The 7 Best Moving Companies in Kentucky of 2023

You’ve found your dream home, but now you’re tasked with finding a reputable professional moving company to get your belongings there.

When choosing a mover, it’s important to figure out what services you need. Do you want them to pack up your belongings? Do you need short-term storage? What about car shipping? In addition to that, you have to make sure to choose a company you can trust.

If you’re moving out of, or within, the Bluegrass State we found that there are a lot of highly-rated moving company options. Our picks promise a stress-free move, including satisfying customer service and flexible options. Here’s the rundown of the top moving companies in Kentucky for various moving needs.

Our Top Picks for Best Moving Companies in Kentucky

• Best for Moves Within Kentucky: Two Men and a Truck
• Best Moving Company in Louisville: A Local Van Moving
• Best Moving Company in Lexington: Wildcat Moving
• Best Moving Company in Northern Kentucky: Big Blue Moving
• Best for Cross-Country Moves to or from Kentucky: Atlas Van Lines
• Best Moving Company for Junk Removal: College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving
• Best for Vehicle Relocation: United Van Lines
• A Guide for Moving Companies in Kentucky
• Moving Companies in Kentucky FAQ
• How We Found the Best Moving Companies in Kentucky
• Summary of the Best Moving Companies in Kentucky of 2023

Why we chose it: Two Men and a Truck is a national moving company franchise serving in-demand areas of Kentucky. The company offers customizable moving packages for local and long-distance moving, bundling discounts and is a top choice of movers around the U.S. (including being among our picks as the best in Florida).

Two Men and a Truck is a local and long-distance mover available across the U.S. with three locations in the Bluegrass State: Louisville, Lexington and Erlanger. All of the Kentucky locations offer junk removal and warehouse storage. The Northern Kentucky location in Erlanger also offers labor-only loading and unloading services.

There are two options for long-distance Kentucky moving, which are outlined below:

• Value Flex long-distance moving: This budget-friendly option uses 16-foot moving crates with moving date flexibility. It’s suitable for smaller shipments (no larger than one room’s worth). Your items are loaded into your crate, put on a trailer and then driven to your new location. It’s the more affordable option because it takes longer — once your crate is delivered, a local Two Men and a Truck moving team will come to unload your shipment.
• Expedited long-distance moving: This option is Two Men and a Truck’s fastest (and pricier) long-distance shipping option. Your items are loaded onto the moving truck and the team drives them to your new home to unload them. This is the service you’d find with most traditional long-distance movers.

Two Men and a Truck’s professional packing option is flexible; you can have the company pack as much as you designate. It’s charged at an hourly rate, which varies by the franchise.

All Kentucky locations offer short- and long-term storage if you need to store your belongings before moving everything into your new home. One service that isn’t available is car shipping.

If you’re left with unwanted stuff, junk removal is also available. Two Men and a Truck will haul away and dispose of your unwanted items, making an effort to recycle and donate goods when possible. The Louisville location lists junk removal prices on its website — costs range from $195 for 1 1/8 truckload to $695 for a full truckload. (Pricing varies by location.)

You can request a free quote online or over the phone. The online method involves filling out a form with details about your move.

Two Men and a Truck Reviews

Two Men and a Truck is an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and has an impressive A+ rating with the organization.

The company has been pegged with 22 BBB complaints, many of which appear to be about item damage. There haven’t been any complaints in the last four years cataloged with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) — the U.S. Department of Transportation division that regulates interstate movers and promotes highway safety.

Why we chose it: A Local Van Moving is a family-owned local and long-distance mover in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is highly rated and offers flexible moving, packing and storage options.

A Local Van Moving handles residential and commercial moves in and around Louisville. Local moves are available within 30 miles of the city, and long-distance moves are available within a 1,000-mile radius. While service reaches much of the country, this puts some of the West and upper Northeast out of reach for Kentuckians who are moving to those regions.

Moves with A Local Van Moving are flexible. the company will do multiple stops to pick items up at different locations if you need to. It also offers full or partial packing, unpacking, furniture disassembly and box disposal.

A Local Van has a storage facility in Louisville’s Bluegrass Industrial Park. A single storage container has a volume of 240 cubic feet and holds about one to one-and-a-half rooms worth of items.

Renting one container costs $75 per month, but the charge per container decreases the more you rent; five containers are $250 per month, for example. Storage for oversized items that don’t fit in the container is $25 per month.

You can request a quote online or over the phone. The moves are charged hourly and the website notes a mid-week special for moves Tuesdays through Thursdays.

A Local Van Moving Reviews

A Local Van Moving is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and holds an A+ rating with the firm. The company doesn’t have any BBB complaints reported against it. It has a satisfactory safety rating with the FMCSA and there haven’t been any FMCSA complaints in the last four years either. A Local Van Moving received the Angi (formerly Angie’s List) 2019 Super Service Award.

Why we chose it: Wildcat Moving is a division of The Wildcat Group, a company that offers moving, packing and other home services in Kentucky and surrounding states. Based in Lexington, it’s well-regarded and offers workable moving service options you can customize to your liking.

Wildcat Moving is a locally-owned moving company offering local and long-distance moving to the Lexington, Kentucky, area for commercial and residential customers. The parent company, The Wildcat Group, owns many other home services companies that may also be useful when moving.

Those other divisions of the business include the following:

• Wildcat Home Inspection
• Wildcat Clear Team
• LadyCat Packing & Organizing
• Wildcat Furniture Repair
• Wildcat Auto Repair
• Wildcat Pressure Washing
• Wildcat Carpet Cleaning
• Wildcat Mini Storage
• Wildcat Country Dog Retreat

Packing and organizing services are offered through Wildcat’s sister company, LadyCat Packing & Organizing. The company can pack all of your items and valuables. There is a discount if you book both packing and moving: 10% off of LadyCat’s hourly rate for Wildcat Moving customers.

Suppose you need to store your belongings before moving them into your new house? Storage solutions are available through Wildcat Mini Storage, which has three facilities in Lexington and one in Nicholasville. The storage units allow 24-hour access to drive-up or indoor units.

Pricing starts at $59 per month. It then varies by the option you choose, along with location and unit size.

A division of Wildcat, Wildcat Van Lines,  handles interstate moves for those moving to or from the Lexington area to or from another state. You can choose to load and unload your belongings into the Wildcat shipment truck, or the company can tap its network of local moving companies across the U.S. to coordinate loading and unloading services. (Those services are not offered in-house.)

Wildcat Moving charges customers by the minute, so you only pay for the time you use. Pricing is outlined below:

• Hourly service rates:
  • One packer/organizer = $70 per hour
  • Two packers/organizers = $140 per hour
  • Two movers and one truck = $160 per hour
    • $70 per hour for an additional mover
• Travel fees:
  • Fayette County customers = $75 flat rate
  • Those starting and ending outside of Fayette County = $3 per mile
• Additional charges:
  • Moves occurring Friday through Sunday are an additional $20 per hour for movers and packers
  • Large items (pianos, gun safes, etc.) are $100 per item

You can book your Lexington move online or over the phone. However, the website warns that the company reserves certain times for bookers who call to schedule.

Wildcat Moving Reviews

Wildcat Moving has a strongly positive reputation in Kentucky. On its Better Business Bureau profile, it has an A+ rating and a 4.9 out of 5-star customer review rating. The company has received seven complaints in the last three years through the BBB.

Wildcat’s awards are numerous. It has been recognized as a “Best of the Best” national business winner for three years in a row starting in 2019. It has also earned the Angi Super Service Award every year from 2017 through 2020. The Lexington Herald-Leader Readers’ Choice has even recognized it in 2019 and 2020.

Why we chose it: Big Blue Moving is a residential and commercial moving company in Northern Kentucky servicing local and long-distance moves. It’s one of our top picks for moving in Kentucky because of its service options and almost flawless reputation.

Big Blue Moving is a Northern Kentucky moving company based in Florence. Its website says that it services all of Kentucky and Ohio and can help you move to 48 states across the U.S. Big Blue is an independent branch of The Wildcat Group.

Packing and storage are two of the most desired services when it comes to moving. Big Blue Packing is a branch of Big Blue Moving — as the name suggests, it offers packing and unpacking services to people in Northern Kentucky and Southern Ohio.

Big Blue Moving has no in-house storage facilities but, rather, partners with Cardinal Storage and Bearcat Storage. If you utilize one of these options and have Big Blue move your belongings to or from the facility, you’ll get 5% off your Big Blue moving rate and a discount on the storage cost.

Big Blue Moving is transparent about its pricing, with rates listed on the website. The prices are as follows:

• Hourly rates
  • Two packers/organizers = $120 per hour
    • An additional packer = $60 per hour added
  • Two movers and one 26-foot truck = $160 per hour
    • An additional mover = $70 per hour added
• Travel fees
  • Most moves within Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties = $50 travel fee
  • Outside of those areas = $2 per mile travel fee from the Florence office
• Other charges
  • Moves occurring Friday through Sunday are an additional $10 per hour
  • Pianos and gun safes cost $150 to move

The company also has helpful information on its website to help you estimate the cost of your Kentucky move.

Big Blue’s 26-foot truck holds the contents of approximately 1,800 to 2,000 square feet of living space. (The company estimates that’s roughly the floor space of an average 3-bedroom house.)

If you fill the truck all the way, it should take two Big Blue movers about two to three hours to load it, and another two to three hours to unload it. Remember that other factors can affect how long it takes, like how well you are prepared and how easy your house is to access.

Big Blue offers furniture disassembly and reassembly, but you’ll pay for the time it takes the movers to do that. An interesting aspect of Big Blue Moving’s pricing is that the company charges by the minute (like Wildcat Moving in Lexington), so you won’t pay for any unused time.

You can book your Big Blue move online if you can estimate how long your move will take and how many movers you need. You can also call the company for help with your estimation.

Big Blue Moving Reviews

One reason Big Blue Moving earned a spot on our best Kentucky moving companies list is that it’s acclaimed by customers online.

Big Blue moving is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and earned an A+ rating with the organization. It also has an outstanding customer rating of 4.99 out of 5 stars out of 164 reviews submitted to the BBB. Big Blue Moving has only received two complaints through the BBB in the last three years.

The ratings are just as good on other entities. Big Blue Moving has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on the review platform Yelp and a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars on the service provider review website Angi.

Why we chose it: Atlas Van Lines is a national moving broker that is a great option to consider for cross-country moves to or from Kentucky. It can move you to any state in the U.S. or Canada through its network of 430 U.S. movers specializing in long-distance moves.

A national company with a large fleet and customizable moving packages for your cross-country move, Atlas is a full-service mover. The company also accepts moves on the local level and can facilitate international moves through its global network of 300 partners.

With an Atlas move, you have the option to pack yourself or utilize Atlas’ professional packing services. The optional services are as follows:

• Full packing services: Atlas will pack your entire house.
• Partial packing services: Atlas will pack some of your belongings, like one or a few rooms.
• Special item packing services: Atlas will pack unique or large items that are difficult to pack.
• Unpacking services: Atlas will unpack all of your belongings at your new home.

If you aren’t ready for your new belongings at your new house just yet, Atlas offers storage solutions called Storage-In-Transit. Your items will stay packed and stored at an Atlas storage warehouse until you are ready for them.

Atlas can move specialty items cross-country, including cars, campers, motorcycles, boats, pianos, swing sets and other large or awkward items. For the furniture items, Atlas handles the disassembly and reassembly itself when possible.

A benefit to Atlas Van Lines is that it offers shipment tracking to its customers as a part of the online portal (called the Atlas Customer Portal). The portal allows you to make payments, view documents, file a claim and more.

You can begin your Atlas moving estimate online or find your local Atlas mover on its website and call them to go over it. Atlas prefers an in-home visit to survey the belongings that you need moved, but you can do this virtually, too. Your Atlas moving costs are based on the weight of your belongings and the distance the company will travel.

Atlas Van Lines Reviews

The Better Business Bureau does not accredit Atlas Van Lines but the organization rates it as an A+ business. It has received 68 complaints from people through the BBB, but remember that this company is larger than the previous ones on this list. Atlas is appropriately registered with the FMCSA and holds a satisfactory safety rating, with only 15 complaints through this entity in 2021. Atlas’ fleet consists of nearly 1,000 trucks and just over 3,900 trailers.

Why we chose it: College Hunks is our leading choice in Kentucky for a moving company that also offers junk removal. It offers local and long-distance moving services and has three locations in the Bluegrass State: Louisville, Lexington and Florence. College.

Hunks is also one of our best junk removal companies in the U.S.

If you’ve lived in your current house for a long time, chances are you have some junk you want to get rid of before moving to your new home. College Hunks is a company that can handle both the transport to your new home of what you want to keep and the disposal of what you no longer need.

College Hunks handles the following junk removal services:

• Appliance recycling
• Furniture removal
• Basement cleanout
• Storage unit cleanout
• Mattress disposal
• Garage cleanout
• Hoarding cleanup and removal
• Storm recovery

Junk removal can be harmful to the environment, especially if items head to the landfill. However, College Hunks makes efforts to donate and recycle as many unwanted items as possible — giving your “junk” a new life to someone who can benefit from it.

In fact, the company claims that more than 70% of the items it takes are recycled or donated. It partners with charities like Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity ReStore and PickUpMyDonation.com for donations.

Beyond junk removal and disposal, College Hunks offers moving services to transport the items you want to keep to your new home. As a full-service mover, College Hunks offers the following services:

• Packing and unpacking
• Moving supplies
• Hourly labor services

If you want College Hunks to help with your packing (perhaps the most stressful part of moving), you can choose from full packing, partial packing or single-item packing — depending on how much you want the movers to pack for you before bringing it to your new home.

If you don’t want the whole kit and caboodle, however, you can hire College Hunks for labor services only. That is, any help packing or unpacking items as well as loading or unloading a storage unit or truck (minus the transport to your new destination on a College Hunks truck).

No matter what moving and junk removal package you want, you can get moving quotes for your wanted services on the College Hunks website. You won’t be able to get an instant estimate; a representative will contact you after reviewing your information. Some estimates may require an in-home consultation.

College Hunks Reviews

College Hunks has strong ratings with the Better Business Bureau, even though the locations are not accredited by the organization — A+ ratings in both Louisville and Lexington. The Louisville location hasn’t had any complaints filed through the BBB in the last three years, but the Lexington location has had one.

On other customer feedback websites, College Hunks fairs well. It has a rating of 4.92 out of 5 stars on HomeAdvisor, a home services review platform powered by Angi. The Lexington location has a rating of 4 out of 5 stars on the review platform Yelp, and the Louisville location has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. College Hunks in Kentucky is registered with the FMCSA and has not received any complaints in the last four years.

Why we chose it: United Van Lines is a local, long-distance and international moving company that offers car shipping services for standard and luxury cars. We chose United Van Lines as a best moving company in Kentucky because of its wide reach (including availability in Kentucky) and its top-notch moving and vehicle relocation services.

Car shipping is a service that only some moving companies make available. In some cases, having your vehicle shipped for relocation is the best option, whether you’re moving far and don’t want to drive or have multiple cars.

United Van Lines offers both open-sided and enclosed car carriers; The open-sided option is cheaper, but the enclosed carrier is recommended for high-value, luxury and antique cars to shield them from road debris and weather.

United can transport many different kinds of cars but, depending on the car, the carrier may be unable to transport an inoperable vehicle due to safety concerns. Special care may be needed for modified vehicles, vehicles valued above $60,000 and cars older than 25 years. You can discuss specialty needs with your moving representative.

United affirms that most domestic car transports can take eight to 10 business days to complete. Timing depends on travel distance.

You can choose from one of the following methods:

• Door-to-door service: United’s door-to-door service involves picking up your car at your home (or designated location) and delivering it to your new home.
• Terminal-to-terminal service: Sometimes called dock-to-dock, this option entails pickup and delivery of your vehicle to and from a storage facility.

United Van Lines is a moving broker that works with movers worldwide to complete your move. Your experience, then, can depend a lot on the particular carrier partner that fulfills your move.

Aside from car shipping, you can hire United Van Lines for other parts of your move. United is a full-service moving company for local and long-distance moves around the U.S. as well as international moves to more than 150 countries. There are 500 locations across the country, and it has one of the largest fleets of any moving company.

As a full-service mover, United offers packing and unpacking services, debris removal and storage solutions.

Whether you use the company for your vehicle relocation or entire move, you can request a quote online by entering some details or call United to speak to a representative.

United Van Lines Reviews

United Van Lines is one of our top picks for many other moving categories, including the best moving companies in the U.S., best interstate moving companies and best moving companies in Florida.

Other Companies We Considered

We evaluated popular moving companies in Kentucky. The following companies may be worthy of your consideration. Yet none made our list of the best movers in Kentucky for various reasons, including reputation, service areas and services offered.

• Cardinal Moving: Cardinal Moving is a locally owned and operated Louisville moving company. It’s a highly-rated moving company option worth considering for local and long-distance moves in the area. It’s part of The Wildcat Group network.
• 2 Dudes Moving: 2 Dudes Moving is a close second-place pick for movers in Lexington. It offers local moves or moves across the state with competitive rates. It’s highly rated by customers and has an A+ BBB rating.
• Moving APT: Moving APT is a moving broker that can connect you with service providers through its network of movers, storage companies and auto shippers. It allows you to get pricing information from multiple companies at once. But there are reports online that your experience can vary greatly based on your move’s partner services. It also has a mediocre B rating with the BBB.
• DZ Moving: DZ Moving is a Louisville moving company that services local and long-distance residential and office moves. It also offers final-mile delivery services. However, the company has mixed reviews online, with a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars on the review platform Yelp and of 4.3 out of 5 stars on the service review platform Angi. It also has an F rating with the BBB because of its failure to respond to complaints about the company submitted to the organization.
• My 3 Sons Moving: My 3 Sons Moving provides local and out-of-state moving services to customers in the Winchester, Richmond, London, Lexington and Morehead areas. It offers storage and packing solutions but was not included in our top ranking because it has an F rating with the BBB due to not responding to complaints. Other websites award the company higher ratings, but those are based on low numbers of reviews; consequently, it is hard to evaluate the company’s reputation.
• Firefighters Move U: Firefighters Move U is a local and long-distance moving company in Lexington. It’s owned and operated by local firefighters, paramedics and military veterans. We didn’t include it in our list of top choices because there isn’t a lot of information about the company’s services on its website. We also couldn’t find much information on its reputation; We couldn’t locate a BBB profile and there is only one review on Yelp (though it is a positive review).
• Alpha Moving Solutions: Alpha Moving Solutions is a moving company available to residents of Louisville and surrounding areas. It offers four different moving packages ranging from labor-only services to moving and transporting items from a three-bedroom or larger home. However, Alpha isn’t accredited by the BBB and has an F rating because of its failure to respond to complaints.
• People-Move Moving: People-Move Moving is a full-service mover based in Louisville, Kentucky, and Indianapolis, Indiana. It may be a decent option but we didn’t include it in our top list because it has mixed reviews online. The Kentucky location has a rating of 4 out of 5 stars on Yelp, while the Indiana location has a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars. It also isn’t accredited by the BBB and has an F rating with the organization because of failure to respond to complaints pinged against the company.

A Guide for Moving Companies in Kentucky

Kentucky is a desirable place to move for many — it has a relatively low cost of living, affordable home and a four-season climate, to name just a few benefits. If you’re planning your move to or within Kentucky, here is some information to help with the process.

What to know about Kentucky and moving

One factor that can affect a decision to move to or from Kentucky is the state’s weather. Kentucky has four distinct seasons, but it’s typically more mild and moderate than other states. The summers are warm and winters are modestly cold.

In the days leading up to your move, check the forecast to ensure there isn’t any extreme weather. Movers may be able to complete your move in the rain as long as it isn’t a severe storm.

In anticipation of your Kentucky move, go through your moving checklist and make sure you cover all the bases.

What is the average cost of moving companies in Kentucky?

The average cost of moving companies in Kentucky is about $1,000 to $3,000. Unsurprisingly, a lot of factors can affect your moving expenses, including:

• Distance and travel time between origin and destination
• What services you want (packing, transport, storage, junk removal, etc.)
• How much you need to move

Before choosing a mover, get quotes from multiple companies to compare costs. Most companies allow you to request estimates on their websites. If you are packing yourself, make sure to factor in the cost of moving boxes and other shipping supplies.

How to avoid moving scams in Kentucky?

Unfortunately, moving scams are a risk everywhere — not just in Kentucky. But you can avoid them by heeding red flags and vetting the company beforehand.

Your first step is to review the company’s website. Check that it offers important information like the services offered by the company. Ensure, too, that the website looks professional and informative.

Next, you should read reviews on third-party websites. Check multiple websites and look for negative reviews and complaints. It’s a red flag if all the reviews report a negative experience. Out of the websites that you vet, check the Better Business Bureau.

If you’re using a local mover, make sure it has the necessary licensing and insurance coverage required by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC).

How do I know if a moving company is legit in Kentucky?

Kentucky moving companies that service moves in the state must be licensed by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, which is in the Department of Vehicle Regulation, Division of Motor Carriers (KYTC). The KYTC sets certain licensing and insurance requirements that the companies must meet. It also investigates any complaints that consumers submit. Make sure the mover you pick has an active KYTC operating certificate number.

How We Found the Best Moving Companies in Kentucky

We analyzed a variety of factors to compile our list of the best moving companies in Kentucky. We looked at some of the most popular moving companies in Kentucky and evaluated them based on their services, availability in the state, and online reputation.

We also analyzed some of the best companies we identified in other states and across the U.S. — best moving companies in Florida, best moving companies in the U.S., best long-distance moving companies and more.

For services, we looked at the basic moving services like local and long-distance moves, as well as any extra things like storage, packing/unpacking, labor-only services, furniture disassembly/reassembly, large item moving and more.

For reputation, we scanned third-party websites and prioritized feedback and ratings on the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Summary of the Best Moving Companies in Kentucky of 2022

• Best for Moves Within Kentucky: Two Men and a Truck
• Best Moving Company in Louisville: A Local Van Moving
• Best Moving Company in Lexington: Wildcat Moving
• Best Moving Company in Northern Kentucky: Big Blue Moving
• Best for Cross-Country Moves to or from Kentucky: Atlas Van Lines
• Best Moving Company for Junk Removal: College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving
• Best for Vehicle Relocation: United Van Lines