Moving From San Diego to Los Angeles
San Diego to Los Angeles is only about 120 miles, but moving day still means a full truck, I-5 traffic and a new street or building with its own rules for where the truck can park and when you can move in. Oakley Relocation is a San Diego County moving company, in business since 2008, and we plan moves to Los Angeles from start to finish - packing in San Diego, the drive north and setting up your new home in LA.
How a San Diego to LA Move Works
- Free survey. We walk through your home in person or by video, list what's moving and note anything that needs special handling.
- A written not-to-exceed price. California requires movers to tell you in writing, before the move, the most you can be charged. Services you add later go on a change order that you sign.
- Packing and loading in San Diego. We pack as much or as little as you like, pad-wrap your furniture and load the truck.
- The drive north. We time the drive around rush hour on I-5 and the 405. Smaller moves are often loaded and delivered the same day; a larger home may take two days.
- Delivery in Los Angeles. We place furniture where you want it, put back together anything we took apart, and can unpack and take the empty boxes away.
Planning Around LA Streets and Buildings
Most of the work in an LA move happens before the truck arrives. When we plan your move, we look at:
- Parking for the truck. The City of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood all issue temporary no-parking signs for moving trucks. They have to be requested days in advance and posted before moving day, so we check what your street requires early and help you arrange it.
- Apartment and high-rise rules. Buildings in Downtown LA, Koreatown, Century City and along Wilshire Boulevard usually require a reserved freight elevator, a certificate of insurance from your mover and moves within set hours. Send us your building's move-in rules early and we'll send the certificate and plan the crew around your elevator time.
- Hillside homes. Narrow, winding streets in the Hollywood Hills, Silver Lake, Echo Park and the canyons can't always take a full-size truck. If the survey shows that, we plan a smaller truck to shuttle your belongings between the main truck and your door.
- Your San Diego end. HOA move hours, elevator reservations and long walks to the truck matter on this end too, and we plan for them the same way.
Moving to LA From Anywhere in San Diego County
We move households to Los Angeles from all over San Diego County - Downtown and the beach communities, North County cities like Carlsbad, Oceanside, Escondido and San Marcos, where we're based, and East County. In the Los Angeles area, we deliver to neighborhoods and cities including:
- The Westside - Santa Monica, Venice, Westwood, Brentwood and Culver City
- Central LA - Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Echo Park and Koreatown
- Downtown LA - high-rise and loft buildings
- The San Fernando Valley - Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino and Burbank
- Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley
- The South Bay - Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance
Heading to Long Beach instead? See our guide to moving from San Diego to Long Beach. For the bigger picture of life in LA, read our guide to moving from San Diego to Los Angeles.
Packing, Storage and Specialty Items
Choose full packing, packing for fragile items only, or pack yourself - see our packing services. If your LA lease starts after your San Diego lease ends, we can hold your belongings in our secure, bar-coded warehouse and deliver when you're ready. See our storage options.
Pianos, antiques, art and other high-value pieces get specialty packing and custom crating. See our specialty moving services.
What Affects the Price
Your price depends on how much you're moving, how long loading and unloading take at each end - stairs, elevators, long carries or a shuttle truck - and the packing, storage or specialty services you choose. After a free survey, you get a written not-to-exceed price, so you know the most you'll pay before moving day.
Licensed for Moves Within California
A move from San Diego to Los Angeles stays inside California, so it's regulated by the state's Bureau of Household Goods and Services rather than by federal rules. Oakley Relocation holds a California household mover permit, MTR 190480. When you book three or more days ahead, you'll also receive the state's booklet Important Information for Persons Moving Household Goods (within California), which explains your rights.
The Bureau's household movers page explains your rights and how to check a mover's permit. You can also read more about moving within California.
Setting Up Utilities in Los Angeles
In the City of Los Angeles, LADWP supplies water and electricity, and SoCalGas supplies natural gas. Some neighboring cities run their own utilities - Pasadena, Burbank and Glendale among them - and Southern California Edison provides electricity across much of the rest of the county. Set up service at your new address a week or two ahead, and schedule your SDG&E shut-off in San Diego for the day after you move out.
Why San Diego Families Choose Oakley
- Based in San Marcos, moving San Diego County households since 2008
- North American Van Lines Agent of the Year in 2018
- A certified women-owned business (WBENC)
- Licensed, bonded and insured
- One coordinator from your estimate to delivery day
San Diego to Los Angeles Moving FAQ
How far is it from San Diego to Los Angeles?
About 120 miles, or roughly two hours on I-5 without traffic.
How much does it cost to move from San Diego to Los Angeles?
It depends on how much you're moving, access at both homes and extras like packing or storage. A free in-home or virtual survey gets you a written not-to-exceed price.
Can you do the whole move in one day?
Often, yes - especially apartments and smaller homes. Larger homes, or moves with full packing, may be spread over two days. Your coordinator plans the schedule with you after the survey.
Do I need a parking permit for the moving truck in LA?
Often, yes. The City of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood issue temporary no-parking signs for moving trucks, and they have to be arranged before moving day. We'll check what your street requires.
Is San Diego to LA a long distance move?
It's longer than a typical local move, but it stays in California, so it's an intrastate move regulated by the state. Moves to another state follow federal rules - see our San Diego long distance movers page.
Do you also move people from Los Angeles to San Diego?
Yes. We move households from LA to San Diego County too, with the same planning at both ends. Moving within San Diego? See our San Diego movers page.
Ready to plan your move to Los Angeles? Fill out the quote form or call 1.858.360.1569.
