($826+) McAllen, TX to Des Moines, IA Movers

Full-service moving costs from McAllen, TX to Des Moines, IA

Full-service movers handle loading, transportation, and unloading on the 1,241-mile move from McAllen, Texas, to Des Moines, Iowa, with costs ranging from $2,261 - $9,315. You can have movers pack your boxes for an additional $241 - $1,608. Like most long-distance moves, your price is determined by the total weight of your belongings and the distance between McAllen and Des Moines. Local movers in McAllen typically start around $160 as a base rate plus $80/hour per mover.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $2,261 - $5,290
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $2,992 - $6,993
• 4+ bedrooms: $4,907 - $9,315

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 McAllen to Des Moines.

Specialty moving services from McAllen, TX to Des Moines, IA

Specialty needs vary by market — 57% of McAllen movers offer storage-in-transit, compared to 85% nationally. In Des Moines, 58% of movers offer the same service.

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

Iowa Motor Truck Association membership is a quick way to confirm a mover is legitimate in Iowa, 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 McAllen, TX to Des Moines, IA

Moving containers from McAllen, Texas, to Des Moines, Iowa, cost between $1,256 and $4,670. 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 McAllen typically runs around $55/month.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,256 - $2,381
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,702 - $3,386
• 4+ bedrooms: $2,399 - $4,670

What other costs come with moving containers?

• Moving labor: Because loading is on you with a container move, hourly labor help is a popular add-on. In McAllen, TX, two movers for roughly five hours costs around $563, according to moveBuddha data. Compare the best labor-only movers nationwide
• Storage: After the first month, ongoing rental fees kick in. A small container (7 - 8 feet) averages about $60 per month, while a 12- to 16-foot unit runs around $121 per month.
• Access: Most major container companies serve both McAllen, TX, and Des Moines, IA, but confirm a facility is within reasonable distance if you need to retrieve items while in storage.
• Added contents protection: Full-value protection provides broader coverage than the standard liability in your contract. It typically costs 1% - 2% of your declared shipment value, about $500 - $1,000 on $50,000 worth of belongings.

What are the best moving containers McAllen to Des Moines?

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 McAllen, TX to Des Moines, IA

Renting a moving truck for the 1,241-mile move from McAllen, Texas, to Des Moines, Iowa, costs between $818 and $2,354, before these typical add-ons:

• Fuel for the drive: $317 - $363
• Daily insurance: $24/day
• Equipment rentals: $6 - $16
• McAllen daily rental rate: $19 - $39
• Per-mile fee beyond your free allowance: $0.69 - $0.69

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $818 - $1,515
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $884 - $1,857
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,146 - $2,354

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 $60 and $281.
• Lodging: An overnight stop typically averages around $121.
• Gas: Expect fuel to run between $317 and $363 for the 1,241-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 $563 for 2 movers in McAllen, Texas, for about 5 hours.
• Additional insurance: Damage protection plans generally add about $30 per day.

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

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 McAllen, TX to Des Moines, IA

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 McAllen, Texas, to Des Moines, Iowa. 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 $1,293 and $2,763.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,225 - $2,098
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,293 - $2,763
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,919 - $3,590

What other costs come with freight trailers?

• More space: Freight trailers are billed by the section you fill. If you misjudge your shipment size, each extra foot of trailer space adds around $60 - $121 to your final bill.
• Peak season pricing: Expect higher rates during peak season (mid-May to mid-September) when trailer availability tightens across the country.
• Moving labor: Loading is on you unless you hire outside help. A half-day crew of two movers in McAllen, Texas, typically costs $563.

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

1. MovingYourself (5/5 stars): MovingYourself is best for large moves. Primarily known as a top moving container option for its DIY hybrid model where customers load and the company drives, MovingYourself also functions as a strong freight option thanks to its 53-foot trucks and pay-only-for-the-space-you-use pricing.
2. U-Pack (5/5 stars): U-Pack is the best value freight trailer on this list. Best known for its container service, U-Pack also runs a top-notch freight trailer operation with the same no-deposit, pay-by-the-foot approach that keeps overall costs lower than most freight competitors.
3. Royal Freight Lp (4.66/5 stars): Royal Freight Lp is the best locally owned freight company on this list. Locally owned facilities and accessible live support staff make scheduling and route coordination easier on local-area routes than what most national freight providers can offer.

Cost of living: McAllen, TX vs Des Moines, IA

Good news for your budget: Des Moines isn't meaningfully more or less expensive to live in than McAllen. Cost of living index runs 87 there against 76 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 - 41/100 and 63.74/100 here versus 45/100 and 57.8/100 there.