I've worked with this excellent crew on two different moves now and recommend them highly. Ricardo, Jesus, and Eder were outstanding: right on time, mindblowingly efficient, intimidated by nothing (not even my 7 massive bookshelves or heavy, delicate antique piano), communicative, chivalrous, thorough, and kind. They didn't break or damage a thing, they were incredibly respectful to me and my neighbors, and they're just lovely people. On both moves Ricardo went above and beyond to make sure I had everything I needed. I have trusted these guys with my life twice and would do so again in a heartbeat! read more

A very good moving experience from the team of Jesus, Eder and Ricardo. Heavy and awkward items (one a mirror) got professionally moved out, despite a very cramped Victorian era staircase. The team did a challenging lift off a balcony for one item. Artwork was professionally wrapped and packed. No damage and a speedy install in the new location. This is a skilled and hardworking team. John who handled estimates and schedules was thorough, knowledgeable, polite and friendly. Also very easy to communicate with. It's also worth noting that Irish Express has gladly handled our medium and small partial moves of furniture and decorative items on several occasions -- even though we did not move the whole household. read more

The company is run by a kind professional who employs the best! 3 moves later- these are my people!

Literally the best moving experience I've ever had! These guys were on time, on budget, friendly, helpful and even helped place our furniture in the best spot in the room design wise! Loved supporting this small business and their hardworking team. read more

I wouldn't trust anyone else but Irish Express for moving and long term storage. John gives you the facts upfront with no hidden fees. He is a good solid character of a business man in a very competitive industry. Located in San Francisco his storage facility is convenient for SF residents who want a value for their storage needs. The movers are FAST, efficient, polite, & respectful family men. Irish Express has a great team to work with. read more

Another fantastic moving experience with Irish Express!! John came to our house ahead of the move and provided a quick and accurate estimate. Arturo, Jesus, and the team did an amazing job. The packing the day before went by so quickly- ~4 hours to back up an entire 3 bedroom house. The day of the move went by quickly. Everything was moved efficiently and accurately with no damage to any of our belongings. Again, we couldn't have asked for a better moving experience. This company really knows what they are doing. Highly recommend them for a stress-free moving experience. Thanks again, Irish Express! read more

We used Irish Express upon request from our realtor, but cannot recommend after the experience, mainly because they underestimated the cost by 26%, and I find them unethical (see further below). Here the email I sent to John O'Donoghue, the owner on Aug 20, 2022: . I would like to give you some feedback: 1. On both days, the team was late (showed up after the expected arrival timeframe). 2. Communications problems: On Day 1, I told them to call me when they arrived at the locker. They called me, but didn't leave a msg, and therefore we had a 15 min delay. They also didn't try to call me again. Then they were confused on where they were supposed to go. In fact, they told me verbally that they were at the apartment address, but actually, they were at the locker company. They should've had both addresses. Instead, I needed to provide to them. 3. Jesus didn't stack the storage locker high enough and then told me repeatedly that we don't have enough space. When I was there, they restacked and had no problem fitting everything in. 4. William was very good. He knew about piano moving and also had proactively did some fixes to a bedframe. 5. [Removed name] seemed to have an alcohol problem. He smelled always like he just had a drink. 6. There was no up-front communication on how to package the paintings and other artwork. This resulted in double-work: First, artwork was wrapped in paper, and then it had to be bubble-wrapped later, upon our request. 7. The glass of a painting is broken. We estimate cost of repair at $500 to $1000. Arturo said it was broken when he took it out, but this is suspicious because first of all, my wife and I believe that it was not broken while stored. Secondly, why did he not immediately tell us the moment he saw the broken glass? In other words, leave in shelf and call the customer before proceeding. 8. We had a household help packing for 6 hours, and between Nicole, me and my daughter we spend another 20 hours of packing, making it 26 person hours in total. Your estimate for packing was 10 person hours. 9. You significantly underestimated the costs of this move: Your estimate for Day 1 and Day 2 totalled $4,350 (this excludes packing since we did it ourselves). Actually cost was $5,470, or 26% higher. And in fact, I helped with unpacking and carrying items since it got so late on Day 2. This overrun is disappointing. I also often observed that there was a lack of efficiency in the crew. At least with some team members, I felt they were trying to bill time, not concerned about getting work done. Also, please note that we had at least 15 runs with our cars packed of items, which actually reduced your move scope significantly. Many delicate and bulky items were moved by us. 10. You stated that you know Belmont Terrace very well. Apparently, that was not communicated. It took the crew at least 20 minutes to sort out the best way to get to the apartment. They asked me. Why would they need to? 11. Charges of moving boxes were excessive: For example, a dishpack costs me $2 at U-Haul, and you charged $8.20. Hope this is viewed as constructive feedback, and we need to discuss how you want to handle the broken painting. Thank you. Stefan Zuckut --------- After this email, we got the painting glass repaired, choosing lower quality glass to keep the cost for John down. John said he would reimburse, but then changed his mind, in a letter dated 9/26/22. His reasoning is illogical and I consider bringing a small claims court lawsuit against the firm to recover costs and my time. I would suggest to consider other movers that give you a not-to-exceed estimate. For example, try Nice Bay Movers (see my review there). Hope this is helpful and avoids YELP users head aches with this firm. Thank you. Stefan read more

John and his crew did a fantastic job for our recent move. The packers showed up on Friday and worked very efficiently to pack up most of our house. Then five guys came back on Saturday and moved our entire three bedroom house, including a piano and a super heavy treadmill, in just five hours. The service exceeded my expectations in how careful they were with our stuff, how quickly they worked, and how they put all the boxes in the right place. And the kicker: John's initial estimate was actually 50 percent higher than the final bill. That's right, the final bill was LOWER than the estimate. It's usually the other way around in this industry, so I'm a very happy customer. read more

I like to be in control. Moving gives me incredible anxiety. We recently moved out of our San Francisco cottage, located up 60+ winding steps on the back of Russian Hill. We have a large and heavy pull-out couch, some mid-century furniture pieces, delicate art, and a whole bunch of books and storage. I cannot adequately express my appreciation and admiration for Irish Express Moving Company. Arturo, Miguel, Ricardo, Jesus, and Eder were EFFICIENT, professional, kind, funny, personable, and took care of all of our things. This was not an easy job, but they executed perfectly. It was very helpful to have their extra packing supplies available for the art work and furniture. And I was really pleased to have them take apart AND assemble our bed, so much faster than I could have myself (hard to relinquish this control). Again, this was an expert job and a very smooth day. John was very communicative and offered guidance leading up to move-day. I appreciate all of the efforts of Irish Express Moving Company and recommend them highly. They were also very attentive to COVID-19 precautions, I felt really safe throughout the day. read more

I love John and his team! I've used them a few times now and they are always clean, organized and extremely professional. If I could give them 10 stars I would! A+ read more

A tremendous group of folks who work so diligently to accomplish brute-work tasks for all of us moving folks out there! Used John and his team for a recent move from San Mateo to Half Moon Bay and all went seamlessly well. John is a true professional so it's not surprising to find that his team of movers are just the same! Hard workers and careful in their approach to everything they handle. Thanks for doing such a superb job with our move! read more

I really wanted to like my experience with IEM. But I am not able to afterwards. John did come to my house to do a preliminary estimation. He told me most of his clients are long term customers and I saw his tracks in my neighborhood from time to time and he could move my stuff on the date we preferred so I chose his service over the other local company. His team of 4 men came one afternoon prior to help me pack and the next day with the same 3 men plus another 4th person. I didn't have time to pack nor help to pack prior to the actual moving so that many hands were welcome & needed. Of course packing racked up the cost. Here is the summary of my experience: Pro: The crew were on time and professional, work quietly with each at his own place, eager to please. Like John said, they wanted to go home asap. They got the job done, got the money and left. They brought plenty of packing materials. Cons: 1. On the day of packing, I specifically asked them not to pack my bookshelves because there were no rooms for it in my new location. They packed anyway explaining "It's better to sort through them in your new place." ? I wasn't able to move them to the new house. Now I have more boxes to open and sort. 2. The foreman smoked. His breath let me know. 3. They brought in recycled boxes and used also new boxes to pack, I had to trust them of their estimation of total material cost. There was no way to verify and they counted by eyes. 4. A few places in my new home were damaged: hardwood floor dented, walls need to be refinished/repainted. My master wood bed frame was chipped. 5. Miss communication: I asked them to put some boxes in the hallway because one room was too small to hold all the boxes. Now a month later, I still have to find help to take the boxes out of the small room so I could get some furniture in first to start organizing. They didn't move some items that I asked them to pack/move to the new place. I'm part responsible as I overlooked when we did a walk-through. 6. I am missing some items that were supposed to be in certain rooms. 5. I emailed John with my questions, and he said the foreman could answer them. The foreman said John was the one to talk to. I didn't know if John checked in with his clients to do quality control, but I never heard from him during/after the service. read more

John called me back immediately and gave me a fair quote compared to other companies I called. We moved from an SF studio to a 2-bedroom in San Mateo and decided we only needed 2 men plus my husband for this move. We used Brute Boxes (which I highly recommend) and we broke down and packed everything ourselves to save money. They provided wardrobe boxes and packed up our miscellaneous items and wrapped everything with moving blankets. The cost of using 2 men vs. 3 men saved us about $500 and they were very fast, getting the job done in about 7 hours including roundtrip drive! (Arrived promptly at 8 AM and done by 3 PM). The only confusion was unloading the boxes in our new apartment after the guys took a quick 30-minute break, but they quickly unloaded everything without a single scratch, nick or chip to our furniture. Thank you Irish Express! read more

Professional, careful, and prompt. What more could you ask with movers? How about that they worked so quickly my job was done in less time than I thought possible. I've used Irish Express Moving twice in the last few weeks to pick up furniture for storing while I staged my apartment to sell. Then they returned it and helped me make the move on very short notice. Their moving fees are reasonable and the storage fees were surprisinlgy inexpensive. Thank you to John and his crew for two jobs well done. read more

We were introduced to Irish Express by our best friends who have used the company no less than 5 times in the last 3 years. So, I had seen their work at my friend's moves and thought to give them a call for our move. Their quotes are reasonable and true to the actual cost. John, Ailish and all the guys are pleasant and hardworking (plus, you gotta love those Irish accents!). The entire team is responsive, professional and quick. We have used Irish twice now, once in May 2011 when my partner and I consolidated our two Santa Clara apartments and moved in together to a new apartment in Redwood City and more recently when we bought our house and moved from Redwood City back down to San Jose. We've had them move in a multitude of situations (3rd floor apartment with only stairs and nowhere to park, 2nd floor apartment with only stairs, 2nd floor apartment with stairs and elevators, our storage unit, our single story house) and each time the guys have been fast and very careful with our precious belongings. They were also very kind about our poor kitties who get locked up (and therefore cry and cry all day) while the move goes on. I am not a person who takes strangers coming into my house and touching my things lightly, but the guys at Irish put you at ease. I would never use any other moving company. read more

We just hired the guys at Irish Express for a move from Redwood City to San Carlos and they did a stellar job. John, the owner, was extremely accomodating and came to our house on very short notice to provide an estimate. He was a pleasure to deal with and we appreciated his sincerity and eagerness to do the right thing for us. Julian was the man in charge on moving day and also did a bit of packing for us. Like John, we felt Julian was looking out for us and trying to find ways to save us time and money. The other three guys, Corel, Arturo, and Robert were all extremely professional and did a great job . If you are looking for reasonably priced, highly professional and experienced movers, these are your guys! Ps., for cash there is a discount which we took advantage of read more

Grateful for the excellent service. Miguel, William, and Daniel were efficient, kind, and communicated well. They were also careful when moving all our items (and there were many). We are a family with young kids and they were patient and understanding with all of the clutter. Additionally, they went above and beyond installed our TV on the wall of our new place. John, the owner, was easy to contact and communicates clearly and frequently. He even lowered our bill after the move due to a discrepancy. read more

From my initial inquiry call to settling up at the end, the whole team at Irish Express made me feel I was in good hands. John, the proprietor, was professional yet kind, his prices are quite reasonable, he always responded to my emails with alacrity and his movers were efficient and also kind. I had several locations to deal with and they followed my directions to the letter. I'm thrilled to have found a business with such integrity. read more

I recently moved from San Francisco to San Jose. I was concerned because I have a beautiful grand piano. I called the store where I bought the piano and they recommended both a dedicated piano moving company and Irish Express. I decided to go with Irish Express because I had to move in a hurry and needed packing and the rest of my house moved. On the day of the move, they (Matt, Sam, and two other guys) showed up promptly and completed all the work in less time than the estimate. They were nice, professional, and most importantly my piano arrived without a scratch. My prior moving experiences have not been great, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Irish Express. read more

Extremely professional in every respect. Arrived on time and completed my packing (I had packed most of what fit into boxes). They wrapped my furniture carefully and properly, and then fit everything - miraculously - into my 8 x 16 foot "pod". A less experienced mover might have entailed shipping some overflow later via Fedex or UPS. They do charge the prices of professionals I think it is worth it. read more

I can't say enough about the experience that I just had with this company. I hired a team of three guys, who showed up promptly at 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday and proceeded to clear out my two-bedroom apartment in less than two hours. They were phenomenally efficient while at the same time being equally careful with my stuff. They were all very friendly and had a great attitude all day, even as they struggled mightily to get my gigantic mattress up a very tight, 33-stair stairwell at my new house. Very impressive. Only as I was settling up my charges for the day--at $175 an hour for the whole crew, I'd gladly pay it again in a heartbeat--did I find out that they'll also come and pack your house before the move and unpack it afterwards, which I'm absolutely going to have them do the next time I move. The next time you move, give these guys a call; you'll be glad you did. read more

I highly recommend using these guys for your next move...we hired them for the full service package (within the city move) including packing the day before and the actual move...they took care of parking permits for both locations... Arturo and Sam were considerate and their crews, they worked really hard...climbing up and down 4 floors... They had to take apart a lot of our larger furnitures to make it down the stairs and up...they put them back together once in our new place with no issues... John was spot on with his initial quote...including labor hours and number of boxes that were used... read more

We had a very bad experience with Irish Express and John O'Donaghue. They moved our belongings into our just built home and did meaningful damage to the brand new wooden floors. They failed to do the most basic thing - they didn't put protection down on the floor. Then they refused to take responsibility for the damage. Sandy M. Woodside, CA read more

I've had nothing but good experiences with these guys over the past 17 years. John O'Donaghue is great.

I dreaded moving, but John and his crew made it bearable. Totally professional, friendly and with a great deal of patience (my daughter had them rearrange more than one piece of furniture). Even though they sent an extra man, the price came in at the lowest point of the estimate. God forbid that I should move again, but if I had to, these are the guys I would pick. read more

I ended up paying DOUBLE what the estimate was. Granted, we had to take out a stairlift which the men said would be"no problem" but took them about two or three hours - so, instead of the $750 I was bid, I paid about $1600 The first day the men were very nice and anxious to please I had to call John (the estimator) to say they had to come back as there were still big pieces in the house - they came after another job and were nothing like the men I met on the first day! So, my advice is, be very skeptical about the bid you are given read more

We had a lasting minute move and they were able to fit us in right away. The movers worked quickly. Ricardo and Julio were just wonderful. They were friendly, respectful, and professional. They treated all of our belongings with care and we were able to complete our move without any problems. read more

I just used Irish Express and they were truly professional. The crew was courteous, helpful, and they all had a great sense of humor. The estimate was right on target. I would use them again. read more

I am rating them 5 stars due to the excellent customer service I received at Irish Express. The owner bent over backwards to make sure that I was satisfied with my move. Thank you. read more

Irish Express Moving is awesome. When I called I was put in contact with the owner John who answered all my questions. The movers arrived on time and began work immediately. I had two movers and they were very efficient and had my place loaded in the truck in no time. John's estimate was accurate and there were no hidden charges. I highly recommend Irish Express moving. read more

Amazing movers! Irish Express came highly recommended by the Golden Gate Mothers Group. I used them for a move from SF to Oakland after calling several movers and getting estimates. John always picked up his phone and answered my many questions. He did a free walk-through estimate, provided boxes and packing materials a week in advance of the move, and sent a superb, professional team the day before the move to help pack up the last of our things. His team of four men were a magical combination of efficient and careful -- nothing was broken or lost. The move ended up costing less than the estimate. Having moved many times, we were shocked at the excellent service, competitive pricing, and just all-around friendliness and courtesy of Irish Express moving. They didn't even complain about my hyper toddler who often got in their way. Wonderful moving company! read more

This moving company came to me on a very reliable and outstanding recommendation, from someone who has used them four times and absolutely raved. I was stoked because movers can be so hit and miss. Working with John, the owner, was initially great. Three movers showed up on time, were congenial, careful and seemingly very conscientious. We bought them lunch, tipped them generously,, but once they left we discovered that property was missing. We hated to accuse any of them of stealing but the circumstances were just too compelling to ignore. It wasn't anything irreplaceable which was stolen, and it was only a single item, but it still felt icky. We discovered that this item was missing as soon as the truck left so we called John. He then met the truck as his warehouse, inquired about the item, and believed his crew when they denied any knowledge. Okay, I can accept that. Our property did not walk out of our garage by itself, and we know it was there only 12 hours before the movers arrived, because I placed it there myself. No one else was in our garage on the day of the move. We found a metal hangar from one of Irish Express' wardrobe boxes in the exact location where the property "disappeared" from, even through this was in the garage, under the stairs, where no wardrobe box would ever be placed. When John came to pick up the wardrobe boxes, we again discussed the issue, not because we wanted any sort of monetary compensation, but because we felt it important for him to fully understand the circumstances which lead us to suspect one of his crew. John could not have been more condescending if he tried, and clearly does not believe that "the customer comes first." He had no interest in even contemplating that we had perhaps been victimized by one of his crew. Rather than simply accept that we believed a theft occurred and that we were willing to move on with the understanding that reasonable minds differ, he lectured us, compared us to other customers who had accused his crews of theft and then later phoned to apologize when they found their property, and dismissed our concerns completely. Too bad because if we hadn't had something stolen during the move, we would have been recommending Irish Express. And if John had handled the matter more professionally and treated us with the respect, I would not have posted this review. An update: I saw John's initial reply, to which I wasn't going to respond. No need. However, when he updated his reply with not only false facts but calling me a liar, I need to clear the air a bit. Really John? An insult to a client is hardly a way to professionally respond to a legitimate and honest review. There was never a "construction worker in my home alone" but rather a trusted long-term vendor with whom I have an ongoing professional relationship. Moreover, he was not alone in the house while I was packing up at the old residence; he came after I arrived. This highly regarded contractor was not working in my garage, which is where the property was stolen from and also where John's crew inexplicably left a piece of evidence at the site of the theft. So John, Sherlock Holmes you are not. And the only award you have earned is that of sore loser. Shame on you. You should learn from honest critique about your business and seek to provide a better service to your clientele. I notice when I culled through other less-than-positive reviews that your reply is always one of disdain for your client. You have shown your true stripes. read more

My realtor introduced me to Irish Express and I am so glad they did! I had two local moves, each took 2 to 4 hours and were reasonably priced. In one case, we moved furniture and the team at Irish Express wrapped everything beautifully so that nothing was scratched. In both cases Irish Express was on time, worked hard, and took care of our needs. I will never try to move anything on my own again. Irish Express saved me alot of time and did a much better job than I ever could on my own. read more

This review is based on our experience during our years with this company. We used them to help move and also used their storage. First off if you use their storage you have to make an appointment to get into your stuff plus they charge $250 just to take it out. I got into an argument with one of the men when we had called to see our stuff, he gave us a day and time. The day of he called us two hours before we were supposed to go there saying there wasn't enough men to pull our stuff out. Why give us a day and time when your going to be short staffed? Needless to say we were very upset. We stopped using their services this past summer because it was wayyy too expensive. When my mother was told how much she had spent on three Yeats of storage she broke down crying because she had spent a few thousand on their storage. When they dropped off our belongings we were missing a few boxes and $400 worth of my father's scuba gear( my father passed away so his belongings mean everything to us). I will never use this company again. read more

In looking for a good mover, I ran across a few negative reviews on this space for Irish Express. I advise you to IGNORE THEM. I can't imagine a better, more responsive, or more professional moving company. They moved our large 3-bedroom house, with many antiques, placing 1/2 of our belongings in storage and 1/2 in a temporary house which we are occupying while adding on a 3rd story to our house. With almost no mistakes, the crew got everything to the right place. They were cheerful and meticulous but quick. They knew exactly how long the job would take. They carried out instructions and, when unsure, they asked how we'd like particular items handled. Irish Express was always ready to go the extra mile. When we asked for some large bookcases to be stored so they could be retrieved a month early for painting, they offered 1/2 price for early retrieval. They waived the rental charges for a few clothes barrels which we needed to keep with us. They made right anything that had gone wrong. A couple of legs were broken on a little antique table; they took it to a restorer with whom they have worked for 20 years, who did such a fine job that we can't see the breaks. We found that there is a huge difference when you deal directly with the company owner. In the weeks before the move, if we had questions, we got an immediate answer from John, the owner. If we needed more packing boxes, John brought them by a few hours later. When bidding, John explained all charges very carefully and clearly, both for moving out and for moving back in. 2 hours after the move, John called us to arrange for the repair and ensure we were satisfied. This is a long note but they deserve it. And no, they didn't ask me to write it, or offer me money, as some moving companies do. read more

Our family wanted to send out a hearty thank you for our Irish Express move from SF to Palo Alto. The Irish Express team did a wonderful job of carefully moving our furniture out of our SF flat.  Some furniture items needed to be disassembled. They also handled some of our packing.  They never complained about our very challenging staircase.  They didn't even seem to mind that our street is used as a tour bus thoroughfare.  When we arrived in the South Bay, our family realized we had brought the wrong set of keys to our new home.  The Irish Express team worked patiently and safely in helping us to find a creative solution. In the end, this Irish Express team set up our King bed with platform perfectly at our new home.  Irish express made moving feel effortless. We've used them for 3 previous moves, and we'll be sure to use them again! read more

John is great. I spoke to him a couple of times before my move. He is very organized and provided very helpful advice and information. The day of the move also went well. The moving team showed up on time, and they were very fast and organized. They definitely have a system down. The move went much faster than I expected. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because towards the end of the day when we were unpacking at my new place, I could tell the guys just wanted to get out of there and they started getting a little careless. Some items got bumped into door frames and walls while they were rushing to move them inside. There wasn't any damage, and I can't blame them for being tired, so ultimately everything turned out well. I would use them again, but ask that they be a little more careful. read more

I recently moved my household. Irish express was great. John kindly came to my house to give a detailed quote. Arturo, Jesus, Ed, and Riccardo did the move. They were amazing at figuring out how to get large furniture pieces into the house through tight spaces and whether they would fit. Figured out where things should go, and got them there. I was particularly concerned about transporting several pieces in tact, and they did a great job. They all worked hard and efficiently and with good humor. I am very happy with their work. Thanks! read more

These guys were amazing, and by amazing, I mean spectacular!!! We couldn't have done the move across town without them. They were organized, efficient and friendly--what more could you ask for?? I have already referred these guys to a co-worker who is moving and will refer them to any and every one else I know! If your looking for an easy move without the hassle these are the guys for you. read more

We have used Irish Express a number of times over the past decade. In the past four months we used them twice. Both times to load a rental truck. The most recent time was in in mid-December 2011. John sent a crew of three (we originally asked for two men) but we had no problem with the extra person. They loaded the truck very quickly and professionally. This was a tough move for them - down three flights of stairs with lots of heavy furniture. They carefully protected the furniture and never so much as scratched a wall on the way out. This is a very professional company that I highly recommend. read more