Movers in Austin

1. Look up the certificate. Search the company on TxDMV's Truck Stop motor carrier lookup. An "Active" status means it is licensed to move household goods in Texas. Moving goods for pay without that registration is a Class C misdemeanor, rising with repeat convictions.
2. Check the ads and truck. Print ads must show the registered name, a Texas street address and the number written as "TxDMV No.", and trucks must show the company name and number on both sides. TxDMV calls unmarked or rental trucks a warning sign.
3. Ask for the federal number. Texas-registered movers must also hold a federal identification number, such as a USDOT number. If your move leaves Texas, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulates it instead of TxDMV; its consumer site is protectyourmove.gov.
4. Call for complaint history. TxDMV's Enforcement Division gives a mover's complaint history at 1-888-368-4689.

TxDMV warns that unlicensed movers often quote very low prices, then raise them once your goods are on the truck, and may use only cell phones and vague names like "Movers".

TxDMV doesn't regulate what movers charge, so prices vary and shopping around is the agency's own advice. HomeGuide's national figures from November 2025 set the range: a local move of under 50 miles for a 2- to 3-bedroom home costs $900 to $2,800, with $50 to $100 or more per mover per hour and a 3- to 5-hour minimum. A long-distance move of the same size runs $1,300 to $9,500, depending on mileage and weight. Get written proposals from at least two Austin movers to compare. The Texas movers guide explains pricing in more detail.

The written proposal for an Austin move

Before loading, a Texas mover must give you a written proposal describing the services and the maximum you could be asked to pay. It is either binding, at an exact price, or not-to-exceed, a ceiling the mover may come in under. For an accurate figure TxDMV says to list every item and mention stairs, long carries and elevators, which matters for a downtown high-rise or a hillside home with a long walk to the door. You should also receive TxDMV's "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move in Texas" before loading, and the mover can't add charges after you sign without written agreement from both sides.

Liability for damage on an Austin move

You and the mover agree on its liability level. TxDMV's own example shows why the level matters: under a 60-cents-per-pound limit, a lost 50-pound TV brings back $30. Transit insurance, sold by some movers or by a separate insurer, fills that gap if the proof of coverage is in your hands before loading. File damage or overcharge claims in writing within 90 days of delivery. The mover then has 23 days to acknowledge, 30 days to inspect and 90 days to pay, deny or offer a settlement, and TxDMV offers free mediation if you ask within 35 days of an unsatisfactory answer.

• Bulk pickup. Book Austin Resource Recovery's collection through the Austin Recycles app, online or 3-1-1. Items must be out by 5:30 a.m. and 5 feet from carts, mailboxes, meters and cars, and nothing goes without an appointment.
• Utilities. Austin Energy, the city's community-owned utility, supplies electricity (customer service 512-494-9400), and Austin Water supplies water. Ask each about start and stop dates for your address.
• Selling the old place. Homes 10 or more years old inside city limits and in Austin Energy's service area need an ECAD energy audit before sale; see real estate agents in Austin.
• Move-out cleaning. Leave time for a final clean before the landlord's walk-through; see house cleaning in Austin.

For the other city rules, see the Austin hub, and to compare companies a few miles north, see movers in Round Rock.