Office Relocations
Desks, filing systems, server and network gear and retail fixtures, planned around your operating hours.
Suits: Offices, clinics, studios and retail units.
Read about Office RelocationsBay Area & East Bay Movers
ShipShape Moving provides licensed local and long distance moving across the Bay Area and East Bay. Based in Berkeley, our crews handle apartment, residential, office, packing and white glove moves throughout the region.
510-666-6480Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm
Get free moving quote
What we do
Moving services we run across the Bay Area
Nine moving services for homes, apartments and businesses across the Bay Area. Explore each service to see what is included and which type of move it is designed for.
Packing
Trained packers, high grade materials and careful labeling, so unpacking is not a guessing game.
Suits: Anyone short on time, or with a kitchen and a bookshelf problem.
Read about Packing
Residential Movers
Full household moves for condos, apartments and houses, with furniture protected for the carry.
Suits: Families and households of any size.
Read about Residential Movers
Long Distance Moving
Moves out of the Bay Area, with the load planned and secured for a long run.
Suits: Anyone leaving the region or arriving from out of state.
Read about Long Distance Moving
White Glove Delivery
Padded, careful handling for artwork, antiques, instruments and single high value pieces.
Suits: Collectors, galleries, designers and single-item deliveries.
Read about White Glove Delivery
Large Home Moving
Bigger crew and bigger truck, planned around the room count, the garage, the shed and everything that lives outside.
Suits: Three bedroom and up, garages, sheds and outdoor furniture.
Read about Large Home Moving
Local Moves
A move inside the Bay Area, billed hourly for three movers and a truck, with a written not-to-exceed price agreed before the crew starts.
Suits: Anyone moving between two Bay Area addresses in a single day.
Read about Local Moves
Apartment Moves
Stairs, shared elevators, narrow landings and building move-in windows are the whole job in an apartment. We plan the route through the building before the truck arrives.
Suits: Studio through three bedroom apartments, walk-ups included.
Read about Apartment Moves
Commercial Moves
Shop, restaurant and warehouse relocations, including after-hours and weekend windows to keep trading time intact.
Suits: Businesses that cannot close for a weekday.
Read about Commercial MovesBefore you ask for a price
Tell us about the building, not just the address
Every mover asks how many bedrooms. Bedrooms are the least useful number. What actually decides the hours is how far your furniture has to travel between your door and the truck, and what is in the way. Read the row that matches your place and have the answer ready.
- Walk-up apartment
- No elevator, one or two flights, a landing that turns. The crew size goes up so the number of trips goes down, which is usually cheaper than a small crew taking twice as long.
- Elevator building
- A shared elevator with a booked window is the whole schedule. Tell us the reserved time and whether the building requires certificates of insurance, and we plan the load order around it.
- Single-family home with stairs
- Interior stairs, a basement or a garage that has been filling up for a decade. This is where a walkthrough before quote day pays for itself.
- Hill driveway or long carry
- Piedmont, Berkeley hills, Mill Valley lanes. If a 24 foot truck cannot get close, the carry distance is what drives the hours. Pace it out and give us the number.
- Campus and student housing
- Fixed move-out dates, shared corridors, loading bays with time limits. Book early, because the whole city moves on the same weekend.
Four steps, no surprises
How a ShipShape move runs, start to finish
From the first call to the final walkthrough, this is how a ShipShape move runs.
- 01
Send us the two addresses
Call 510-666-6480 or fill in the quote form. We need both addresses, the size of the place, your target date, and the access notes from the section above. Five minutes of detail here is what makes the cap hold.
- 02
Get your cap in writing
You get a not-to-exceed figure with the line items behind it, and the hourly rate it was built from. Read it, ask about anything in the "to confirm" column, then decide. A deposit may be required to hold the date.
- 03
Move day
The crew walks the route with you first, then loads the truck for the drive and for the unload at the other end.
- 04
Walkthrough and sign-off
Before the crew leaves, you walk both the truck and the new place with the crew lead. Anything that needs noting gets noted the same day, on the paperwork, while everyone is still standing there.
Where we work
Cities we serve across the Bay Area
16 service areas, each with its own page and its own access notes, because an Oakland hillside home, a San Francisco walk-up, a Sausalito waterfront move and a Foster City townhome are not the same job. Long distance moves out of the region are run by the same crews.
Real reviews, named crews
What Bay Area customers say
Reviews from ShipShape customers, shown as published. Customers often mention the crew who handled their move.
Dennis Vasileuski
Founder, ShipShape Moving
A note from the founder
I am Dennis Vasileuski, founder of ShipShape Moving.
I started this company to make moving easier, safer and less stressful for people across San Francisco and the Bay Area.
Our team shows up on time, communicates clearly, protects your belongings and treats your home with respect. We keep pricing clear before the move begins, so you know what to expect from start to finish.
Whether you are moving an apartment, home, office or storage unit, we are here to make the process smooth and simple.
When you are ready, we will be glad to take it from here.
Our team shows up on time, communicates clearly, protects your belongings and treats your home with respect. We keep pricing clear before the move begins, so you know what to expect from start to finish.
Whether you are moving an apartment, home, office or storage unit, we are here to make the process smooth and simple.
When you are ready, we will be glad to take it from here.
Check us, do not take our word
License, insurance and the things you should check
California household goods movers are permitted by the Bureau of Household Goods and Services. You can look any mover up before you hand over a deposit, and you should.
Permit and regulator
- California permit
- MTR 0192323
- Regulator
- California Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Household Goods and Services
- What it means
- ShipShape is authorized to move household goods for hire inside California. A permit number lets you check the status yourself at bhgs.dca.ca.gov before you book.
- Interstate authority
- Legacy CPUC number
Insurance, in plain English
- General liability
- Covers damage the crew causes to the property itself, for example a scraped stairwell or a cracked door frame in your building.
- Cargo
- Covers your goods while they are in the truck and in the crew hands.
- Workers compensation
- Covers the crew if a mover is hurt on your job. Without it, an injury on your stairs can become your problem.
- Limits and claims
Crew and equipment
- Founded
- 2020, in Berkeley
- Who shows up
- Full-time ShipShape employees, never subcontractors.
- Crew size
- Most apartment and local moves run with 2 or 3 movers. Larger homes get 4+, and the quote says how many before you book.
- Background checks
- Every mover is background checked before their first job.
- Trucks
- Five 26-foot box trucks, each with a loading ramp.
- On every truck
- Moving blankets, stretch wrap, dollies and hand trucks, straps, floor and door-frame protection, wardrobe boxes, and tools to take apart and put back together beds, tables and shelving.
Money, dates and paperwork
- Payment accepted
- Cash
- Visa
- MasterCard
- Amex
- Discover
- Debit
- Check
- Venmo
- Zelle
- Deposit
- A deposit may be required to confirm your moving date.
- Cancellation
- At least 48 hours notice. A cancellation fee may apply if adequate notice is not given.
- Price band
- Published as a mid range service.
Twelve straight answers
Questions Bay Area customers ask before booking
Straight answers about pricing, deposits, cancellation, travel time, stairs, damage and tipping before you book.
How do you work out the price of my move?
Crew size is matched to the size of your move, and the crew sets the hourly rate. The standard three movers and a truck is $190 an hour Monday to Thursday and $200 an hour Friday to Sunday, plus a one-time $50 truck fee. A smaller move may run with two movers and a larger one with four or five, each at its own rate. After we look at what you are moving you get a written estimate with a not-to-exceed price, which is the most you can pay. Finish sooner and you pay for the hours actually worked.
Do you take a deposit to hold a date?
A deposit may be required to confirm your moving date.
What is your cancellation policy?
Cancellations must be communicated at least 48 hours before the scheduled move. ShipShape Moving reserves the right to apply a cancellation fee if adequate notice is not given.
Do stairs, an elevator or a long carry cost extra?
Stairs, elevator waits and the distance from the door to the truck are the three things that decide how long a job actually takes, so we ask about all three before we quote. Measure the walk from your door to where a 24 foot truck can legally park and tell us the number.
Does the bill include drive time between the two addresses?
Travel time between your old and new address is a normal, published part of California local moving charges, and it is the single most common surprise on a moving invoice in this state. Ask any mover to state in writing how they bill it before you sign.
What will your movers not put on the truck?
Call us before you pack anything flammable, pressurized, corrosive, perishable or living, and before you box up cash, jewelry, passports or medication, and we will tell you what we can carry and what should travel in your own car.
What happens if something gets damaged?
ShipShape Moving carries general liability, cargo and workers compensation insurance for household goods moves in California. Point out any damage to the crew lead before they leave the site and get it noted on the paperwork the same day.
Should I tip the crew?
Tipping is your call and it is separate from the quoted price.
Who sorts out parking and the loading zone?
Tell us the parking situation at both addresses when you request the quote, including permit zones, hills, narrow streets and any building loading dock hours.
Can you move me the same day or at short notice?
Often yes, depending on crew and truck availability. Call 510-666-6480 as early in the day as possible and we will do what we can to fit you in.
Which cities do you cover?
Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, Alameda, Albany, Emeryville, Piedmont, Orinda, Mill Valley, Sausalito and Tiburon, Foster City, Belmont, Hillsborough, San Mateo, Palo Alto and San Jose. That is 16 service areas, each with its own page with local detail, and long distance moves out of the Bay Area are handled by the same crews.
Which payment methods do you take?
Cash, credit and debit cards including Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover, check, Venmo and Zelle.
Free estimate
Get a written estimate for your move
Call and speak to someone, or send the form and we will come back to you. Either way you get the published hourly rate and a written cap, not a range that moves on move day.
510-666-6480Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm
What happens after you send it
- A real person reads it, not an auto-responder.
- We call or email to fill in the access details: stairs, elevator, parking, carry distance.
- You get the not-to-exceed price in writing, with the line items behind it.
- Nothing is booked and no deposit is taken until you say yes.
- Response time:
