Suffolk County, Greater Boston
Movers in Boston, MA
In Boston, the hard part happens before the truck shows up. You need to know where it parks, whether the elevator is booked, and how many flights sit between your couch and the curb. Both of our founders worked for a Boston moving company before starting Fire Moving, and the company is still owner-run, from Southie triple-deckers to Back Bay walk-ups and Seaport towers.
- From $129/hr, 2 movers + truck
- No truck, fuel or stair fees
- 5% off your first move
- USDOT #8719689
- 5.0★ on Thumbtack
Street occupancy permits and the 48-hour signs
On a weekday morning, an open stretch of Boston curb long enough for a box truck is rare. The reliable fix is a street occupancy permit from the Boston Transportation Department. Apply online at least 15 days before the move, or in person at least 3 days before. We tell people to apply as soon as they have a date, because the end of the month gets crowded and a late application usually ends with a truck double-parked and the crew carrying everything half a block.
Once the permit is approved, the "No Parking" signs have to be up at least 48 hours before moving day. Take a photo of them after they go up. If a car is still sitting in the spot that morning, text us early so we can plan the carry from wherever we can legally stop. Before you apply, we'll look at the address with you and say where the truck should sit relative to your door, so the permit covers the right piece of street.
We don't list permit fees here. The city sets them and they change, so check the current amount with BTD when you apply.
Stoops, back porches and freight elevators, by neighborhood
In the South End and Back Bay, plenty of brownstones were split into condos and apartments, and the stairs show it. Expect a stoop out front, a tight turn at every landing and banisters that don't come off. Queen and king box springs are the usual trouble. We ask for the narrowest landing measurement up front, and we'll tell you when a split box spring is the smarter buy.
Beacon Hill and the North End add steep, narrow streets where a full-size truck can't always get close. Some of those moves mean a longer dolly run from the nearest legal spot, and that time shows up on the written estimate instead of on the day.
Dorchester, South Boston, Jamaica Plain and East Boston are triple-decker country. Porch stairs out back are often tighter than the front hall, and a top-floor unit can mean three flights each way. Tell us the floor, which staircase we'll use and whether anything is stored in the basement.
Downtown, the Seaport and the newer towers around Fenway run on building rules, such as elevator reservation windows, padded freight cars and set loading dock hours. Send us the management contact and the move-in rules early. If the elevator is yours from 9 to noon, the whole plan is built around those three hours. Getting in and out of the city, we stay off Storrow Drive, which has low bridges and is off-limits to trucks.
September 1 in Allston, Brighton and the rest of the city
September 1 is the biggest lease-turnover day in Boston. In Allston and Brighton it can feel like every building on the block empties and refills inside the same 24 hours. Side streets fill with rental trucks, elevators are booked solid and the old tenant is often still carrying boxes down when the new one arrives with a mattress.
If your lease ends August 31, book as early as you can and apply for the permit online as soon as you have the date: the city takes online applications 15 days to 8 weeks before the move. If your landlord allows it, moving a day or two early is the simplest fix. If you're stuck with the 1st, have everything packed and the bed frames apart the night before, and plan for heat. We start as early as 7am, and early starts beat carrying a dresser down a sunny Brighton porch at 3pm.
Crew size and rates for city moves
In Boston, stairs and parking matter more than square footage. A one-bedroom on the fourth floor of a South End walk-up can take longer than a two-bedroom with an elevator and a loading dock, so we pick the crew size around access as much as room count.
Blankets, pads, dollies, straps, tools and basic furniture disassembly and reassembly come with the move at no charge. You get a written estimate before moving day based on your inventory and the access at both addresses, with every charge listed. The quote form lets you list your things room by room in about two minutes. Basic Massachusetts released-value protection is 60 cents per pound per item, and full-value protection is available on request.
Before you move in Boston
- Apply for the moving truck permit online at least 15 days before the move (in person, at least 3 days).
- Photograph the No Parking signs once they're posted, at least 48 hours before the move.
- Book your building's elevator window first, then book the movers around it.
- Measure the tightest stair landing if you own a king box spring or a big sectional.
- If you rent your own truck for a labor-only job, keep it off Storrow Drive.
Services available in Boston
Real jobs. Our own crew.
Every photo here is from our own moves around Boston. No stock photos, no actors.
Boston moving questions
Do I need a permit to park a moving truck on a Boston street?
In most cases, yes. A street occupancy permit from the Boston Transportation Department reserves the curb. Apply online at least 15 days ahead (or in person at least 3 days ahead), and the No Parking signs must be up 48 hours before the move. We can tell you where the truck should sit before you apply.
Can you get a king box spring up a brownstone staircase?
Often, but not always. Older South End and Back Bay stairs have tight landings. Send us the narrowest width you can measure and we'll tell you whether it fits or whether a split box spring makes more sense.
What if my building only gives us a short elevator window?
We plan around it. A bigger crew can load faster inside a short window, and we keep the order of the load simple so the elevator is never waiting on us. Send the building rules with your quote.
Do you charge more around September 1?
Our exact rate depends on date, access and inventory, and late August into September 1 is the hardest stretch to book. Your written estimate shows the actual rate before moving day, so nothing changes on the day.
Do you move people from Boston out to the North Shore or the suburbs?
Yes. Moves from Boston to Lynn, Salem, Revere, Quincy or Newton are regular work for us, and longer moves anywhere in Massachusetts are fine with a little notice.
Nearby towns we move
See all Suffolk County movers or every area we serve.
Planning a move in Boston? Tell us what's moving and we'll put the price in writing.