Ross Movers for Homes Set Back Under the Oaks

Ross is a small residential town in the heart of the Ross Valley, with San Anselmo above it, Kentfield wrapped around its east and south sides, and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard carrying almost all of the traffic past its edge. Ross Common, the Marin Art and Garden Center and the town hall sit near the boulevard. Behind them, quiet lanes run back toward Phoenix Lake and the wooded ridges below Mount Tamalpais.

What makes a Ross move different is distance on foot, not distance on the map. Houses tend to sit well back on large lots, behind hedges, gates and gardens, so the walk from truck to door can be longer than in almost any other Marin town. We plan the day around that walk.

Older family estates

Large shingle, Tudor and period houses with wide formal staircases, original plaster and heavy wood floors. Expect antiques, pianos, rugs and long dining tables. Most of these homes are big enough for a 4-mover crew under our size rule.

Cottages near the Common

Smaller older houses closer to the town center, on tighter lots. Short walks and low steps make for a simpler day.

Hillside homes toward the ridges

Houses cut into the slope, with outside steps between parking and the entry and decks off the back. Here the stairs set the pace more than the square footage.

• Gate width. Send us the width of the driveway gate. A full-size truck needs room to clear the posts and turn, and some Ross gates were sized for a car.
• Drive surface. Dollies roll well on pavement and badly on loose gravel or pavers. Tell us about a soft path so we can plan the time.
• Tree canopy. Oaks and redwoods hang low over several lanes. If a tall box truck would scrape, it parks where it fits and the crew carries, or David tells you ahead of time if a shuttle is needed.
• No shoulder. Many lanes have no sidewalk and no curb to pull onto. We keep the stop short and leave a lane open for neighbors.
• Town rules. The Town of Ross manages its streets. If the truck must stand in the roadway, we review the current requirements for your address with you before the date.

Most Ross houses are large enough that we quote 4 movers at $235 an hour, our rate for homes over 1,800 square feet with 3 bedrooms or any home with 4 or more bedrooms. A cottage near the Common is usually a 3-mover job at $175 an hour. The rate is the same on weekends, the first 3 hours are the minimum, and after that time runs in 15-minute steps. Blankets, floor runners, tape, wardrobe boxes and taking apart and rebuilding furniture are part of a full-service move; only the packing materials we actually use are added.

From a studio to four bedrooms: Ross move costs

For anyone comparing movers in Ross, we started from the billed time on moves we completed from mid-July to mid-October 2026 and laid the results out by home size below. These are typical ranges, not quotes; the invoice reflects the real time on the job, nothing more.

Middle 50% of billed hours on recent local moves for direct customers (July to October 2026), with the drive between homes counted as billed. Account and partner-billed jobs and moves that included our full packing are not in these numbers. Packing supplies extra; 3-hour minimum.

Older estates with wide formal staircases and hillside homes with outside steps between the parking and the entry both add carry time, so a large Ross house can sit toward the top of its row.

Ross is a small town. Between mid-July and late October 2026 we received 4 quote requests from Marin, not counting account work, all local moves, and all 4 booked or completed. None of those came from Ross itself, so read these as Marin figures, not Ross figures.

Ross is roughly 56 miles northwest of downtown San Jose in a straight line. You are not charged for the trip to your house. If your new home is more than 10 minutes from Ross, the drive between the two addresses is billed at double time, as California rules require. A move from Ross to San Anselmo or Kentfield usually stays under that line.

• Walk the path from the street to the front door and count every step, including garden steps.
• Measure armoires, hutches and grand pianos. A grand piano always gets 4 movers.
• Unlock side gates and park cars out of the turnaround the night before.
• List outdoor pieces: teak sets, planters, statues, sheds. They take time and should be on the estimate.
• If you are moving out for a remodel, ask about storage. It is a flat monthly price and is never discounted.
• Expect a call from the crew about 30 minutes before they arrive.

• Kentfield: next door, split between creekside flats and the steep roads of Kent Woodlands.
• San Anselmo: a busier downtown and older bungalows on tight lots.
• San Rafael: the county seat, with apartments, condos and city parking rules.
• Greenbrae: hillside homes and condos right at the US-101 interchange.
• Larkspur: Magnolia Avenue and the redwood canyons to the south.

Packing and short-term storage are covered on our packing and storage page, and what drives the total is on the moving cost guide.