San Francisco to San Jose movers

San Francisco to the Peninsula and South Bay is the most requested cross-region move in our books. Between mid-July and late October 2026, 13 quote requests went between San Francisco and a Peninsula or South Bay city, not counting account work, more than any other pair of Bay Area regions, and 8 of them were booked or completed.

It is a local move, not long distance. You pay by the hour for the crew and the truck, and the drive down the Peninsula is billed under California's double drive time rule. This page explains how that adds up, so the number on your final invoice makes sense before the truck arrives.

• Hourly rate for the whole crew and a 26 ft truck: 3 movers $175 (our standard team), 4 movers $235 for larger homes, and 2 movers $145 for very small moves or on request, the same every day of the week.
• 3-hour minimum, then billed in 15-minute increments.
• Included: furniture disassembly and reassembly, moving blankets, tape, wardrobe boxes and floor protection.
• No charge for mileage, fuel, tax, stairs or elevators. Boxes and other packing supplies are charged as used.
• No deposit. You pay at the end of the move by cash, money order, Visa or Mastercard (3% fee on cards).

Most homes on this route get 3 movers. A 3-bedroom over 1,800 sq ft, or any home with 4 bedrooms or more, gets 4 movers.

San Francisco to downtown San Jose is about 45 miles on US-101 or I-280. Because pickup and drop-off are far more than 10 minutes apart, California's double drive time rule applies: the actual drive between your two homes is counted twice on the bill. The drive to your pickup and the drive back from your drop-off are not charged.

So if the drive from your San Francisco curb to your San Jose curb takes 60 minutes, it is billed as 2 hours. With 3 movers at $175 an hour, the drive part of the bill is $350. Everything else is the time spent loading and unloading, plus any boxes or packing supplies you use.

The drive is the one part of the bill you cannot pack your way out of, which is why traffic matters more on this route than on a move across town.

Distances are rounded map estimates. Billed drive time is the actual drive on the day, counted twice.

For a pickup in San Francisco our arrival window is 9 to 11 AM, and the crew calls 30 minutes before arriving. Loading in the city often takes longer than unloading in the South Bay: narrow streets, steep blocks and apartment stairs slow the carry, while many South Bay homes have a driveway or a garage right next to the truck.

Moving the other way, from San Jose or the Peninsula up to the city, the arrival window at a South Bay or Peninsula pickup is 8 to 10 AM.

Our 26 ft truck needs about 40 feet of curb so the ramp can come down. In San Francisco, if the only spot in front of your building is a bus lane, a bike lane or a tow-away zone, get a temporary parking permit from SFMTA. Our SF parking permit guide walks through it. If the truck has to double park and gets a citation, the ticket is added to the bill (this is written in your quote), so on busy blocks a permit is usually worth it.

On the San Jose side, gated apartment communities and HOA buildings often ask for a certificate of insurance before move day. Send us the HOA or building name, its mailing address and an email address and we request it from our insurance agent.

1. Have every box packed and sealed before the crew arrives. Loose items and bags slow the load.
2. Reserve the elevator at both buildings. Elevator wait time is billed as part of the move.
3. Put a storage unit or second stop on the way if you have one. There is no extra-stop fee on local moves, only the time it takes.
4. Confirm the crew size. Most homes get 3 movers; a 3-bedroom over 1,800 sq ft or 4 bedrooms and up gets 4, and the double drive time is billed at that crew's rate.