How to Choose a Moving Company in the Twin Cities

In the Twin Cities, a quick Google search turns up dozens of moving companies all making similar promises about being professional, affordable, and careful with your belongings. Most of them look roughly the same at a glance. Figuring out which ones actually are what they claim to be takes a little more work than reading the top result.

Here is what to actually look for when choosing a moving company in Minneapolis and the surrounding metro.

Matt’s Moving has been moving Twin Cities residents for over 15 years. Get a free, no-obligation quote and a moving specialist will help you plan every detail.

This is the non-negotiable starting point. Any legitimate moving company operating in Minnesota needs to be licensed through the Minnesota Department of Transportation. You can verify a company’s HHG/MN DOT number on the MnDOT website in about two minutes. It tells you whether they are operating legally and have met the state’s requirements.

For companies that do interstate moves, a US DOT number issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is also required. Matt’s Moving carries both (HHG/MN DOT #374236, US DOT #1704106). Any reputable Twin Cities mover should give you those numbers without hesitation.

Insurance is just as important. Most movers offer basic valuation coverage, but the legal minimum is 60 cents per pound, which does not come close to replacing a damaged flat-screen TV or piece of furniture. Ask specifically what their coverage looks like and whether they offer anything beyond the standard. Matt’s Moving carries higher valuation coverage than the local average.

Google reviews are a good starting point, but do not stop there. Check Yelp, the BBB, and Facebook as well. A company with hundreds of reviews across multiple platforms over a long period of time is harder to game than one with 30 five-star Google reviews and nothing else anywhere.

Pay attention to how they respond to negative reviews. Every moving company gets a complaint at some point. Moves are complicated and things do occasionally go wrong. What tells you more about a company is how they handle it. A company that responds professionally, takes ownership, and works to make things right is a different operation than one that gets defensive or ignores the review entirely.

Matt’s Moving holds a 4.7-star average on Google with over 800 reviews and maintains an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. That kind of track record across platforms over time is what you are looking for.

Moving companies typically charge by the hour, and the hourly rate is usually the first number they mention. But the rate alone tells you almost nothing. Two movers can charge the same hourly rate while being completely different in terms of crew speed, equipment quality, and what is actually included in the price.

When you get a quote, ask what is included. Do they bring moving pads and shrink wrap? Are wardrobe boxes provided? How do they handle specialty items like a piano or a gun safe? Are there additional fees for stairs, long carries, or oversized items?

A reputable company will walk through your inventory with you and give you a realistic estimate of how long the job will take. If a company quotes you a rate without asking a single question about what you are moving or where you are going, that is a flag worth paying attention to.

The Twin Cities has moving challenges that are specific to this market. High-rise buildings in Minneapolis require elevator reservations and certificates of insurance on file before a move is allowed. Older neighborhoods in St. Paul have narrow streets and limited staging space for moving trucks. Lease turnover in the metro is heavily concentrated around the same dates every year, which means competition for freight elevators, parking, and crew availability spikes at predictable times.

Minnesota winters add their own layer. Snow, ice, and cold temperatures affect loading and unloading in ways that an out-of-area company will not have thought through. A company that has been operating in the Twin Cities for years knows all of this and plans around it. That is part of the experience you are paying for.

Matt’s Moving has been operating in the Twin Cities metro for over 15 years, with locations in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Minnetonka. They know the buildings, the neighborhoods, and the seasonal patterns of this specific market.

Are the movers employees or day laborers? This matters more than it might seem at first. Employees are trained, background-checked, and accountable to the company in a way that contract or day-labor workers simply are not. A company that invests in a full-time crew is telling you something about how they operate and how much they stand behind their work.

Ask whether background checks are standard practice. Ask how long the crews have typically been with the company. High turnover is a signal worth noting, either about how they treat their employees or about the consistency of their work.

The crew that shows up on moving day is the company. Their experience, professionalism, and how they handle your belongings is the entire product. It is worth knowing who that will be before you sign anything.

The Twin Cities moving market gets tight fast between late April and August. That is peak season, and the best crews book out weeks in advance during spring and early summer. If you are planning a summer move and calling around three weeks before your date, your options are already narrowed.

Saturday moves and month-end dates fill up first. If you have any flexibility on the date, a mid-week or mid-month move gives you more options and sometimes a faster crew because the schedule is not as compressed.

For fall and winter moves, scheduling is more flexible, but booking early is still the better play. You get your preferred date, your preferred crew, and more time to handle the logistics on your end without rushing.