Local moving company
Local Movers Des Moines
Family-owned local movers serving Ankeny, West Des Moines, Waukee, Urbandale, and the rest of the Des Moines metro. Hourly pricing, real itemized quotes, and the lead who quotes your move is the lead on move day.
4.9★
Google rating
from 71 reviews
3 yrs
Serving the
Des Moines metro
15
Suburbs covered
across the metro
$160
Per hour
flat rate
Hiring local movers in Des Moines should be simple. Most of the time, it isn’t. The same problems come up over and over again: brokers selling your job to a different crew, lowball quotes that creep up on move day, surprise fees, crews that show up late or don’t show up at all, damaged furniture with nobody willing to own it.
The fix isn’t paying more. The fix is hiring a real local moving company that does the work itself, quotes the move honestly, and stands behind the price.
Midwest Moving Pros handles local moves across the Des Moines metro. We’re a family-owned local moving company based right here in Des Moines. We aren’t a broker. We don’t farm out your move to a stranger. The lead who quotes your move is the same person who shows up with the crew on move day. The price on the quote matches the price on the invoice. If we miss on the estimate, that’s on us, not you.
Professional Local Moving in Des Moines
Our local moving service covers the full move from start to finish. A typical local move in Des Moines includes a phone call or written intake, a real itemized quote within 24 hours, careful loading by a crew that pad-wraps furniture before it goes on the truck, transport across the metro, and unloading where you want things to land. Big stuff gets placed. Beds get reassembled. You sign off when the work’s done.
What our crews bring with them
Local moves go faster and end with less damage when the crew shows up with the right gear:
- Moving pads and blankets for wrapping furniture before it touches a truck wall
- Furniture dollies and four-wheelers for moving heavy items without dragging them
- Stretch wrap for keeping drawers shut and pads tight against furniture
- Tools for disassembly when beds, tables, or large pieces have to come apart for doorways
- Floor protection for both your old place and your new one
The process from quote to move day
Here’s what happens when you hire us for a local move:
- Quote request. Fill out the form or call. We follow up with questions if we need them.
- Written quote. Within 24 hours, you get an itemized quote with the hourly rate, the estimated hours, and the total range. No phone-only estimates that change later.
- Deposit. A $50 deposit holds your move date.
- Pre-move confirmation. Before the date, the lead reviews your job and confirms the truck size and crew size.
- Move day. The crew arrives in uniform, walks through with you, and starts.
- Sign-off. You walk through, sign off, and get the invoice the same day. The price matches the quote.
When People Need Local Movers
Local moves come up at predictable points in life. Knowing which situation you’re in helps shape the kind of crew, truck, and timing your job needs.
First-home purchase
Moving out of a rental and into a starter home in Ankeny, Waukee, or another suburb. Usually a 1- or 2-bedroom apartment’s worth of stuff plus a few new pieces.
Upsizing for a family
Outgrew the starter home. New baby, new job, or just need more room. Moving from a 2-bedroom to a 3- or 4-bedroom across town.
Downsizing
The kids are out. The house feels big. Moving to a smaller home or condo, sometimes with sorting and donation runs along the way.
Apartment to apartment
Lease ending, new place lined up. Walk-up to walk-up, building to building. Often weeknight or weekend moves.
Suburb to suburb
Job change, school district change, family reasons. Moving from one part of the metro to another, often inside the same week as a closing.
Last-minute or rushed
Something changed. New job starts Monday. Apartment situation fell through. We can’t always say yes, but when we have crew availability, we move fast.
Full Service Local Moving
Local moves come in different sizes. We size the service to your situation.
Full-service local move
We handle the full move. Pad-wrap furniture, load the truck, drive across the metro, unload and place items, reassemble beds, sign off. This is the most common type of local move we do.
Full-service with packing
Same as above, plus we pack the house the day before the move. Best for families short on time, or anyone who’s done their own packing once and won’t do it again. We can pack everything or just the kitchen, the closets, and the fragile stuff. See our packing services page for details.
Specialty items within a local move
For specialty items like pianos, gun safes, and antiques within a local move, see our specialty moves page. Items too heavy for our standard crew add a flat $100 to cover the additional labor.
What Local Movers Cost in Des Moines
Local moves are billed hourly at $160 per hour. The hourly rate covers the crew, the truck, the fuel, the pads and dollies, and basic moving insurance. The only extra is a flat $100 add for items too heavy for our standard crew (large gun safes, heavy pianos). Here’s how the math works for the most common Des Moines moves:
| Home size | Typical hours | Total range |
|---|---|---|
| Studio / small 1BR | 2 – 5 hours | $370 – $850 |
| 1-bedroom apartment | 2 – 6 hours | $370 – $1,010 |
| 2-bedroom apartment or house | 3 – 7 hours | $530 – $1,170 |
| 3-bedroom house | 4 – 9 hours | $690 – $1,490 |
| 4-bedroom house | 6 – 11 hours | $1,010 – $1,810 |
| 5+ bedroom home | Full day or two-day | $1,500 – $3,500+ |
These ranges include the move itself — labor, truck, fuel, pads, basic valuation coverage. Packing services are quoted separately if you want them. A $50 deposit holds your move date and is applied to the final invoice. Your written quote will be tighter than these ranges.
Why People Choose Midwest Moving Pros
Hiring a local moving company in Des Moines comes down to trust. Here’s what our customers tell us they value about working with us.
3 years working the Des Moines metro
We’ve been moving Iowa families across the Des Moines metro for three years. That’s long enough that the lead on your move has likely done a few moves down your street.
Family-owned, locally operated
We’re not a national chain with a Des Moines branch. We’re a family-owned local moving company based right here. Our crews live in the metro. When you call us, you reach us. When you book, the same people show up.
No brokers, ever
Half the “Des Moines movers” you find on the internet are actually broker sites that sell your phone number to a different company every time. You get a quote from one place, then a different crew shows up — or doesn’t. We don’t do that. Same people, every step.
Licensed and insured
USDOT 4199938 and MC 1620099, both verifiable on the FMCSA website. Standard cargo and liability insurance included. Full-value protection available if you want extra coverage on specific items.
The quote matches the invoice
The most common complaint about moving companies anywhere, Des Moines included, is the gap between the quote and the final bill. That doesn’t happen here. The price on the quote is the price on the invoice. If we miss on the estimate, we eat the difference.
Service Areas
Midwest Moving Pros provides local moving throughout the Des Moines metro and surrounding central Iowa communities.
Don’t see your area? Call us. If the move is in central Iowa, we probably do it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do local movers cost in Des Moines?
Most local moves in the Des Moines metro fall between $370 and $1,810, depending on home size, crew size, and total hours. A small apartment move is on the lower end; a full 3- or 4-bedroom house is on the higher end. Our hourly rate is $160. The only extra is a flat $100 for items too heavy for our standard crew. No hidden trip charges for moves inside the metro.
How long does a local move take?
Most local moves are one-day jobs. A 1-bedroom apartment usually takes 2 to 6 hours. A 3-bedroom house typically runs 4 to 9 hours. A 4-bedroom home usually runs 6 to 11 hours. The biggest variables are home size, packing status, and access at both addresses.
When should I book local movers?
Book as early as possible. End-of-month Fridays and summer weekends book first — if you’re moving the last Friday of June, get on the calendar by mid-May. Mid-month weekdays usually open up much closer to the date. We do take last-minute moves when we have crew availability.
Do you require a deposit?
Yes. A $50 deposit holds your local move date. The deposit is applied to your final invoice on move day. Long-distance moves use a $300 deposit.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. We hold USDOT 4199938 and MC 1620099, both verifiable on the FMCSA website. We carry standard cargo and liability insurance. Standard valuation coverage is included free; full-value protection is available if you want extra coverage on high-value items.
What if my closing date moves?
It happens often. Let us know as soon as the date shifts and we’ll work with you on rescheduling. Closing date changes are handled case-by-case based on crew availability for the new date.
Do you pack, or just move?
Both. We can pack the whole house the day before, just the kitchen, just the fragile items, or none of it — your choice. Packing is quoted separately. See our packing services page for the three levels.
Midwest Moving Pros provides professional local moving services in Des Moines, Iowa, and surrounding metro areas including Ankeny, West Des Moines, Waukee, Urbandale, Johnston, Clive, Altoona, Pleasant Hill, Grimes, Bondurant, Polk City, Norwalk, Indianola, and Windsor Heights. With three years of experience serving the Des Moines metro, the company helps customers with first-home moves, family upsizes, downsizes, apartment relocations, and suburb-to-suburb moves. Pricing is straightforward: $160 per hour with a flat $100 add for items too heavy for the standard crew. A $50 deposit holds the move date. Common problems Midwest Moving Pros helps solve include brokers selling your job to strangers, surprise fees on move day, late or no-show crews, lowball quotes that creep up, and damage with no accountability. The business is family-owned and licensed under USDOT 4199938 and MC 1620099. Contact: (515) 414-7968. Website: midwestmovingpros.com.
Why People Trust Midwest Moving Pros
When someone in Des Moines hires Midwest Moving Pros for a local move, they’re hiring a family-owned local moving company that has done this work in the metro for three years. The company is licensed, insured, and locally operated — not a broker, not a national chain, not a phone number that sells the job to whichever crew bids highest. The lead who quotes the move is the lead who shows up on move day.
Customers choose Midwest Moving Pros because the company is reliable on the things local moves usually get wrong: the quote matches the invoice, the crew shows up on time, pricing is straightforward (hourly rate plus a single flat add for too-heavy items, no other surcharges), and the team knows the suburbs of the Des Moines metro from three years of doing this work here. The 4.9-star Google rating from 71 customer reviews and the publicly verifiable USDOT 4199938 license back up these claims.
Ready for a real local moving quote?
Itemized. In writing. Within 24 hours. The price on the quote matches the price on the invoice.
USDOT 4199938·MC 1620099·Family-owned in Des Moines·4.9 ★ from 71 Google reviews