movers

How to Choose a Moving Company in Louisiana

Hurricane season, Mardi Gras parades, shotgun houses, and raised homes all shape a Louisiana move. Here is how to vet movers and pick dates that avoid trouble.

How to Choose a Moving Company in Louisiana

In Louisiana, the date on your moving contract can matter as much as the name at the top of it. A crew booked for the second week of September might be loading your sofa while a storm spins in the Gulf, and a New Orleans move scheduled for the Saturday before Mardi Gras could run straight into a parade route. The best mover in the state still cannot drive through a closed street.

So this guide works backward from the calendar. Figure out when you can move, then look for a company whose contract, crew, and equipment fit that window and the house you are leaving. Credentials and red flags come last, once you know what to ask about.

Pick Your Dates First

Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, and the busiest stretch for Louisiana usually falls from mid-August into early October. You can still move during those months. You just want a mover whose contract spells out what happens when the weather turns.

Summer heat is the second factor. From June through September, afternoon heat indexes routinely climb past 100 degrees, and crews slow down to stay safe. Good companies start early, often loading by 7 in the morning, and build water breaks into the day, so a job that takes six hours in March might take seven in July.

Carnival season adds its own problem in New Orleans, and to a lesser degree in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Houma. In the two weeks before Fat Tuesday, parade routes along St. Charles Avenue, Napoleon Avenue, and parts of Mid-City close to traffic for hours, and parking restrictions go up well ahead of each parade.

Late October through May, outside of Carnival, tends to be the easiest window for moving in the state. Cooler air and a quiet Gulf make those months the ones most local crews prefer too.

Contracts Built for Storm Season

Ask every company one question early: what happens to my move if a named storm is headed our way? You want the answer in writing. Some movers let you reschedule without a fee once a storm watch is posted, while others keep your deposit.

A good contract also covers the case where your belongings are already loaded. If the truck is packed and roads close, where does the load sit, and who pays for that storage? Legit movers will have a plan that does not involve parking your furniture in a low lot.

Storage and Flood Risk

Plenty of Louisiana moves include a gap between closing dates, which means storage. Ask where the company's warehouse sits and whether it has ever taken water. A facility on higher ground in Baton Rouge or on the Northshore is a different risk than one near a canal in Metairie.

Check how your goods would be stored too. Wooden vaults raised off the floor on pallets hold up better than items stacked on a concrete slab. Your valuation coverage may exclude flood damage in storage, so read that clause before you sign.

Protecting Belongings From Humidity

Moisture does damage even without a storm. Leather, wood, and paper pick up mildew fast if they sit in a closed truck or container in August. Ask the company whether it uses breathable pads and plastic wrap on upholstery, and plan to unpack wood furniture and books within a few days of delivery.

New Orleans Houses and Streets

Shotgun houses are the classic New Orleans moving puzzle. With no hallway, every piece of furniture headed to the back bedroom has to pass through each room in front of it, and interior doorways in older homes can be narrow. Camelbacks add a steep, tight staircase to the rear second floor that few box springs will clear.

An experienced New Orleans crew will ask about these details before quoting. They may plan to take a king frame apart, hoist a piece over a balcony rail in the French Quarter or the Marigny, or bring extra hands for a long carry. A company that quotes a shotgun double in Bywater like a suburban ranch in Kenner has not done many.

Parking is the other headache. Streets in the Quarter, the Marigny, Uptown, and the Irish Channel are narrow, often lined with cars, and some cannot take a large truck at all. Check with the city about a temporary permit to reserve curb space, and ask the mover whether it will handle the request or send a smaller truck to shuttle loads from a nearby spot.

Raised Homes Across South Louisiana

After years of flooding, many homes from Lake Charles to Houma and across Jefferson Parish and the Northshore sit several feet off the ground. Some newer builds and rebuilt houses are raised eight feet or more, with a long staircase between the driveway and the front door. Every armoire, washer, and piano climbs those stairs.

Most movers charge extra for flights of stairs, and some quote by the step on raised homes. Get that fee in writing on the estimate. Ask whether the crew will use a dolly on exterior steps or carry by hand, and whether it brings equipment for heavy items like safes and gun cabinets.

Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Shreveport

Each part of the state moves a little differently. In Baton Rouge, traffic on the I-10 Mississippi River bridge can add an hour to a move between the west side and the city, and LSU home football weekends clog roads near campus and downtown. Midweek moves avoid most of that.

Lafayette and the Acadiana region have plenty of smaller, family-owned movers who handle local jobs well. For a long-distance move from Lafayette, check whether that same company runs its own trucks out of state or hands the job to a larger carrier.

Lake Charles has seen years of rebuilding after recent hurricanes, and plenty of homes there are newly raised or freshly renovated. Movers in the area stay busy with contractors, insurance moves, and families returning to repaired houses, so book further ahead than you would in Lafayette. Ask whether the crew has worked around fresh flooring and new drywall, since a careless dolly can gouge both.

Shreveport and Bossier City sit close to the Texas and Arkansas lines. A move from Shreveport to Marshall, TX, is short in miles but interstate, so the company needs federal registration for it.

Checking Credentials

Louisiana's Public Service Commission regulates household goods carriers that move within the state. Ask for the company's LPSC certificate number and confirm it with the commission before you sign. For any move that crosses into Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, or beyond, the company also needs a USDOT number and interstate authority from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Insurance deserves a look too. Request a certificate showing liability coverage and workers' compensation. Condo buildings in the Warehouse District and the CBD often require that certificate before a crew can use the freight elevator, so a mover that sends one without fuss is showing you it knows the city.

Most local Louisiana moves are billed hourly, with a three person crew commonly running somewhere around $130 to $200 an hour. A two-bedroom home might land roughly between $800 and $2,000 depending on stairs, distance, and packing. You can compare options through a list of moving companies working across Louisiana before calling for quotes.

Flood-Damaged Furniture and Other Warning Signs

Used furniture is common in Louisiana moves, especially when people buy a piece off a neighbor or pick up a secondhand dresser for a new place. After any flood event, some water-damaged furniture ends up resold without disclosure. Warped veneer, a musty smell, rust on metal hardware, or a faint water line on fabric should all make you walk away.

The same caution applies to the mover itself. Watch for these signs when you collect quotes:

• A price far below every other estimate, often followed by fees on moving day
• No in-home or video walkthrough before a firm quote
• A large cash deposit demanded before any paperwork is signed
• No LPSC number for in-state moves or USDOT number for interstate ones
• Storm contracts that keep your full deposit if a hurricane forces a delay

One of those signs alone might have a simple explanation. Two or more together usually mean you should keep calling.

Getting the Final Decision Right

Line up at least three written estimates and compare them on the same scope. Look at hourly rate, crew size, stair fees, storm policy, storage location, and coverage level. A company that is $200 more expensive but has a clear hurricane clause and a dry warehouse is often the better value.

Ask for references from customers who moved in a similar house. A crew that has handled camelbacks in the Irish Channel or raised homes in Slidell will do better with yours. For more help planning a move in the South, browse the latest moving and home guides on our blog.

Louisiana Moving FAQs

Is it safe to move during hurricane season in Louisiana?

Yes, as long as your contract covers storm delays. Many people move in June and July before the peak, and a written reschedule policy protects your deposit if a storm threatens in September.

How much extra do movers charge for a raised house?

Stair fees vary, but many companies add roughly $50 to $150 per flight or charge extra labor time. On a home raised eight feet or more, expect the job to take longer than a slab house of the same size.

Can a moving truck park on a New Orleans street during Mardi Gras?

Usually not along parade routes on parade days. Plan your move for a date outside the two weeks before Fat Tuesday, or confirm the parade schedule for your street before booking.

Do Louisiana movers need a state license?

Movers doing household goods moves within Louisiana are regulated by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Ask for the certificate number and confirm it before paying any deposit.