Long-Distance Moving in Santa Monica, CA

Moves that start and end inside California are regulated by the Department of Consumer Affairs Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS), not the CPUC, which stopped regulating household movers on July 1, 2018 under Senate Bill 19. Popeye Moving & Storage operates under CAL T 189749 for moves inside California, holds USDOT 1472924 and MC 498816C for interstate work, and is fully insured. Moves that cross a state line are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration under USDOT and MC authority, with different paperwork and a different complaint route. You can check any mover's permit with BHGS at bhgs.dca.ca.gov or on (916) 999-2041 before you book, and complaints about a California household mover go to BHGS.

Yes. Estimates and quotes are free, including in-home and video estimates, and a video survey lets Popeye give you a guaranteed binding price. On a move inside California the price is set in writing before anything is loaded, with a Not To Exceed figure that caps the bill unless you agree to a written Change Order For Services for added work. A verbal rate over the phone is not an estimate. On interstate moves, binding estimates are available under federal rules. California law requires a written estimate on in-state moves but does not require a binding one; the Not To Exceed figure is what caps an in-state bill. Call (310) 823-9510 - the office is open 6 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week, including Sunday.

A move from Santa Monica to another California city is intrastate and falls under the Household Movers Act and Maximum Rate Tariff 4, administered by the Bureau of Household Goods and Services. A move from Santa Monica to another state is interstate and falls under federal rules. The two regimes use different estimates, valuation rules and complaint routes, so your paperwork will say which one applies.

Loading time depends on the size of the household and the access at each address, and transit time depends on distance, route and scheduling. We discuss a delivery window for your specific move at the estimate and put the agreed dates in writing, rather than quoting a general figure that may not fit your route.

File a written claim with the mover within nine months of delivery. Under Maximum Rate Tariff 4 on California moves, the mover must acknowledge a written claim within 30 days and pay, decline or make a firm settlement offer within 60 days, and a claim cannot be denied only because the damage was not noted at delivery. Keep your estimate, Agreement For Moving Services and bill of lading, because that paperwork supports any claim.

Typical Los Angeles ranges are $350 to $650 for a one-bedroom apartment local move and $150 to $200 per hour for a two-person crew and truck on local residential moves. These are typical ranges, not a quote. Elevator windows, stair carries and double drive time all affect the hours, and on a move inside California your price is set in writing before anything is loaded, with a Not To Exceed figure.

Yes. Popeye holds CAL T 189749 for moves inside California and USDOT 1472924 and MC 498816C for interstate work, and is fully insured. California household movers have been regulated by the Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS), not the CPUC, since July 1 2018 under SB 19. California requires a written estimate, and the Not To Exceed figure agreed in writing caps your bill.

Yes. In-home and video estimates are free, and a video survey can lead to a guaranteed binding price. Show us the building entrance, the elevator or stairs, and where the truck can stand, whether that is the street, an alley or a loading area.

Yes. Popeye offers full-service vaulted storage at its own warehouse at 5509 1/2 S Centinela Ave in Mar Vista. Goods are placed into vaults at the warehouse the same day as pickup, with no overnight hold on the truck. You do not get a unit or key; our crews handle the goods, the space is climate controlled, and there is no minimum or maximum term.

Often, yes. Active loading is allowed in Santa Monica alleys provided 11 feet of clearance can be kept, and some alleys limit loading to 30 minutes or less, so the signs on that alley need checking. A full-size truck that cannot leave 11 feet clear is not legally loading there, so truck size is chosen at the estimate.

The City will not reserve ADA spaces at blue curb, valet parking during its operating hours, curbside bike lanes, loading zones or red curb. Metered and unmetered spaces can be reserved for up to 72 hours, and for metered spaces the meter numbers have to be supplied, so someone needs to walk the block first.

No. Moving containers, PODS and dumpsters are not covered by the Temporary No Parking Sign process. The City sends them to Public Works for a Use of Public Property Permit, with a fee based partly on the space occupied. Fees change, so confirm the current amount with the City.