Los Angeles to Vancouver Movers: One Interstate, One Border
The drive is about 1,300 miles, and nearly all of it is on I-5. The interstate climbs over Tejon Pass, runs up the Central Valley and through Oregon and Washington, passes Vancouver, Washington, and ends at the Canadian line in Blaine. LTL freight moves between terminals and can change trailers on the way, but the corridor itself is simple: three states, then British Columbia.
Commercial trucks cross at the Pacific Highway port of entry, a short distance from the Peace Arch crossing most passenger cars use, and continue into Surrey and the rest of Metro Vancouver. Transit typically runs 8 to 14 business days from pickup, and customs clearance is the main variable. Add the 2 to 10 business days between booking and pickup, and the whole job usually takes two to five weeks.
Both cities keep Pacific time, so our phone hours line up with your day at either end: Monday to Friday 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Saturday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Who Ships a Small Load From LA to Vancouver
Film and television explain a good share of the traffic. Vancouver has been one of North America’s largest production centers for decades, which is how it earned the nickname Hollywood North, and crew members, editors and animators go back and forth as projects start and wrap. Many of them ship a work setup and a bedroom, not a whole house.
Others are Canadians heading home after years in Southern California, Americans starting a job on a Canadian work permit, and students or faculty bound for the University of British Columbia’s Point Grey campus. Moving from California to Vancouver usually means less space for more rent, so a short list of pieces that will fit beats a truck full of maybes.
What a Small Move From Los Angeles to Vancouver Costs
Packed weight and trailer space set the price, and professional packing is already part of it. These are the ranges published for this route, in US dollars:
| What You’re Moving |
Estimated Cost |
| A few furniture pieces + boxes (~500 lbs) |
$950 to $1,450 |
| Bedroom set (bed, dresser, nightstand, boxes) |
$1,200 to $1,850 |
| Studio apartment contents (~1,000 lbs) |
$1,500 to $2,350 |
| One-bedroom apartment (~1,500 lbs) |
$1,900 to $2,800 |
| Route |
Small Load (~500 lbs) |
Medium Load (~1,200 lbs) |
| Los Angeles to Vancouver, BC |
$950 to $1,450 |
$1,750 to $2,700 |
| Los Angeles to Burnaby, BC |
$950 to $1,450 |
$1,750 to $2,700 |
| Los Angeles to Surrey, BC |
$950 to $1,450 |
$1,750 to $2,700 |
| Los Angeles to Richmond, BC |
$950 to $1,450 |
$1,750 to $2,700 |
The small and medium load ranges are the same for delivery in Burnaby, Surrey and Richmond. Budgeting in Canadian dollars? At the Bank of Canada rate of 1.4271 CAD per USD on October 9, 2026, a 500 lb load came to about C$1,350 to C$2,050 and a one-bedroom to about C$2,700 to C$4,000. Exchange rates move, so treat those as rough. The online estimator or a call to (866) 333-8018 gives your exact price, and financing through Enhancify is available.
This route starts with a pickup in Los Angeles. For pickup details across the city, see our small moves in Los Angeles page.
Customs When Your Furniture Arrives After You Do
Most people fly north and let the truck follow, which makes the shipment goods to follow in CBSA terms. The paperwork starts the moment you first enter Canada, not when the freight shows up. Before leaving Los Angeles, write out everything in the shipment with approximate values and carry two copies to the border services officer at Vancouver International Airport, or wherever you enter. The officer records it on Form BSF186, the Personal Effects Accounting Document, and the copy you keep is what lets your belongings clear later.
Duty-free and tax-free entry turns on your status (new settler, returning resident or temporary worker) and on whether you owned and used each item before the move. Anything missing from your list can lose that treatment. The Government of Canada guide on bringing goods across the border covers what household goods can come in duty free. We send a customs paperwork checklist with your quote, and the item list from your estimate makes a good first draft.
What to Keep Out of a Load Bound for BC
- Potted plants and garden soil: succulents, potted citrus and soil stuck to planters or patio pieces can hold up an inspection, so give the plants away and scrub outdoor furniture before pickup.
- Cannabis: legal in California and in BC, but taking it across the border is not.
- Firearms and ammunition: keep them out of the shipment; they go through their own CBSA declaration and permit process.
- Wine and spirits: a collection above the personal allowance owes duty and taxes at clearance, so price that out before you pack it.
- Propane and fuel: leave the barbecue tank and camp stove canisters behind, along with other hazardous materials.
Pickup Around Los Angeles
Every estimate includes white glove pickup from the first floor of the home or business, and the crew packs on site. What changes from one LA address to the next is how close a truck can get.
In Venice and Hermosa Beach, many homes face walk streets, pedestrian paths with no vehicle access, so the truck parks at the nearest cross street and everything is carried from there. Mention it if your front door is on one. In West Hollywood and Culver City, plenty of apartment buildings have tuck-under parking with low clearance on narrow streets with permit-only curbs, so ask your manager where a truck can stand for an hour.
Newer mid-rise complexes in North Hollywood and Glendale usually want a move reservation and a loading dock time. Call (866) 333-8018 to check access at your building before you book. Bungalows in Eagle Rock and Atwater Village tend to be easier: a driveway and a few front steps.
Delivery Across Metro Vancouver
South Vancouver, including Marpole and Sunset, is full of Vancouver Specials: boxy two-story houses from the 1960s to the 1980s with the main living floor upstairs, reached by a long front staircase, and a separate suite at ground level. If you are renting the upper floor, measure that staircase against your sofa before it ships.
Mount Pleasant, Grandview-Woodland and much of East Vancouver are laid out with back lanes, and a truck can often unload from the lane to a garage or rear door rather than hunting for curb space on Main Street or Commercial Drive. Near the SkyTrain and Canada Line, newer towers at Metrotown in Burnaby and in Richmond’s city center book loading bays and elevators through the concierge or strata manager. West End rental towers along Davie and Denman often limit move-ins to set hours. Send those rules with your booking.
Match the delivery option to the building. Full Service brings everything inside, which suits the upstairs floor of a Vancouver Special or a tower unit. Curbside Delivery stops at the nearest accessible point, which can work at a house with a lane-side garage. Will-Call, where you collect the shipment at the destination terminal, costs the least. If your lease or possession date comes after the truck, short-term storage is available at destination terminals.
One more adjustment: solid wood and leather that spent years in Southern California’s dry air meet Vancouver’s damp season from October through March. Keep those pieces off bare concrete in a ground-floor suite and away from baseboard heaters for the first few weeks.
