Payne Free Moving
A Washington DC moving company that handles households, apartments, and offices across the DMV, and we work to protect your home, not beat a clock. The same trained crew handles your move across the DC metro area (the DMV) from the first box to the last, on one flat-rate price written down before move day.
- A flat rate on paper before move day, so rowhouse stoops, long carries, and high-rise COIs never show up as meter surprises
- Local and out-of-state hauls under our own US DOT and MC authority, $1M cargo coverage per move, and registration in DC, MD and VA
- Our own trucks and trained W-2 movers handle every job, and no move of yours is ever passed to a subcontractor or a stranger.
Price Your Move
One written price covering the whole move, often emailed within the hourWhat Sets Our Crew Apart
A Flat Rate On Paper
We fix the flat rate in writing well ahead of the move. Stoops, long carries, and high-rise COIs are priced from the start, never tacked on after.
Insured To $1M
Licensed in DC, MD and VA, carrying $1 million in cargo coverage on each move and US DOT and MC authority for interstate work.
The Same Crew, Start To Finish
Our trained, background-checked W-2 crew handles both ends on our own trucks. No day labor, no swap: the people who carry your things out carry them in.
We Know DC’s Tight Streets
Capitol Hill rowhouse stoops, blocks with no driveways, and downtown high-rise loading docks trip up an out-of-town crew. We pull the DC no-parking permit, plan the carry and the turns around your building, so the move never takes a risk.
Pads, Dollies & Care
Pads, shrink wrap, dollies, and straps come on every move, and floors, doorways, and furniture stay protected. We set an arrival window and phone when the truck heads out.
A Name DC Trusts
Homeowners, renters, and offices across the DMV leave five-star reviews for careful handling, an honest flat rate, and a calm, orderly move day.
Payne Free Moving vs. Other Movers
See how a trained, flat-rate crew stacks up next to a moving broker, a couple of guys with a truck, or moving it yourself with friends.
| Feature | Payne Free Moving | Moving Broker | Couple Guys & A Truck | DIY With Friends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat-rate written pricing | ✕ | Sometimes | ✕ | |
| Trained, in-house W-2 crew | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | |
| Pads, shrink wrap & dollies | Sometimes | ✕ | ✕ | |
| Furniture disassembly & reassembly | Sometimes | ✕ | ✕ | |
| Licensed & $1M insured | Sometimes | ✕ | ✕ | |
| DC no-parking permit handled for you | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | |
| Pianos, safes & antiques too | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | |
| Risk of price changes | Low | High | Medium | Medium |
| Your time & effort | Minimal | Medium | High | Very High |
| Best for | Households, apartments & offices | Anyone who wants a middleman | Light furniture, short hops | Tight budgets with plenty of helpers |
What Our Crew Handles
Local Moving
Same-day and scheduled moves across DC and the DMV, with our own crew posting the No-Parking sign and quoting one flat written rate.
Learn MoreLong-Distance
Door-to-door hauls out of DC down I-95 to Richmond, the Carolinas, Atlanta, or up the corridor, run under our own DOT and MC authority.
Learn MoreResidential & House
Houses and rowhomes from Capitol Hill to Bethesda, packed, padded, and carried by W-2 crews who treat your stuff like their own.
Learn MoreApartment & Condo
Walk-ups, high-rises, and condos handled start to finish, COIs cleared and freight elevators booked before the truck rolls up.
Learn MoreFull-Service Packing
Boxes, tape, paper, and our crew doing the packing so you skip the late nights and only one quote covers the whole job.
Learn MorePiano & Specialty
Uprights, baby grands, and concert grands moved on proper boards by a crew that has carried plenty of them down DC stairs.
Learn MoreFrom Quote To New Place
Send Your Details
Send both ZIP codes, your target date, the move size, and the stairs on each side. A flat-rate price comes back, usually within the hour.
Approve The Rate
Once you sign off on the flat-rate figure, the date is held. Most DC-area jobs need no money down to book, so there is nothing to lose by setting it up early.
We Pad, Wrap & Load
Our crew arrives on schedule, pads the furniture, wraps the fragile pieces, secures everything on dollies and straps, and loads our own truck with the carry and the no-parking zone already planned.
The Final Stretch
Your crew brings it all inside, puts the furniture back together, and places each piece where you point. Stairs, tight turns, and the high-rise COI are ours to deal with, not yours.
Sample Moving Rates
A written quote comes first, every time, before a thing is booked. Use the bands here as a floor only; what you actually pay rides on how big the move is, the stairs and carry at both ends, and the miles.
Studio & 1 Bedroom
- Trained crew plus the truck
- Pads, shrink wrap and straps
- Same-day local move
- No deposit to book
2 & 3 Bedrooms
- Full crew on the job
- Furniture wrapped, disassembled, reassembled
- One flat-rate price
- Same-day often open
Long-Distance
- Binding written estimate
- Dedicated truck and crew
- Run under our own US DOT authority
- The DMV and nationwide
Treat the bands as a starting floor; a local job almost never needs a deposit. The trickier stuff, a tight stairwell, a long carry, a high-rise COI, gets quoted before the truck leaves the lot. Call (888) 711-4778 and we will nail down your exact flat rate.
Recent Moves Around Washington DC
Payne Free Moving Reviews
Homeowners, renters, and offices all over the DC metro area (the DMV) trust us with their move. Below is what they had to say afterward.
“Our Capitol Hill rowhouse has zero driveway and a stoop that fights you the whole way down. Reggie's crew posted the No-Parking sign two days ahead so the truck actually had the curb, and they hand-walked the couch through the front door without a scuff. Knocked a star only because they showed up about 40 minutes past the window, but they called ahead and made up the time. Fair flat price, no games.”
“Moved a 2-bed condo into a Navy Yard high-rise and was dreading the COI and freight elevator nonsense. Yolanda had the certificate to the building manager before I even asked, and the crew reserved the elevator pads so we weren't fighting other residents. Honestly the smoothest move I've done in this city.”
“Federal relocation, and the timeline was a mess on my end, not theirs. Payne Free worked around two date changes without charging me extra and the written quote held exactly. Reggie's team had me out of Dupont and squared away by early afternoon.”
“Georgetown townhouse on the cobblestones, which means no easy parking and a truck that barely fit the block. These guys clearly knew the neighborhood, dollied everything over the brick without dinging a thing, and the price was the price.”
“Tasha ran our apartment move in Columbia Heights and she was great. Third-floor walk-up, hot day, and her crew never slowed down or complained once. Real talk, they were faster than the two guys I hired off Craigslist last time and actually insured.”
“Downsized my mom from Adams Morgan to a smaller place in Silver Spring and I was worried it'd feel rushed for her. It didn't. They were patient, labeled everything, and set up her bedroom so she wasn't living out of boxes that night. Marcus quoted it flat and that's what we paid.”
“Long-distance from Shaw all the way to Atlanta. Same crew that loaded us in DC drove it and unloaded it in Georgia, no swapping trucks or handing it off. Hector kept me updated the whole drive down I-95. Five stars, would book again.”
“Three-bed move out to Bethesda. The crew showed up on time, wrapped the furniture properly, and got the Beltway haul done without drama. One flat number from the start. No notes.”
“Easy studio move from Petworth down to Dupont. Two movers, couple hours, done. Booked it over the phone with no runaround and the price didn't change.”
“Had an upright piano plus a full 2-bed and figured the piano would be the headache. It mostly went fine — they boarded it right and got it down the stairs clean. One mover did nick a door frame on the way out, but Reggie pointed it out himself and they touched it up, didn't try to hide it. Appreciated the honesty, knocked one star for the ding.”
“Local 3-bed over on H Street. Andre had the day routed so well the truck was waiting when we got there, and the crew loaded fast and tight. Genuinely no Payne, which I'm told is the whole point.”
“Lease fell through and I needed out the same day. Called Payne Free that morning and they had a crew at my Brookland apartment by early afternoon, same flat rate as if I'd booked weeks ago. Lifesaver.”
“Moving a gun safe and a 2-bed out of Arlington, and most movers either won't touch the safe or want a fortune for it. These guys had the right gear, took their time on the stairs, and it was all in the one quote. Solid.”
“Used their storage for about six weeks between selling and closing. Crew loaded it into the unit, then pulled it all back out when my new place was ready, nothing damaged either time. Climate-controlled, fair monthly rate.”
“We were moving into a Capitol Hill walk-up and I'd read horror stories about that block. Marcus's crew posted the parking sign, sized up the staircase before they touched anything, and carried our whole place up three flights in the July heat without a single complaint. Worth every dollar of the flat price.”
“Navy Yard condo, second time using them. Yolanda handled the building's insurance paperwork again and the crew had the freight elevator booked. Consistent and easy, which is rare in this town.”
“Federal job moved me on short notice and Payne Free made it painless. Written quote, on-time crew, and they coordinated with the building so I didn't have to take a second day off work. Tamara at the office kept it all straight.”
“Georgetown townhouse, narrow and old, and the parking situation alone could've ruined the day. It didn't. The crew handled the cobblestone carry and the tight doorways like they'd done it a hundred times. Flat rate, no surprises at the end.”
“Apartment move into Columbia Heights went well overall. The crew was friendly and careful and the price matched the quote. They did run later than the window I was given, which threw off my afternoon a bit, but once they arrived they hustled and finished sooner than I expected. Four stars, would still recommend.”
“Helped my dad downsize and head out to Silver Spring. They were gentle with him and with the old furniture, packed the fragile stuff themselves, and never made him feel like he was holding things up. The flat quote actually came in under what I'd budgeted.”
“Long haul from Mount Pleasant down to Atlanta. Hector and his crew loaded us in DC and the same team delivered everything in Georgia. Nothing broken, nothing missing, and the price was locked in before we left. Couldn't ask for more.”
“Three-bedroom from Foggy Bottom out to Bethesda. Quick to quote, on time, and they ran the Beltway like they do it every day. Everything arrived in one piece. Recommend.”
“Studio move from Eckington over to Dupont. Fast, friendly, flat price. In and out in a couple hours with zero stress.”
“Moved a baby grand plus our 2-bed from Takoma. I expected the piano to be a nightmare and it just wasn't — they had it on a board and down the steps carefully, then reassembled where I wanted it. Reggie clearly knew what he was doing with it.”
“Local 3-bed, on time, fair flat rate, and the crew was respectful of the house. They wrapped the mattresses and the TV without me even asking. Easy five stars.”
“Needed a same-day apartment move when my plans blew up last minute. Called in the morning, crew showed up that afternoon, same flat rate they'd quoted on the phone. Honestly didn't think it was possible on no notice.”
“Had a gun safe and a 2-bed to move and these were the only folks who didn't flinch at the safe. They brought the proper dolly and straps, took it slow, and it was all under one written price. Professional the whole way through.”
“Used their storage in-and-out service while I was between places. Crew was careful loading the unit and just as careful pulling it back out a couple months later. They were a touch slow getting started the first day, but everything came through clean, so four stars and I'd use them again.”
Where We Move Across The DMV
Flat-rate crews across Washington DC and the wider DMV, from Capitol Hill, Georgetown, and Dupont out to Arlington, Alexandria, Bethesda, Silver Spring, and the surrounding suburbs.
From Washington DC Across the DMV and the East Coast
A move across the District or a long haul up the coast, it is the same trained crew and our own USDOT authority the whole way. Tap a state to see how we move there.
Home turf: flat-rate and hourly moving across Washington DC, Arlington, Alexandria, Bethesda & Silver Spring, plus regular runs throughout Maryland & Virginia.
See our DMV routes →Moving Questions
What does a move cost around Washington DC?
Is Payne Free Moving licensed and insured?
What does your full-service move actually cover?
How far out should I book the crew?
Do you take a deposit up front?
Where does your crew move?
Do you handle packing, or just the loading?
Will you handle only the heavy pieces if we move everything else?
Do stairs, a long carry, or parking change the price?
How do you handle a DC rowhouse, walk-up, or high-rise?
Do you offer storage if my dates do not line up?
What heavy specialty pieces do you move?
Can you provide a Certificate of Insurance for my building?
Do you do commercial and office moves?
Do you move pianos and gun safes as part of a full move?
How does a long-distance move out of DC work?
Do you move offices, schools, and venues?
How can I pay for the move?
What if I have to cancel or move my date?
Should I tip the movers?
From Our Moving Blog
Moving Into a DC Rowhouse: Stoops, Stairs & Tight Streets
Moving into a Washington, DC rowhouse: tall front stoops, narrow steep stairs, no driveways or alleys, English basements,…
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DC Moving Truck Parking: How the No-Parking Permit Works
How DC's Temporary No-Parking (Emergency No-Parking) permit works for a move: what the sign is, how far ahead…
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How Much Does a Move Cost in Washington, DC? (2026)
What a move costs in Washington, DC for 2026: hourly crew rates from $145 and flat bands by…
Read MoreReady To Move The Right Way?
One written, all-in flat-rate figure reaches you by email, usually the same hour. No obligation to ask, and every line spelled out plainly.
See My Flat Rate ☎ (888) 711-4778