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About LD Movers
ContactLocal Movers in Chicago, IL
Professional local movers in Chicago, IL for homes, apartments, and metro-wide relocations. LD Movers dispatches from Palatine. Call (800) 969-8006.
Local movers · Chicago city
Local Movers in Chicago, IL
We aren't a city company. LD Movers works out of Palatine, in the northwest suburbs.
Chicago is also where our long-distance moves start. Our Google listing covers moves from Chicago to all 50 states, and one recent quote request was Chicago to New Haven, Connecticut. Natalia wrote: "I recently moved from Chicago to Texas and couldn't be happier with the service provided by this company." Moves inside the city, or out to the suburbs, are billed by the hour.
Local moving
What a Chicago Move Actually Involves
The curb decides the day. Ward offices hand out free no-parking signs, and the 32nd, 44th and 47th Ward offices all say theirs aren't enforceable. CDOT's signs are the ones that get a car ticketed or towed. They're requested through the city's online permit portal, far enough ahead for the city to post them. Posted street cleaning beats ward signs, and the 44th Ward warns that cars parked during cleaning get tickets. Ward signs are a courtesy. If the truck needs that curb, get CDOT's signs.
Then there's the building. Two- and three-flats make up about a quarter of Chicago's housing, and in South Lawndale and Brighton Park they're more than two-thirds of the stock. A flat has one unit per floor, so an upper flat means flights of stairs, and the gangways between buildings are narrow. Chicago also has more than 80,000 bungalows: usually brick, a story and a half, a full basement, about 20 feet wide on a 24- or 25-foot lot.
Getting the truck there has its own rules. Trucks are banned from DuSable Lake Shore Drive except between I-55 and 31st Street. Around Wrigley Field, commercial trucks stay out of the box bounded by Halsted, Racine, Belmont and Irving Park from 90 minutes before an event until an hour after it ends. The Kennedy carries up to 327,000 vehicles a day, and its stretch from the Circle Interchange to the Edens junction was named the worst bottleneck in the country in 2015.
Our services
Local Moving Services in Chicago
Local Moves in Chicago
Billed by the hour, from a bungalow to an upper flat.
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Home and Apartment Moves
Two-flats, three-flats and bungalows. Tell us the floor and how narrow the gangway is.
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Packing and Materials
Packing, unpacking and crates, for a city apartment or a full bungalow basement.
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Furniture and Heavy Items
Pianos down two-flat and three-flat stairs. Piano moving is one of the three categories on our profile.
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Commercial and Office
Office and commercial relocation inside the city, with one coordinator on it.
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Long-Distance from Chicago
Chicago is where our long distance runs start. All 50 states, priced off a real inventory.
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Service area
Chicago and Neighboring Communities
The Edens meets the Kennedy at Montrose Avenue, a spot the exit list calls the Junction. Moves between Chicago and the suburbs on our Google listing, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Schaumburg, Des Plaines, Mt Prospect and Buffalo Grove, are local and billed by the hour. A move from Chicago to another state is long distance: binding estimate off a walkthrough, delivery window in writing, and one coordinator from inventory to delivery.
Before you book
Worth Knowing Before Moving in Chicago
- Using ward signs anyway? The 47th Ward says to post them 48 to 72 hours ahead. The 44th Ward says legal spaces only, never a loading zone, tow zone, driveway, crosswalk or hydrant.
- Living in a two-flat or three-flat? Tell your coordinator which floor you're on and how many flights the furniture has to come down.
Local moving cost
What Local Movers Cost in Chicago, IL
Hourly, with no posted rate. In the city the hours go into the walk: curb to door, down the gangway, up the stairs. Bungalows are nearly a third of Chicago's single-family homes, mostly built between 1910 and 1940, and the classic one has a full basement to empty.
| What changes the hours | In Chicago |
|---|---|
| One unit per floor | Two- and three-flats: a quarter of homes |
| Narrow gangways | Between closely spaced two-flats |
| Truck routes | No trucks on most of Lake Shore Drive |
| Game days at Wrigley | Truck ban 90 min before to 1 hr after |
Laurie's review is about the long haul: "Handled the first leg of my cross country move." That's the other half of what we do from Chicago.
Signs and timing
Ward Signs, CDOT Signs and the Kennedy
Using ward signs anyway? Read the fine print. The 44th Ward's cover 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., one day at a time. You pick them up with proof of residency and a photo ID, and they go up at least 48 hours before the move.
For CDOT's TOW ZONE signs, the 47th Ward points to the city's online permit portal and the CDOT permit office at 312-744-4652.
Coming in from the suburbs, the Kennedy decides the clock. It runs nearly 18 miles between O'Hare and the West Loop, and its reversible express lanes cover about eight miles from the Edens junction to Ohio Street. Set the start time around it with your coordinator.
Choosing a mover
How to Vet Local Movers for Chicago
- Ask the mover if they'll request CDOT's enforceable TOW ZONE signs. Ward signs are courtesy only.
- Ordering a PODS too? It goes on private property or a driveway, never the sidewalk, street or alley.
- Moving near Wrigley Field? Check the event calendar before you pick a date.
- Get one phone number for the whole move. LD gives you one coordinator from inventory to delivery.
FAQ
Questions About Moving in Chicago
Do you do local moves inside Chicago?
Yes. City moves are billed by the hour. Our crews drive in from Palatine, so set the start time around rush hour with your coordinator.
Are the free signs from my alderman's office enough?
No. The 32nd, 44th and 47th Ward offices all say their move-day signs aren't enforceable. Only CDOT's signs can get a car ticketed or towed. The 32nd Ward's cover 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., one day at a time.
Who gets the CDOT parking permit for the truck?
CDOT takes requests through the city's online permit portal, and the 47th Ward says a professional moving company typically handles the permitting. Settle who's pulling it with your coordinator before move week, so nobody assumes the other one did.
Can I park a moving container in front of my building?
Not on the public way. The 44th Ward says pods and containers can't go on sidewalks, streets, curbs, parkways or alleys. Use a driveway, private parking space or private lot. The 47th Ward adds that a container on the street has to sit on a movable trailer.
How much do movers cost in Chicago?
Local moves are billed by the hour. Flights of stairs in a two-flat, whether the truck gets the curb and how far the walk is all add time, so tell us about them up front.
Can you move me from Chicago to the suburbs?
Yes. Chicago to Arlington Heights, Palatine, Schaumburg, Des Plaines, Mt Prospect or Buffalo Grove is a local move, billed by the hour.
I'm leaving Chicago for another state. How does that work?
That's a long-distance move. You get a binding estimate off a walkthrough, the delivery window in writing, and one coordinator from inventory to delivery. Your move is never handed to a broker mid route.
Nearby Local Moving Service Areas
Step by Step
How Your Move Works
From first call to final box, here's how LD Movers runs your move.
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Step 1
Request a Quote
Submit our online form or call (800) 969-8006 for a free estimate. No runaround, no pressure.
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Step 2
Plan Your Move
A moving coordinator collects your inventory, pickup and delivery addresses, and any special items. In-home or virtual walkthroughs available for larger moves.
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Step 3
Get Your Price
Local moves are billed by the hour. A walkthrough estimate sets out the crew size and scope before move day, priced off a real inventory, not a phone guess.
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Step 4
Move Day
Professional movers arrive on schedule, protect your home and belongings, and deliver on the agreed timeline. You focus on settling in. We handle the rest.
By submitting this form, you agree to be contacted by LD Movers regarding your move. We respect your privacy and will never share your information with third parties.