($909+) Houston, TX to San Diego, CA Movers

Full-service moving costs from Houston, TX to San Diego, CA

Full-service movers handle loading, transportation, and unloading on the 1,470-mile move from Houston, Texas, to San Diego, California, with costs ranging from $2,312 - $9,380. You can have movers pack your boxes for an additional $361 - $2,404. Like most long-distance moves, your price is determined by the total weight of your belongings and the distance between Houston and San Diego. Local movers in Houston typically start around $175 as a base rate plus $75/hour per mover.

Here's a breakdown of full-service moving costs by home size from Houston to San Diego:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $2,312 - $5,137
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $2,996 - $6,905
• 4+ bedrooms: $5,224 - $9,380

Packing, storage, shuttle fees, and added coverage can stack on top of the base price. See the full add-ons and specialty services table below for what each runs from Houston to San Diego.

Specialty moving services from Houston, TX to San Diego, CA

Specialty needs vary by market — 66% of Houston movers offer storage-in-transit, compared to 85% nationally. In San Diego, 100% of movers offer the same service.

What are the best full-service movers from Houston to San Diego?

California Moving & Storage Association membership is a quick way to confirm a mover is legitimate in California, on top of the picks below.

1. Safeway Moving (4.9/5 stars): Safeway Moving is the best overall value on this route. Flat-rate pricing means no surprise charges on moving day, and their support team is consistently rated among the most responsive in the industry.
2. American Van Lines (4.9/5 stars): American Van Lines is the most experienced mover here, with 30+ years in business since 1995. AVL is one of the few national carriers that uses full-time in-house crews instead of contracted labor.
3. Allied Van Lines (4.2/5 stars): Allied Van Lines is best for contents coverage, with fragile-only packing, 24/7 shipment monitoring, and an optional full-value protection plan that covers damage, loss, and breakage.

Moving container costs from Houston, TX to San Diego, CA

Moving containers from Houston, Texas, to San Diego, California, cost between $1,423 and $5,059. You load everything on your own schedule (U-Haul gives you 3 days and PODS gives you 30). When you're ready, the company takes care of getting the container from point A to point B. Need more time than that? Extra storage in Houston typically runs around $70/month.

Take a look at moving container pricing by home size from Houston to San Diego:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,423 - $2,769
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,855 - $3,645
• 4+ bedrooms: $2,472 - $5,059

What other costs come with moving containers?

• Storage: Small containers (7 - 8 feet) run about $90 per month after the initial period, while larger units (12 - 16 feet) cost around $180 per month.
• Access: Make sure your container company has a storage facility reasonably close to your new home in San Diego, CA, if you need to retrieve anything while items are still in storage.
• Moving labor: Since you're responsible for loading the container yourself, many customers bring in hourly help. Based on moveBuddha data, hiring 2 movers for approximately 5 hours costs about $841 in Houston, TX. Compare the best labor-only movers nationwide
• Added contents protection: Full-value protection goes beyond the standard minimum and covers repair, replacement, or reimbursement at declared value. Pricing is typically 1% - 2% of your total shipment value, about $500 - $1,000 on a $50,000 move.

What are the best moving containers Houston to San Diego?

1. Units Moving and Portable Storage (4.3/5 stars)
2. U-Pack (5.0/5 stars)
3. MovingYourself (5.0/5 stars)

Moving truck rental costs from Houston, TX to San Diego, CA

A rental truck for this 1,470-mile move from Houston, Texas, to San Diego, California, costs between $974 and $2,580. The base rate covers the vehicle only; budget for:

• Fuel for the drive: $562 - $643
• Daily insurance: $36/day
• Equipment rentals: $8 - $24
• Houston daily rental rate: $19 - $39
• Per-mile fee beyond your free allowance: $0.69 - $0.99

These are typical moving truck rental costs from Houston to San Diego based on home size:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $974 - $1,829
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,013 - $2,112
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,249 - $2,580

What other costs come with rental trucks?

• Equipment: Tow dollies, appliance dollies, and moving pads are not included in the base rate. These extras often total between $90 and $421.
• Lodging: An overnight stop typically averages around $180.
• Gas: Expect fuel to run between $562 and $643 for the 1,470-mile drive, depending on whether your truck runs on gas or diesel.
• Moving labor: If you'd rather not do all the heavy lifting, budget around $841 for 2 movers in Houston, Texas, for about 5 hours.
• Additional insurance: Damage protection plans generally add about $30 per day.

What are the best moving truck rentals from Houston to San Diego?

1. Budget Truck Rental (4.3/5 stars)
2. Penske Truck Rental (4.0/5 stars)
3. U-Haul Truck Rental (4.2/5 stars)

The best truck rental companies for this route, based on moveBuddha's ratings.

Freight trailer costs from Houston, TX to San Diego, CA

Freight trailers are a good fit for medium-to-large moves where you need more space than a container but don't want to drive a rental truck from Houston, Texas, to San Diego, California. The trailer is delivered to your address, you load it, and the carrier takes it the rest of the way.

Unlike truck rentals with flat rates, freight trailers scale with your shipment. Every additional section of trailer space you fill increases your total. Most long-distance moves using this method run roughly between $1,454 and $2,974.

Take a look at freight trailer costs based on home size for moves from Houston to San Diego:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,319 - $2,492
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,454 - $2,974
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,918 - $4,086

What other costs come with freight trailers?

• Seasonal demand: Pricing tends to rise during peak moving season, particularly between mid-May and mid-September.
• Moving labor: Most customers hire loading help since freight is self-loaded. Two movers in Houston, Texas, for roughly 5 hours typically costs $841.
• More space: Freight companies bill by linear footage. If your belongings take up more room than anticipated, the extra space adds between $90 and $180 per foot.

What are the best freight companies from Houston to San Diego?

1. MovingYourself (5/5 stars): MovingYourself is the pick for best for large moves. The company is well-regarded as a top moving container option for its load-it-yourself, we-drive-it model, and that same model makes it a strong freight option for larger homes that benefit from the company's 53-foot trucks and footage-based pricing.
2. U-Pack (5/5 stars): U-Pack offers the best value freight trailer on this route. Alongside their flagship container service, U-Pack provides a top-notch freight trailer option that follows the same model: no deposits, no upfront fees, and pricing based on the linear footage you actually use.
3. W W Rowland Trucking Company, LLC (4.58/5 stars): W W Rowland Trucking Company, LLC is the best locally owned freight company on this list. Locally owned and based facilities mean accessible support staff and area-specific scheduling flexibility that national-only freight carriers typically don't match.

Cost of living: Houston, TX vs San Diego, CA

The price of the move is only part of the picture. Here is how everyday costs compare once you are settled in San Diego, side by side with Houston on housing, income, and taxes.

Cost of living index is relative to the U.S. average of 100. Figures reflect the latest available city and state data.