Shipping a few furniture pieces from a downtown condo, clearing a family estate in La Jolla, or moving a studio’s worth of belongings out of state? Most San Diego movers are built for full truckloads. Ship Smart specializes in professionally packed small shipments under 2,000 lbs, moved long distances from anywhere in San Diego County — and you only pay for what you actually ship.
Common small moves out of San Diego: military families shipping a partial household ahead of or after a PCS; downsizing a parent from a North County home; estate shipments from La Jolla or Coronado to heirs out of state; college moves to or from UCSD, SDSU, and USD; sending furniture, art, or electronics cross-country or internationally.
Studio and one-bedroom apartment contents
Partial household moves — one or two rooms, not the whole house
Furniture shipments, single pieces to full sets
Antiques, artwork and high-value items requiring custom crating
Electronics, including studio and AV equipment
Estate contents and inherited furniture
College and student moves around the UCSD, SDSU and USD campuses
Office and small commercial relocations
Areas We Serve Across San Diego County
We pick up throughout San Diego and the surrounding area. If your neighborhood is not listed, it is almost certainly still covered — call and ask.
Central San Diego
Downtown (including high-rise condo towers, where pickups typically need an elevator reservation and certificate of insurance — we coordinate with your building), Hillcrest, North Park, Mission Valley, University City, Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, Mira Mesa, Sorrento Valley.
Coastal
La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Point Loma, Coronado
North County
Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Rancho Santa Fe.
East County
La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Spring Valley, Ramona, Alpine.
So Why Pay For Something You Are Not Moving/Shipping?
Ship Smart specializes in small moves shipping out of state. Most moving companies are designed to handle large loads, typically 2000 lbs. and above, but not everyone needs to move a full truckload or a whole household of items.
So why pay for something you are not shipping? Here at Ship Smart you only pay for what you’re moving!
At Ship Smart, we’re committed to making your move simple, stress-free, and affordable. That’s why we partnered with Enhancify to provide flexible financing options. Now is the perfect time to take the next step.
1. What areas of San Diego County do you pick up from?
All of it: Downtown to La Jolla, Oceanside to Chula Vista.
2. How much does it cost to move a small load from San Diego?
Depends on weight, distance, and packing; you pay only for what you ship. 24/7 calculator; reviewed estimates emailed within 12–24 hours.
3. What's the cheapest way to move a small amount of stuff out of San Diego?
For furniture and part-household shipments, a small-load specialist beats minimum-weight charges and DIY truck costs on long routes.
4. Can you pick up from a downtown San Diego condo tower?
Yes, we handle elevator reservations and COI requirements with your building.
5. What counts as a small move?
Under 2,000 lbs: a few furniture pieces, a studio/1-bed apartment, a dorm room, an estate shipment.
Our Customer Testimonials
D Rothschild
1 week ago
Prompt quotation. Reasonable price. Accurate answers. Prompt collection.
The agent at the destination end made a good connection and delivery into the required rooms.
Diane Rutler
1 week ago
I have never been so pleased with anything in my life the move went so smoothly ship smart is awesome. Everyone that works for them deserves so much credit for such excellent customer service. Highly highly recommend
Brenda Figueroa
3 months ago
Reliable, quick and upfront with costs and timeframes . Made my move a lot simpler . In home pick up and drop off worked out great .
Would use again on my next move .
Cherry Smoke
4 months ago
EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE EVERY TIME!!!!
Haig Nazarian
4 months ago
Highly recommend. I shipped some furniture and a lot of fragile glassware, ceramics, etc., across the country. Exceptional service. The shipment was packed very well. Professional and courteous service. Not one item was damaged.
Jay Cashmore
4 months ago
Movers were in contact within 24 hours to pick up the art piece, was on its way from California to Wisconsin in the next week and arrived when scheduled. I was impressed with the way it was boxed. No chance it would be damaged. Delivery driver took care to remove it from the truck and placed it in my garage where I requested it. Very happy with the whole experience. Thank you to everyone involved.
Fiona Peneycad
4 months ago
I was hesitant to hire Ship Smart to move my household goods to Canada as there were some negative comments online. I spoke to the representative about these comments and he explained this happened when people didn't disclose the proper amount of goods originally. I tried to be very accurate with how much I was intending to ship. In the end, I was refunded the amount my estimate was in excess of the actual weight of my contents. I was so surprised to actually get money returned after the contents had been crated and wrapped at the warehouse.
I was very impressed with the contact I had with all the individuals I had any interaction with. My move couldn't have been handled any better. Thank you Ship Smart. Great service.
James Harvey
4 months ago
The price was fair for coast to coast delivery. The process was a breeze, and the delivery drivers were on time and professional. I would recommend this company to my friends and family.
Michele Neubauer
4 months ago
Super efficient! Seamless experience from quote, to pick up and delivery!
Douglas Brown
7 months ago
I used Ship Smart for THE item I wanted after my Mom passed. It was handed extremely well, the customer service was excellent, the final leg was convenient for us on delivery. Zero damage, very well packed. Thanks Ship Smart!
Andrea Sereno
8 months ago
My moving experience with Ship Smart was exceptional with the highest standard of professionalism.
I did a significant amount of research and Ship Smart is the company I had complete trust in. Their website is organized and a true reflection of their company and services.
Communications were timely and consistent. Everyone in the process was wonderful to work with.
My items were thoughtfully packed and in perfect condition when they arrived.
My move was peaceful, simple, stress free and a happy memory. They were the perfect moving company for my small cross country move.
Patrick J. Slattery
8 months ago
This long distance transaction went flawlessly from the pick up, packaging, overland travel and delivery. High recommendations. PJS
Erin Long
8 months ago
Robert at Ship Smart has been incredibly helpful and kind in helping me navigate my move. He's quick and responsive. I feel supported and taken care of. Highly recommend and will use for my next move!
Ryan
9 months ago
Works well for moving smaller items. Be aware that the original quote is an estimate and that all of your items are weighed then your given your final price based on weight. You can get price per pound from them. Things were packed very well. Movers were great on both sides, no issues
Mike K
9 months ago
I can't express enough appreciation for the professional help Ariel provided me through out the process.
Great work, very much appreciated.
Stephen Raff
12 months ago
Outstanding experience. Pickup team was on time, courteous and efficient. Carefully tagged each item. Lyndsi was very helpful and responsive especially as we didn't have a destination address to begin our move. The delivery came to us a few weeks later (NJ to CA) on the day scheduled and again move on team was very courteous and helpful putting each box in the designated room. Wow !
Joni Roy
12 months ago
Ship Smart did a fantastic job for us! They shipped a small amount of items when my mom made a 1400 mile move. The person who picked up the items was helpful and quick and careful with all the items. The shipment was delivered as stated. The delivery driver went to extra lengths for drop the shipment off at a convenient location at our house. He was kind and helpful. The whole experience was great. I would use Ship Smart again!
Tim Bevan
12 months ago
All of the subcontractors did a great job, good communication and on time. Our items got to our destination safely, nothing broken or missing.
Harry A
12 months ago
Excellent service from scheduling, packing, shipping, and receiving of our shipment. Our shipment came from Southern Florida to Norther Alberta Canada in 3 weeks, in perfect condition. Thank you for the professional efficient reasonablly priced service.
Debra Massa
12 months ago
Overall great experience from pick up to delivery. I was kept informed every step of the way. Highly recommend!
Roger Snelling
12 months ago
Ship Smart provided me with superior service every step of the way.
anoymous class
1 year ago
Best movers in town!!! Moved from Chicago all good.
Basu Porwal
1 year ago
Best movers in town!!! Moved from Chicago all good.
Dawn Back
1 year ago
Great experience from start to finish. Experienced and professional team. Shipped my heirlooms from East Coast to the West Coast. Everything arrived packed very well and nothing was damaged.
Joshua Friedes
1 year ago
I had to move some beautiful mid-century modern teak furniture from my parent’s home in Jersey to my home in Palm Springs CA. These were exceptional pieces in perfect condition. And they arrived cross country in exactly the same condition. I was so impressed at every level. From start to finish the service was flawless and the furniture arrived quicker than I expected. The cost was very reasonable. I was nervous because some of the pieces were unusually shaped. Absolutely no problems.
