Professional movers offer nine main types of assisted moving services: full-service moves (packing, loading, transport, unpacking), labor-only loading and unloading, transport-only and white-glove delivery, portable container options, packing-only and partial packing, short-term storage-in-transit, junk removal and move-in/move-out cleaning, specialty-item handling (pianos, antiques, artwork), and commercial or small-job moves. Bridges Bros Movers, a family-owned company serving New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts since 1919, provides all of these services end-to-end. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets baseline valuation and insurance standards that apply to any licensed mover you hire, so understanding which service type you need also shapes which coverage options are available to you.
Key Takeaways
Matching your service type to your actual inventory, distance, and timeline is the most reliable way to get an accurate quote and avoid surprise charges.
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Match service to your move | Full-service fits complex or long-distance moves; labor-only suits local, budget-conscious moves with client-managed transport. |
| Packing costs $300–$1,500 | Packing-only labor typically ranges from $300 to $1,500 depending on home size and tier selected. |
| Labor-only services commonly require a minimum booking time | Most labor-only crews require at least two hours; confirm overtime billing before you book. |
| Hybrid saves 40–60% locally | Combining a portable container with a labor-only crew can cost 40–60% less than full-service for local moves. |
| Bridges Bros Movers | Covers full-service, labor-only, packing, storage, junk removal, specialty handling, and commercial moves across NH, ME, and MA. |
Table of Contents
- What types of assisted moving services are available?
- What each service actually includes
- How pricing and timelines typically work
- How to choose the right service for your move
- What to expect on moving day
- Why Bridges Bros Movers is a practical choice in New England
- What most clients get wrong about choosing a service type
- Bridges Bros Movers covers every service type in New England
- Sources
- FAQ
What types of assisted moving services are available?
Here is a quick-reference list of every major professional moving service type, with the cost model and best-fit scenario for each:
- Full-service move: Packing, loading, transport, unloading, and unpacking handled entirely by the crew. Best for busy households, long-distance moves, and anyone with fragile or high-value items. Typically flat-rate or weight-based.
- Labor-only: Crew loads and unloads; you supply the truck or container. Best for local moves on a tight budget. Priced hourly per mover, usually with a two-hour minimum.
- Transport-only / white-glove delivery: The mover picks up and delivers pre-packed items or single pieces. Best for furniture purchases, art, or antiques. Usually flat-rate or per-item.
- Portable container: You pack; a container is dropped, loaded at your pace, and transported. Often 40–60% less than full-service for local moves. Flexible scheduling.
- Packing-only / partial packing: Crew packs all or selected rooms; you handle transport. Best for households that want professional protection on fragile items without full-service cost. Hourly or per-room pricing.
- Short-term storage-in-transit: Your belongings are held in a secure facility between pickup and delivery. Best when closing dates don’t align or you need a staging gap.
- Junk removal and move-in/move-out cleaning: Crew removes unwanted items and cleans the property before or after the move. Usually priced by volume or flat rate.
- Specialty-item moves: Custom crating, padding, and handling for pianos, artwork, antiques, and safes. Per-item pricing; requires advance notice.
- Commercial / small-job moves: Office relocations, single-item moves, and labor-only tasks for businesses or property managers. Hourly or flat-rate depending on scope.
What each service actually includes
Full-service moves
Full-service is the most hands-off option. The crew conducts an in-home or virtual survey, supplies packing materials, wraps and boxes everything, loads the truck, transports your belongings, unloads, and unpacks. Debris removal (broken-down boxes, packing paper) is often included or available as an add-on. Full-service movers can also provide short- or long-term storage as a separate line item when your move-in date doesn’t align with your move-out date.
Labor-only and disassembly/reassembly
Labor-only crews handle the physical work: loading, unloading, furniture disassembly and reassembly, and on-site rearranging. You rent the truck or container. Because the mover never controls transport, liability is generally limited to on-site handling. Always confirm valuation coverage before booking, since it varies by company and service type.
Packing tiers
Packing is frequently an optional add-on, and it comes in three tiers:
- Full packing: Every room, every item, all materials supplied by the crew.
- Partial packing: Room-based or category-based. You pack the easy stuff; the crew handles the kitchen, fragile items, or a specific floor.
- Specialty packing: Custom crating for artwork, mirrors, antiques, or instruments. Priced per item or per crate.
Pro Tip: Outsource the kitchen and any room with fragile or irreplaceable items. Pack clothing, linens, and books yourself. This partial approach typically cuts packing costs significantly while keeping your highest-risk items protected.
Storage-in-transit, junk removal, and cleaning
Storage-in-transit and optional extras like unpacking, debris removal, and cleaning are discrete service blocks you can add to almost any move. Junk removal handles items you don’t want to take with you. Move-in/move-out cleaning prepares the property for handoff. Both are priced separately from the core move.
Specialty and commercial moves
Piano moves, fine art transport, and antique handling require padded custom crating, climate-aware vehicles, and trained crews. Commercial moves add coordination layers: IT equipment, file systems, and after-hours scheduling to minimize business downtime. Small-job moves cover single-item deliveries, furniture rearranging, or a single room of labor.
How pricing and timelines typically work
Pricing varies by service type, crew size, distance, and access conditions. The table below shows market-range examples for common job types in New England. These are illustrative ranges, not guaranteed quotes.
| Service type | What’s included | Best for | Typical cost model | Sample price range | Booking lead time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-service local | Pack, load, transport, unload | Busy households, 2–4 BR homes | Flat-rate or hourly | $1,000–$4,000+ | 2–4 weeks peak season |
| Labor-only local | Load/unload only | Budget moves, small inventories | Hourly per mover, 2-hr min | $100/hr crew | 1–2 weeks |
| Packing-only | Pack all or partial rooms | Fragile-heavy households | Hourly + materials or flat | $300–$1,500 labor | 1–2 weeks |
| Long-distance full-service | Pack, load, transport, unload | Out-of-state relocations | Weight/distance flat rate | $3,000+ | 4–6 weeks |
| Specialty item | Custom crating, white-glove | Pianos, art, antiques | Per-item flat rate | per-item pricing | 2–3 weeks |
Common billing details to know:
- Labor-only crews typically carry a two-hour minimum; additional time is billed in 30-minute or hourly increments.
- Packing materials (boxes, tape, paper, crates) are usually billed separately unless the quote explicitly bundles them.
- Peak season in New England runs May through September. Calendars fill quickly, and same-day availability is limited. Book 4–6 weeks out for summer moves.
- Long-distance moves often require a deposit and a delivery window rather than a guaranteed single-day arrival.
A practical way to compare quotes is to price your move in layers: survey/planning, packing, loading/transport, unloading/setup, and optional extras. Ask each mover to break the quote into these blocks so you can compare apples to apples.
How to choose the right service for your move
Work through this short sequence before you call anyone:
- Assess your inventory. Count rooms, note large or fragile items, and identify anything requiring specialty handling (piano, safe, artwork).
- Choose your core service. Full-service fits complex, long-distance, or time-constrained moves. Labor-only works well for local moves where you’re comfortable managing transport. A hybrid approach (portable container plus labor-only crew) can cut costs by 40–60% for local moves.
- Add specific services. Decide on packing tier, storage-in-transit if dates don’t align, junk removal, and cleaning.
- Request a written estimate with valuation options. Never accept a verbal-only quote.
Questions to ask every mover:
- What valuation or insurance coverage is included, and what are the upgrade options?
- What is the hourly minimum and how is overtime billed?
- Are packing materials included or billed separately?
- Does the company subcontract any part of the move?
- What is the delivery window for long-distance jobs?
Red flags: vague or verbal-only quotes, pressure to pay a large cash deposit upfront, refusal to discuss valuation coverage, no local references, and bids that are dramatically lower than all others without explanation.
Trust signals worth prioritizing: in-home or virtual survey option, transparent written estimates, clear insurance and valuation choices, local awards, and verifiable client testimonials.
What to expect on moving day
Preparation on your end directly affects how efficiently the crew can work. Before the truck arrives:
- Label every box with the destination room and a brief contents note.
- Set aside an essentials bag (medications, chargers, documents, a change of clothes) that travels with you, not on the truck.
- Confirm elevator reservations, parking permits, and building access windows in advance. New England properties often have narrow streets and limited loading zones, so a parking plan matters.
- Note any long carries, stairs, or tight corners the crew will encounter.
The crew will typically walk through the home on arrival, confirm the inventory, and establish a loading sequence. Your job during loading is to stay available for questions, not to direct traffic. Let the crew work their system.
Pro Tip: Clear a direct path from the main staging area to the front door before the crew arrives. Moving furniture and boxes out of the hallway takes minutes for you and saves the crew significant time on the clock.
One reminder on coverage: your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance may cover items in transit, but the terms vary. Confirm with your insurer before moving day, and ask your mover about released-value versus full-value protection under FMCSA guidelines.
Why Bridges Bros Movers is a practical choice in New England
Bridges Bros Movers covers the full range of professional moving services across New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. Whether you need a full residential move, labor-only support, packing and unpacking services, storage-in-transit, junk removal and move-in/move-out cleaning, specialty-item handling, or a commercial relocation, the company offers all of it under one roof.
Key service proof points:
- Recognized as “Best of Seacoast” and “Best Mover in NH”
- In-home and virtual consultation options for accurate written estimates
- Financing programs available for qualifying moves
- Real client testimonials and team photos on the website
- Coverage across NH, ME, and MA, with both local and long-distance capability
Getting started is straightforward. Request a written estimate through an in-home or virtual survey, confirm your service mix and valuation options, and ask about scheduling availability for your target date.
What most clients get wrong about choosing a service type
Most people call a mover before they’ve decided what they actually need, which puts the mover in the position of upselling rather than advising. The clients whose moves go smoothest are the ones who’ve walked through their home, identified the three or four items that genuinely worry them (the piano, the grandmother’s china, the wall-mounted TV), and made a deliberate decision about packing before the first call.
For most local New England moves, labor-only or partial packing paired with a rented truck is a reasonable cost-saver. For anything over 100 miles, or any home with specialty items, full-service is usually worth the premium. Portable containers work well when you need flexible loading time but don’t want to pay for a full crew.
Bridges Bros Movers covers every service type in New England
When you’re ready to book, Bridges Bros Movers offers transparent, written estimates for every service type discussed here, from a single-item small job to a full commercial relocation. The award-winning crew serves NH, ME, and MA with local expertise built over more than a century. Visit the full services page to review your options, or request an in-home or virtual consultation to get a written quote matched to your specific inventory and move date. For add-ons, the junk removal and cleaning page and packing services page cover pricing and scope in detail.
Sources
- Compare full-service vs. labor-only movers — Extra Space
- Types of moving companies — ConsumerAffairs
- Do movers pack for you? What full-service packing includes — HomeDecorExpert
- Moving Service Guide 2026: How to Find the Best Moving Service for Your Budget — BoxBuddy
FAQ
What is the difference between full-service and labor-only moving?
Full-service movers handle packing, loading, transport, and unpacking; labor-only crews load and unload while you supply the truck or container. Labor-only typically costs less but requires you to manage transport logistics.
How much does professional packing cost?
Packing-only labor generally runs $300–$1,500 depending on home size and whether you choose full, partial, or specialty packing. Materials are usually billed separately.
How far in advance should I book a mover in New England?
Book 4–6 weeks ahead for peak-season moves (May through September) and at least 2–4 weeks out for off-peak dates. Same-day availability is limited for most service types.
Does Bridges Bros Movers offer storage and junk removal?
Yes. Bridges Bros Movers provides short-term storage-in-transit, long-term storage options, junk removal, and move-in/move-out cleaning across New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts.
What valuation coverage should I ask about?
Ask your mover about released-value protection (basic, no added cost) versus full-value protection (covers repair or replacement). Also confirm whether your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance covers items in transit before moving day.