Access is the most underestimated part of a Chicago move. Not how much you own, not how far you are going — simply where the truck can legally stop and how far your belongings have to be carried to reach it.
Why the carry costs you money
Local moves are billed by the hour. Every trip a mover makes between your door and the truck is time on the clock. Park a 26-foot truck a block and a half away because there was nowhere closer, and a four-hour job can become six. Nothing about your furniture changed; only the walk did.
Chicago moving permits
On many city blocks you can reserve street space for a moving truck through the City of Chicago. The permit posts signs in advance so the space is clear on the day. Without one, you are relying on luck at eight in the morning on the first of the month, which is when half the neighbourhood is also moving.
Permits need lead time — they are not something to arrange the night before. A good mover will tell you whether your address needs one and handle the paperwork. Ours do.
Buildings, elevators and the COI
If you are moving into or out of a Chicago high-rise, expect two requirements:
- A Certificate of Insurance naming the building’s management company, with specific wording and coverage limits. Your mover issues this. Ask for the building’s requirements early, because some management companies take days to approve.
- A reserved freight elevator in a defined time window. An unreserved elevator shared with residents will slow a move dramatically, and some buildings will simply turn a crew away without a booking.
Many buildings also restrict moving to weekdays or specific hours. Find out before you pick a date.
Things worth checking yourself
- Alley access. For a lot of Chicago two- and three-flats the alley is far better than the street — if the truck can turn into it. Measure or photograph it.
- Low branches and wires on the approach. A box truck is around 13 feet tall.
- Stairwell turns. The tight landing on a vintage staircase decides whether a sofa goes up at all.
- Winter. Snow, ice and salt make both the carry and the stairs slower and more dangerous. Clear and salt the path before the crew arrives.
Ask before you book
Any mover quoting your home without asking about parking, stairs, elevators and permits is guessing. Those four questions are most of the estimate.
Sunshine Movers scouts access, pulls City of Chicago permits and issues building Certificates of Insurance as part of every local move. Call (847) 812-5848 or email sunshinemovers2@gmail.com.