Bellhop Moving Review: Costs, Services, and Reputation

Here’s the bottom line: Bellhop Moving can help with your local or long-distance move for an affordable price, but they are not a full-service moving company, meaning you will need to do the packing, unpacking, and appliance installation on your own.

Think of Bellhop Moving like Uber… but for moving. It’s an app where you can book your move, and movers can pick up your move if they are available. Bellhop is currently available in 24 states, and they allow last-minute bookings.

At MoveBuddha, we know that not every type of move requires the same services. People who have chosen Bellhop for their move are those who want more help than a load-it-yourself company like PODS but don’t need the packing and unpacking services provided by a full-service moving company.

Bellhop Movers has rave customer reviews (four and five-star ratings) on popular consumer ranking platforms like Better Business Bureau and Yelp. Customers seem to love the transparent pricing structure, the fact that there are no hidden fees, and the hardworking movers that make their move stress-free.

Let’s take a look and see if Bellhop Moving is the right fit for your next move.

Pros & cons of moving with Bellhop Movers

Key takeaways

• Bellhop Moving (USDOT#3296538) provides labor-only truck moving services for local and long-distance moves, but they only service 24 states.
• They charge by the hour and you only pay for the hours you use (minimum purchase is three hours).
• Bellhop movers will load your belongings in a dedicated truck, meaning you won’t be sharing your move with someone else or have to worry about lost items.

Bellhops quotes are truly binding, and though you have to pay a deposit, you will never pay more than your quote unless you decide to make changes to your move.

Jump to the Bellhop review section that you’re looking for:

• Bellhop Pricing: How much it costs to move
• Bellhop offers a wide variety of services
• How Bellhop stacks up against the competition
• How moving with Bellhop works
• Bellhop is perfect for people who…
• FAQ

Compare Bellhop to the moving companies on our list of best interstate moving companies.

Bellhop pricing: How much it costs to move

One of the best parts of using Bellhop is that their pricing is truly transparent. You will see exactly how much you are paying for each aspect of your move when you input the details into their moving app or the Bellhop website.

Bellhop is a gig-based moving app. This means you will put in the parameters of your move to get a quote, and the company will see if movers in your area are available to take the job before giving you a binding quote.

Your price will be based on the number of movers your move requires, as well as the truck size needed. Bellhop has a variety of truck sizes, but they do tend to be smaller than those used by other companies. Some reviewers have said that their quote from Bellhop was expensive because they needed to book two trucks with Bellhop to fit all of their items.

Additionally, Bellhop has a minimum booking, and this is for 3 hours. While most moves take longer than this, those moving items to a local storage unit will need to pay for the full 3 hours even if the movers finish early.

Keep in mind that Bellhop is labor-only, so they do not offer packing or unpacking services, nor will they bring packing supplies with them. When they show up, you will need to have everything ready for them to put your boxes and furniture in your truck and drive it to your new home.

We requested a few different quotes, so you know what to expect price-wise when you book Bellhop. Remember that the price of your move may vary widely depending on the number of items you have as well as how far you move.

*All quotes were for moves made with one month’s notice

Most customers who used Bellhop report that they were less expensive than the competition for local moves but were often more expensive for long-distance moves.

For a better estimate of how much Bellhop would cost you, head over to our moving cost calculator to get a quote specific to your move.

Bellhop offers a wide variety of services

Bellhop began in Alabama in 2011 as a moving option primarily offered to college students who resided in dormitories. Shortly after, the organization established its present-day headquarters in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

As the company grew, they developed mobile and web-based applications and transitioned to a gig-based moving service. They even hired a regional manager from Uber to assist with their growth strategy.

The company now offers a comprehensive set of “end-to-end” moving-related services that include the following:

• Local moving: A dedicated truck is loaded and driven to the new home to be unloaded.
• Long-distance moving: Bellhop offers intrastate and interstate moving services that may be customized to include multiple locations, such as a visit to a storage unit between your old and new home. They didn’t make the list of our best long distance moving companies, however.

• Professional driver and mover: A driver with a truck will arrive with dollies, blankets, and other supplies to promptly load and transport your belongings.
• Labor-only options: Have your own truck but need help with the heavy lifting? You can hire movers from Bellhop just to help you carry furniture and boxes to and from a truck into your home.
• Event services: Bellhop’s services can also be used to hire hourly labor to help with event set-up and tear-down.
• Confirmed delivery dates: Unlike other companies, when you move with Bellhop, you will be given exact dates and times for the pick-up and delivery of your items.

How Bellhop stacks up against the competition

There are several reasons people choose to work with Bellhop for their move over full-service moving companies like American Van Lines or Safeway Moving.

One reviewer on TrustPilot, CT, went with Bellhop for his move from Chicago to Seattle even though the company was the most expensive option. He chose Bellhop because unlike other companies, they gave clear quotes, maintained excellent communication. His items weren’t on a truck with another family’s items, so there was no confusion with unloading, and they could provide an exact delivery date and time.

Another Bellhop review states the reviewer, SA, chose Bellhop because they had a last-minute change of plans, and Bellhop allowed her to book one day before her local move. She reports that the movers who showed up were quick and efficient, and she would hire them again for her next move.

Customers overall love that they get a dedicated truck with Bellhop, even if they don’t fill it. This minimizes lost and damaged items. While items do occasionally get dirty or broken, most reviewers state Bellhop was their best moving experience to date.

How moving with Bellhop works

Bellhop works as hard as possible to ensure every customer that uses their platform is satisfied. Here is how the moving process with Bellhop works.

Getting a quote

Once you know your move date and have a moving plan, it’s a good idea to get a quote. With Bellhop, you can use their app, call them, or go to getbellhops.com to input the details of your move and generate a quote.

Like most moving companies, they will get back to you shortly with your quote once they confirm the availability of movers in the area. With Bellhop, local movers have to accept your move.

Once a quote is provided, it is a binding quote, and you have 48 hours to place a 10% deposit to hold that rate and complete the booking process. Once your deposit is placed, it cannot be refunded unless you contact customer support to make changes to your move.

Moving day

Bellhop does not provide packing services, so you will need to ensure everything is packed before the move day arrives.

The moving truck will arrive, along with your hard-working movers, and they will get to work loading the truck. They will do all the heavy lifting, so you don’t need to worry about injuring yourself trying to help.

The Bellhop movers will drive the truck to your new home, where they will help you unload your items. While they will still do all the heavy lifting, they do not open boxes, and you will be responsible for unpacking all of your items from their boxes.

At any point during your move, you can contact customer service through the Bellhop app. While they do have a phone number you can call, it is not manned 24/7, and customers report quicker response times from the app chat feature.

Bellhop is perfect for people who are making a local move

While Bellhop does service both local and long-distance moves, customers report that they are the best deal for local moves, as long as you don’t mind packing on your own.

Bellhop is perfect for customers who:

• Are making a move across town and don’t want to drive a truck

• Want help with the heavy lifting but don’t mind packing their own belongings

• Know exactly when they want to move and want a stress-free set moving date and time
• Don’t mind paying a little more to have their items in a dedicated truck
• Who don’t have a large house, as Bellhop trucks tend to be smaller than those of other moving companies

Bellhop is a low-cost alternative for local moves, allowing you just to pay for the number of movers and the hours you need help. But because you won’t be sharing the moving truck, they can be more expensive than other companies, especially if you are moving long distance.

Because Bellhop only works where they have local providers, they aren’t available in all states and can’t service all interstate moves. Bellhop is currently only available in the following states: AL, AR, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, NV, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, TN, TX, VA, and WA. In some states, like New York, you can only hire Bellhop if you live in a large metropolitan area. Bellhop can also service Washington, D.C.

If you are looking to move to a state not serviced by Bellhop, take a look at our best interstate moving companies to find one that meets your needs.

FAQ

Do you need to tip Bellhop movers?

Bellhop movers work just as hard as other moving companies, so it is nice to reward them with a tip for their hard work on your move. However, tipping movers is only customary, not required.

How late can you book Bellhop movers?

Bellhop is unique as a moving company because you can book movers the same day you need them for local moves. We recommend booking in advance, however. Although you can book last-minute, it doesn’t guarantee that movers will be available to accept your moving request.

Does Bellhop Moving charge extra for elevators or having to carry items on side streets?

Bellhop Moving tends to have smaller trucks than larger moving companies and, as a result, they don’t typically need to charge extra to use a small ferry van to move items to and from the door, as companies with larger trucks often have to do. However, because the trucks are smaller, some larger households find they need to book two to move all of their items. There are extra charges for homes above the first floor that do not have an elevator. Fees vary based on the number of floors movers will have to carry items and whether or not they have access to an elevator.