Stairs, elevators and what access really costs

Nothing changes the length of a moving day like the last thirty feet. Here is what actually adds time, and what it costs on our quote.

Two flights are in the price

Up to two flights at each end is included. The third and anything above it is $45 a flight, and it is on the quote before you book, not added at the end.

A booked elevator pays for itself

An elevator you have reserved with the building is worth an hour. An elevator you are sharing with the rest of the building on a Saturday is worth nothing at all.

Where the truck can stand

Anything over 75 feet from the door to the truck is a long carry at $60. If the street is tight, tell us: a shuttle van is $350 and it is cheaper than four movers walking.

Measure the front door, not the sofa

The sofa always fits through the door it came in through. The doors that catch people out are the new ones: a narrower hall, a turn at the top of the stairs, a radiator on the landing.

Just say it on the phone

Every access problem is cheap when we know about it and expensive when we find it on the day. We would rather quote the stairs than argue about them at eight in the morning.