Best Altoona Movers
Updated Jun 17, 2025
Looking for reliable Altoona movers? See our top 10 recommended movers in Altoona, IA based on extensive analysis. We analyzed 29 moving companies in Altoona across 12,694 review data points and more than 18,000 movers nationwide using our 11-point rating system to help you determine which Altoona moving company to hire. See the top 10 Altoona movers, get data-based information on Altoona moving costs, the cheapest movers in Altoona, and our top recommendation for Long distance movers.
Key Takeaways:
- Adamantine Spine Moving is our overall top recommended moving company in Altoona
- The Approved Movers is the most affordable movers in Altoona
- Expect to spend somewhere between $859 and $8,240 on local Altoona moving services
- Our rankings and results are unbiased & backed by data… NOT paid promotions
Best Moving Companies in Altoona, IA
| Rank | Company | Score | BBB Rating | Avg Move Duration | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adamantine Spine Moving | 9.54 | A+ | - | |
| 2 | You First Moving | 9.46 | NR | 5.5 hours | |
| 3 | Smooth Moves Inc. | 9.23 | A | 4.25 hours | |
| 4 | Iowa Home Consulting | 9.23 | A+ | 3 hours | |
| 5 | The College Moving Crew | 9.19 | A+ | 2.75 hours | |
| 6 | Harvest Academy Movers | 9.17 | NR | 3 hours | |
| 7 | The Affordable Movers | 9.13 | A+ | 2 hours | |
| 8 | Hemmen Moving | 9.11 | A+ | 3 hours | |
| 9 | Iowa Moving 1 | 9.07 | A+ | 2 hours | |
| 10 | The Approved Movers | 8.72 | NR | 4 hours |
Our Top Recommendations
Adamantine Spine Moving
2815 36th St, Des Moines, IA, 50310
11-Point Rating
Best moving company overall in Altoona, IA. Adamantine Spine Moving takes the #1 spot for our overall ranking and is the top recommended movers in Altoona.
Adamantine Spine Moving is the number 1 ranked moving service in Altoona, 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 99.05% of moving companies nationwide. They score better than 28 other Altoona moving companies and better than 169 movers in Iowa.
Our Research
11 Point Rating
| Metric | Score Out of 10 | vs Nationwide Comparison between Adamantine Spine Moving & the average of all
moving companies nationwide | Positive Reviews The total number of reviews that rated the metric positively (a score of 7-10) | Negative Reviews The total number of reviews that rated the metric negatively (a score of 1-6) | Positive Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | 9.78 | ↑ 17.4% | 161 | 1 | 99.4% | |
| Punctuality | 9.52 | ↑ 19.0% | 40 | 1 | 97.6% | |
| Affordability | 9.32 | ↑ 22.8% | 34 | 1 | 97.1% | |
| Communication | 9.69 | ↑ 30.3% | 89 | 1 | 98.9% | |
| Stick to Prices | 8.92 | ↑ 49.7% | 23 | 2 | 92.0% | |
| Speed | 9.70 | ↑ 14.4% | 59 | 1 | 98.3% | |
| Friendliness | 9.80 | ↑ 11.8% | 109 | 1 | 99.1% | |
| Will Hire Again | 9.71 | ↑ 20.2% | 159 | 2 | 98.8% | |
| Professionalism | 9.78 | ↑ 19.3% | 117 | 1 | 99.2% | |
| Conflict Handling | 9.00 | ↑ 121.2% | 11 | 0 | 100.0% | |
| Precision & Care | 9.69 | ↑ 22.2% | 84 | 1 | 98.8% |
Recent Adamantine Spine Moving Reviews
Quality - 9.78/10
Overall quality of the service provided on moving day.
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Punctuality - 9.52/10
Did the crew show up on-time with the required equipment?
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Affordability - 9.32/10
How affordable was the moving service?
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Communication - 9.69/10
Was the office staff quick to respond to questions prior to moving day? Did the moving crew notify you on the day of move regarding any changes to the original schedule? If there were any issues to resolve after moving day, was an office manager quick to respond and address problems encountered?
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Stick to Prices - 8.92/10
Was a lowball quote provided to earn business only to see the final moving day price increase substantially?
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Speed - 9.70/10
Did the movers seem to take their precious time in an attempt to increase the overall cost of the move? Remember, moving is HARD work and some breaks should be expected!
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Friendliness - 9.80/10
Was the moving crew cordial and friendly to be around on moving day?
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Will Hire Again - 9.71/10
How likely a customer is to hire the same movers again for their next move.
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Professionalism - 9.78/10
Did the moving crew behave in a professional manner on moving day?
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Conflict Handling - 9.00/10
Accidents can and will likely happen at some point on moving day. How a moving company responds to these accidents can say a lot about the company.
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Precision & Care - 9.69/10
Were walls scratched? Did furniture get scuffed, broken, or lost?
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
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
Licenses
State & federal license information
USDOT Interstate License
Status: Authorized for Interstate Moves (last checked 1/10/25)- USDOT: 1471037
- MC: 556716
- ENTITY TYPE: Carrier
37
Registered Trucks, Tractors, or Vans
40
Registered Drivers
2/16/24
Most Recent USDOT Update
393,823
Annual Interstate Miles (2022)
Detailed Customer Insights
Based on our analysis of Adamantine Spine Moving's customer reviews:
You First Moving
2894 106th St Suite 110, Urbandale, IA, 50322
11-Point Rating
Get the best bang for your buck hiring You First Moving of Urbandale. They have the best affordability index score which measures both quality and affordability.
You First Moving is the number 2 ranked moving service in Altoona, IA with an overall score of 9.46 out of 10. Based on our extensive analysis, this is an Exceptional score and places it in the top 98.8% of all movers in Iowa and the top 98.34% of moving companies nationwide. They score better than 27 other Altoona moving companies and better than 167 movers in Iowa.
Our Research
11 Point Rating
| Metric | Score Out of 10 | vs Nationwide Comparison between You First Moving & the average of all
moving companies nationwide | Positive Reviews The total number of reviews that rated the metric positively (a score of 7-10) | Negative Reviews The total number of reviews that rated the metric negatively (a score of 1-6) | Positive Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | 9.85 | ↑ 18.2% | 173 | 0 | 100.0% | |
| Punctuality | 9.78 | ↑ 22.3% | 47 | 0 | 100.0% | |
| Affordability | 9.56 | ↑ 26.0% | 22 | 0 | 100.0% | |
| Communication | 9.71 | ↑ 30.5% | 47 | 0 | 100.0% | |
| Stick to Prices | 9.31 | ↑ 56.4% | 12 | 0 | 100.0% | |
| Speed | 9.90 | ↑ 16.8% | 87 | 0 | 100.0% | |
| Friendliness | 9.90 | ↑ 13.0% | 125 | 0 | 100.0% | |
| Will Hire Again | 9.85 | ↑ 22.0% | 173 | 0 | 100.0% | |
| Professionalism | 9.87 | ↑ 20.3% | 112 | 0 | 100.0% | |
| Conflict Handling | 6.57 | ↑ 61.7% | 2 | 0 | 100.0% | |
| Precision & Care | 9.80 | ↑ 23.6% | 62 | 0 | 100.0% |
Recent You First Moving Reviews
Quality - 9.85/10
Overall quality of the service provided on moving day.
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Punctuality - 9.78/10
Did the crew show up on-time with the required equipment?
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Affordability - 9.56/10
How affordable was the moving service?
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Communication - 9.71/10
Was the office staff quick to respond to questions prior to moving day? Did the moving crew notify you on the day of move regarding any changes to the original schedule? If there were any issues to resolve after moving day, was an office manager quick to respond and address problems encountered?
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Stick to Prices - 9.31/10
Was a lowball quote provided to earn business only to see the final moving day price increase substantially?
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Speed - 9.90/10
Did the movers seem to take their precious time in an attempt to increase the overall cost of the move? Remember, moving is HARD work and some breaks should be expected!
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Friendliness - 9.90/10
Was the moving crew cordial and friendly to be around on moving day?
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Will Hire Again - 9.85/10
How likely a customer is to hire the same movers again for their next move.
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Professionalism - 9.87/10
Did the moving crew behave in a professional manner on moving day?
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Conflict Handling - 6.57/10
Accidents can and will likely happen at some point on moving day. How a moving company responds to these accidents can say a lot about the company.
Overall Review Distribution
Precision & Care - 9.80/10
Were walls scratched? Did furniture get scuffed, broken, or lost?
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Additional Details
Moving Services Offered by You First Moving
- Local Moving
- Residential Moving
- Commercial Moving
- Packing Services
Licenses
State & federal license information
USDOT Interstate License
Status: Not Authorized for Interstate Moves (last checked 6/28/25)- USDOT: 3253628
- MC: 1296323
- ENTITY TYPE: Carrier
5
Registered Trucks, Tractors, or Vans
8
Registered Drivers
5/09/24
Most Recent USDOT Update
80,000
Annual Interstate Miles (2023)
Detailed Customer Insights
Based on our analysis of You First Moving's customer reviews:
5.5 hrs
Local Move Duration
based on 6 reviews
Smooth Moves Inc.
4137 120th St, Urbandale, IA, 50323
11-Point Rating
Smooth Moves Inc. is the number 3 ranked moving service in Altoona, IA with an overall score of 9.23 out of 10. Based on our extensive analysis, this is an Exceptional score and places it in the top 96.39% of all movers in Iowa and the top 94.72% of moving companies nationwide. They score better than 26 other Altoona moving companies and better than 163 movers in Iowa.
Our Research
11 Point Rating
| Metric | Score Out of 10 | vs Nationwide Comparison between Smooth Moves Inc. & the average of all
moving companies nationwide | Positive Reviews The total number of reviews that rated the metric positively (a score of 7-10) | Negative Reviews The total number of reviews that rated the metric negatively (a score of 1-6) | Positive Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | 9.55 | ↑ 14.7% | 101 | 2 | 98.1% | |
| Punctuality | 9.44 | ↑ 18.0% | 34 | 1 | 97.1% | |
| Affordability | 9.11 | ↑ 20.1% | 27 | 0 | 100.0% | |
| Communication | 9.13 | ↑ 22.7% | 21 | 1 | 95.5% | |
| Stick to Prices | 9.24 | ↑ 55.2% | 14 | 0 | 100.0% | |
| Speed | 9.67 | ↑ 14.0% | 55 | 1 | 98.2% | |
| Friendliness | 9.73 | ↑ 11.1% | 57 | 0 | 100.0% | |
| Will Hire Again | 9.51 | ↑ 17.7% | 89 | 2 | 97.8% | |
| Professionalism | 9.51 | ↑ 16.0% | 58 | 1 | 98.3% | |
| Conflict Handling | 7.26 | ↑ 78.6% | 3 | 0 | 100.0% | |
| Precision & Care | 9.39 | ↑ 18.4% | 39 | 1 | 97.5% |
Recent Smooth Moves Inc. Reviews
Quality - 9.55/10
Overall quality of the service provided on moving day.
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Punctuality - 9.44/10
Did the crew show up on-time with the required equipment?
Overall Review Distribution
Affordability - 9.11/10
How affordable was the moving service?
Overall Review Distribution
Communication - 9.13/10
Was the office staff quick to respond to questions prior to moving day? Did the moving crew notify you on the day of move regarding any changes to the original schedule? If there were any issues to resolve after moving day, was an office manager quick to respond and address problems encountered?
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Stick to Prices - 9.24/10
Was a lowball quote provided to earn business only to see the final moving day price increase substantially?
Overall Review Distribution
Speed - 9.67/10
Did the movers seem to take their precious time in an attempt to increase the overall cost of the move? Remember, moving is HARD work and some breaks should be expected!
Overall Review Distribution
Friendliness - 9.73/10
Was the moving crew cordial and friendly to be around on moving day?
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Will Hire Again - 9.51/10
How likely a customer is to hire the same movers again for their next move.
Overall Review Distribution
Professionalism - 9.51/10
Did the moving crew behave in a professional manner on moving day?
Recent Customer Praises
Recent Customer Complaints
Overall Review Distribution
Conflict Handling - 7.26/10
Accidents can and will likely happen at some point on moving day. How a moving company responds to these accidents can say a lot about the company.
Overall Review Distribution
Precision & Care - 9.39/10
Were walls scratched? Did furniture get scuffed, broken, or lost?
Overall Review Distribution
Additional Details
Moving Services Offered by Smooth Moves Inc.
- Local Moving
- Residential Moving
- Commercial Moving
- Packing Services
Licenses
We do not currently have license data to display for Smooth Moves Inc.
Detailed Customer Insights
Based on our analysis of Smooth Moves Inc.'s customer reviews:
4.25 hrs
Local Move Duration
based on 4 reviews
Iowa Home Consulting
923 N 4th St, Ames, IA, 50010
11-Point Rating
The College Moving Crew
Ankeny, IA
11-Point Rating
Harvest Academy Movers
8769 G24 Hwy, Indianola, IA, 50125
11-Point Rating
The Affordable Movers
8350 EP True Pkwy, West Des Moines, IA, 50266
11-Point Rating
Hemmen Moving
1293 W Ave, Ames, IA, 50014
11-Point Rating
Iowa Moving 1
2958 99th St # 5, Urbandale, IA, 50322
11-Point Rating
The Approved Movers
3928 1st St, Des Moines, IA, 50301
11-Point Rating
How Much Do Movers Cost in Altoona, IA?
The average moving cost in Altoona, IA is $937, which is based on an analysis from 10 customer reports across 3 different moving companies. In general, expect to pay somewhere between $859 and $8,240 for a typical move.
- Median Reported Cost: $937
- Expected Range: $859 - $8,240
- Expected Time To Complete: 2.5 hours
- See detailed Altoona Moving Costs for a full breakdown
| COMPANY | MEDIAN REPORTED MOVING COST | AVG MOVE DURATION |
|---|---|---|
| All My Sons Moving & Storage | $859 | 2.25 hours |
| A-1 Movers | $937 | 2.5 hours |
| MidAmerican Moving | $8,240 | 3.5 hours |
*Please be aware that the listed prices derive from historical customer feedback spanning several years and might not mirror the exact current rates of a company. Additionally, the anticipated cost range provided represents the 25th to 75th percentiles from the comprehensive reports of all Altoona-based companies in our dataset.
How we ranked the top Altoona 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 movers in Altoona, IA.
Rating Methodology
Here's the methodology we used to come up with the best movers in Altoona:
Our original review-based ranking algorithm
We started with a total of 29 companies that offer moving services in the Altoona area.
From these 29 companies, we analyzed a total of 5,573 reviews dating all the way back to February 2009.
We also reviewed a total of 0 state and federal moving licenses from these 29 companies and 150 different 3rd party review and social profiles.
Each of the ~5,000 reviews was scored according to our detailed 11-point rating criteria
This gave us a total of 12,694 data points to compute individual company scores.
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 2,529 Altoona 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 The Approved Movers) vs older more established companies (like Hemmen Moving).
The Great Guys Moving 11-Point Rating Breakdown
Our 11-point rating criteria scores every Altoona moving company across 11 of the most important criteria for a succesful moving experience.
Quality
Overall quality of the service provided on moving day.
Punctuality
Did the crew show up on-time with the required equipment?
Affordability
How affordable was the moving service?
Communication
Responsiveness before, during, and after the move.
Stick to Prices
Was the final price consistent with the original quote?
Speed
Efficiency without taking unnecessary time to increase costs.
Friendliness
Was the moving crew cordial and friendly on moving day?
Will Hire Again
How likely a customer is to hire the same movers again.
Professionalism
Did the moving crew behave professionally on moving day?
Conflict Handling
How well the company responds to accidents and issues.
Precision & Care
Were walls scratched? Did furniture get damaged or lost?
Charts & Visualizations
With 12,694 data points across 29 moving companies and 5,573 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 Altoona.
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 10 Altoona movers have performed over time
11-Point Rating Comparison
Detailed breakdown of Altoona moving company 11-point ratings
Iowa-wide 11-Point Percentile Comparison
See how the top movers in Altoona compare to all movers in Iowa
 Quality |  Punctuality |  Affordability |  Communication |  Stick to Prices |  Speed |  Friendliness |  Will Hire Again |  Professionalism |  Conflict Handling |  Precision & Care | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Adamantine Spine Moving Exceptional9.54 | 97 | 86 | 87 | 98 | 94 | 85 | 90 | 96 | 97 | 100 | 95 |
2 | You First Moving Exceptional9.46 | 99 | 97 | 96 | 99 | 98 | 99 | 98 | 100 | 99 | 88 | 99 |
3 | Smooth Moves Inc. Exceptional9.23 | 84 | 82 | 81 | 84 | 97 | 83 | 85 | 87 | 84 | 92 | 82 |
4 | Iowa Home Consulting Exceptional9.23 | 93 | 92 | 86 | 87 | 83 | 92 | 83 | 94 | 91 | 91 | 85 |
5 | The College Moving Crew Exceptional9.19 | 95 | 97 | 94 | 95 | 71 | 80 | 93 | 94 | 91 | 88 | 84 |
6 | Harvest Academy Movers Exceptional9.17 | 99 | 99 | 85 | 99 | 63 | 97 | 97 | 99 | 99 | 75 | 100 |
7 | The Affordable Movers Exceptional9.13 | 68 | 77 | 82 | 80 | 86 | 74 | 73 | 68 | 79 | 97 | 74 |
8 | Hemmen Moving Exceptional9.11 | 88 | 86 | 94 | 88 | 91 | 93 | 87 | 88 | 82 | 71 | 92 |
9 | Iowa Moving 1 Exceptional9.07 | 76 | 73 | 67 | 90 | 87 | 92 | 81 | 78 | 80 | 89 | 77 |
10 | The Approved Movers Superb8.72 | 89 | 84 | 96 | 50 | -- | 90 | 76 | 72 | 87 | 47 | 71 |
Percentile Ranking
List of All Altoona Moving Companies Analyzed
See all of our Altoona moving company reviews
- College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving
- Two Men and a Truck
- MidAmerican Moving
- The Approved Movers
- Adamantine Spine Moving
- Iowa Moving 1
- A-1 Movers
- Smooth Moves Inc.
- Lint Van Lines
- Zippy Shell of Greater Des Moines
- The Affordable Movers
- PODS Moving & Storage
- Riley Moving and Storage
- U-Pack
- Select Van & Storage Co.
- The College Moving Crew
- Maher Brothers Transfer & Storage
- Iowa Home Consulting
- Hemmen Moving
- Jake N' Jose Moving Service
- Tuna Piano Service
- AA Always Affordable Movers
- All Mighty Movers
- You First Moving
- Elite Moving Services
- All Iowa Movers
- Harvest Academy Movers
- Helpers Moving Company
- All My Sons Moving & Storage
Frequently Asked Questions About Moving in Altoona
How much should you tip movers in Altoona, IA?
In Altoona, whether you’re moving near Adventureland or heading out past Prairie Meadows, tipping is a customary way to thank your movers. It’s generally a good idea to provide around 10–20% of the total moving cost, or about $5 per mover per hour. These guidelines can shift based on the complexity of your move and your final destination in Iowa. For a thoughtful gesture, offer them something refreshing, like an iced coffee from a local Altoona café.
Is it cheaper to make a DIY move in Altoona?
Tackling a move on your own in Altoona might seem economical at first, but don’t forget about potential hidden costs like truck rentals, fuel, and equipment needs. You’ll also face the challenges of safely lifting heavy furniture and navigating local roads like I-80 with a fully loaded vehicle. If you want to explore rental options, have a look at moving truck rental locations in Altoona for a better sense of what’s available.
Should I hire labor-only movers?
If you only need help loading or unloading your belongings for a move in Altoona, a labor-only option could be the most cost-effective choice. This approach lets you handle the truck rental and transportation yourself, while professionals take care of the heavy lifting. To find reliable help, check out hourly movers in Altoona who know the best ways to navigate I-80 during peak traffic times.
What if I need to move something special like a piano or pool table?
Moving large or delicate items around Altoona requires special know-how, especially if you’re transporting a grand piano or a bulky pool table. Experienced teams can handle everything from vintage firearms to hot tubs with care and precision. For example, you could hire piano movers if you’re relocating a beloved upright, or pool table moving companies for that massive billiards setup. Their local expertise simplifies even the trickiest residential moves.
