Emergency Moves in Knoxville
Need movers today? Tomorrow? Undergrads specializes in emergency and last-minute moves across Knoxville and the surrounding metro. Our background-checked college crews mobilize on short notice for same-day and next-day moves, often within hours of your call.
Need a price now? Get an instant estimate with our Knoxville Moving Calculator, built from 40,000+ completed moves across our markets. It also includes a quote verifier if you already have a number to check.
Need a price now? Get a free quote in about 60 seconds, or call us and a dispatcher will walk you through your Knoxville move on the spot.
Last-Minute Moving Services
Last-minute movers are moving professionals you can hire on short notice, sometimes same day or next day, to help when there is little or no time to plan. Our labor-only teams arrive ready to load or unload your truck, POD, or storage container the moment they get to you.
Whether your lease starts next week, your University of Tennessee housing fell through, or your other moving company just cancelled, we are built to make a rushed move feel handled. You rent the truck or container; we bring the muscle, the wrap, and the know-how.
How It Works
Call or book online
Call us or request a quote online. Tell us your Knoxville pickup and drop-off, the move size, and when you need it. Same-day and next-day are our specialty.
We confirm your crew
We coordinate the nearest available crew and confirm your booking, usually within about 30 minutes. Your hourly rate is locked before anyone lifts a box.
The crew arrives ready
Your background-checked college movers show up on time with moving blankets and straps, ready to load, unload, or both.
You pay after the move
It is $5 to reserve. You pay the balance after the job is done, only for the time worked. No surge pricing, no surprise add-ons.
How soon can movers actually get to you?
“Same-day movers” means different things to different companies. We have a deep bench of licensed and insured moving crews across Knoxville and a dispatch team whose whole job is finding the one closest to you with an open afternoon.
In practice: if you call us before 9 AM on a weekday, we can usually get a crew to you between noon and 4 PM the same day. Call between 10 AM and 2 PM and we can often get you booked for that evening. After 2 PM it gets hard, and availability might be the following morning. No matter what, we tell you on the phone what we can get for you, not after you have paid a deposit.
The table below is what we try to provide. If we can beat it, we will.
When can we move you?
| When you call | When we can usually move you |
|---|---|
| 7-9 AM (weekdays) | Same afternoon (2-6 PM) |
| 10 AM-2 PM | Next morning (8 AM start) |
| After 2 PM | Next available day |
| Weekend calls | Next business day or same day (if crew available) |
Why Knoxville Renters Call Undergrads First
Three reasons people pick up the phone when the clock is running:
Fast, same-day dispatch
We mobilize crews across Knox, Anderson, and Blount counties on short notice, often the same day. Most bookings are confirmed in under 30 minutes.
Locked rate, zero surge pricing
Booking last minute does not mean paying a premium. Your hourly rate is locked upfront with no rush markups, fuel surcharges, or stair fees, even during the August rush when Fort Sanders turns over all at once.
Vetted, background-checked crews
Every mover is a background-checked university student, trained on furniture wrapping and tight-space navigation. $1,000 damage protection backs every move.
What if something breaks?
Every Undergrads move includes $1,000 in damage protection, and every crew is licensed and insured. If a mover damages something, tell us. We document it, ask for a photo, and work to make it right.
Our protection covers our crew's handling. Damage that happens in transit while you're driving the rental truck is between you and the rental company, so take their coverage if the load is worth it. And if you have items that need specialty handling, a piano, a safe, fine art, tell us. We'll say whether it's a job for us or for a mover who specializes in those things. We'd rather send that move to someone else than put your things at risk.
What We Need to Book Your Emergency Move
Have these ready and we can lock your crew in one quick call:
| What we need | Details |
|---|---|
| Move date and time | The sooner the better. Same-day and next-day are our specialty. |
| Pickup and drop-off | Addresses for both ends, plus any stairs, elevators, or long carries. |
| Move size | Roughly how many rooms, or a rough box and furniture count. |
| Truck or container | Whether you have a rental truck or POD, or need help deciding what size to rent. |
| Access notes | Freight-elevator and COI windows for the Gay Street and Old City buildings, steep driveways in Bearden and Sequoyah Hills, or HOA gate codes out toward Farragut. |
Prepping for a last-minute move (and keeping the bill down)
You're paying for crew time, so anything that shortens the job saves you money. These six things make the biggest difference.
Get the truck first
We're labor-only, which is why we're affordable, but it means you rent the truck. Same-day rental availability in Knoxville is the thing most likely to sink a last-minute move, so call U-Haul, Penske, or Budget before you call us. As a rule, a studio fits a cargo van or 10-foot truck, a one-bedroom a 15-footer, and a two- or three-bedroom home needs 20 feet or more. If you can't get a truck, call us anyway; we can often help you get one sorted, or at least think through the other options.
Reserve the elevator
If either address is an apartment or condo, call the front desk now and book the freight elevator. Downtown Knoxville buildings often require it, and a crew waiting in a lobby is a crew you're paying by the hour.
Box what you can, stage it by the door
You don't need to finish packing. You need loose items in boxes or bags and everything that's leaving in one spot near the exit. Crews load fastest when they aren't hunting through rooms.
Break down the big stuff
Bed frames, table legs, the TV mount. Break down what you can. Time you spend on this is time you aren't paying us for.
Tell us about the stairs
Three flights with no elevator is a different job than a ground-floor walkout. We'd rather send three movers than have two struggle, and we can only plan for what we know.
Find parking
A truck parked around the block adds real time to every trip. Cone off a spot, ask a neighbor, or plan to sit in the truck while the crew loads.
How Much Does a Same-Day Local Move Cost?
Last-minute moves in Knoxville run on the same honest hourly pricing as any other Undergrads job, no rush surcharge. You pay only for the time the crew works. Here is what a typical same-day local move looks like:
| Move size | Crew | Typical time | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 2 movers | 2–3 hours | $170–$300 |
| 1-bedroom | 2 movers | 2–3 hours | $200–$350 |
| 2–3 bedroom | 2–3 movers | 3–5 hours | $450–$550 |
| 4-bedroom | 3–4 movers | 6+ hours | $600+ |
Truck rental, if you need one, is paid directly to U-Haul, Penske, or your POD provider and is not included above. If the crew finishes early, you pay less.
WHAT CUSTOMERS SAY
50+ five-star moves in Knoxville
grateful they were available on short notice
“We had two amazing guys help us move a truck load of things into our storage unit. Andre and Jet were so helpful and got the job done quickly and efficiently! It was a last minute request so we were very grateful they were available on short notice.”
Mari Clare Derrick
Google review · Knoxville, TN · Sep 2026
very careful with my belongings and nothing was damaged
“Very professional and respectful college students did the moving. They were very careful with my belongings and nothing was damaged. Great work!”
Tim B
Google review · Knoxville, TN · Sep 2026
Reasonable price. Definitely will use again.
“Needed two furniture items moved within the house. Our movers showed up on time, were very courteous and efficient and we were very please. Reasonable price. Definitely will use again.”
Mary Cook
Google review · Knoxville, TN · Sep 2026
quickly moved an extremely heavy adjustable bed frame to a second floor bedroom
“Matthew and Demetri were great! They quickly moved an extremely heavy adjustable bed frame to a second floor bedroom. Thank you!”
Amy Hyder
Google review · Knoxville, TN · Sep 2026
They got back to me right away and were able to schedule my move for the very next day!
“Absolute lifesavers! Undergrads seriously saved the day for me! I reached out super late the night before, honestly not expecting to find anyone on such short notice. They got back to me right away and were able to schedule my move for the very next day! Alex and Graham were amazing — friendly, professional, efficient, and incredibly helpful. They made what could have been a very stressful moving day so much easier. I’m so grateful they were able to help me at the last minute. I would absolutely use Undergrads again and highly recommend them. Thank you, Alex and Graham!”
Caroline Heinz
Google review · Charleston, SC · Sep 2026
showed up right on time, were polite and hardworking, got the job done!
“I was able to schedule 2 movers (Elijah and Connor) to move some heavy furniture from my condo to a storage unit, on short notice. They showed up right on time, were polite and hardworking, got the job done! I will definitely be using this service when I move the furniture again, and will request Elijah and Connor.”
Lori A
Google review · Myrtle Beach, SC · Sep 2026
Expert Moving Services in Knoxville
We cover Knoxville and the surrounding metro: Fort Sanders, the Old City, downtown, Bearden, Sequoyah Hills, West Hills, Fountain City, and South Knoxville, plus Farragut, Oak Ridge, Maryville, Powell, and Alcoa. Our crews know the August turnover around the University of Tennessee, the freight-elevator process at the downtown condos, and the hills and tight staircases in the older neighborhoods.
Secure Your Moving Vehicle (if you need one)
Because we are labor-only, you provide the truck or container and we provide the crew, which is what keeps a last-minute Knoxville move affordable. Not sure what size to rent? Tell us your move size when you call and we will point you to the right truck before you book it. U-Haul, Penske, Budget, and PODS all work.