Apartment movers NYC residents trust, for the moves other companies find hard: stairs with no elevator, buildings that require a certificate of insurance before anyone touches a box, freight elevators that must be reserved weeks ahead, and streets where a truck cannot legally park. Big Apple Moving has handled residential moves across all five boroughs for over 40 years, and our crews know how to work around every one of those obstacles.
Apartment & Residential Movers in NYC: Walk-Ups, Elevator Buildings and Everything Between
Most residential moves in New York City are apartment moves, and apartment moves are defined by the building, not the furniture. A fourth-floor walk-up in Park Slope is a completely different job from a doorman building on the Upper East Side, even if the contents are identical.
Our crews arrive knowing which one they are walking into. We ask about stair counts, elevator access, loading dock hours and building paperwork before moving day, so nothing gets discovered at 8am with a truck double-parked outside. That preparation is the difference between a move that finishes by lunchtime and one that runs into the evening.
We move studios, one-bedrooms, multi-bedroom apartments, brownstones and townhouses across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island, plus Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland and Fairfield.
How Much Do Apartment Movers NYC Charge?
Apartment movers NYC wide usually price by crew size and hours, with the building itself being the biggest variable. The table below shows typical ranges for a local move within the city. These are market-rate estimates, not guaranteed quotes — your exact price depends on access, distance and how much packing you need.
| Apartment size | Typical crew | Estimated hours | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 2 movers | 3–5 hours | $400 – $700 |
| 1 bedroom | 2–3 movers | 4–6 hours | $600 – $1,100 |
| 2 bedrooms | 3 movers | 6–8 hours | $1,000 – $1,800 |
| 3 bedrooms | 3–4 movers | 7–9 hours | $1,700 – $2,800 |
| 4+ bedrooms | 4–5 movers | 9+ hours | $2,500 – $4,500 |
Estimates reflect typical local moves within New York City as of 2026. Moving mid-week and between November and February is generally cheaper than a summer weekend.
Three things push a price toward the higher end of these ranges: stairs, distance from the truck to the door, and packing. A third-floor walk-up with no parking outside will take longer than a ground-floor apartment with a loading dock, and that time difference is what you pay for.
Moving Out of a NYC Walk-Up vs an Elevator Building
Walk-ups and elevator buildings are priced and staffed differently, and knowing which you have makes your quote far more accurate.
Walk-Up Buildings
In a walk-up, every item goes down the stairs on someone’s back. We add crew for walk-ups above the second floor, because a larger team on the stairs is faster and safer than a small team making twice the trips. Narrow stairwells and tight landings are the real constraint here, not the weight — a sofa that fits through the door may still not make the turn at the landing, which is why we ask about stairwell width in advance.
Elevator Buildings
Elevator buildings are usually quicker, but they come with rules. Most require you to reserve the freight elevator, and many restrict moving to weekday business hours. Some buildings only permit one move per day, so the slot has to be booked well ahead. Once the elevator is padded and reserved, a two-bedroom that would take eight hours in a walk-up can be done in five.
Certificate of Insurance (COI) for NYC Buildings
Most New York apartment buildings will not let a moving crew through the door without a certificate of insurance on file. A COI is a document from the moving company’s insurer confirming coverage, naming your building’s management company and often the building’s owner as additional insured parties.
Every building words its requirements slightly differently, and a COI that satisfies one management company can be rejected by another over a missing line. We prepare and send COIs for our residential moves as standard, and we send them directly to your management office ahead of moving day rather than handing you paperwork to chase.
If your building has specific COI requirements, send them to us when you book and we will match them exactly. Learn more on our COI movers page.
Booking Your Building’s Freight Elevator and Loading Dock
In most elevator buildings the freight elevator has to be reserved, and the reservation is what dictates your moving date — not the other way around. Popular slots at the start and end of the month fill weeks in advance.
Call your building or management office as soon as you have a target date and ask four questions:
Bring us those four answers and we can schedule a crew that matches your window exactly.
Where there is no loading dock, the truck parks as close as legally possible and the crew carries from there. Curbside rules vary by street, and the NYC DOT truck routing rules determine where a moving truck can legally stop. That carry distance is worth mentioning when you request a quote, because it affects both time and price.
What’s Included in a Big Apple Moving Residential Move
Every residential move includes the following as standard.
Full-Service Moving
Our crews handle the entire move end to end — disassembly, protection, loading, transport, unloading and reassembly at the new address. You do not need to lift anything.
Local Moves
Moves within New York City and the surrounding counties, typically completed in a single day.
Packing Services
Our team packs your kitchen, wardrobes, electronics and fragile items using proper materials. You can book packing for the whole apartment or just the rooms you would rather not do yourself.
Unpacking Services
We unpack boxes at the new apartment and remove the empty cartons and packing material, so you are not left with a wall of cardboard.
Furniture Moving and Reassembly
Beds, wardrobes, dining tables and modular sofas are disassembled, wrapped, moved and rebuilt in the correct room at the other end. See our furniture movers service.
Same Day Moving
When a move has to happen immediately, our same-day movers can often put a crew together the same day, subject to availability.
We also handle commercial moves, interstate and long-distance relocations, storage, junk removal and plastic bin rental. Those are covered on their own pages.
Why New Yorkers Choose Big Apple Moving
More Than 40 Years in New York
We have been moving New Yorkers since the 1980s. Four decades in the same city means our crews have already seen your building, your staircase and your street.
Licensed and Fully Insured
We are licensed and insured for residential moving in New York, and we provide certificates of insurance to your building as part of the booking process. You can verify any mover’s licensing through the FMCSA.
Trained Residential Crews
Apartment moving is its own skill. Our crews are trained on stair carries, tight turns, protecting shared hallways and working within building time windows.
Free, Honest Quotes
Quotes are free and based on the real details of your move. We would rather ask more questions up front than surprise you on the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about moving apartments in New York City.
UNBEATABLE PRICES
UPFRONT PRICES WITH NO HIDDEN FEES
Hidden fees are the bane of every moving experience. We will never surprise you with any added costs, and our unbeatable prices will always remain precisely as stated. We will work with you to devise a customized plan, no matter your budget or constraints, and our goal is to provide you with the option of full service moving in NYC to make your moving process as comfortable and affordable as possible.
ONLINE QUOTEBIG APPLE MOVING CUSTOMER PLEDGE
YOUR SATISFACTION IS GUARANTEED
At Big Apple Moving & Storage, we pride ourselves with unmatched quality service and customer satisfaction rate – our services are always delivered with the utmost courtesy and highest professional standards. Whether you are scheduling a move or simply seeking information, our helpful, supportive staff will do whatever in their power to provide you with whatever information you require, and assist you in planning a smooth, hassle-free enjoyable moving experience.
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