Movers in Santa Monica — Flat-Rate, Insured, No Hidden Fees
Beach-city moves done right — parking permits pulled, salt-air-safe wrapping, crews who know every alley off Ocean Ave.
Moving in Santa Monica: what we handle for you
Moving in Santa Monica has one defining challenge: parking. Most streets west of Lincoln are permit-zoned, and many apartment buildings on Ocean, 2nd and 3rd have no loading zone at all. Best Movers LA pulls temporary no-parking permits from the City of Santa Monica ahead of your move and stages cones the night before, so the truck parks at your door instead of two blocks away — saving 1–2 billable hours of carrying.
We at Best Movers LA move a lot of classic courtyard buildings near Montana Avenue and mid-century walk-ups in Ocean Park, where staircases are narrow and elevators rare. Crews bring shoulder dollies and door-frame protectors as standard. For high-rises on the bluff like The Shores, we book freight elevators and deliver COIs to building management 48 hours out.
Coastal moves also mean moisture. Upholstery and electronics get an extra layer of plastic wrap on marine-layer mornings, and mattresses always travel in sealed bags — small details that matter four blocks from the beach.
Santa Monica by the numbers
| Governed by | City of Santa Monica (Los Angeles County) |
|---|---|
| Population | 91,169 |
| Homes owned / rented | 27.9% / 72.1% |
| Housing type | 22.7% single-family · 11.1% in 2–4 unit buildings · 66.0% in 5+ unit buildings |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Median home value | $1,755,500 |
| Median rent paid | $2,402 a month, utilities included |
| Average asking rent* | $3,637 a month |
| Moved in the past year | 12.6% of residents (LA County: 9.2%) |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, via Census Reporter. *Average asking rent in buildings with 50+ units, all sizes, from RentCafe (August 2026).
With 66.0% of homes in buildings of five or more units, many Santa Monica moves start with an elevator booking and a certificate of insurance for the building — we arrange both, free.
Local guides: Moving to Santa Monica: neighborhood guide · LA rent prices by neighborhood (2026)
Services available in Santa Monica
Santa Monica moving FAQ
Do I need a parking permit to move in Santa Monica?
If your street is metered or permit-zoned (most areas west of Lincoln Blvd), yes. We handle the City of Santa Monica temporary no-parking permit for you — just book 5+ business days ahead.
Can Best Movers LA move me out of a building with no elevator?
Yes — much of Ocean Park and Wilshire-Montana is walk-up buildings. Stairs are included in Best Movers LA's rate, with no surcharge.
How much does a local move in Santa Monica cost?
Most Santa Monica studios run $264–$330 and 1-bedrooms $330–$440 with Best Movers LA (2 movers at $88/hr). Larger Montana Ave homes typically run $840–$1,440 with 3–4 movers. Best Movers LA confirms the figure in writing before the date is held.
Moving from Santa Monica to other LA neighborhoods
Best Movers LA estimates for the moves we run most often from Santa Monica. Local moves are billed by the hour, and California counts the drive between your two addresses twice, so the distance and the time of day change the total more than anything else. Drive times are off-peak and rush hour (7–10 AM, 3–7 PM).
| To | Distance | Drive: off-peak · rush | 1 bedroom (2 movers) | 2 bedrooms (3 movers) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venice | 3 mi | 10 min · 18 min | $264–$374 | $544–$736 |
| Culver City | 7 mi | 15 min · 25 min | $286–$396 | $576–$768 |
| West Hollywood | 12 mi | 25 min · 45 min | $308–$418 | $608–$800 |
| Hollywood | 14 mi | 30 min · 50 min | $330–$440 | $640–$832 |
| Downtown LA | 18 mi | 35 min · 70 min | $352–$462 | $672–$864 |
| Echo Park | 18 mi | 35 min · 65 min | $352–$462 | $672–$864 |
| Silver Lake | 18 mi | 35 min · 65 min | $352–$462 | $672–$864 |
| Burbank | 20 mi | 40 min · 75 min | $352–$462 | $672–$864 |
| Glendale | 21 mi | 40 min · 80 min | $352–$462 | $672–$864 |
| Pasadena | 28 mi | 55 min · 105 min | $396–$506 | $736–$928 |
| Long Beach | 32 mi | 65 min · 120 min | $440–$550 | $800–$992 |
Estimates use $88/hr for 2 movers and $128/hr for 3 with off-peak driving and a 3-hour minimum. The shortest hop from Santa Monica is Venice (about 10 minutes); the longest is Long Beach, where starting in rush hour instead of mid-morning adds about 110 billed minutes of drive time. See how LA moving costs are calculated.
Access, parking and permits in Santa Monica
Permit parking west of Lincoln requires City of Santa Monica temporary no-park signs, filed several days ahead.
Most buildings have no loading zone — we stage cones the night before.
Santa Monica is incorporated in its own right, so its own city hall — not LADOT — decides whether a moving truck may hold curb space outside your door. The form, the fee and how many days ahead you have to file are all set locally, and none of them are the City of Los Angeles’s. Best Movers LA sorts that out for your date instead of handing you a phone number and wishing you luck.
Santa Monica is about 18 road miles west of Downtown LA — a distance you don’t pay for. Under California’s double drive time rule only the drive between your two addresses is billed, counted twice; on our most common runs from Santa Monica at $88/hr for two movers, that adds:
| From Santa Monica to | Actual drive | Billed (doubled) | Added at $88/hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brentwood | 3 mi · about 10 min | 20 min | $29 |
| Venice | 3 mi · about 10 min | 20 min | $29 |
| Century City | 6 mi · about 12 min | 24 min | $35 |
| Calabasas | 16 mi · about 32 min | 64 min | $94 |
No fuel surcharge, mileage or call-out fee is added on top.
Nearby areas we serve
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