Packing Services in the Bay Area

Why Choose Packing Services from Our Moving Company?

• One company from first box to last. The same company packs, loads, moves and unpacks, so nothing is handed off between businesses.
• Full-time ShipShape employees. The people packing your home are our own crew, never subcontractors.
• Materials listed up front. Anything we provide is itemised on your estimate before you book.
• Licensed and insured. California permit Cal-T MTR 0192323, with general liability, cargo and workers' compensation coverage for household goods moves. Licensing and insurance
• Help after the boxes arrive. Unpacking, furniture assembly, TV mounting and disposal can be added to the move or booked on their own.

Read what customers say on Google and Yelp

Choose how much we pack

• Full packing. The crew packs the whole home: kitchen, books, clothes, décor and everything else, and wraps the furniture.
• Partial packing. You pack the everyday things, and we pack the fragile and valuable ones: glassware, dishes, mirrors, framed art and antiques.
• You pack, we move. Use our box and supplies guide for how many boxes you need and how to pack them so nothing shifts.

Whichever you choose, ShipShape recommends finishing packing before moving day; it makes the move day shorter and smoother.

How the crew protects what it packs

• Furniture gets blankets and stretch wrap; upholstery that could snag gets shrink wrap.
• Artwork and antiques are wrapped and carried rather than stacked. Crating is available on request for valuable or fragile items.
• Hardware from furniture we take apart is bagged and labeled for each piece.
• Boxes are stacked no higher than the crew can handle safely, with heavier items low, and nothing rests on soft furnishings in the truck.

Pianos, safes and gym equipment need their own handling and are quoted separately. What we move and what we can't

Our packing process

1. Estimate

Tell us your home size, whether you want full or partial packing, and anything fragile, valuable or heavy. The packing quote goes on your written estimate, with the crew, the hours, the arrival window and any materials.

2. Pack day: the day before or on moving day

Packing can be done the day before your move or on moving day itself. For larger homes, we recommend having the crew pack the day before the move, and we'll go over the best option with you during the estimate. Your estimate states when the packing crew arrives.

3. Packing

The crew wraps furniture and packs room by room, labeling boxes by room. Hardware from anything we take apart is bagged and labeled for each piece, and fragile items are wrapped individually.

4. Moving day

Boxes are loaded with heavier items low and nothing resting on soft furnishings, then unloaded into the right rooms at the new place.

5. Unpacking, if you booked it

We unpack as much as you ask for, including placing items in cabinets and closets.

Packing checklist and timeline

Four weeks out

• Order boxes and packing materials, or book a packing crew.
• If you're packing yourself, start room by room with the rooms you use least.

Two weeks out

• Confirm the arrival window and crew size in writing.
• Photograph anything valuable.

One week out

• Pack a bag of essentials for the first night.
• Put valuables, documents and medication somewhere they stay with you, not in the boxes.
• Call us before you pack anything flammable, pressurized, corrosive or perishable.

The night before

• Set aside the boxes that travel with you.
• Keep keys and chargers out of the boxes.
• Clear a path from the door to where the truck will park.

Packing a box yourself

• Heavy items at the bottom, light items on top, and keep each box under about 50 pounds.
• Wrap each item individually and stand plates on edge, never flat in a stack.
• Fill every gap: a box that rattles will crush when another box sits on it.
• Tape the base as well as the top, and mark fragile boxes on the sides, not only the top.
• Write the room and a one-word contents list on the side of each box.

Full moving checklist · Boxes and moving supplies guide

Unpacking and setup at the new place

These can be booked with your move or as standalone jobs:

• Unpacking. You choose how much help you want. We can place unpacked items in cabinets and closets when you ask.
• Furniture assembly. Including new flat-pack and IKEA furniture.
• TV wall mounting and wall shelving installation.
• Furniture and household-item disposal, for an additional charge.

Packing materials

On a packing job the crew brings the materials. Materials are the only extra charge for packing, and everything we provide is itemised on your estimate before you book.

Packing it yourself? These are working numbers for a home where we move the large furniture and boxes carry everything else:

Add roughly a fifth if you're also packing a garage, a workshop or a home office. Box sizes and how to pack them

How packing is priced

Packing is billed at the same hourly rate as the move. There is no separate charge for packing labor. The only extra charge is packing materials, and they're itemised on your written estimate before you book. Hourly rates by crew size are on our rates page.

Want a sense of what packing costs across the industry before you call? Read what packing services typically cost.

Related services

• Residential movers
• Apartment movers
• Office movers
• White glove movers for valuable and fragile pieces
• Local movers for hourly rates

Packing questions

Can I book unpacking on its own?

Yes. Unpacking can be booked as a standalone service, and you choose the level of help. We can place items in cabinets and closets when you ask.

Can you pack only our fragile things?

Yes. With partial packing you pack the everyday items and we pack the fragile and valuable ones.

Do you bring the boxes?

Yes. On a packing job the crew brings the materials, and they're itemised on your estimate.

Is packing labor charged separately?

No. Packing is billed at the same hourly rate as the move. The only extra charge is packing materials.

Can you crate valuable or fragile items?

Yes. Crating is available on request for valuable or fragile items. Tell us about them when you ask for your estimate.

How many boxes does a 2-bedroom home need?

About 35 to 50 boxes plus 8 wardrobe boxes, if we move the large furniture. Add roughly a fifth for a garage or home office.

Do you assemble IKEA furniture?

Yes, with your move or as a standalone job.