Jacksonville is the largest city by land area in the continental United States – which I personally didn’t know before writing this article. t’s also a city in the middle of one of its biggest growth waves in decades — Fidelity National, Black Knight, JAXPORT, and the broader financial services and logistics economy keep pulling job seekers and Northeast transplants into the metro. The Mayport and NAS Jacksonville installations bring in thousands of military families through every year. Especially relevant for us, UNF and Jacksonville University keep a steady student population in motion. Jacksonville’s beaches are obviously their own attraction.
This means there’s a lot of demand for moving services year-round, and the mover you pick matters more than most people realize until something gets damaged or the bill arrives 40% above the quote. We compared seven Jacksonville-area movers, looking at national movers, local movers, and of course, ourselves, using Google reviews, Yelp ratings, and trying to get a sense of them via web reviews.
TL;DR
Short on time? Here’s the cheat sheet. Suddath Relocation Systems is Jacksonville’s homegrown major — founded in 1919, headquartered in Jax, agent for United Van Lines, the established choice for corporate and high-end residential moves. Coleman Worldwide Moving is the other big Jacksonville-based national agent (Allied Van Lines), strong on long-distance and corporate relocation. Bo’s Moving & Storage is a smaller, well-reviewed local for residential work. Modern Movers is another reliable local with a strong reputation for residential moves. Two Men and a Truck brings national franchise consistency with multiple Jacksonville locations. College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving is the Tampa-headquartered national that bundles moving and junk removal in one trip. All My Sons Moving & Storage has the brand recognition and the ad budget but the Yelp side of the picture deserves a careful read. And if you want to save roughly 30% on the same move, Undergrads Moving is the labor-only alternative — we help you rent the truck, our UNF and JU crew handles the heavy lifting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance should I book movers in Jacksonville?
Peak season runs May through September, and it overlaps with hurricane season, military PCS season (the Mayport and NAS Jacksonville rotations create real demand spikes), and the UNF/JU academic calendar. End-of-month weekends fill up first – this is fairly standard in most cities across the country. If you have flexibility, mid-month or midweek dates usually mean better pricing. Because it’s Florida, there are some snowbirds moving in October through April, though they don’t typically impact demand too much. Labor-only services like ours have more scheduling flexibility, but the best time slots still go fast.
What information do I need when requesting a moving quote?
Have your square footage or bedroom count, both move addresses (with floor and elevator access), a rough inventory of large or specialty items (pianos, gun safes, oversized waterfront furniture), your move date, and some idea of how far away the truck is from your home (stairs, elevators, curbside distance.) Jacksonville has a few wrinkles: high-rise condos downtown often require freight elevator reservations and Certificates of Insurance from your mover (any reputable mover will have this); gated communities in Nocatee, Ponte Vedra, and World Golf Village require advance notice; sand and salt at the Beaches mean specific protective considerations for furniture and electronics; military moves through Mayport or NAS Jacksonville often require coordination with relocation officers. Flag all of that up front to avoid surprise charges.
What neighborhoods and nearby cities are people moving to in Jacksonville?
Within Jacksonville: Riverside, Avondale, San Marco, Springfield, Mandarin, the Southside, and the Ortega area pull most of the residential interest. The Beaches (Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach) draw a steady stream of newcomers wanting coastal living. Beyond city limits, Nocatee and Ponte Vedra Beach in St. Johns County have absorbed enormous post-2020 growth thanks to schools, master-planned amenities, and proximity to the Mayport corridor. Fleming Island and Orange Park in Clay County pull families wanting more square footage. World Golf Village and St. Augustine pull buyers further south. Most Jacksonville movers serve the broader metro plus St. Johns and Clay counties.
What is a labor-only moving company?
A labor-only moving company provides the muscle — trained movers who load, unload, and arrange your furniture — but does not provide the truck. You rent a truck or container yourself from U-Haul, Penske, Budget, or PODS, and the labor-only crew handles the physical work. This typically saves around 30% versus a traditional full-service mover because you’re not paying for the truck, fuel, commercial auto insurance, or driver as part of the moving company’s overhead. It’s a strong fit for local moves where the truck doesn’t need to cover much distance, and for apartment-sized moves where the full-service price tag feels disproportionate to the amount of stuff actually being moved.
How much does it cost to hire movers in Jacksonville, FL?
For a local move within the Jacksonville metro, expect roughly $600 to $1,000 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,600 to $2,800 for a three- to four-bedroom house through a full-service mover, depending on company, distance, and add-ons. Long-distance moves out of Jacksonville typically start around $2,500. Jacksonville’s local move pricing tends to run a bit lower than Orlando or Tampa because Jax is geographically larger and competition is dense. Labor-only movers like Undergrads can bring those numbers down by roughly 30%, with the trade-off that you handle the truck rental yourself. Rates spike during summer, on the last weekend of every month, and around military PCS windows.
Jacksonville Moving Companies at a Glance
| Company | Google Rating (approx.) | Reviews (approx.) | Type | Services | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suddath Relocation Systems | 4.6 ★ | ~600+ | Local (Jacksonville HQ) | Full-service local & long-distance, corporate, storage, United Van Lines agent | Corporate / high-end residential |
| Coleman Worldwide Moving | 4.5 ★ | ~400 | Local (Jacksonville HQ) | Full-service long-distance, corporate, military, Allied Van Lines agent | Long-distance & military relocation |
| Bo’s Moving & Storage | 4.8 ★ | ~500 | Local | Full-service local, packing, storage | Best-reviewed Jacksonville residential local |
| Modern Movers | 4.7 ★ | ~700 | Local | Full-service local & long-distance, packing | Reliable mid-tier residential local |
| Two Men and a Truck | 4.7 ★ | ~1,800+ across Jax locations | National | Full-service, packing, storage | Brand consistency & availability |
| College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving | 4.8 ★ | ~1,200 | National (Tampa-founded) | Full-service, junk removal, packing | Moving + decluttering combo |
| All My Sons Moving & Storage | 4.5 ★ | ~1,500+ | National | Full-service, packing, storage | Large-scale availability |
| Undergrads Moving | 4.8 ★ | ~120 | Local (Labor-Only) | Loading, unloading, in-home moves, packing labor | Budget-conscious movers (save ~30%) |
Ratings and review counts are approximate and shift weekly — verify current numbers before publishing.
Suddath Relocation Systems
Suddath is the Jacksonville moving company. Founded in 1919, headquartered in Jacksonville for over a century, agent for United Van Lines, and one of the largest moving and relocation operations in the Southeast. They handle full-service residential, corporate relocation, international, and storage, with their own DOT authority for long-distance work and a substantial Jacksonville fleet.
The Suddath review profile is what you’d expect from an operation at that scale and age: a respectable 4.6-star Google rating across hundreds of reviews, with most customers describing professional crews, accurate estimates, and no-surprise billing. Their corporate relocation program is widely used by Fortune 500 companies relocating employees into the Jacksonville job market, which is one reason a chunk of every transferred banker, healthcare exec, or military civilian arrives in town with a Suddath estimate already in hand.
The honest trade-off is pricing. Suddath sits at the top of the Jacksonville full-service market in cost, partly because of the United Van Lines national network, partly because of the corporate-grade infrastructure, partly because they don’t compete on the bottom end. For high-value residential moves, corporate relocations, or long-distance jobs where you want the heaviest national infrastructure, they’re the local benchmark. For an apartment move across town, they’re overkill.
Coleman Worldwide Moving
Coleman is the other big Jacksonville-headquartered moving company, agent for Allied Van Lines, and a major player in long-distance, corporate, and military relocation. Founded in 1914 (yes, before Suddath), Coleman has grown into one of Allied’s largest agents in the Southeast.
The Coleman Jacksonville Google rating sits in the mid-4s across roughly 400 reviews. Reviewers consistently praise the long-distance work — packing precision, clean handoffs, and the kind of communication you’d hope for when your stuff is on a truck for two weeks. Their military presence is significant: they handle a lot of PCS moves through Mayport and NAS Jacksonville, and the experience with DoD relocation is real.
The trade-off is the same one with most national van line agents. Pricing is premium, residential local moves aren’t really their sweet spot, and the customer experience is more “national logistics company” than “small local mover.” For long-distance, corporate, or military moves, they’re a strong choice. For a quick local apartment move, look elsewhere.
Bo’s Moving & Storage
Bo’s Moving is a smaller Jacksonville local with a 4.8-star Google rating across roughly 500 reviews. The volume is lower than Suddath or the national franchises, but the per-review consistency is excellent and reviewers regularly mention the family-business feel — owner involvement, communicative scheduling, careful crews, no surprise charges.
They handle residential moves, packing, and short-distance work in the Jacksonville metro and surrounding counties. Long-distance options are more limited than at Suddath or Coleman.
For customers who’d rather work with a smaller operation than a national van line agent or a franchise, Bo’s is the kind of company that gets passed around in word-of-mouth and Nextdoor recommendations. The trade-off is the same one that applies to all boutique movers: tighter capacity, fewer specialty service options, and slower booking windows during peak demand.
Modern Movers
Modern Movers is another reliable Jacksonville-area local, with a 4.7-star Google rating across roughly 700 reviews. They handle residential local and intrastate Florida moves, packing services, and specialty items (pianos, gun safes, antiques).
The Modern Movers review pattern leans heavily on punctuality and crew professionalism — common themes are “they showed up on time,” “they finished faster than expected,” and “the price was what they quoted.” That’s not flashy, but it’s exactly what most people want from a local mover.
Modern Movers sits in the mid-tier on price — not the cheapest, not premium. For straightforward residential moves where you want a reliable local without paying for the Suddath corporate-grade infrastructure, they’re a solid choice.
Two Men and a Truck
Two Men and a Truck is the largest franchised moving company in the country, and Jacksonville is no exception — multiple franchise locations across the metro carry a combined book of nearly 2,000 reviews and a steady 4.7-star rating. The franchise model delivers a standardized booking process, branded trucks, uniformed crews, and a playbook refined over four decades. They handle full-service local and long-distance moves, packing services, and storage.
The flip side of the franchise model is that your experience depends heavily on which Jacksonville location’s crew shows up. Most reviews are positive, but some note inconsistency between crews. Pricing reflects national brand overhead. For people who value predictability and want a corporate-grade infrastructure to call if something goes wrong, the franchise is reassuring. Confirm in writing what’s covered if a piece of furniture comes off the truck damaged — the answer varies by franchise.
College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving
College Hunks was founded in Tampa in 2005 and now operates roughly 200 franchised locations across the U.S. and Canada. Their Jacksonville-area operation carries a 4.8-star Google rating from roughly 1,200 reviews. The dual offering — moving plus junk removal in one booking — is what sets them apart. If you’re downsizing before a move, clearing out a Riverside garage that’s been collecting boxes, or inheriting a Mandarin house that needs a clean-out before move-in, College Hunks can handle the move and the haul-away in one trip.
Crews tend to be younger and energetic, and reviewers frequently describe the experience as upbeat and efficient. The main caveat is pricing — bundled service is convenient, but add-on math (packing, junk hauling, fuel surcharges, specialty handling) can push the final bill significantly above the original quote. Get a written estimate that breaks each line out before you commit.
All My Sons Moving & Storage
All My Sons is a national brand with a substantial Jacksonville footprint. The local operation carries a 4.5-star Google rating with over 1,500 reviews. They handle local and long-distance moves, packing, loading, transport, and storage. Many reviewers praise individual crew members by name for being hardworking and professional.
The broader review picture is more complicated. All My Sons locations across the country tend to have noticeably lower Yelp scores than Google scores, and the most common complaint pattern is the gap between the verbal estimate and the final bill. None of that necessarily means a bad experience is inevitable, but if you’re considering them, get every line item in writing, confirm the hourly rate and any potential surcharges, and read the most recent local reviews before booking.
Undergrads Moving
If you’re trying to cut moving costs without cutting corners on the actual labor, Undergrads Moving takes a different angle. We’re a labor-only mover — trained, insured movers (UNF, JU, and other Jacksonville-area students) who load, unload, and handle the heavy lifting while you handle the truck rental. The model removes the single biggest line item from a traditional moving bill: the truck and the driver, plus the commercial auto insurance and garage overhead that come with running a fleet.
The result is savings of roughly 30% versus a full-service mover. On a Jacksonville-area move that might run $1,600 to $2,800 with a full-service company, that’s $480 to $840 back in your pocket — meaningful in a market where Florida home insurance keeps surprising people who just got their renewal quote.
Undergrads holds a 4.8-star Google rating across roughly 120 Jacksonville-area reviews. Our crews know the city — they’ve handled the freight elevator choreography in downtown high-rises, the long carry distances that come with Jacksonville’s enormous footprint, the gated entry workflows in Nocatee and Ponte Vedra, the Beaches’ specific challenges (sand, salt, narrow streets, parking), and the bridge logistics that come with cross-river moves. They show up on time, work efficiently, and treat furniture like it actually matters.
The labor-only model isn’t for everyone. If you’d rather hand off everything and not think about truck logistics, a full-service mover is the cleaner path. But if you’re comfortable driving a 16-foot rental — or you’re already doing a one-way move with PODS or U-Haul — Undergrads gives you a price-and-quality combination that’s hard to match in this market. We serve the greater Jacksonville metro including the Beaches, Mandarin, Orange Park, Fleming Island, Nocatee, Ponte Vedra, and St. Augustine. Get an instant online quote from our Jacksonville page.
The Bottom Line
Jacksonville’s moving market has unusual depth for a Florida metro — two major homegrown van line agents (Suddath and Coleman) plus a strong tier of independent locals plus the national franchises. The right answer depends on what you’re optimizing for. For corporate or long-distance moves with serious infrastructure behind them, Suddath is the local gold standard. For long-distance and military relocation specifically, Coleman is the pick. Bo’s Moving and Modern Movers handle reliable residential local work without the premium price tag. Two Men and a Truck and College Hunks bring the consistency and infrastructure of national brands — with College Hunks adding junk removal as a useful bonus. All My Sons has the brand recognition but deserves a closer look at recent reviews and written estimates.
And then there’s Undergrads, which has built a strong reputation around rethinking what a Jacksonville move actually needs to cost. If you’re willing to rent your own truck and let a team of trained UNF and JU students handle the heavy lifting, you’re saving 30% without giving up quality.
Whatever you choose, book early. Jacksonville’s growth keeps movers busy year-round, summer is a different animal, end-of-month weekends fill fast, and military PCS windows compound the demand.
Common Questions About Jacksonville Movers
How far in advance should I book movers in Jacksonville?
Peak season runs May through September. End-of-month weekends fill first. Military PCS windows and UNF/JU move-in/move-out cycles compound demand. Aim for four to six weeks of lead time for summer Saturdays, less for midweek or mid-month dates.
What information do I need when requesting a moving quote?
Square footage or bedroom count, both move addresses (with floor and elevator access), oversized item inventory, move date, packing needs. In Jacksonville, flag freight elevator reservations downtown, gated community access in Nocatee/Ponte Vedra, military relocation coordination, and beach-specific protective considerations.
What neighborhoods and nearby cities are people moving to in Jacksonville?
Within Jacksonville: Riverside, Avondale, San Marco, Springfield, Mandarin, Southside, the Beaches. Suburbs absorbing growth: Nocatee, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fleming Island, Orange Park, World Golf Village, St. Augustine. Most Jacksonville-area movers serve the broader metro plus St. Johns and Clay counties.
What is a labor-only moving company?
A labor-only mover provides the crew but not the truck. You rent a truck from U-Haul, Penske, Budget, or PODS; the labor crew handles loading, unloading, and arranging. Typically saves around 30% versus full-service.
How much does it cost to hire movers in Jacksonville, FL?
Local: $600–$1,000 for a 1-bedroom, $1,600–$2,800 for a 3–4 bedroom through full-service. Long-distance starts around $2,500. Labor-only saves roughly 30%.
