Over the Grapevine and Up the Valley
Freight leaving Los Angeles usually climbs I-5 through the Grapevine, crests Tejon Pass at a little over 4,100 feet and drops into the San Joaquin Valley. After a long, flat run north, it turns west over Altamont Pass into the East Bay or over Pacheco Pass toward the South Bay. LTL loads move terminal to terminal, so the exact path depends on how a given trailer is built.
Winter storms can close the Grapevine for hours, and freight waits for it to reopen. That, along with consolidation at the terminals, is why transit is quoted as 3 to 7 business days rather than a single date. The route never leaves California, so there is no border inspection station and no time change.
Who Hires a Moving Company From Los Angeles to San Francisco
Many shippers on this lane are starting a job in the city or down the Peninsula, beginning a program at UCSF or SF State, or joining a partner who already holds a San Francisco lease. Others keep a home base in Southern California and are furnishing a second place in the Bay Area.
The common thread is downsizing. An LA apartment with a parking space and room for a sectional often turns into a San Francisco flat with neither, so the shipment is the furniture you would pay to replace, not every piece you own.
Pickup Across Los Angeles, From the Hills to the Valley
Every estimate includes white glove pickup from the first floor of your home or business. Spanish-style courtyard buildings in Los Feliz and duplexes around Larchmont and Mid-City often put the front door at the end of a garden walk or up an outside staircase, so tell us the floor and how far the door is from the street.
In Mount Washington and the Hollywood Hills, many homes sit on narrow, winding roads where a full-size truck cannot turn or park, and some front doors are a long flight of steps above the street. Call (866) 333-8018 to check access at your address before you book.
High-rises along Wilshire Boulevard in Mid-Wilshire and Westwood, and the towers of Century City, book freight elevators by time slot. Call (866) 333-8018 to check access at your building before you book.
Pickup in Van Nuys, Encino and Reseda, in Torrance and Redondo Beach, or up in Santa Clarita is priced the same way as central Los Angeles, by packed weight and space. One local wrinkle: South Bay means the beach cities in LA and the San Jose side of the Bay up north, so spell out the city when you book.
For pickup details across the city, see our small moves in Los Angeles page.
Delivery in San Francisco: Steep Blocks, Stoops and Service Elevators
Victorians around Alamo Square and in Noe Valley tend to have a long front stoop, a narrow hallway and a tight turn on the inside stairs, which decides whether a queen box spring or a deep sofa makes it up. Measure the stair turn before you ship anything oversized. Rowhouses in the Outer Sunset usually put the garage at street level and the living floor a full flight above it.
On the steepest blocks of Russian Hill and Bernal Heights, a large truck often cannot stop near the door. Call (866) 333-8018 to talk through access on your block before you book. Newer buildings in Mission Bay and the apartment towers at Parkmerced usually have a loading area and a service elevator, but expect to reserve both and to send the building’s insurance requirements with your booking.
As Los Angeles to Bay Area movers, we deliver to Oakland, Berkeley, Daly City, San Mateo and the rest of the region the same way, priced by packed weight and space.
What Moving From Los Angeles to San Francisco Costs
These are the published ranges for this route. Your price depends on the actual packed weight of your items and the space they occupy on the truck.
| What You’re Moving |
Estimated Cost |
| A few furniture pieces + boxes (~500 lbs) |
$600 to $1,000 |
| Bedroom set (bed, dresser, nightstand, boxes) |
$800 to $1,300 |
| Studio apartment contents (~1,000 lbs) |
$1,000 to $1,600 |
| One-bedroom apartment (~1,500 lbs) |
$1,300 to $2,000 |
Northern California Destinations From Los Angeles
| Route |
Small Load (~500 lbs) |
Medium Load (~1,200 lbs) |
| Los Angeles to San Francisco |
$600 to $1,000 |
$1,150 to $1,750 |
| Los Angeles to San Jose |
$600 to $1,000 |
$1,150 to $1,750 |
| Los Angeles to Sacramento |
$650 to $1,050 |
$1,200 to $1,800 |
| Los Angeles to Oakland |
$600 to $1,000 |
$1,150 to $1,750 |
For a figure built on your own list, use our online estimator or call (866) 333-8018, Monday to Friday 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Saturday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Pacific. The quickest ways to lower the number are selling bulky pieces in LA rather than shipping them, and choosing Will-Call collection at the destination terminal instead of door delivery.
Timing a Move Around a San Francisco Lease
Pickup is scheduled 2 to 10 business days after you book, and booking at least 10 days ahead is recommended. Same-week pickup is often possible, though extra fees may apply. Add 3 to 7 business days of transit and most shipments arrive one to three and a half weeks after booking.
If the San Francisco keys come later than your furniture, short-term storage is available at destination terminals.
Moving the other way? See our small moves from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
