3 Best Moving Companies | How We Chose | Best Overall | Best for Trusted Reputation | Best for Moving on a Budget | Cost of Movers | Avoiding Scams
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In Rochester, hiring a full-service mover costs an average of $3,852 for a three-bedroom home. This is higher than the national average of $1,963, but many people find the convenience well worth the cost.
For a three-bedroom home, you'll need four movers working for about eight hours to pack your belongings, load them into the truck, then deliver them to your new home. Expect to pay about $50 per mover per hour, plus the cost of the truck and packing supplies. You should also budget for a 10–20% tip.
To help you find the best combination of cost and service, we reviewed 56 local moving companies in Rochester, NY. We then ranked the top three so you know where to begin your search.
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3 Best Moving Companies in Rochester (at a Glance)
| Company | What We Like | Avg. Customer Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Clark Moving & Storage | Best Overall | 4.4 (183 reviews) |
| Moveco | Best for Trusted Reputation | 5.0 (167 reviews) |
| Tony Caccamise Moving | Best for Moving on a Budget | 4.5 (95 reviews) |
How We Chose the Companies on This List
Our team spent over 100 hours researching moving companies across the United States. We started with a list of more than 25,000 moving companies, then narrowed it down by eliminating companies that:
- Were not registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMCSA)
- Had fewer than 10 customer reviews
- Didn’t have a website
- Had a relatively high number of safety and service violations according to the FMCSA
The remaining companies were ranked based on the following metrics:
- 5x: Average customer rating across all platforms (Yelp, Google, Angi, etc.)
- 4x: Total number of customer reviews (more reviews indicates a more reliable average rating)
- 3x: Total count of out-of-service violations (as indicated by the FMCSA)
- 2x: How many drivers a company has on staff per vehicles it has registered
- 1x: Whether a company is full-service or only offers labor services
Each metric was normalized and then graded on a 100-point scale. The combined weighted average of the scores determined the final ranking score.
We also mystery-shopped to gather quotes from more than 150 moving companies and surveyed our team members — who have moved more than 300 times collectively — on what was most important to them when choosing a moving company.
Who Should Use a Full-Service Mover?
We recommend full-service movers for people who can budget at least $300 for a one-bedroom apartment and at least $1,600 for a three-bedroom home.
Full-service is helpful if you have large, complicated things to move, can’t carry heavy stuff, or have a busy schedule (which may include closing on your new home). Likewise, if you don’t have friends and family available to help, hiring experts can make your move much quicker.
Full-service moving typically includes:
- Packing your items
- Disassembling furniture
- Loading the truck with your items
- Delivery to your new home
- Reassembling furniture
If you feel comfortable doing some of the heavy lifting and driving yourself, consider DIY moving or using labor-only movers who help you load your rented truck. DIY will certainly save you money (but maybe not your back).
3 Best Moving Companies in Rochester
1. Clark Moving & Storage: Best Overall
The best overall mover in Rochester is Clark Moving & Storage. It's an award-winning woman-owned business offering a wide range of moving services to clients across Monroe County and the greater Rochester area. It handles full-service residential and commercial moves, including local, long-distance, and international moving. It can even move high-value items and store and deliver artwork, electronics, and medical equipment.
In online reviews, previous clients commended Clark Moving & Storage for providing reasonable and accurate quotes and excellent professional services. It has a few negative company reviews, most of which are from several years back, revolving around mismanaged expectations and damage claims.
Although Clark Moving & Storage has numerous vehicles available, we only gave it a medium reliability score for having only one driver per vehicle. This could mean possible scheduling issues with jobs.
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⚡ Quick Tip: We recommend getting custom quotes from independent moving brokers. These services are free to use with no obligation and make it easy to compare multiple options to find the best fit and value. Get instant quotes here. |
2. Moveco: Best for Trusted Reputation
Moveco has over three decades of experience in the Rochester moving industry, and its expertise is reflected in its positive reviews. Although few, those that left reviews praised the company's professional and communicative team and excellent, straightforward service. The even fewer negative ratings are from years back, most of which don’t elaborate on why they rated the company poorly.
Moveco works throughout the entire Western and Central New York Region. Apart from full-service residential moving, it's also licensed to perform interstate moves — contact one of its reps for a quote.
We gave Moveco a medium reliability rating, as it only has a one-to-one ratio of drivers to vehicles. This opens it up to schedule conflicts should there be an employee that doesn’t show up to work.
3. Tony Caccamise Moving: Best for Moving on a Budget
Caccamise Moving & Storage Co. is a family-owned moving company in Rochester, NY that’s been operating for over 40 years. It's one of our recommended local moving services because of its great affordability.
Previous clients praise its team of professional movers for being efficient, personable, and careful with their valuables. It has a few negative company reviews, most of which were a few years old, with complaints of mismanaged expectations and reports of damaged items.
Caccamise Moving & Storage Co. offers services throughout Rochester and the surrounding areas. It can handle full-service residential and commercial moving, including delicate items like glassware and pianos.
Caccamise is incredibly affordable. We were quoted only $962 to move a 3-bedroom home, which is a far cry from the city average of $3,852. However, it only got a medium reliability score for having a one-to-one ratio of drivers to vehicles, which can mean scheduling concerns if an employee calls off work.
Next Steps: Compare Moving Companies in Rochester
How Much Do Movers Cost in Rochester?
The average cost of full-service professional movers in Rochester runs from $596 for a studio apartment up to $3,852 for a 3-bedroom home. A 5-bedroom home costs about $6,934. Moving long-distance across New York State or out of the state entirely will incur extra charges.
Full-service moving rates can vary widely depending on how much and where you're moving, so reach out to a moving company for an accurate quote.
Typical Cost Breakdown
The cost of your full-service move depends primarily on four key factors:
- Size of your home
- Number of movers and hours you’ll need them
- Driving distance from door to door
- Charge for use of truck (if not included in hourly rate)
At base, most companies charge an hourly rate per mover, then tack on additional fees for other factors.
| Don’t forget to tip 💸
It’s common courtesy to tip your movers 10–20% of the total cost. For a three-bedroom home, that could be upwards of $300. |
Other Things That Could Increase Your Cost
Circumstances and challenges specific to your move could cost you more money.
| 🕰️ Timing |
Companies often charge higher rates for weekends, holidays, and jobs that require movers to work overtime. |
| 🎹 Specialty items |
Moving pianos or other heavy and awkward pieces might require additional time and movers. |
| 🧳 Packing supplies |
Extra bubble wrap for fragile items, large wardrobe boxes for clothes, and other packing supplies can add up. Save by providing your own. |
| 📦 Unpacking service |
Some companies offer unpacking as part of full-service moving. You can save money by doing this yourself. |
| 🏢 Difficult circumstances |
Stairs, narrow hallways, elevators, and distant parking can incur additional time and fees. |
| 🗝️ Storage |
If your new home isn’t ready, you’ll need to store your items until you can move in. |
| 🛡️ Insurance |
If your renters or homeowners insurance policy doesn’t cover transport of your possessions, you can buy insurance from your moving company or a third party. |
How to Get a Quote
You can get a quote from most movers by calling or filling out an online form to provide details about your home.
For the most accurate estimate, ask the mover to stop by your home in person or virtually to take a look at your belongings. This will allow the mover to take note of more complicated items, such as antique furniture or extra heavy items.
Alternatively, a moving broker can do the work for you, providing a quote from a carrier in your area.
How to Avoid Moving Company Scams
Check your mover’s Federal registration. You can check the company’s registration, violations, and complaint history by searching on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website.
Look for complaints on the Better Business Bureau website. Searching the company’s BBB profile can give you an idea of what kinds of complaints have been filed against the company and how the business resolved them.
Understand your rights and responsibilities. By law, every interstate mover must provide documentation about your rights as a consumer and the mover’s responsibilities. Make sure you read it carefully!
Know about your insurance options. If you’re moving within the same state, your mover may offer you coverage, or you can purchase a moving insurance policy independently. According to Federal law, interstate movers must offer two different types of valuation coverage: full value protection and released value.
If you notice one or more of these red flags when researching a moving company, it's probably best to avoid it.
How Far in Advance Should I Reach Out to a Mover in Rochester?
If you're moving locally within Rochester, look for a moving company about one month before your move — or two months ahead of time if you plan to move during the peak season of May through August. For interstate moves, start looking two to three months out, depending on the season.Sources
We drew from the following sources to write this article:
- “What is the Cost to Move in Rochester,” moveBuddha
- “Here’s How to Determine How Many Movers You Need for Your Next Move,” Angi
- “How Many Movers Do I Need?” moveBuddha
- “Liability and Protection,” Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- “Spot the Red Flags,” Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
