Furniture Shipping Washington D.C.

Most furniture shipping in Washington, DC starts with a short list: a Federal-style secretary desk from a Cleveland Park estate, a sleeper sofa leaving a Petworth rowhouse, or a bed, a dresser and a dozen boxes from a one-bedroom in NoMa. That is more than a parcel service will take and far less than a full moving van is built for. Ship Smart picks it up, packs it and sends it to another state, across Canada or overseas.

As a furniture shipping company that has handled small moves since 1999, we build our furniture shipping services in Washington, DC around white glove pickup from the first floor, included in every estimate. Our crew does the packing, so there are no cartons or moving blankets to buy. Glass-front cabinets, marble tops, mirrors and tall case clocks can travel in a custom wooden crate.

What Furniture Shipping in Washington, DC Costs

You are billed for the packed weight of your pieces and the trailer space they fill, with no minimum. You pay only for what you ship. The load moves as LTL freight next to other customers’ shipments, which is why three pieces are not priced like a full house.

On our published Washington, DC routes, a few pieces plus boxes (about 500 lbs) runs $600 to $1,500, a bedroom set with boxes runs $700 to $1,950 and a one-bedroom apartment of about 1,500 lbs runs $1,200 to $2,900. Shorter East Coast lanes sit near the bottom of those ranges and cross-country trips near the top. Enter your list in the online estimator for the exact figure, or call (866) 333-8018.

Antique Row, Eastern Market and Old Town Finds

Plenty of furniture in this area changes hands at a dealer or a weekend market. Kensington’s Antique Row on Howard Avenue, the weekend flea market at Eastern Market and the antique dealers on King Street in Old Town Alexandria all sell furniture to visitors who cannot fit it in a car, let alone a carry-on. Give us the seller’s address and the date the piece has to be gone, and we schedule the pickup there.

Shipping Furniture to Washington, DC

Furniture coming into the area from another state is priced the same way. Will-Call, where you collect it at the destination terminal, costs least. Curbside Delivery brings it to the nearest point the truck can reach, and Full Service means the crew carries each piece into your home or office. If your lease start or settlement date slips, short-term storage at the terminal can hold the shipment.

Planning a Pickup Around DC Rowhouses, Co-ops and Parking Rules

We collect furniture across the District and in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs: Brookland, Mount Pleasant, Shaw, Anacostia and Chevy Chase DC; Takoma Park, Hyattsville, Kensington, Wheaton and Rockville; and Falls Church, Vienna, Reston, Ballston and Crystal City. How the day goes depends mostly on the building the furniture is leaving.

Rowhouse Stoops and English Basements

Many DC rowhouses sit several steps above the sidewalk, and the unit underneath, the English basement, is reached by a short stair that drops below street level. Both are tight for a sectional or a box spring. Every estimate includes white glove pickup from the first floor, so if the piece is in the basement unit or upstairs, call (866) 333-8018 to talk through the pickup before you book.

Co-ops and Condo Buildings

The older apartment buildings along Connecticut Avenue and the newer towers in Navy Yard and on the Southwest Waterfront usually want a reserved elevator time, a loading dock slot and paperwork from the mover before furniture crosses the lobby. Ask your management office for its move rules early, then call (866) 333-8018 to go over them before you book.

Curb Space and Emergency No Parking Signs

Much of the District is zoned for Residential Permit Parking, and an open curb near a rowhouse is rare on a weekday. DDOT issues Emergency No Parking signs that hold space for a moving truck, and they must be posted ahead of the date. Rock Creek Parkway, the George Washington Memorial Parkway and the Clara Barton Parkway are closed to commercial trucks, so allow for that if your street is reached mainly by a parkway.

Summer Transfer Season and Humidity

Summer is when military and federal transfers peak, school years end and leases turn over, so moving calendars across the area fill from May through August. Pickups are set 2 to 10 business days after you book, and a same-week date often costs extra, so reserve at least 10 days ahead if your departure is fixed. July here averages about 81 degrees with heavy humidity and afternoon storms, so keep upholstered and solid wood pieces in a cool, dry room rather than a garage until the crew arrives.

Furniture We Commonly Ship From DC

• Couches, sleeper sofas and armchairs
• Home office furniture: a standing desk, bookcases and a file cabinet
• Inherited antiques such as highboys, secretaries and tall case clocks
• Bedroom sets and mattresses for a new assignment
• Dining tables with their leaves and a set of chairs
• Art, rugs and boxes of books to round out the load