($870+) Des Moines, IA to Portland, ME Movers

Full-service moving costs from Des Moines, IA to Portland, ME

Full-service movers for the 1,399-mile relocation from Des Moines, Iowa, to Portland, Maine, cost between $2,341 and $9,622. With a long-distance moving company, loading, transportation, and unloading are all taken care of. If you want to skip packing boxes, too, that can be added for $291 - $1,940, depending on your home size. What you pay in the end is mainly a function of how much your shipment weighs and how far it's traveling. As a point of reference, local movers in Des Moines typically charge a base rate around $737 plus $142 per hour, per mover.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $2,341 - $5,417
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $2,867 - $6,868
• 4+ bedrooms: $5,367 - $9,622

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 Portland.

Specialty moving services from Des Moines, IA to Portland, ME

Specialty needs vary by market — 58% of Des Moines movers offer storage-in-transit, compared to 85% nationally. In Portland, 78% of movers offer the same service.

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

If you're vetting a mover on your own instead, membership in Maine Motor Transport Association is a good first thing to confirm.

1. Safeway Moving (4.9/5 stars): Safeway Moving offers the best overall value on this route. Flat-rate pricing locks in your cost upfront, and 24/7 customer support is available throughout the move.
2. American Van Lines (4.9/5 stars): American Van Lines is the most experienced mover on this list. Operating since 1995, AVL staffs every move with full-time in-house crews trained on antiques, art, and other high-value items.
3. Allied Van Lines (4.2/5 stars): Allied Van Lines is best for contents coverage. As one of the largest van line networks in North America, Allied offers fragile-only packing, real-time shipment tracking, and an optional full-value protection plan.

Moving container costs from Des Moines, IA to Portland, ME

Moving containers from Des Moines, Iowa, to Portland, Maine, cost between $1,431 and $4,722. You're in charge of loading, and the timeline is yours to set. U-Haul allows 3 days while PODS gives you a full 30. After that, the company picks it up and delivers it to your new address. Running behind schedule? Storage in Des Moines costs roughly $60/month if you need it.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,431 - $2,722
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,810 - $3,547
• 4+ bedrooms: $2,506 - $4,722

What other costs come with moving containers?

• Storage: Monthly rental charges begin after the first 30 days. Expect roughly $73 per month for smaller containers (7 - 8 feet) and around $146 per month for larger units (12 - 16 feet).
• Moving labor: Containers don't come with loading help, so many customers hire hourly movers for the job. Two movers for about 5 hours will run you around $679 in Des Moines, IA, per moveBuddha data. Compare the best labor-only movers nationwide
• Added contents protection: Standard coverage only reimburses by weight. Full-value protection gives you more complete coverage for higher-value items and typically costs 1% - 2% of your total declared value, around $500 - $1,000 on a $50,000 shipment.
• Access: National providers generally operate in both cities, but verify that a facility near your Portland, ME, destination exists if you plan to access stored items.

What are the best moving containers Des Moines to Portland?

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 Portland, ME

Plan on $870 - $2,418 for a rental moving truck on the 1,399-mile route from Des Moines, Iowa, to Portland, Maine. The rental company provides nothing beyond the vehicle, so add:

• Fuel for the drive: $432 - $493
• Daily insurance: $29/day
• Equipment rentals: $7 - $19
• 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 Portland based on home size:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $870 - $1,614
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,008 - $2,082
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,257 - $2,418

What other costs come with rental trucks?

• Moving labor: Rental trucks don't come with loaders. Hiring 2 movers in Des Moines, Iowa, for roughly 5 hours usually costs about $679.
• Gas: Fuel costs total $432 - $493 for the 1,399-mile drive, depending on whether your truck takes gas or diesel.
• Equipment: Appliance dollies, auto transport trailers, and furniture pads are separate rentals. Expect to spend between $58 and $315, depending on what you need.
• Additional insurance: Daily coverage upgrades typically add around $30.
• Lodging: Budget around $146 per night for hotel stops on the 1,399-mile drive. With 2 - 3 overnight stops, total lodging typically costs $291 - $437.

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

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 Portland, ME

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 Des Moines, Iowa, to Portland, Maine. 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 $1,476 and $2,867.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,288 - $2,357
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,476 - $2,867
• 4+ bedrooms: $2,024 - $3,739

What other costs come with freight trailers?

• Demand cycles: Trailer costs climb during peak moving season, especially from mid-May through mid-September when demand is at its highest.
• More space: You're billed only for the linear feet you use, but underestimating your inventory means paying for extra space, typically around $73 - $146 more per foot.
• Moving labor: Freight trailers don't include loading crews. Two movers in Des Moines, Iowa, for about five hours typically runs $679.

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

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. Ruan Transportation Management Systems (4.5/5 stars): Ruan Transportation Management Systems 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: Des Moines, IA vs Portland, ME

The price of the move is only part of the picture. Here is how everyday costs compare once you are settled in Portland, side by side with Des Moines 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.