($1,065+) Des Moines, IA to Bakersfield, CA Movers

Full-service moving costs from Des Moines, IA to Bakersfield, CA

Hiring full-service movers from Des Moines, Iowa, to Bakersfield, California, costs between $2,347 and $10,921. A full-service interstate moving company handles loading, transportation, and unloading across the 1,698-mile route, with optional professional packing available for an additional $277 - $1,844, depending on the size of your home. Your final cost comes down to two things: the total weight of your shipment and the distance between Des Moines and Bakersfield. For a rough baseline, movers based in Des Moines tend to start around $737 plus $142/hour per mover on local jobs, before long-distance pricing takes over for a move this size.

Here's a breakdown of full-service moving costs by home size from Des Moines to Bakersfield:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $2,347 - $5,295
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $3,197 - $7,362
• 4+ bedrooms: $5,911 - $10,921

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 Des Moines to Bakersfield.

Specialty moving services from Des Moines, IA to Bakersfield, CA

Specialty needs vary by market — 58% of Des Moines movers offer storage-in-transit, compared to 85% nationally. In Bakersfield, 80% of movers offer the same service.

What are the best full-service movers from Des Moines to Bakersfield?

Look for California Moving & Storage Association membership as a baseline when comparing movers in California beyond this list.

1. Safeway Moving (4.9/5 stars): Safeway Moving is our pick for best overall value. Flat-rate pricing, 24/7 support, and 30 days of free storage make Safeway the clearest value on this list.
2. American Van Lines (4.9/5 stars): American Van Lines is the most experienced mover on this list. AVL has been moving customers since 1995 and uses full-time in-house crews trained on high-value items like art and antiques.
3. Allied Van Lines (4.2/5 stars): Allied Van Lines is best for contents coverage. One of the largest van line networks in North America, Allied offers fragile-only packing, 24/7 monitoring, and an optional full-value protection plan against damage, loss, and breakage.

Moving container costs from Des Moines, IA to Bakersfield, CA

Moving containers from Des Moines, Iowa, to Bakersfield, California, cost between $1,586 and $5,278. A container is delivered to your home and you load it on your own time. Loading windows vary by company: U-Haul gives you 3 days and PODS gives you 30. From there, the company takes over and transports it to Bakersfield. If you go over that window, storage in Des Moines adds around $60/month.

Take a look at moving container pricing by home size from Des Moines to Bakersfield:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,586 - $2,785
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,871 - $4,138
• 4+ bedrooms: $2,552 - $5,278

What other costs come with moving containers?

• Access: Most major container brands operate in both Des Moines, IA and Bakersfield, CA. Still, double-check that a nearby facility is available if you need to access your belongings before delivery.
• Moving labor: Because containers are self-loaded, many customers hire hourly help. Two movers for about 5 hours typically cost around $645 in Des Moines, IA, according to moveBuddha data. Compare the best labor-only movers nationwide
• Storage: Monthly container rental after the first 30 days averages $69 for small units (7 - 8 feet) and about $138 for larger ones (12 - 16 feet).
• Added contents protection: For more coverage beyond the standard minimum, full-value protection is the typical upgrade, generally 1% - 2% of your declared shipment value. On a $50,000 household, that's roughly $500 - $1,000 as a one-time fee.

What are the best moving containers Des Moines to Bakersfield?

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 Des Moines, IA to Bakersfield, CA

Renting a moving truck for the 1,698-mile move from Des Moines, Iowa, to Bakersfield, California, costs between $992 and $2,773, before these typical add-ons:

• Fuel for the drive: $498 - $569
• Daily insurance: $28/day
• Equipment rentals: $6 - $18
• Des Moines daily rental rate: $19 - $39
• Per-mile fee beyond your free allowance: $0.69 - $1.19

These are typical moving truck rental costs from Des Moines to Bakersfield based on home size:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $992 - $1,966
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,129 - $2,387
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,424 - $2,773

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 $69 and $323.
• Lodging: An overnight stop typically averages around $138.
• Gas: Expect fuel to run between $498 and $569 for the 1,698-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 $645 for 2 movers in Des Moines, Iowa, for about 5 hours.
• Additional insurance: Damage protection plans generally add about $30 per day.

What are the best moving truck rentals from Des Moines to Bakersfield?

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 Des Moines, IA to Bakersfield, CA

Freight trailers are well suited for larger moves from Des Moines, Iowa, to Bakersfield, California, when you want to do the loading yourself without having to drive a massive vehicle. The trailer is delivered, you pack it up, and the carrier handles the long haul.

What sets freight trailers apart is the pay-for-what-you-use pricing model. Each additional foot of trailer space you occupy adds to the cost. Overall pricing for a move of this size and distance typically lands around $1,512 and $3,374.

Take a look at freight trailer costs based on home size for moves from Des Moines to Bakersfield:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,399 - $2,507
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,512 - $3,374
• 4+ bedrooms: $2,213 - $4,222

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 Des Moines, Iowa, for roughly 5 hours typically costs $645.
• More space: Freight companies bill by linear footage. If your belongings take up more room than anticipated, the extra space adds between $69 and $138 per foot.

What are the best freight companies from Des Moines to Bakersfield?

1. MovingYourself (5/5 stars): MovingYourself is the best for large moves pick. While it's a top moving container option for the DIY hybrid setup (you handle the loading, they handle the driving), the same approach makes it a strong freight choice for 3 to 5+ bedroom homes that need 53 feet of trailer capacity with pay-as-you-go pricing.
2. U-Pack (5/5 stars): U-Pack is the best value freight trailer here. In addition to their popular container service, U-Pack delivers a top-tier freight trailer option that uses the same pay-by-the-foot pricing model and skips deposits and upfront fees entirely.
3. Ruan Transportation Management Systems (4.5/5 stars): Ruan Transportation Management Systems is the best locally owned freight company on this list. Local ownership translates to accessible support staff and facilities based in the communities they serve, giving customers more direct communication than they'd typically get from a national-only freight network.

Cost of living: Des Moines, IA vs Bakersfield, CA

Good news for your budget: Bakersfield isn't meaningfully more or less expensive to live in than Des Moines. Cost of living index runs 100 there against 87 here, and rent, income, and tax rates all fall in a comparable band. Focus your planning on the move itself rather than a change in monthly expenses. Walkability and safety scores land in a similar range too - 45/100 and 57.8/100 here versus 37/100 and 41.51/100 there.