San Francisco to Des Moines Movers

Best San Francisco to Des Moines Movers

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Updated December 19, 2025

Looking for reliable San Francisco to Des Moines movers for this 1,841 mile interstate move? See our top 5 recommended movers, get estimated moving costs, and read our San Francisco to Des Moines moving guide below. We analyzed 18 Des Moines to San Francisco moving companies across 16,314 review data points and more than 20,000 movers nationwide using our 11-point rating system to bring you data-backed moving recommendations.

Key Takeaways:

  • OCD Moving Services LLC is our overall top recommended San Francisco to Des Moines moving company
  • Bay - L.A. Express Moving is the most affordable company to hire
  • Moving from San Francisco to Des Moines will cost on average between $2,000 - $8,000
  • Our rankings and results are unbiased & backed by data… NOT paid promotions
San Francisco to Des Moines featured image

Best San Francisco to Des Moines Movers

RankCompanyScoreLicenseAction
1OCD Moving Services LLC9.67Authorized For HHG
2Adamantine Spine Moving9.54Authorized For Property, HHG
3Bay - L.A. Express Moving9.34Authorized For HHG
4Careful Movers9.31Authorized For HHG
5Best Move Inc9.25Authorized For Property

Our Top Recommendations

TOP PICK
OCD Moving Services LLC featured image

OCD Moving Services LLC

Best moving company overall for San Francisco to Des Moines

9.67/10
ExceptionalView details
RUNNER-UP
Adamantine Spine Moving featured image

Adamantine Spine Moving

Best at resolving problems that arise

9.54/10
ExceptionalView details
ALSO GREAT
Bay - L.A. Express Moving

Bay - L.A. Express Moving

Best overall value

9.34/10
ExceptionalView details

OCD Moving Services LLC

Exceptional
9.67/10

5914 Cobblestone Ct, El Sobrante, CA, 94803

11-Point Rating

9.8
9.8
9.3
9.8
9.5
9.8
9.9
9.8
9.9
8.8
9.9
OCD Moving Services LLC featured image

Best moving company overall to hire when moving from San Francisco to Des Moines! OCD Moving Services LLC takes the #1 spot for our overall ranking and is the top recommended movers for this route.

OCD Moving Services LLC is the number 1 ranked moving service in San Francisco, CA with an overall score of 9.67 out of 10. Based on our extensive analysis, this is an Exceptional score and places it in the top 99.62% of all movers in California and the top 99.78% of moving companies nationwide. They score better than 17 other San Francisco moving companies and better than 2,404 movers in California. OCD Moving Services LLC is also one of the top 100 movers nationwide (out of more than 20,000 total moving companies).

Our Research

  • Analyzed 631 total reviews
  • Reviewed 5 social profiles and review listings
  • Checked for license verification at BHGS & FMCSA
  • Crunched 2,922 data points pertaining to the above

11 Point Rating

MetricScorevs NationwidePositive ReviewsNegative ReviewsPositive Score
Quality9.84↑ 18.5%517599.0%
Punctuality9.80↑ 22.9%217299.1%
Affordability9.34↑ 23.3%95595.0%
Communication9.78↑ 31.7%221299.1%
Stick to Prices9.49↑ 59.2%81396.4%
Speed9.76↑ 15.7%230697.5%
Friendliness9.95↑ 14.0%3580100.0%
Will Hire Again9.82↑ 22.1%509698.8%
Professionalism9.89↑ 21.1%335299.4%
Conflict Handling8.76↑ 115.6%27293.1%
Precision & Care9.89↑ 24.9%298199.7%

Recent OCD Moving Services LLC Reviews

Quality - 9.84/10

Overall quality of the service provided on moving day.

Recent Customer Praises
moving service was easy and efficient
They take the stress out of moving
extremely happy with my move
absolutely amazing moving services
Recent Customer Complaints
great work by one gentleman
Overall Review Distribution
Positive
517 (99.0%)
Negative
5 (1.0%)

Additional Details

Moving Services Offered by OCD Moving Services LLC

  • Local Moving
  • Long Distance Moving
  • Commercial Moving
  • In-House Moving
  • Apartment Moving
  • Piano Moving
  • Packing & Unpacking
  • Storage Services
  • Junk Removal

Adamantine Spine Moving

Exceptional
9.54/10

2815 36th St, Des Moines, IA, 50310

11-Point Rating

9.8
9.5
9.3
9.7
8.9
9.7
9.8
9.7
9.8
9.0
9.7
Adamantine Spine Moving featured image

Best movers to hire if you've got a tricky move where things could go wrong. Adamantine Spine Moving has a proven track record of making things right with their customers.

Adamantine Spine Moving is the number 2 ranked moving service in Des Moines, IA with an overall score of 9.54 out of 10. Based on our extensive analysis, this is an Exceptional score and places it in the top 100% of all movers in Iowa and the top 99.17% of moving companies nationwide. They score better than 16 other Des Moines moving companies and better than 182 movers in Iowa.

Our Research

  • Analyzed 360 total reviews
  • Reviewed 7 social profiles and review listings
  • Checked for license verification at IADOT & FMCSA
  • Crunched 898 data points pertaining to the above

11 Point Rating

MetricScorevs NationwidePositive ReviewsNegative ReviewsPositive Score
Quality9.78↑ 17.9%161199.4%
Punctuality9.52↑ 19.3%40197.6%
Affordability9.33↑ 23.2%34197.1%
Communication9.70↑ 30.6%89198.9%
Stick to Prices8.94↑ 50.0%23292.0%
Speed9.69↑ 14.9%59198.3%
Friendliness9.80↑ 12.3%109199.1%
Will Hire Again9.71↑ 20.8%159298.8%
Professionalism9.78↑ 19.7%117199.2%
Conflict Handling9.01↑ 121.6%110100.0%
Precision & Care9.69↑ 22.3%84198.8%

Recent Adamantine Spine Moving Reviews

Quality - 9.78/10

Overall quality of the service provided on moving day.

Overall Review Distribution
Positive
161 (99.4%)
Negative
1 (0.6%)

Additional Details

Moving Services Offered by Adamantine Spine Moving

  • Local Moving
  • Long Distance Moving
  • Apartment/Condo Moving
  • B2B Moving
  • Home Moving
  • Office Moving
  • Furniture Moving
  • Loading & Unloading
  • Moving Into Storage
  • Packing & Unpacking

Bay - L.A. Express Moving

Exceptional
9.34/10

8 22nd St, San Francisco, CA, 94107

11-Point Rating

9.5
9.4
9.5
9.4
9.5
9.6
9.7
9.4
9.4
7.9
9.4

Get the best bang for your buck hiring Bay - L.A. Express Moving of San Francisco. They have the best affordability index score which measures both quality and affordability.

Bay - L.A. Express Moving is the number 3 ranked moving service in San Francisco, CA with an overall score of 9.34 out of 10. Based on our extensive analysis, this is an Exceptional score and places it in the top 95.32% of all movers in California and the top 97.01% of moving companies nationwide. They score better than 15 other San Francisco moving companies and better than 2,300 movers in California.

Our Research

  • Analyzed 94 total reviews
  • Reviewed 3 social profiles and review listings
  • Checked for license verification at BHGS & FMCSA
  • Crunched 542 data points pertaining to the above

11 Point Rating

MetricScorevs NationwidePositive ReviewsNegative ReviewsPositive Score
Quality9.52↑ 14.8%85297.7%
Punctuality9.44↑ 18.4%46295.8%
Affordability9.50↑ 25.4%38197.4%
Communication9.37↑ 26.2%50296.2%
Stick to Prices9.54↑ 60.1%250100.0%
Speed9.59↑ 13.6%38197.4%
Friendliness9.67↑ 10.8%510100.0%
Will Hire Again9.40↑ 16.9%84396.6%
Professionalism9.41↑ 15.2%51296.2%
Conflict Handling7.91↑ 94.6%7187.5%
Precision & Care9.44↑ 19.1%51296.2%

Recent Bay - L.A. Express Moving Reviews

Quality - 9.52/10

Overall quality of the service provided on moving day.

Recent Customer Praises
made our move smooth and stress-free
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Positive
85 (97.7%)
Negative
2 (2.3%)

Additional Details

Moving Services Offered by Bay - L.A. Express Moving

  • Long-distance moving
  • Small relocation
  • Full packing services
  • Partial packing services
  • Storage services
  • Unpacking services
  • Co-share service
  • Fragile item shielding
  • Piano moving
  • Pack and move service

Careful Movers

Exceptional
9.31/10

3641 Haven Ave C, Menlo Park, CA, 94025

11-Point Rating

9.5
9.7
8.3
9.7
8.7
9.7
9.9
9.5
9.8
8.0
9.6

Best Move Inc

Exceptional
9.25/10

Burlington, IA, 52601

11-Point Rating

9.6
9.5
9.1
9.4
8.1
9.7
9.8
9.6
9.6
7.8
9.6

How Much Do San Francisco to Des Moines Movers Cost?

Moving 1,841 miles from San Francisco, CA to Des Moines, IA will typically cost between $3,500 and $8,000 to hire full service movers. See the chart below for a detailed breakdown by home size.

  • Expected Range: $3,500 - $8,000
  • Expected Time To Complete: 2-10 days
  • Most Affordable Recommended Movers: Bay - L.A. Express Moving
HOME SIZEMOVING COSTVOLUME OF PACKED ITEMS (FT3)$/FT3
Studio$2,246300 ft3$7.49
1 Bedroom$3,347450 ft3$7.44
2 Bedrooms$5,540750 ft3$7.39
3 Bedrooms$8,0711100 ft3$7.34
4 Bedrooms$11,6601600 ft3$7.29
5+ Bedrooms$13,0271800 ft3$7.24

Pro tip for the cheapest long distance move

Find long distance movers in Des Moines that already have a booked job heading from Des Moines to San Francisco. Their moving truck would be making the trip back to Des Moines from San Francisco entirely empty. If you can find a Des Moines moving company willing to move your stuff on the return leg, you'll score a real deal!

Moving Containers: A cheaper San Francisco to Des Moines moving option

Hire local San Francisco movers for the pickup location at an hourly rate. They can quickly load your moving container. When your container is dropped off at your new home, hire Des Moines movers to unpack the container and move you into your new home. You'll have to piece this San Francisco to Des Moines move together yourself with at least 3 different companies. Taking on this scheduling responsibility will save you a little money by moving with this strategy.

How we ranked the top San Francisco to Des Moines movers

Why you should trust us

We take reviews seriously to protect people just like you! Our team has been crunching data on moving companies since 2010. Our math-based ranking system uses data, manual review, and statistical analysis to help you hire the best San Francisco, CA to Des Moines, IA long distance movers.

Rating Methodology

Here's the methodology we used to come up with the best movers for the San Francisco to Des Moines moving route:

Our data scientist working on the years of experience formula

Our original review-based ranking algorithm

We started with a total of 18 companies that offer interstate moving services in both the San Francisco and Des Moines areas.

From these 18 companies, we analyzed a total of 5,450 reviews dating all the way back to August 2005.

We also reviewed a total of 5 state and federal moving licenses from these 18 companies and 81 different 3rd party review and social profiles.

Each of the ~5,000 reviews was scored according to our detailed 11-point rating criteria

Reviews are time-weighted so that more recent reviews carry more weight. This helps you understand how a mover is doing today... not 5 years ago. We have 444 San Francisco to Des Moines moving company data points from the past 2 years that carry more weight.

Bayesian averages calculated to fairly account for the differences between companies that are newer(like OCD Moving Services LLC) vs older more established companies (like Best Move Inc).

The Great Guys Moving 11-Point Rating Breakdown

Our 11-point rating criteria scores every San Francisco to Des Moines moving company across 11 of the most important criteria for a succesful moving experience.

Quality

Overall quality of the service provided on moving day.

8.79/10 avg (San Francisco & Des Moines combined) from 2,976 reviews

Punctuality

Did the crew show up on-time with the required equipment?

8.48/10 avg (San Francisco & Des Moines combined) from 1,153 reviews

Affordability

How affordable was the moving service?

7.73/10 avg (San Francisco & Des Moines combined) from 606 reviews

Communication

Responsiveness before, during, and after the move.

8.40/10 avg (San Francisco & Des Moines combined) from 1,271 reviews

Stick to Prices

Was the final price consistent with the original quote?

6.77/10 avg (San Francisco & Des Moines combined) from 479 reviews

Speed

Efficiency without taking unnecessary time to increase costs.

9.14/10 avg (San Francisco & Des Moines combined) from 1,355 reviews

Friendliness

Was the moving crew cordial and friendly on moving day?

9.31/10 avg (San Francisco & Des Moines combined) from 1,834 reviews

Will Hire Again

How likely a customer is to hire the same movers again.

8.62/10 avg (San Francisco & Des Moines combined) from 2,945 reviews

Professionalism

Did the moving crew behave professionally on moving day?

8.79/10 avg (San Francisco & Des Moines combined) from 1,813 reviews

Conflict Handling

How well the company responds to accidents and issues.

5.59/10 avg (San Francisco & Des Moines combined) from 272 reviews

Precision & Care

Were walls scratched? Did furniture get damaged or lost?

8.62/10 avg (San Francisco & Des Moines combined) from 1,610 reviews

San Francisco to Des Moines Moving Guide

From San Francisco to Des Moines: Comparable Neighborhoods at a Glance

San Francisco vs Des Moines Neighborhood Comparison
San FranciscoDes MoinesHow They're Similar
Mission DistrictEast Villagevibrant street art & murals
Haight-AshburySherman Hillhistoric Victorian homes & bohemian vibe
North BeachCourt Avenue Districtvibrant nightlife & restaurants
Nob HillEast Villageboutique shops & trendy dining
Marina DistrictGray's Lakewaterfront park & boating activities
Sunset DistrictBeaverdalequiet residential & family-friendly
SOMADowntownmodern high-rises & urban core
  • Mission District in San Francisco & East Village in Des Moines are both known for their vibrant street art & murals
  • San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood & Des Moines' Sherman Hill both share historic Victorian homes & a bohemian vibe
  • If you're moving from North Beach, check out Court Avenue District in the Des Moines area for vibrant nightlife & restaurants
  • Do you enjoy Nob Hill's boutique shops & trendy dining? You're sure to love East Village
  • Move from Marina District to Gray's Lake and continue to enjoy these neighborhood qualities: waterfront parks & boating activities
  • Sunset District & Beaverdale are both known for their quiet residential atmosphere & family-friendly environment
  • San Francisco's SOMA neighborhood & Des Moines' Downtown neighborhood both have modern high-rises & an urban core

Discover Des Moines Restaurants You'll Love

Moving to Des Moines is an opportunity to try lots of new restaurants. Sure, you'll miss your old San Francisco favorites, but we've got you covered. If you loved Zuni Café, Tartine Bakery, and The Slanted Door in San Francisco, we're sure you'll love Centro, known for its sophisticated take on American fare similar to Zuni's approach, La Mie Bakery, which offers artisan bread and pastries that will remind you of Tartine, and Eatery A, offering innovative dishes with a fusion twist reminiscent of The Slanted Door in Des Moines. See our Des Moines restaurant discovery table below to find the closest comparison restaurant to all of your cherished San Francisco hotspots. For example, if you enjoyed dining at House of Prime Rib, head to 801 Chophouse, a classic steakhouse experience similar to House of Prime Rib, on your first Friday night after the boxes are unpacked.

San FranciscoDes MoinesWhat You'll Love
Zuni CaféCentro – Known for its sophisticated take on American fare, similar to Zuni's approach.Centro – Known for its sophisticated take on American fare, similar to Zuni's approach.
Tartine BakeryLa Mie Bakery – Offers artisan bread and pastries that will remind you of Tartine.La Mie Bakery – Offers artisan bread and pastries that will remind you of Tartine.
The Slanted DoorEatery A – Innovative dishes with a fusion twist reminiscent of The Slanted Door.Eatery A – Innovative dishes with a fusion twist reminiscent of The Slanted Door.
House of Prime Rib801 Chophouse – Classic steakhouse experience similar to House of Prime Rib.801 Chophouse – Classic steakhouse experience similar to House of Prime Rib.
BenuHarbinger – Offers a modern culinary adventure, similar in vision to Benu.Harbinger – Offers a modern culinary adventure, similar in vision to Benu.
State Bird ProvisionsSt. Kilda — Celebrated for its casual and inventive small plates akin to State Bird Provisions.St. Kilda — Celebrated for its casual and inventive small plates akin to State Bird Provisions.
La TaqueriaEl Fogón – Authentic Mexican dishes with a vibe similar to La Taqueria.El Fogón – Authentic Mexican dishes with a vibe similar to La Taqueria.
Foreign CinemaLucca – Combines elegant settings with well-crafted dishes, reminiscent of Foreign Cinema.Lucca – Combines elegant settings with well-crafted dishes, reminiscent of Foreign Cinema.
Swans Oyster DepotWaterfront Seafood Market – Known for its fresh seafood, just like Swans Oyster Depot.Waterfront Seafood Market – Known for its fresh seafood, just like Swans Oyster Depot.
Sam's GrillJethro's BBQ – Equally iconic with a long-standing tradition of hearty American dishes.Jethro's BBQ – Equally iconic with a long-standing tradition of hearty American dishes.

Real Estate & Lifestyle Differences between San Francisco and Des Moines

ComparisonSan FranciscoDes Moines
Typical Architecture StyleVictorian, ModernCraftsman, Ranch
Walkability👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟
Bikeability🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲
Urban Lifestyle🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️
Most popular items mentioned in real estate listingViews, Tech-readyFamily-friendly, Spacious backyards
  • The Victorian and Modern architecture that San Francisco is known for will be replaced with the Craftsman and Ranch architecture typical of Des Moines.
  • Compared to San Francisco's real estate listings that commonly reference views and tech-ready features, Des Moines real estate listings often highlight aspects like family-friendly amenities and spacious backyards.
  • You can keep your walking shoes packed away; Des Moines is less walkable than San Francisco.
  • You might want to think twice before moving your bike; Des Moines is less bike-friendly than San Francisco.
  • Des Moines has less of an urban feel compared to San Francisco.
  • Des Moines housing costs are 85% less expensive than they are in San Francisco, with a median home price of $199,739 compared to San Francisco’s $1,290,678.
  • Over the prior 5 years, home prices in Des Moines have increased by 38% compared to a 4% decrease in San Francisco.
  • Rent in Des Moines is 67.37% more affordable than in San Francisco.

Pet-friendly Neighborhoods in Des Moines, IA

  1. Beaverdale : Known for its charming bungalows and ample green spaces, Beaverdale offers a friendly atmosphere for pet owners with its walkable streets and nearby dog parks.
  2. Windsor Heights : This neighborhood features pet-friendly amenities, including trails and parks, making it an ideal area for active pets and their owners.
  3. Sherman Hill : With its historic charm and proximity to dog-friendly establishments, Sherman Hill provides a welcoming environment for pets and their families.

Financial & Community Snapshot: San Francisco and Des Moines

ComparisonSan FranciscoDes Moines
Avg. Household Income$121,826$60,693
Cost of Living Index16490.9
State Income Tax13.38.53
Avg. Property Tax0.61.5
Avg. Sales Tax8.56.0
Top 3 IndustriesTechnology, Finance, TourismFinance, Insurance, Manufacturing
AffluenceVery HighModerate
PovertyLowLower
HomelessnessHighLower
  • When it comes to your monthly paycheck, residents in Des Moines tend to earn about 50% less than those in San Francisco
  • The COLI in Des Moines is 45% lower than what you are used to living in San Francisco
  • The state income tax in IA is 8.53 compared to 13.3 in CA
  • The affluence in Des Moines is moderate compared to very high in San Francisco
  • The poverty level is lower in Des Moines compared to low in San Francisco
  • In terms of homelessness, it is high in San Francisco and lower in Des Moines

Charts & Visualizations

With 16,314 data points across 18 moving companies and 5,450 reviews, we've got a lot of data to work with. Here are some of the charts and visualizations we've created to help you understand the moving industry in San Francisco to Des Moines.

Comparing ratings, review history, and total data points

Bubble size represents the number of analyzed data points. Hover over bubbles for details.

Ranking history

How the currently ranked top San Francisco to Des Moines movers have performed over time

11-Point Rating Comparison

Detailed breakdown of San Francisco to Des Moines moving company 11-point ratings

Statewide 11-Point Percentile Comparison

See how our recommended top movers compare to all movers in California & Iowa

Quality iconQuality
Punctuality iconPunctuality
Affordability iconAffordability
Communication iconCommunication
Stick to Prices iconStick to Prices
Speed iconSpeed
Friendliness iconFriendliness
Will Hire Again iconWill Hire Again
Professionalism iconProfessionalism
Conflict Handling iconConflict Handling
Precision & Care iconPrecision & Care
OCD Moving Services LLC Logo

OCD Moving Services LLC

Exceptional9.67
99
98
90
99
98
93
100
99
100
99
100
Adamantine Spine Moving Logo

Adamantine Spine Moving

Exceptional9.54
97
86
87
98
94
85
90
96
97
100
95
B

Bay - L.A. Express Moving

Exceptional9.34
85
82
96
89
98
83
83
83
81
94
85
Careful Movers Logo

Careful Movers

Exceptional9.31
84
97
56
97
87
92
97
87
98
96
90
Best Move Inc Logo

Best Move Inc

Exceptional9.25
90
88
81
91
78
82
87
90
88
95
91

Percentile Ranking

0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
*Note: the above data points reflect a moving company's percentile ranking compared to all moving companies in California & Iowa.

List of All San Francisco to Des Moines Moving Companies Analyzed

  • Clutter Moving & Storage - San Francisco
  • U-Box at U-Haul
  • All My Sons Moving & Storage
  • Cunningham Moving and Storage
  • All Iowa Movers
  • Shamrock Moving & Storage Inc
  • Best Move Inc
  • Bay - L.A. Express Moving
  • White Glove Movers
  • Hemmen Moving
  • Maher Brothers Transfer & Storage
  • Kirby's Moving Company
  • Crown Worldwide Moving & Storage
  • Adamantine Spine Moving
  • Two Men and a Truck
  • Careful Movers
  • OCD Moving Services LLC
  • Cross Country Movers