactly how a piece that would never clear the opening whole still makes the climb unmarked.
Do you move offices and commercial relocations?
All the time. Suite moves and Pease Tradeport relocations take up a healthy share of the schedule, and they typically run after hours or over a weekend so the business never goes dark. Working alongside your facilities people, we arrange dock access, the insurance certificate, and the elevator reservations, while the crew dismantles and rebuilds cubicles and conference rooms.
Can you provide a COI for my building?
Definitely — condo boards, downtown buildings, and apartment offices across the Seacoast ask for one all the time. When you reserve, send over whatever the building spells out, and a certificate naming them by name lands with you in good time before the date, no charge attached.
Do you offer storage between moves?
Yes indeed. By unit size, a climate-controlled space runs about $110 to $280 monthly, kept at level temperature and humidity so warping and mold stay away. It pulls real weight when the next place isn't ready or a closing date drifts. Each item stays wrapped and locked up while you work out the timing, and redelivery happens on whatever day you call it.
How do interstate moves work?
A cross-border job rides under our US DOT and MC authority, billed flat or by weight, with the same people who loaded you in Portsmouth staying aboard clear to the door at the other end. Nothing gets handed off, dropped onto a load board, or shuffled trailer to trailer at a warehouse partway through. A good number of these moves carry a household after a new job, or a shipyard worker headed to a different posting.
Do you move pianos and other heavy specialty items?
We will. An upright or a grand, a gun safe, a pool table, gym gear, a hefty antique — each one rides on proper boards, heavy-duty dollies, and solid strapping. Plan on roughly $330 to $500 for an upright, and $580 to $880 for a baby grand, layered on top of the move, since the extra hands and equipment cost something. Flag the piece at booking and the rigging arrives with the crew.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We'll take a bank transfer, a debit card, or any of the major credit cards. Payment waits until the job stands finished in the new place and you've walked it — and that full flat figure sat plainly on the table long before then. Since New Hampshire charges no sales tax, the quoted number is the one you pay.
What happens if I need to cancel?
Flag a cancellation or a date change a couple of days out and the deposit returns whole. Plans shift; nobody catches a penalty for that. The earlier the heads-up, the quicker the slot opens for the next household in line.
Should I tip the crew?
No tip ever hides inside the charge, and the flat quote stands complete on its own — though three flights up an Islington Street walk-up with a full household in August has a way of inspiring one. Most folks settle somewhere near 15 percent of the total, split among the team, or a fixed amount handed to each mover. Strictly your call.