Residential Movers in Chicago, IL
From a Portage Park bungalow to a Gold Coast condo, our uniformed crew wraps your furniture, protects your floors, and treats your home like our own.
- Licensed & Insured
- Uniformed Crews
- Local & Interstate
- Equipment Included
- MC #087428 · DOT #3120049
- 5-Star, Customer-Focused
Residential Moving in Chicago
Moving out of your home is not just heavy lifting. It is your kids' bunk beds, the dresser that barely cleared the doorway going in, the deep freezer in the basement, and the riding mower in the shed out back. One wrong carry down a tight greystone stairwell, one scuffed hardwood floor, one cracked TV, and the day turns into a mess you are still cleaning up weeks later.
And in Chicago, the home itself fights you. Vintage walk-ups with narrow stairwells. Condos that demand a COI before the crew can touch the freight elevator. Bungalows where the only real access is the alley. A two-flat where the staircase turns twice before it reaches the second floor. Hire the wrong crew and you find out the hard way, on move day, with the truck double-parked and the clock running.
Melendez Moving Inc handles all of it. We are a family-owned, Chicago-based residential moving company that wraps your furniture, lays floor protection, clears the basement and the shed, and carries everything carefully from the old place to the new one. Houses, condos, townhomes, apartments. Local across the city and the suburbs, or interstate across the lower 48. Trained, uniformed crews with the dolly, hand truck, straps, and tie-downs included at no fee, because taking care of people is the whole point.
Pro tip from our crew
Before your binding estimate, walk your tightest carry path and measure the doorways, the stairwell turn, and your biggest pieces (the sectional, the king mattress, the dresser that barely cleared the door going in). In Chicago's walk-ups, greystones, and two-flats, a piece that has to be disassembled or hoisted out a window changes the crew size and the time on the truck. Telling us up front means the quote matches the real move, with no move-day surprise.
Who This Service Is For
- Families moving out of a single-family house, bungalow, greystone, or two- or three-flat who need a careful crew, not a rushed one
- Homeowners selling or buying who want their floors, walls, and furniture protected on both ends of the move
- Condo and townhome residents who deal with HOA rules, freight-elevator reservations, and certificate-of-insurance requirements
- Renters moving between apartments or walk-ups across Chicago neighborhoods or out to the suburbs
- Folks downsizing or de-cluttering before a move who want help deciding what comes and what goes
- Anyone with a full basement, garage, attic, or backyard shed to clear, not just the rooms you can see
What's Included
- Trained, uniformed crew that disassembles, wraps, carries, and reassembles your furniture
- Furniture protection: pads and blankets on dressers, sofas, tables, and headboards, plus shrink wrap where it counts
- Floor and stair protection: runners and matting to keep hardwoods, carpet, and stair treads clean and scuff-free
- Disassembly and reassembly of beds, tables, and large pieces, with the hand tools to do it
- Basement, garage, attic, and shed clear-out so the whole home moves, not just the main floors
- Moving equipment at no fee on every job: furniture dolly, hand truck, straps, hand tools, and rope or tie-downs
- A binding estimate so the price you are quoted is the price you pay, with no move-day surprises
- Help coordinating building requirements like COIs, freight-elevator slots, and loading-dock or street-permit access
When to Book Residential Moving
Book your residential move as early as you can lock in a date, ideally two to four weeks out. If your new condo or high-rise needs a freight-elevator reservation and a certificate of insurance, those slots fill fast and the building office often needs lead time to approve the COI. The earlier we know the details, the smoother move day runs.
Where your schedule allows, aim for mid-month and mid-week. The end of the month is the busiest stretch in Chicago because so many leases turn over, so dates go quickly and availability tightens. A Tuesday in the middle of the month is far easier to staff well than the last Saturday. And if you are moving in winter, tell us up front so we can plan floor runners against salt and slush and build in weather flexibility.
How Your Move Works
- 1
Get your quote
Call us or request a quote online and walk us through your home, room by room, including the basement, garage, and shed. We can do a virtual walkthrough so the binding estimate matches what you actually own.
- 2
Plan the details
After you book, we follow up with a direct call to lock in the finer points: parking and alley access, stair counts, freight-elevator times, COI paperwork, and any pieces that need special care.
- 3
Protect and prep
On move day the crew lays floor runners and stair protection, then pads and wraps your furniture. Beds, tables, and large pieces get disassembled and labeled.
- 4
Load and carry
We carry everything out on dollies and hand trucks, navigating tight doorways, turning stairwells, and narrow walk-up hallways, then load and secure the truck with straps and tie-downs.
- 5
Deliver and reassemble
At the new place we protect those floors too, carry everything to the right rooms, reassemble what we took apart, and set you up so you can actually settle in.
Why Choose Melendez Moving
- We are a real, family-owned, Chicago-based moving company, run by Lauren and Kevin Melendez, not a national chain or a broker handing you off
- Our whole brand promise is take care of people, period, and that shows up in how we treat your home and your stuff
- Trained, uniformed crews who know how to disassemble, wrap, carry, and reassemble furniture the right way
- We know Chicago's housing stock cold: greystones, walk-ups, bungalows, two- and three-flats, alleys, and downtown high-rises
- Floor protection, furniture wrapping, and equipment are included at no fee on every residential move
- We give a binding estimate, so the number we quote is the number you pay
- Fully licensed and insured: MC #087428, DOT #3120049, IL license 220206, and city license 70318261, with workers' comp coverage on every crew
We Handle the Building Headaches, Not Just the Boxes
In Chicago, the furniture is rarely the hard part. The freight elevator is booked, the condo board wants a Certificate of Insurance before the crew gets past the lobby, and there's nowhere legal to park the truck. We plan all of that before move day.
Certificate of Insurance (COI)
Many high-rises and condo associations require a COI on file before move day, and some won't let the crew past the lobby without one. Send us your building's requirements and we coordinate the paperwork with property management.
Freight Elevators & Loading Docks
We help reserve your freight-elevator window and loading-dock time slot, then plan the move around them so your slot is never lost.
City Permits & Parking
On blocks without a dock, the truck needs a legal spot. We walk you through Chicago's moving-truck permits and posted signage so you're not circling on move day.
Walk-Ups & Vintage Stairwells
Tight greystone staircases and narrow doorways are our normal. We measure first, protect woodwork and floors, and disassemble whatever needs to come apart.
Not sure what your building requires? Tell us about it and we'll handle the paperwork and scheduling.
Honest, Transparent Pricing
The number one fear when hiring movers is a final bill that blows past the quote. We explain exactly how pricing works and confirm the details with a direct call before move day, so the number you hear is the number you pay.
Hourly Pricing
Best for most local moves. You pay for the crew and truck by the hour, with a clear estimate up front of how long your move should take based on your home and access.
Flat-Rate & Binding Estimates
Best when you want one locked number, common for long-distance moves or moves with tricky building access. We assess your inventory and access up front and hold the price.
What Drives Your Final Cost
- How much you're moving (your inventory volume)
- Access on both ends: stairs, elevators, and carry distance
- Packing help and specialty items like pianos or antiques
- Storage needs between closings
- Timing, since month-end and summer are the busiest
Our No-Surprises Promise
- No surprise stair or long-carry fees
- No last-minute truck or fuel charges
- No inflated materials upsells
- Standard equipment included at no fee
Related Moving Services
All servicesAreas We Serve
We provide residential moving across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, within about 50 miles of our Northwest Side base.
- Chicago, IL
- Mount Prospect, IL
- Naperville, IL
- Evanston, IL
- Oak Park, IL
- Plainfield, IL
- Aurora, IL
- Schaumburg, IL
- Elgin, IL
- Arlington Heights, IL
- Bolingbrook, IL
- Saint Charles, IL
- Wheaton, IL
- Des Plaines, IL
- Crystal Lake, IL
- Barrington, IL
- Lombard, IL
- Orland Park, IL
- Palatine, IL
- Downers Grove, IL
- Joliet, IL
- Tinley Park, IL
- Skokie, IL
- Kenosha, WI
Residential Moving FAQs
Both, and everything in between. We handle single-family houses, bungalows, greystones, two- and three-flats, condos, townhomes, and apartments. A residential move with us covers the whole home, including the basement, garage, attic, and the shed out back, not just the rooms on the main floor.
We lay floor runners and matting along the main traffic paths and protect stair treads before we carry anything. In winter that matters even more, since salt and slush get tracked in fast, so we plan extra protection and keep walkways clear. Your furniture gets padded and wrapped too, so it does not scrape walls or doorframes on the way out.
Yes. A lot of Chicago condos and high-rises require a COI naming the building before move day, and many limit freight-elevator and loading-dock use to reserved time slots. Tell us your building's rules when you book and we will help coordinate the COI and work around your reserved elevator window. Book early, because those slots and approvals can take a couple of weeks.
Yes. Our crews are trained to disassemble, wrap, carry, and reassemble furniture, and we bring the hand tools to do it. Beds, table legs, sectional sofas, and anything that needs to come apart to clear a tight doorway or a turning stairwell gets taken down, labeled, and put back together at the new place.
We can. Ask us about our de-clutter program. Moving less is cheaper and easier, so we will help you sort what comes with you and what does not, and point you toward hauling away the rest before move day. It is one of the simplest ways to make a residential move lighter on your back and your budget.
All of the above. We do local residential moves across Chicago and within about 50 miles, including the suburbs, and we are licensed for interstate moves across the lower 48. Whether you are going from Logan Square to Naperville or from Chicago to another state, the same care-first crew handles it, and for long-distance moves we give you a binding estimate up front.
The biggest factors are how much you have, how far it travels, and how hard it is to carry. Stairs are the quiet one: a third-floor walk-up or a greystone with a turning stairwell takes longer than a ground-floor unit with a freight elevator, and it adds up. Volume, long carries from the truck, alley-only access, and disassembly of big pieces all add time too. A studio or one-bedroom often wraps in a few hours, while a full single-family house with a packed basement and shed can run most of a day. We give you a binding estimate up front so the number reflects your actual home, not a guess.
This is one of the most common Chicago snags, and it is solvable. On blocks without a loading dock or alley, the truck still needs a legal spot near your door, and many residential streets have posted permit zones or restrictions. The City of Chicago issues moving-truck street permits, and we will walk you through whether your block needs one so the crew is not parked a block away hauling your furniture down the sidewalk. Tell us your address and the parking situation when you book, and we will plan the truck position and carry path before move day instead of sorting it out double-parked with the clock running.
What Customers Say
I hired Melendez to move my 3-bedroom home with a full basement and shed. I wanted a company that wouldn't damage my new house, and they delivered. Great experience.
This is the 20th time I've moved in my adult life, and Melendez Moving is, hands down, the most professional and meticulous moving company I've ever used. They took better care moving my baby grand than the piano company did when I bought it. I couldn't recommend them more highly.
From start to finish, Melendez Moving exceeded my expectations. I had a long out-of-state move (Chicago to Dallas) and they delivered all my belongings without a scratch within 48 hours. Prompt, knowledgeable, and very friendly.
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