Moving in San Diego has its own rhythm. There is the coastal air that creeps into cardboard, the way stairwells in older beach apartments seem to shrink by an inch every floor, and the reality that parking a 26‑foot truck near a condo in Hillcrest on a Saturday can turn into a chess match. Good movers are worth their weight in calm, but even the best crews should not handle everything. Some items are illegal for them to transport, others are too personal or too risky, and a few are just not worth the insurance headache if something goes wrong.
I have handled moves across Mission Valley high‑rises, single‑story homes in Poway, and townhouses tucked into Clairemont Mesa cul‑de‑sacs. The same question comes up every time: what to not let movers pack? The answer is part law, part common sense, and part knowing how this city works. Here is how to protect your essentials, keep the crew efficient, and avoid the “I thought you had it” moment that can derail a move day.
The short list most people get wrong
There are categories movers either can’t legally transport or should not touch. Even if you trust your crew, you will do better keeping these in your possession. The specifics below account for Southern California regulations, typical mover policies, and the realities of SoCal weather and traffic.
If you remember nothing else, remember this: anything that can leak, ignite, spoil, get stolen easily, or create a nightmare to replace should never go into the truck.
Hazardous materials and the law you cannot skirt
Professional movers in California carry strict rules on hazardous materials. Even if a company is willing to look the other way, you should not. Fire code and common sense align here. Most companies publish a “non‑allowables” list, but the version I see most often includes:
- Flammables and explosives: Propane cylinders, butane canisters, gasoline, kerosene, charcoal lighter fluid, fireworks, road flares, gunpowder, aerosol paints, some cleaning solvents. Pressurized containers: Scuba tanks, CO2 cylinders, certain medical oxygen tanks, and unemptied helium balloons. Corrosives and toxics: Bleach, ammonia, pool chemicals, pesticides, muriatic acid, automotive batteries.
Those are the obvious ones, yet smaller household items hide in plain sight. Nail polish remover (acetone) qualifies as hazardous, as do certain essential oils that are volatile under heat. That matters in San Diego because a box inside a truck parked in a Sorrento Valley loading dock can hit triple digits by midday. Anything that off‑gasses or depressurizes can turn dangerous.
What to do instead: use up what you can before the move, give unopened containers to neighbors, and plan a special trip for any must‑keep chemicals. If you are moving locally within the county, transporting a few items in your own car is fine, but buckle them upright in a plastic milk crate lined with a towel. If you are crossing state lines, check both states’ rules and err toward disposal at a proper facility. The Miramar Landfill’s Household Hazardous Waste facility accepts many items with an appointment.
Perishables and the San Diego heat problem
Most movers refuse food and perishables, and for good reason. Even if boxed, food attracts pests, goes rancid, or leaks. San Diego’s dry heat turns soft fruit and leafy greens into compost during a two‑hour truck delay on the 163. Freezer items thaw. Canned goods survive, but they add weight and rarely justify the cost of hauling.
If you need to move pantry items, restrict yourself to sealed, shelf‑stable goods inside a small bin you carry yourself. Think spices, baking supplies, and unopened olive oil. Any open liquids risk a slow leak that ruins the linens packed underneath. Pack coolers for a same‑day move with ice packs and transfer the contents as soon as you have electricity at the new place. If you are moving long‑distance, donate or cook down your fridge in the week leading up to the move. Host a “fridge clean‑out” taco night. Your friends will help you pack as payment.
Money, identity, and anything that unlocks your life
Never let movers pack your passports, birth certificates, Social Security cards, checkbooks, or anything that controls access to your accounts. Add spare keys, car titles, professional licenses, immigration documents, and insurance papers. Put jewelry, watches, graded collectible cards, bullion, and family heirlooms in the same category. Movers may carry valuation coverage, and reputable companies background‑check their crews, but replacing identity documents is a slow, painful process and claims on small valuables rarely make you whole.
Create one zipper tote or hard‑sided organizer for “non‑packables” and stage it in your car long before the crew arrives. That bag should include your current lease or closing paperwork, Wi‑Fi info, a checkbook or company card for tips and any last‑minute charges, and a small binder with the serial numbers and receipts for major electronics. If a box goes missing, you will be glad you have documentation handy.
Personal devices and data that never leaves your sight
Laptops, tablets, SD cards, external hard drives, cameras, and any device with work product or personal photos belong with you. Theft is not the only concern; data loss from a dropped drive is its own heartbreak. In the week before the move, back up your devices to the cloud and to an external drive. Move day runs on caffeine and short deadlines, which is when accidents happen. Keep chargers and a power strip in the same tote so you can set up quickly at the other end.
Medical devices deserve their own plan. CPAP machines, glucose monitors, and any specialty equipment with sensitive sensors ride in your car, not in the truck. Keep prescriptions with original labels inside a small pouch. Pharmacies can transfer prescriptions, but losing a controlled medication during a weekend move will stall you until Monday at best.
Plants and the quiet rules that catch people off guard
Local moves within San Diego give you more leeway, but movers still prefer not to handle live plants. Soil crumbles, pots crack, and pests hitch rides. Long‑distance moves add agricultural restrictions. California’s inbound rules are strict, and some states ban specific species. Since you are already in San Diego, the issue is more about plant survival in transit and liability. Heat in a closed truck kills tender plants within hours.
If your move is short, place plants in open boxes lined with trash bags to catch soil, water them lightly the day before, and carry them in your car. If you must have the movers load them, ask for a small, separate trip close to departure time and unload them first at the new home. Factor in that plants are generally excluded from mover liability. If a fiddle leaf fig matters to you, take it yourself.
Artwork, wine, and items that care about climate
San Diego has serious art collections tucked into ordinary homes. Movers can pack framed pieces, but fine art should be crated and labeled for orientation. If your piece is valuable, insist on a third‑party art crating service or a mover with custom crating in‑house. Heat and vibration can loosen canvas or warp varnish. Document condition with date‑stamped photos. For anything signed or insured, put the certificate and provenance paperwork in your “non‑packables” tote.
Wine collections are their own puzzle. The difference between a cellar at 55 degrees and a box in a truck at 95 can ruin a case of pinot. For serious collections, use a climate‑controlled wine shipper that maintains chain of custody and monitors temperature. For a handful of bottles, pack them vertically in a small cooler and drive them yourself. Mark them clearly to avoid someone loading your best Barolo into a hot attic.
The tool drawer and garage shelf that bites back
Garages collect items movers hate: open paint cans, pesticides, old propane tanks, and rusty tools with sharp edges. Many of these are on the “non‑allowables” list, but even the allowed items can cause trouble. Loose utility knives, drill bits, and nail boxes puncture cardboard and hands. Fix this by creating a “garage safe box.” Wrap sharp Flexdolly tools in old towels, tape blades, and pack screws and nails in plastic containers with lids. Keep a basic tool kit with a hammer, screwdriver set, Allen keys, box cutter, painter’s tape, and a stud finder aside for move day. You will need it to reassemble beds immediately.
Bikes and surfboards are standard in San Diego homes. Movers can transport them, but remove pedals, secure handlebars, and if you own a carbon frame, insist on padded bike boxes. Wax surfboards the week before, not the morning of, and bag them. Salt and sand grind into moving blankets and make crews grumpy, which never helps the vibe.
Children, pets, and the things you assume will be fine
Movers are not babysitters, and trucks are not safe places for kids or animals. Arrange pet daycare or crate them in a closed room away from the loading path. Pack a separate “first night” bin for each child with bedding, pajamas, a favorite toy, and a few snacks. Keep it in your car. Your future self will thank you when it is 9 p.m., the beds are not assembled yet, and everyone is hungry.
The contract and the clock
San Diego moves typically price by the hour for local jobs. How much do movers charge in San Diego? For a reputable licensed company, expect roughly 140 to 220 dollars per hour for a two‑person crew and truck, 180 to 280 per hour for three movers, and 240 to 360 for four, plus a one‑time travel fee that covers getting to and from your address. Rates float with demand. Summer weekends, month‑end, and days surrounding the 15th often run higher. Moves in dense neighborhoods take longer because of parking and elevator waits. A condo in Little Italy with a reserved freight elevator will usually beat a second‑floor walk‑up with street parking luck as the plan.
What are the hidden costs of 2 hour movers? The “2‑hour special” ads are at best a teaser. Minimums matter. Most companies enforce a 3 to 4 hour minimum, charge port‑to‑port time, and bill double drive time in California to comply with state regs. Stair fees, long carries (distance from the truck to your door), heavy item surcharges for safes or upright pianos, and packing materials can stack up. If your building requires a certificate of insurance, confirm the mover can provide it. Last‑minute COI requests can trigger administrative fees or, worse, delays that burn billable time while the crew waits.
Is it cheaper to hire movers or do it yourself? For a small studio, a DIY move with a rented van and two friends might save a few hundred dollars if your time is flexible and your back is forgiving. Once you have a two‑bedroom or a house with stairs, professional crews are usually cheaper than the true cost of a DIY weekend that balloons into two, with damaged furniture, a truck return extension, and lunch for four helpers. If you value your Saturday, hire pros for the heavy lifting and do your own packing to split the difference.
The 2,000 square foot question that confuses people
How much does it cost to physically move a 2000 sq ft house? The answer depends on volume, access, and prep. A well‑edited 2,000 square foot home might be 7,000 to 9,000 pounds of goods. For a local San Diego move, that often translates to a 3‑ or 4‑person crew working 6 to 9 hours. Using current mid‑range rates, you might see 1,200 to 2,400 dollars for labor and truck, plus materials if the movers pack. Full‑service packing the day before can add another 600 to 1,500, largely driven by kitchen time and wardrobe boxes. Long‑distance pricing uses weight and miles, so a California to Arizona move for that size home could land between 4,000 and 8,000, while a cross‑country run can jump well above that, especially if you want guaranteed dates or a dedicated truck.
If you mean literally moving the structure of a 2,000 square foot house to a new lot on a trailer, that is a different industry entirely. House raising and transport in California can run into the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, with permits, utility coordination, route surveys, and police escorts. Most homeowners asking the question are talking about household goods, not buildings.
Packing priorities that save you from claims
Movers are trained to wrap, pad, and load efficiently, but they cannot guess which 8 by 10 is your wedding photo and which is a print you bought at the street fair. Labeling is your job. Mark boxes clearly on two sides with room and a few words of contents. Use “LOAD LAST” for your first‑night boxes. Anything irreplaceable, pack yourself. Bowls within bowls, plate packs upright like records, and glassware with proper dividers. Retail boxes from electronics are tempting, but production packaging was designed for pallet shipping, not loose handling in a house move. If you use original boxes, reinforce seams and add padding. For TVs, many movers rent TV boxes or provide a reusable foam crate. Use it. A 65‑inch panel is not a two‑blanket job.
When I see damage claims, they often trace back to rushed packing on the client side: heavy books in flimsy boxes, open‑top totes with fragile items, or liquids packed next to textiles. Take the time, or pay the crew to pack the tricky rooms. Kitchens, offices, and decor take longer than you think.
The two boxes only you pack
Two categories I always pack personally: the Kitchen Day One bin and the Bathroom Survival bin. In the first, I put a sharp chef’s knife in a cardboard sheath, a small cutting board, dish soap, a sponge, a dish towel, a French press or pour‑over, coffee, a few mugs, a can opener, salt, pepper, and olive oil. In the second, I put toilet paper, hand soap, a shower curtain and rings, a towel per person, toothpaste, a basic first aid kit with bandages and ibuprofen, and a trash bag. These bins ride in the back seat so I can make a meal and take a shower even if nothing else is set up.
Tipping without awkwardness
Is 20 dollars enough to tip movers? It depends on scope, crew size, and service quality. For a small apartment handled by two movers in three hours, cash of 20 dollars per mover is on the low end but acceptable if the job was straightforward. In San Diego, common tipping lands around 5 to 10 percent of the labor cost, split among the crew, or a flat 20 to 60 per mover for local jobs. For an all‑day three‑person crew that navigates stairs, tricky furniture, and keeps a good attitude, 40 to 80 per mover feels right. Hydration and snacks go further than people think. A case of cold waters and a few protein bars cost less than one broken lamp and keep the pace up.
If your company is paying for the move and tipping is awkward on an expense report, ask the office in advance. Some movers allow tips on the final invoice, though cash is still preferred by many crews. Hand it to each person directly, with a quick thank you tied to something specific they did well. Everyone remembers the client who noticed.
The San Diego curveballs and how to pre‑empt them
Neighborhood quirks can affect what you let movers touch. In older North Park homes, narrow doorways turn large sofas into geometry puzzles. Movers can disassemble legs and pop doors off hinges, but if a piece is an heirloom or upholstered in delicate fabric, consider whether you want anyone rushing it. In coastal areas, salt air corrodes metal fasteners. Bed frames that moved smoothly four years ago may freeze today. A can of WD‑40 and patience solve many problems, but they also slow the clock. If time is tight, pre‑disassemble what you can the day before.
Parking matters. If you do not have a driveway, hold a space with your cars or cones early. San Diego Parking Enforcement can be strict near business districts. For condo buildings, book your elevator well in advance, pad the walls, and verify the time window. Crews idle when an elevator is tied up by a neighbor’s grocery run. That is not their fault but it will appear on your invoice.
Finally, if you live along steep parts of La Jolla or Bay Park, trucks sometimes cannot park safely right outside. Long carries increase risk and fatigue. Shrink‑wrap soft furniture to keep it clean, and let the crew stage items closer to the curb before the big load begins. It looks chaotic for 30 minutes, then it snaps into order.
The shortlist you keep in your car
Here is a compact checklist for what not to let movers pack. Keep it realistic and tailored to your home.
- Legal and identity: passports, birth certificates, Social Security cards, checkbooks, titles, immigration and insurance documents. Money and valuables: cash, jewelry, watches, collectibles, bullion, small heirlooms, graded cards. Tech and data: laptops, tablets, drives, cameras, chargers, work devices. Health and safety: prescriptions, medical devices, basic first aid, CPAP, glucose monitors. Same‑day survival: Kitchen Day One bin, Bathroom Survival bin, keys and remotes, garage door openers.
What movers can pack well if you let them
Not everything belongs in your car. Professional crews shine with bulky, awkward, and high‑volume tasks. Wardrobe boxes turn closet rods into rolling closets. Dish packs and glass dividers, when done by pros, reduce chip risk. They also handle furniture protection with heavy pads and stretch wrap better than most homeowners. If you are juggling work and kids, outsourcing the kitchen and art may be the best money you spend all year. Just set aside the irreplaceables first and label your priorities with painter’s tape so the crew sees them at a glance.
Clarifying expectations on valuation and claims
Understand mover valuation, which is not the same as insurance. In California, basic coverage often defaults to 60 cents per pound per item. That means if a 10‑pound lamp breaks, the payout might be 6 dollars. Companies offer higher valuation options, sometimes by declared value or a lump sum per pound of shipment. If you own high‑value items, consider third‑party moving insurance that covers full replacement cost. Take room photos after packing and before loading. It helps with memory and claims.
When the crew arrives, do a quick walk‑through. Point out fragile or sentimental pieces. If something makes you nervous to let go of, trust that instinct and put it in your car. The best movers appreciate decisive clients. Clear decisions speed the day.
Budgeting without surprises
How much do movers charge in San Diego? Use the hourly ranges as a starting point and add buffers. A typical two‑bedroom apartment, well packed, might take a three‑person crew 4 to 6 hours, or roughly 720 to 1,680 dollars plus materials and fees. A family home with garage gear and patio furniture stretches longer. Packing services often equal half to two‑thirds of move‑day time, depending on how edited your belongings are. Ask for a virtual or in‑person estimate. Walk the estimator through tight spaces, elevator restrictions, and anything unusual like a piano or safe. Good companies ask about these; great ones schedule a quick pre‑move call the week of.
For supplies, buy more than you think. A standard kitchen swallows 10 to 15 small boxes, 3 to 4 dish packs, and an armful of packing paper. Wardrobe boxes are bulky but worth it. For books, use small boxes only. Heavy boxes slow crews and fail at the seams.
When to schedule and who to call
San Diego moves move faster in the morning. Aim for the first appointment of the day, especially in summer. That gives you buffer if something runs long and keeps heavy lifting out of the peak heat. If you are closing on a home, avoid scheduling the move on the same day the funds record. Recording delays happen, and movers cannot unload into a house you do not officially own yet. Bridge with a night in a hotel or a partial unload into a garage with seller permission.
If you are comparing companies, check their California Household Goods Mover permit number. Reviews matter, but read for patterns rather than perfection. Every mover has one or two bad reviews. What you want are consistent comments about care, communication, and solving problems on Flexdolly Moving & Delivery Flexdolly the fly.
A final word from the loading dock
A good move feels like choreography. Boxes appear, pads wrap furniture, doorways get protected, and before you know it, rooms echo. The moments that break the flow are almost always preventable: a missing set of keys, a panic over a passport, a leaking bottle of olive oil, a piano claimed not to exist in the quote. Make choices in advance about what stays with you. It is not about trust. It is about control over the handful of items that, if lost or delayed, stop your life cold.
Do a lap the night before, tote in hand, and pull anything that would make you swear if it vanished. That is your answer to what to not let movers pack. The rest can go on the truck, and you can focus on the San Diego parts that are worth the fuss, like finding the box with the bottle opener before sunset over the bay.