How long does a local move take?
How long a local Bay Area move takes by home size, from 77 real Spartan jobs, plus arrival windows, what adds hours and how to finish faster.
What adds hours
7 items- Unpacked items. Loose things, bags and half-packed boxes are the biggest time sink. We do not move items in plastic bags; everything small needs to be in sealed boxes.
- Stairs and long carries. No fee, but each flight of stairs and every extra stretch of walking adds up.
- Elevators. Waiting for a shared elevator is billed as part of the move. Reserve the service elevator.
- Parking. If the truck cannot park close, every trip is longer. The truck needs about 40 feet of curb.
- Distance between homes. A 30-minute drive adds an hour of billed time under double drive time.
- Extra stops. No fee, but each stop adds driving and handling time.
- Full dressers. Drawers need to be emptied for safety; the foreman decides on site if light clothes can stay.
How to finish faster
6 items- Have every box packed, sealed and labeled by room before 8 AM.
- Clear a path from the front door to the furthest room.
- Reserve elevators and parking at both ends.
- Disconnect appliances or have someone available who can; our crew is not certified for water or gas lines.
- Keep valuables, documents and medications with you, not on the truck.
- Have one person on site at the new home to direct where furniture goes.
Median times at a glance
Across 77 local Bay Area moves Spartan completed between July and October 2026, not counting account work, the median move took 6.25 billed hours. A typical studio took about 4 hours, a 1-bedroom about 3 to 3.5 hours, a 2-bedroom about 6 to 6.5 hours, and 3-bedroom and larger homes about 11 hours at the median. Only about 1 in 11 moves finished within the 3-hour minimum, and about 1 in 4 ran past 8 hours.
Move length by home size
| Home size | Jobs | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 6 | 4.0 hrs | 3.5 to 4 hrs |
| 1 bedroom | 15 | 3.25 hrs | 3 to 4.75 hrs |
| 2 bedrooms | 16 | 6.4 hrs | 4.5 to 8 hrs |
| 3 bedrooms | 15 | 11 hrs | 7 to 13 hrs |
| 4+ bedrooms | 6 | 10.75 hrs | 8 to 17 hrs |
Data: 77 local moves Spartan completed and closed between July 16 and October 17, 2026, not counting account work (jobs booked through a business account or moving broker) or test entries. Billed hours are the hours on the final invoice, including any double drive time. Home size was recorded on 58 of those jobs.
How all 77 moves were spread out
| Billed hours | Moves | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 3 hours or less (the minimum) | 7 | 9% |
| More than 3, up to 5 | 25 | 32% |
| More than 5, up to 8 | 25 | 32% |
| More than 8 | 20 | 26% |
What the clock includes
Billed time runs from when the crew arrives to when the job is complete, with a 3-hour minimum and 15-minute increments after that. It includes wrapping furniture in blankets, taking apart and reassembling beds and tables, loading, the drive between your homes (counted twice when the two addresses are more than 10 minutes apart), unloading and setting furniture where you want it. It does not include the drive to your pickup or back from your drop-off.
Arrival windows and the shape of the day
Our trucks leave every morning at 7:00 AM. Morning arrival windows are 8 to 10 AM in the South Bay and on the Peninsula and 9 to 11 AM in San Francisco and the East Bay. The crew calls 30 minutes before arriving. Afternoon starts are possible on some days with a wider window, usually 12 to 4 PM, because the crew comes from a morning job.
A 3-bedroom or larger house that starts in the morning often runs into the evening, which is why big homes sometimes split into two days.
When a move takes two days
Several of the moves in our data were multi-day jobs. The common pattern is packing on day one and moving on day two. Each day needs its own spot on the calendar, so book early if you want two consecutive days. On a local multi-day move, payment is collected at the end of each day.
Which days are busiest
Saturday was by far the busiest moving day in our data: 27 of the 77 local moves (35%) happened on a Saturday, followed by Friday with 13. Tuesday was the quietest with 5. Our hourly rate is the same every day of the week, so the day you pick does not change the price. If you need a specific date and arrival window, booking early gives you the best chance.
An example day for a 2-bedroom
Illustration, not a promise: the crew arrives in the 9 to 11 AM window and the foreman walks through the home. Wrapping furniture and taking apart beds and tables takes the first hour or so. Loading follows, then the drive. Unloading, reassembly and the final walkthrough close out the day. With a median of about 6.4 billed hours for a 2-bedroom in our data, a 9 AM start usually means a mid-afternoon finish.
Questions and answers
How long does it take to move a 1-bedroom apartment?
In our 2026 data the median 1-bedroom move took 3.25 billed hours, and the middle half took 3 to 4.75 hours.
How long does a 2-bedroom move take?
The median 2-bedroom move took about 6.4 billed hours; the middle half took 4.5 to 8 hours.
How long does a 3-bedroom house move take?
The median was 11 billed hours, with a wide range of 7 to 13 hours for the middle half of jobs, depending on crew size, stairs and how much is packed.
What time do movers arrive?
8 to 10 AM in the South Bay and Peninsula, 9 to 11 AM in San Francisco and the East Bay. The crew calls 30 minutes before arriving.
Is there a minimum?
Yes, 3 hours, then billed in 15-minute increments. In our data 9% of local moves finished within the minimum.
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