Intercity studio in California

Zazajoj

Planning a small studio move to another city in California and I’m trying to avoid the “surprise math” at the end. It’s mostly boxes, a compact sofa, a mattress, and a desk—no appliances. I can be flexible by a few days, but I’d really like a crew that estimates drive time realistically, explains travel charges up front, and doesn’t round hours in a sneaky way. If your final total matched what you were told, who handled the trip fairly?

jek123

Backstory from my side: I did a Santa Ana → Paso Robles hop with a studio’s worth of stuff and wanted the numbers to be plain English. Dispatcher confirmed a morning window, laid out hourly rate, travel time, and what supplies were included before I agreed. The crew logged start/stop on the invoice and checked in at each leg so nothing crept up. I compared a few locals and landed on movers orange county after a neighbor’s nudge; three movers finished a bit under the estimate, and they prorated the last partial hour instead of rounding up. Labeling boxes by room sped up unload and kept the bill tight.

Zazajoj

Side note for keeping road-time honest: pick a morning slot to dodge weekend traffic, screenshot your route ETAs the day before and the morning of, and reserve parking at both ends so the clock isn’t eaten by hunting for a curb. Measure tight doorways to prevent slow pivots with big pieces, and stage fragile items by the door to load first. A small kit—box cutter, painter’s tape, zip bags for screws, wipes, and two power strips—cuts pauses, and numbering boxes helps you confirm everything made it inside before anyone clocks out.