Editorial comparison · updated 2026
Best Movers in Chicago (2026): 5 Companies Compared
Chicago has two questions that sort a shortlist fast: who pulls the city's moving-truck permit, and how do you handle a three-flat. The first decides whether the truck parks at your door or two blocks away; the second decides how long the day takes. Verify the Illinois Commerce Commission license while you're asking.
This page is for comparing companies. If you'd rather skip straight to hiring, movers in Chicago, IL has local cost bands, neighborhoods, parking and building rules, and a vetted match.
How we chose, and how you should
These are real, nationally operating companies and marketplaces with branches serving Chicago. It is not a paid ranking, they are listed alphabetically, and we publish no invented star ratings. Judge each against the same public methodology we use, the Union 5-point standard. Most are franchises or marketplaces, so quality varies by the specific local branch.
Which kind of mover actually works in Chicago
Full-service crews are the sensible default. The classic three-flat, with front and back staircases and a walk-up on the third floor, is a staffing decision, and the city's moving-truck permit has to be posted on the block in advance or the truck risks a ticket and you eat a long carry. Downtown, West Loop, and Streeterville high-rises add a certificate of insurance naming the association, a reserved freight elevator, a move fee, and weekday-only scheduling. Franchise networks handle the bungalow-belt and suburban house move well. Labor-only marketplaces suit a rented-truck move if you've solved the permit yourself. Containers are a poor fit inside the city and a reasonable one in the suburbs, where driveways exist.
Illinois licenses intrastate movers through the Illinois Commerce Commission, so a legitimate Chicago mover has a state licence you can look up, plus a USDOT number if it moves you out of state. Check both, and read the complaint history.
Why there are no container services on this list
We've left the portable-container options off the Chicago list. Inside the city, a container needs curb space it can legally occupy for days, which the permit system isn't designed to grant, and winter street conditions make a loaded container in a shared alley a poor plan. In the suburbs, where driveways are standard, a container is a perfectly good option, it's the city addresses this list is written for that it doesn't suit.
The 5 companies, compared
All My Sons Moving & Storage
Full-serviceA family-owned, multi-generational full-service mover with branches across the Sun Belt, handling local and long-distance moves, packing, and storage.
- Best for
- Full-service local and in-state moves that want packing and storage under one roof.
- Verify before you hire
- Confirm your local branch's USDOT or state authority on FMCSA SAFER, and read recent reviews and the estimate structure, full-service pricing varies by branch.
Bellhop
Labor marketplaceA technology-enabled moving service that coordinates vetted movers for loading, unloading, and local moves, with transparent hourly booking online.
- Best for
- Tech-forward local moves and labor-only load/unload help booked online.
- Verify before you hire
- Check how the crew and any transportation are provided in your city, whether a truck is included, and the insurance/valuation terms for your booking.
College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving
FranchiseA national franchise offering local moving alongside junk removal and donation pickup, useful when a move includes clearing out unwanted items.
- Best for
- Local moves paired with decluttering, donation hauling, or junk removal.
- Verify before you hire
- Franchises are locally owned, so verify your specific location's license, insurance, and reviews, quality can differ between franchisees.
Two Men and a Truck
FranchiseOne of the largest franchised moving networks in the country, offering local and in-state full-service moves, packing, and junk removal.
- Best for
- Standard full-service local and in-state moves from an established franchise network.
- Verify before you hire
- Each location is independently owned, verify your local franchise's USDOT/state authority, insurance, and recent reviews before booking.
U-Haul Moving Help
Labor marketplaceA marketplace connecting you with independent local labor providers to load or unload a truck or container you rent separately.
- Best for
- Budget labor-only jobs when you're renting a truck or container yourself.
- Verify before you hire
- Providers are independent, read each provider's reviews carefully and confirm whether they carry liability or workers' compensation coverage.
What to verify for a Chicago mover
Intrastate household-goods movers in Illinois are licensed by the Illinois Commerce Commission; a move across a state line, including a short one into Indiana or Wisconsin, needs federal USDOT household-goods authority.
- USDOT vs MC numbers, what a legitimate mover actually has to hold.
- How to check a mover's license, state by state, in a few minutes.
- Certificates of insurance, what buildings require and how to get one.
- Broker or carrier? Several names on this list are marketplaces, not the crew.
Choosing a mover in Chicago, frequently asked
Who arranges the Chicago moving truck permit?
Companies that work the city routinely arrange it and build it into the quote. The permit reserves curb space on your block and has to be posted ahead of move day. If a company shrugs at the question, plan on the truck parking wherever it fits and the long-carry charge that follows.
How should I compare quotes for a Chicago three-flat?
Make sure every company knows the floor, whether there's a back staircase, and how tight the landings are, then compare crew sizes rather than hourly rates. Two companies at the same rate with different crew counts will produce very different bills on a third-floor walk-up, and the smaller crew is rarely the cheaper outcome.
For the full local picture, cost bands, neighborhoods, parking and building rules, see movers in Chicago, IL, where every match clears the same 5-point standard.
Company names are trademarks of their respective owners and appear here for identification and editorial comparison only. Moving Union is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, the companies listed. Always confirm a mover's current license, insurance, and reviews before hiring. Sources: FMCSA SAFER and the FMCSA National Consumer Complaint Database (https://movingunion.com).