Moving From Atlanta to Los Angeles: Movers, Costs, and Benefits

LA has a lot going for it, especially if you haven’t lived there long enough to get tired of the traffic, the people, and the overpriced food trucks. The weather’s great, the film industry is still kicking, and you immediately become like 30% cooler than everyone else once you move in.

Unfortunately, Los Angeles is all the way on the West Coast, and you’re stuck in Atlanta. That’s a 2,174.9-mile trip. It’s a lot of ground to cover, but the team at iMoving can help you from square one.

iMoving is the only online marketplace that lets you shop, compare prices, and book local movers from the comfort of your web browser - no house calls or phone calls required.

Plus, we let you pick and choose all the neat services you need. You get a custom ATL - LA move, delivered by verified pros and booked entirely online.

Still on the fence about moving out west? Read on to learn a little more about what you can expect from your big move.

Moving from Atlanta to Los Angeles is going to take you anywhere from 7 to 21 days. Long-distance movers can’t log more than 400 miles of interstate travel per day, so the 2,174.9 miles between ATL and LA are already going to set you back a week.

Aside from rules and regulations, there’s another reason your move may take more time. Smaller moves don’t fill up trucks, and empty (or partially empty) trucks are bad for business.

To keep things efficient, movers will bundle several smaller moves on the same truck or trailer. This means less wasted space, but more time waiting for pickups and dropoffs along the way.

If you’re only moving studio apartment, you won’t pay as much - but you may wait a lot longer. On the other hand, if you manage to fill an entire truck with just your stuff, it’ll be sent directly to your new place.

Moving from Atlanta to Los Angeles will cost anywhere from $2,211 – $14,020. It’s a pretty big spread, but it has to be: Every move is different, and every move may rack up a different set of fees and add-ons. Here are some of the most common factors behind the price:

1. Distance

When it comes to cross country moving, the distance you’re traveling is probably the biggest factor behind your price. More miles mean more money, and since Atlanta and LA are pretty far apart, you’ll want to prepare your wallet accordingly.

2. Volume

Right up there with the distance of your move, the volume of your move is another major deciding factor. The physical size of your move makes a big difference.

Your movers will check out all your stuff and assign either a weight (in pounds) or a volume (in cubic feet), and adjust your price accordingly.

3. Access Fees

Long hallways, extra flights of stairs, elevators, gates - these are all challenges that your movers will have to deal with. Unfortunately, these are also going to rack up some extra fees on your end.

Map out the path you take from your front door to your street, and communicate the details to your movers ahead of time. It’ll still cost you money, but at least they’ll come prepared.

4. Shuttle Fees

Big cities (like Atlanta and Los Angeles) don’t always let movers park big moving trucks on their crowded city streets. Instead, your movers will have to park the main truck on the edge of town and use a smaller truck to shuttle your stuff back and forth between the staging area and your place.

5. Packing Supplies

Boxes, tape, and bubble wrap aren’t free. If you’re planning on DIYing your packing, you’ll have to buy this stuff somewhere or order it from your moving company.

PRO TIP: Some offices, bookstores, and even liquor stores may have free boxes they’re willing to part with.

6. Packing Services

Of course, if you really don’t like the idea of packing up all your stuff yourself, you can always pay the pros to handle it for you. It may cost you a couple hundred bucks, but the convenience more than makes up for the added expense. Plus, it may be required if you want full-value insurance.

7. Insurance

Under federal law, moving companies are required to offer a bare minimum level of insurance coverage. Unfortunately, this is only good for $0.60 per pound of items lost, damaged, or destroyed.

This means you’re gonna get $2.40 for a broken computer monitor. If you want full-value coverage, you’ll have to pay extra - and you may have to pay for packing, too.

8. Scheduling

If you need to book a last-minute move, or you need to move during pretty much any time the kids are out of school, you’re going to be paying a premium. If you want to save money, try to schedule your move far in advance, and try to avoid major holidays.

9. Gratuity

This one isn’t included in your quote, but tipping is a big deal in the moving industry. Unless your movers explicitly turn it down, you should prepare a gratuity to be split up between your whole moving team. 15% - 20% of your total cost is a good number.

You’ve heard all the sad stories about people hopping on a Greyhound to LA, dreaming of becoming big stars - and you swore that wasn’t gonna be you. Here are some other excuses you can use when you’re trying to explain your move to Los Angeles:

• It’s LA. “But Atlanta is becoming cool, I swear!” Yeah, sure, but it’s not Los Angeles. While all your friends are coping with how they’re finally getting some attention, you’ll be living in a place that’s been famous forever.

• It’s less humid. I swear if I hear one more person talking about the weather and going all “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity heh heh heh” YES I KNOW WE ALL KNOW WE GET IT OKAY JUST COME TO LA IT’s A DESERT HERE

• You want something more diverse. Atlanta is diverse, sure, but it’s not LA DIVERSE. Depending on the highway you take and the corner of town you find yourself in, you’ll probably be hearing Tagalog, Spanish, Vietnamese, Armenian… the list goes on.

• You’re suddenly too rich for Atlanta. Congratulations. You won the lottery (or just scored that dream job that you can do from your laptop) and now you’re ready to get away from the plebians. Los Angeles is waiting.

• You want a good paycheck. LA’s got a ton of jobs and lots of industries that will pay you far higher than the minimum wage in Atlanta. You don’t have to tell your friends that most of your paycheck is going to your rent.

• All that touristy crap. Just get this stuff over with so you can say you’ve done it at least once. You really shouldn’t be spending more time in Hollywood than is absolutely necessary, anyway.
• Museums galore. You’ve probably heard of the Getty and the Broad before, but there’s also the Natural History Museum, the Autry Museum of the American West, and much much more. Oh, and LACMA. God forbid you forget to take a pic of the lamps.

• SPORTS. LA saw how other cities were doing sports, and they were like “Nahh, we want twice as much.” Los Angeles has the Lakers AND the Clippers. They have the Chargers AND the Rams. They have the LA Galaxy AND LAFC. Why? Because LA.

• Concerts and live entertainment. There are so many venues for live shows, that you’re probably going to end up double-booked on multiple occasions. Just keep in mind, that most crowds in LA are atrocious.

• Food (ugh). How many times a day do you really need to eat? Is this cake really worth a 2-hour wait? Why is this food truck so expensive if they don’t even have a place to sit? Nobody in LA has ever asked these questions before.
• B-b-b-but what about DISNEYLAND??? Yeah, sorry nerd, that’s in Orange County. Take the 101 south to the 5 and get out of here.

Well, you made it to the end. After all the horror stories and scary stuff you’ve heard about living (and affording to live) in Los Angeles, you may be a little put off of the whole idea.

But don’t worry, it’s better to know about the difficult stuff before you actually head out there. And if you still haven’t curbed your enthusiasm, iMoving can help you get there in one piece.

iMoving has a marketplace of over 1000 vetted and verified movers, and we’re standing by to make your move easier than ever. Tell us more about your plans, and let’s get you on the road!