Small Moves Boston

Small Moves Out of Boston Follow the Academic Calendar

Greater Boston enrolls more than 250,000 college students, and the city’s small moves rise and fall with them. In May, students finishing at Northeastern, Boston University, Harvard, MIT and Boston College clear out apartments in Allston, Fenway and Mission Hill. Most of what they own is a bed frame, a desk, a bike and boxes of books: a small long distance move, not a truckload.

Then comes September 1, when a large share of Boston leases end on the same day. Locals call the curbside piles of abandoned couches and dressers Allston Christmas. Plenty of that furniture is left on the sidewalk because the owner assumed shipping a few pieces out of state would cost more than buying new. For solid wood pieces in particular, a partial load moving quote often says otherwise.

Who Else Ships a Partial Load From Boston

• Lab and biotech staff in Cambridge finishing a contract and sending an apartment’s worth of goods to the next job
• Adult children clearing a parent’s Dorchester triple-decker or Newton colonial and keeping only the heirlooms
• Couples leaving a Back Bay one-bedroom who sold the large furniture and are shipping the rest
• Small offices in the Seaport sending files, monitors and a few desks to a new location
• Anyone sending boxes and a couple of pieces ahead of a bigger move

How Much a Small Load Usually Weighs

Our price tables use three markers: about 500 lbs for a few furniture pieces with boxes, about 1,000 lbs for a studio and about 1,500 lbs for a one-bedroom. A typical student load sits near the low end. Small moves cross country and state to state are priced the same way, by packed weight and distance, and the cost question below gives the ranges on our published Boston routes. If it is mostly furniture, the same crew handles furniture shipping in Boston, from one dresser to a full bedroom.

How Small Movers in Boston Plan a Pickup Around Streets and Buildings

For a small move company, Boston pickups are planned around the building first. Tell us the floor, the stairs and where a truck can stop, and the plan goes into your estimate instead of being worked out at the curb. We pick up across the city and in Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, Quincy and Newton on the same terms.

Triple-Deckers in Dorchester, South Boston and Somerville

The triple-decker is the standard Boston pickup. Each unit takes a full floor, the back stairs are often narrower than the front, and a third-floor queen bed has usually come down a few tight turns before. First-floor pickup is included in every estimate, so say which floor your items are on when you book.

Beacon Hill and North End Lanes

Streets on Beacon Hill and in the North End were laid out before cars, and many are one-way, cobbled or too narrow for a truck to stop at the door. Expect the truck to park on the nearest wider street, with a short carry from there. A Back Bay brownstone walk-up of four or five floors with no elevator is planned the same way.

Seaport and Fort Point Buildings

Newer towers in the Seaport and converted warehouse lofts in Fort Point usually set their own move hours and loading rules. Ask your property manager for the move-out rules as soon as you have a date, then call (866) 333-8018 to check access at your building before you book.

Curb Space and the Moving Truck Permit

The City of Boston reserves curb space for moving trucks by permit, and online applications are accepted when the move date is 15 days to 8 weeks away. Brookline, Cambridge and Somerville each handle street permits on their own. Mention where a truck can stop at your address when you book.

Winter Pickups and Space Savers

From December to March, keep a second pickup date in mind. If a snow emergency is declared, posted main streets lose their parking, and space savers are banned outright in the South End and Bay Village, so a shoveled spot there does not hold the curb for a truck. Booking at least 10 days ahead leaves room to shift the date.

How Your Boston Small Move Works, Step by Step

• Price it. Enter your items in the estimator at shipsmart.com/estimate or call (866) 333-8018. The price follows the packed weight and the space your load uses.
• Book the pickup. Once you approve the estimate, a local partner in the Boston area contacts you to set the pickup date, usually 2 to 10 business days out.
• Packing at your door. The crew packs your goods on-site. Packing is included, and fragile or valuable pieces can be crated.
• On the road. Your shipment travels as LTL freight alongside other loads headed the same way. Basic valuation coverage is included, and more is available.
• Delivery. Choose Will-Call at the destination terminal (the lowest price), Curbside to the nearest accessible point, or Full Service inside your new home. You get a call to set a delivery window of two to four hours, and short-term storage at the destination terminal can hold the load if your keys are not ready yet.

Small Moves Between Los Angeles and Boston

Shipping a small load between Boston and LA? See our Los Angeles to Boston and Boston to Los Angeles route pages for pricing, transit times and what to expect.