Heavy items: how we decide what we can move
How Spartan decides on heavy items over 300 lbs: a photo, a crew-size call, and a clear no when something needs a flatbed. Bay Area moves.
What David looks at
5 items- Weight and shape. A compact 350-pound object and a tall top-heavy one are different problems.
- Whether it comes apart. Tops, doors, drawers and legs that come off make a big difference. Disassembly and reassembly are included in the hourly rate.
- The route. Stairs, turns, thresholds, slopes and the distance to the curb at both homes.
- The truck. Our truck is a 26-foot, 26,000 lb GVW box truck; if the street is tight, David checks access before move day and tells you whether a shuttle is needed.
- The floor. Where it will sit and what the floor can take.
How to send it
4 items- One photo of the whole item with something for scale.
- One photo of the route: stairs, door, path to the street.
- Any label with a weight or model number.
- Pickup and drop-off ZIP codes and your move date.
The 300-pound line
Most furniture, even big furniture, is routine for a moving crew. Somewhere around 300 pounds that changes. A stone-top sideboard, a solid wood armoire that does not come apart, a gun safe, a large planter, an outdoor sculpture, a commercial-grade machine: each needs a plan before move day rather than a surprise on the stairs. Our rule is that for anything around 300 pounds or more, you send a photo and David confirms whether we can move it and whether to add a mover.
When the answer is a specialist
Some items are simply outside what a moving crew should handle. We once declined to move a pizza oven of about one metric ton: it would have required specialized equipment and likely a flatbed truck, and we recommended a company that specializes in moving bulky, heavy items. Hot tubs, built-in masonry and equipment that needs rigging fall in the same category unless David sees something in the photo that changes his mind. Pianos have their own rules: a grand or baby grand always gets 4 movers. See piano movers.
Crew size is the main cost lever
A heavy item rarely carries a separate fee. What it changes is the crew. If David adds a mover, the move is billed at $235 per hour for 4 movers instead of $175 for 3, for the whole job, with a 3-hour minimum and 15-minute increments. Carrying the item takes time, and stairs add time, but stairs are never a separate charge on a local move. For long-distance moves priced by weight, the item's weight is simply part of the shipment.
Typical heavy items and what we ask
| Item | What we ask for |
|---|---|
| Gun or home safe | Photo, model or weight, bolted or not |
| Stone or marble tabletop | Photo, size, whether the top lifts off |
| Solid armoire or hutch | Photo, whether doors and top come off |
| Large planter | Photo; also depends on truck space |
| Gym machine | Photo, whether it folds or breaks down |
| Grand piano | Type and stairs; always 4 movers |
Questions and answers
What counts as a heavy item?
Anything around 300 pounds or more. Send a photo and David confirms whether we can move it.
Do you charge extra for heavy furniture?
Not as a fee. A heavy item may need a fourth mover ($235 per hour for 4) and adds time.
Do you move hot tubs?
Send a photo. Items that need specialized equipment or a flatbed are outside what our crews do, and we will say so.
Are stairs extra with a heavy item?
No. On local moves stairs only add time, billed at the hourly rate.
We also move people in Gun Safe movers, Piano movers, Treadmill Gym Equipment movers, Glass Table movers, Plant movers and Get Quote.