Based on rave reviews of Rational Moving from friends, we hired them to move a considerable load of furniture from our old house in Bonny Doon to our new house in Seabright. Every step of the process was easy and even pleasurable. Roman was very efficient in scheduling and providing an estimate. They were very accommodating when we added more furniture (12 bookcases) to the list at the last minute. Five movers arrived right on time, with 2 huge trucks, and the total job was done within 5 hours. The price was very reasonable and the movers were delightful. read more

Everything about our experience with Rational Moving was great. This is the second time we have hired them to move our household items and both times the people were friendly, honest, careful with our things, willing to do whatever we needed, and efficient. We highly recommend Rational Moving! read more

We hired Rational Moving to help us get a very heavy stone table top up a flight of stairs and place it on the table base. They were quick and efficient and pleasant to work with. I would hire them again. read more

I had worked with the same moving company for years but they since left the business. Here I was, need to move ~ who can I trust ? Thanks to an enthusiastic, very positive referral - I called Rational Moving! We talked it over- when, to where, number of rooms, furniture types, stairs, backyard furniture, did I need help packing, what is where in each room- he offered to come out to look around first- I said Ok and I sent him link to my virtual tour so that had given them the visual they needed- 4 of them showed up on moving day, on time! I watched as the team did a great job guiding the driver to back up my driveway in their 26 ft truck - perfect execution! was so glad to see their efficient team work! I was nervous when they arrived ~ but they were not at all. excelent! I asked them to be relaxed and take their time, be careful on the stairs..YAY! Everything went smooth as silk! i had packed boxes labeled for each room, bottom line is this team was very organized, methodical, and communicated as a time tested team! shirt time later In final hour, beds were put together in new house with right boxes, patio furniture in place, garage stuff stacked neatly in garage! They were a joy to and all at a good price~ Thank you, Rational Moving!! I'll be telling everyone about you! read more

Rick and Roman were professional and were always available. They moved our belonging from our house that we lived in for thirty years to a new Los Angeles home. They made last minute changes to accommodate our schedule without any problems. The cost was reasonable. Always had one or both of the owners present at every step of the way. All the movers on the crew were professional and polite. Very glad I went with a locally owned firm that gave us personalized service which I might not have received with a national moving firm. read more

Rational Movers moved all of our stuff across Santa Cruz when we moved into a new home and they were fast, careful, and came in well under the estimated cost so I was very pleased! read more

I wanted someone to move a family antique to my daughter's house, and chose Rational because they were local and had good reviews. They also made a lower estimate for the job than another moving service. Roman and Ethan arrived on time, removed my giant piece of furniture without damage or issues, and delivered it to my daughter's place briskly. I was astounded at how well they managed a big, awkward secretary-desk - they made it look easy. I'd recommend them without hesitation for an in-city move. They were great at communicating, and handled my worries well. read more

Rational Moving - Large secretary desk, very heavy and doesn't come apart - Movers Near Me

This is our third time using Rational. Rick, Roman and their team are pro's - all the things you would want in a mover - responsive, on time, careful with fragile items and thorough. Thanks guys! read more

I would not recommend this company. I called the owner and he was not the least bit apologetic. He needs to take responsibility for the lack of respect for other people's property. read more

Rational Moving - This truck came up our driveway, blocked access to our garage because they couldn't continue up the driveway to our neighbor's house. - Movers Near Me

These guys were top notch every step of the way. They were courteous and friendly, and they kept up an efficient pace. Their focus stayed on the work at hand rather than slipping into side conversations. I felt reassured by their manners and felt good about the process. Smooth move, guys... read more

Well...No one has ever answered their phone. I have tried many times to call. And no one has once returned my message. And I actually got babysat by some of these people who own this Co when I was younger and they still don't return my call. odd. They helped us move way back in 1979 from seabright to Live Oak area. but now...can not get ahold of a human. read more

We have moved twice in the last year, both times using Rational Moving. They are punctual, professional, and have great attitudes. Moving is never easy, but both Roman and Rick eased any stress we had on moving day. They work fast, and are respectful enough to ask questions and really listen to any concerns we had about the potential move. Our house was an embarrassing mess, and they came in and moved us in record time. Truly, we will never use anyone else. Hopefully we won't be moving again soon but if we need to, Rational will be the first call we make. Thanks again guys! read more

We recently downsized and moved from Santa Cruz to Berkeley. As such, we contracted Rational. I like local businesses by preference. My sense is if a person or people have a stake in their business they take things a little more seriously. George came over and quickly assessed what we would be moving and shared a rounded approximate cost. I liked George immediately. He looked me in the eye, listened actively and imparted a sense of trust. Score. We moved from a huge place to a small one. This resulted in our not being terribly well organized, or packed to make their task more efficient. This did not result in any issues - they proved to be flexible, friendly and tireless. When moving day arrived, George and his crew arrived on time. They loaded everything, packed most of the kitchen up (time consuming) and took off. This included an initial stop in Oakland to drop stuff at our daughter's place including a huge mattress to her upstairs apartment. Summary: it was a very long day for them, and a tiring load due to the number of boxes, the size of a few of the pieces and the navigation into the new building (fifth floor apartment with elevator but some nasty corners to traverse). Rational's team succeeded on multiple levels... * no breakage - zero * friendly and positive attitudes the entire day * flexible adjustments to the inevitable changes I honestly do not know how the move could have gone any better - unless perhaps we had been better prepared. Movers are a dime a dozen. In my experience with this substantial move, I recommend Rational without hesitation. read more

These guys are pros. I wouldn't trust anyone else with all my stuff. Great communication and efficient

I just finished school at the age of 32 (what the heck?), so I have a lot to learn about the real world. The moving world was hard to navigate -- moving is just so hard to do even if you're good at it, it's a tough business. Abbey answered all of my questions with patience and accuracy on the phone. George came by my house in San Lorenzo Valley by himself (3 bed 2 bath) and walked through and gave an estimate. He was a total professional and still a real person too, really fast really friendly. On moving day everyone was on time, friendly, and organized. The packing went really well -- we didn't prepare anything, they just packed things right off the shelves including paper wrapping for dishes etc. The really great thing is that George was there the whole time and instructed people on what they should be doing and how to do it. That's what makes everything work. His team is good too, but it's just great to have the business owner on the job doing a lot of the hard work and keeping everyone organized with his knowledge. They unloaded at the house in Santa Cruz. Everyone was really nice and efficient. The house has light colored "cream" carpets, and they didn't get them dirty thanks to the help of their moving blankets they laid down. Nothing was broken. There was one tiny scuff on the wall made by a mirror being turned around a corner on a stairwell. The employee showed it to us right away and apologized and we ended up just wiping the scuff off so you can barely see it. Nothing else went wrong, and nothing was stressful for us. I am now moving out of town, so I called them to see if they could do the move to Florida, but they said they don't do those moves. They gave me great recommendations as to what to do, and offered help on the Santa Cruz end, including suggestions that didn't profit them directly. I decided to get an ABF (I think the company is called upack) trailer and to have Rational pack my stuff and load it in the trailer for me. I called George on his cell phone just now to ask him about the plan, and he walked me through the steps, how many moving blankets to rent, etc. and assured me his people could get the job done exactly right for the cross-country move (ABF drives the trailer, Rational packs my stuff and loads it onto the trailer, then I hire my own people on the other side to unpack). I'll try to write up more after this move to Florida. This should go without saying on any review, but I find so many of the reviews on moving to be fraught with various kinds of deception, so I thought I'd make it explicit -- I have no affiliation at all with any moving company, I run a technology creativity company, and I am not affiliated in any way with the people at Rational or their circle of family or friends. (: read more

Highly recommend. Easy to work with. Listened. Respectful. Took direction well re where to place things in my new home. They took excellent care during the move process, inc with items that required special handling (boxes marked fragile, antique furniture, for ex), while moving right along. Hard working and careful crew. You'll be in great hands with the Rational crew. read more

George was very friendly and helpful in the scheduling of the move. I also liked the idea that it is a local company, second generation. However, the actual experience of moving had some problems. The movers did sloppy work. I found two of my personal things in the grass that have been dropped on the way from the truck to the apartment. They had no wardrobe to move my clothes, and they had to use my boxes. I was told they would set up my bed, etc. they did none of that unless I continually asked them to. And even then they left the electrical equipment and cables in disarray. They told me the old apt was empty. When I went back to check, the front door was wide open, the lights were on, and there was one more load of things that I had to bring myself consisting of a hand vacuum cleaner, a large wooden framed mirror hanging on the wall, and several other smaller items around the apartment. Sloppy work!! Disappointed! read more

Rational Movers are all they claim: FAST, VERY CONSCIENTIOUS, AND KIND. They arrived on time ... and were done in record time. They are the best movers ever. Rational answered my texts in a timely way which eased my pre-move anxieties. If a move is in your future ... CALL Rational for a truly professional service. You'll be glad you did. Carol A. Aptos, CA read more

Horrible so horrible after 4 years have passed I'm now posting !! Mainly because I wanted to try to move on from this nightmare moving service . DO NOT USE THIS MOVING SERVICE they pack and cram you belongings like a monkey ! In fact the monkey could prob had done it better . No regard for personal items. And beyond the owner is a huge pompous prick! Can you say rushes you & condescending ! I gave a honest example of all my belonging to be moved and on the day that I regret forever I was told I had too much .? But yet you still moved the quote big & heavy items - When you hire a moving service chances are it's because you can not do the move on your own! I would have been better off ! Too much , equaling a few stray bags of clothing in lawn bags how hard is it George ? Your service hopefully won't remain in business much longer ! I would never recommend your "Rational Moving service " Thanks for ruining some of my deceased parents vinyl records by stacking box after box on top of ! Stacking heavy boxes ontop of heavy boxes crushing the unfortunate bottom ones to the point or unsalvageable . And my brand new $700 customer walnut dresser 2 weeks old has dents & nicks that I know were not their before your monkeys handled it. You ought to consider a new profession maybe a trash service perhaps ? That is how you handled my belongings in an already stressful time. I read some other reviews that were pretty similar to mine , what do you have to say about your "business" ? Question your integrity as a business owner . Find a new JOB ! -000000000000000000000000000000 STARS read more

Once again Rational Moving gave us stellar customer service. This is our second move with them and I would recommend them highly. We had a short move within Watsonville but needed help with heavy furniture and a hot tub. The crew showed up on time and began working right away. They were polite, safe, quick and accommodating as we tried to get the furniture placed correctly. They charge by the quarter hour and worked efficiently. It was worth every penny. Hopefully we won't be moving again soon but if we need to, I know I'll call George and his crew! read more

Excellent! Their quote came in considerably lower than another local company and they were great to work with. The three men who handled our move were organized, efficient and nice guys too! They worked quickly but very carefully, with no damage to the items being moved or to the walls and doors as they were moving things in and out. Highly recommended! read more

Great movers! We used them to move us from Santa Cruz to Mountain View. The owner, George, helped with the move himself. He was very professional and very careful with all our belongings. Nothing was damaged. They were very careful with every box. They never tried to carry more than they could, but they were still fast and efficient. The truck was well packed leaving little chance for anything getting hurt in transit. All told, it cost us $700 for 3 movers moving a 1 bed / 1 bath into a 3rd floor apartment (includes 90 min or so for the drive time in both directions). It would have been at least $100 less if the elevator was bigger -- it was one of those small closet size elevators from the 60's and served as a pretty big bottle neck. read more

We hired this moving company to provide labor for loading a moving van. We arranged for three movers and two of them seemed completely useless. They carried things to the truck and then stood around while the third mover arranged items in the truck. That person didn't seem experienced and when he was done it looked like a fiver year old packed the truck. Most of the space in the top part of the van was left empty. Additionally, we were quoted $175/hr for three movers. They stayed for 4 hours which is $700, but when they handed us the bill, it was for $830. At that point we just wanted them to go, so we paid up. We would never recommend this company to anyone. read more

We had a 4 plus hour away move to bring my wife's mother to Santa Cruz. He gave a firm and fair quote and he stuck to it. The crew left SC at 4:30 am and arrived early at 8:30 am and they loaded quickly and without comment. Excellent. Everything arrived in perfect shape and a big crew showed up to unload in less than an hour. This was a great experience. read more

We've moved a lot. We've even been scammed by movers on a cross-country move, so we're always nervous when we hire a new mover. We do our homework - we read reviews, we get recommendations from friends, we check BBB ratings. Our extensive research and reviews from friends originally led us to another company, but they were too busy during the time we needed to move so that company referred us to Rational. We vetted Rational by checking with friends and learning that a coworker had used Rational and he raved about them. Based on his review, we called Rational. When George came out to give us a quote on the move, he was very thorough and explained everything very well. He was also quite personable and explained that he would be there on the day of the move. The day before the move, I spoke with Abbey and confirmed that we were all set. When the move day came, George and his guys were great. In fact, they did a better job than the local United Moving Company affiliate (which had moved us into the place). The items that seemed particularly heavy and bulky for the United folks seemed like a piece of cake for George's guys (and they were much smaller than the other guys)! We are very happy with how our move turned out and we whole-heartedly recommend Rational to friends who are looking for a local mover. read more

We recently needed some large furniture items moved from San Jose to Santa Cruz area and got a few quotes over the phone from different moving companies. Several people on the Next Door website recommended Rational Moving and their estimate sounded reasonable so decided to go with them. They were on time, efficient, patient and everything arrived undamaged including some heirloom antique cabinets. The movers were super helpful holding certain pieces of furniture up for me while I put felt pads on the leg bottoms to protect our floors. The only thing that seemed kind of strange to me was I communicated directly with the owner George by text message only and never signed anything after we scheduled the date. Since they showed up on schedule there was no reason to worry. They also wanted a personal check for payment, not a credit card. read more

I moved with these guys 2 years ago, and i'm looking them up again for another move beause their the only movers I've ever trusted and liked... They were helpful, on time, quick to get me to Los Angeles, respectful of our things, and George (the owner) was great! Nothing was damaged. However I personally packed all the nuts and bolts to the crib and carried them in my purse for safe keeping (I suggest anyone do that just in case because the baby needs a nap above all things right?) :) They gave me a good price, beat out the competition and on top of it all - THEY WERE LOCAL. Non of this, our company is based out of LA and we have hubs everywhere stuff... read more

I was beyond impressed with Rational Movers. The owners are two young men who are bright, strong, professional and honest. I had a very large refrigerator in my carport and they hauled it up two flights of stairs and into my kitchen - it was not an easy task! The movers were super consciences about moving it carefully so they didn't damage our new refrigerator and/or our railing, stairs or inside our home. Their fees are fair and scheduling was quick and easy. I was extremely pleased and had a positive experience. They deserve more then 5 stars. read more

This is a multi-generational, family run business--long time Santa Cruz folks. My wife and I contracted with Rational to move the contents of an entire 4 BR house locally, within Santa Cruz. The move went smoothly; the guys were intelligent, very professional, obviously not some day laborers picked up off the streets. They knew what they were doing and did it very efficiently. Although I have not unpacked the boxes, I can say that the furniture & appliances arrived without damage. The guys were very careful about how they handled it. There was a mis-communication about the final cost, but the owners were willing to work out an equitable solution--which says a lot to me about the company. Not having used other movers, I cannot say they are as good as it gets, but I sure had a good move with them and surely would use them again. Good group of folks. read more

Now that I've decided to never ever ever move again, the only part that makes me sad is that I've finally found GREAT movers. Totally fair price, friendly & kind. When they showed up I was a mess and they just got to work. I wish I'd been more prepared, but they were awesome. read more

These guys are terrific. They moved my fiancée's stuff into our new home in May, and they moved mine from a POD in Milpitas into our new home in Felton this month. They were professional, cheerful, conscientious, and generally fun to be around. Everything got moved without a hitch, and everything arrived intact, and the price was considerably less than I would have expected. Roman and Logan did a terrific job, and George, the owner, was easy to reach for scheduling and easy to communicate with. I wouldn't consider using anyone else after having two such excellent experiences with them. read more

Can't recommend them highly enough! Responded very quickly, gave an incredibly fair quote and scheduled the appointment for the day I requested. Did a great job on the move and charged as quoted. I'd absolutely use them again!!! read more

Please note: another female customer wrote me a yelp email regarding another negative, harassing experience with the owner. Contrary to the owners statement below, she called the person by name - George. This is the same company, same owners and based on ZM's review below, harassing customers seems to have developed into a habit. As you will read in my review below, I was a half step from calling the police to get George off my doorstep. Aby may have convinced Yelp, but the other ladies review was filtered and her experience should be made known to potential customers... We got 2 estimates one from Locatelli, one from Rational, both companies used the same form to perform the estimate. Locatelli put one cost on the estimate, Rational put a range of costs and also wanted to charge 10% over their estimate if they were wrong about how long it would take - they explained nothing of this to us. The WHOLE POINT of getting an estimate is getting a company to commit to moving you in the time they say they can. Unfortunately after looking at the estimate more critically we realized their scam the day before the move and Locatelli was already booked for Saturday. We purchased insurance from George - the owner - in the amount of $6,000. Our furniture is really nice and the 2 movers chipped a very large wood piece off of an armoire (cost of furniture - $2500). When contacting the owner to file the insurance claim, he gave us nothing but run around claiming they're not responsible, etc etc. The mover handed me the piece of chipped wood after it happened, they are absolutely responsible. They refused to provide the insurance information; when I was persistent they had a bogus friend of theirs contact me fronting himself as an insurance agent. They misrepresented my personal information as well. MOST IMPORTANTLY, after posting this review to warn other potential clients, George and two of his thug movers showed up at my house uninvited to demand that I take down the review. This literally turned into a domestic scene. Based on 2 other reviews, it appears this person has an serious issue harassing people. Since moving with them, I've used Locatelli and Lambert & Sons & had a straight forward, no drama moving experience. read more

Best movers around hands down! We have used them for 2 moves of our own and my mother also used them for a recent move. Very fair prices and treated our stuff with kid gloves. My mom is a packrat and they helped her pack and moved several tricky items for her ie. hot tub, glass cabinets, huge paintings. I would highly recommend them and would use them without hesitation if I need to move again. read more

You know, the unfortunate downside of review sites is that anyone can post a review - friends and family OR competitors. I am NEITHER. I read the one negative review against Rational, and for a number of reasons, decided to use them even though a friend has always used Locatelli. Did you notice? Interesting that CM from San Diego starts out saying they got an estimate from Locatelli, went with Rational, but has a whole sales pitch for Locatelli at the end even though they never used them. Hmmm, now you know why I paid no attention to that review and went with Rational Allied Van Lines? I specifically chose owner/operated. George gave me all the information personally on my first call, and let me know he personally leads each move. I've moved many times and even the most competent crew never matched the quality I got from George and the gang. They showed up on time (8am on a Sunday no less) and George immediately got the crew going while he had me show him what needed to be done. He shaved at least 15 min off the move by doing that - every other time I've moved they always do the paperwork and get the lay of the land while the crew waits on my dime. The pace was blistering. I kept waiting for them to slow down but they didn't, even though the destination was a 3-story Townhouse (2 flights of stairs). Maybe its because we all wanted to finish in time to watch the Sharks playoff game later that afternoon, but I doubt it. They treated the clock like theirs, not mine, as if they get paid less for taking longer - really. I had several challenges (i.e. narrow than expected doorways) and some very heavy items. Everything was handled skillfully, carefully and efficiently. Nothing was damaged, not even a scratch or scrape on a wall. So far as insurance, we got a full replacement value plan at $4 per $1000, which was pretty cheap considering the coverage. You'd be foolish not to take it (i.e. $24 to cover $6000 of your belongings). I can't imagine there would have been any issue using it had George chipped one of my items, but since there was zero damage to anything, I can't vouch here. I can say given George's professionalism on everything else I can't imagine him treating anyone like CM claims. I don't usually write reviews, but given I picked George in large part because of Yelp and despite the CM review, I just had to come on and set the record straight. read more

Rational moved us from Santa Cruz to Berkeley. The owner came by and gave us a quote, was very friendly. The actual moving went extremely well. Very efficient, competent, and friendly movers got everything out and in without coming into contact with any walls or rails - our stuff made it into our new place in the exact same condition it was in prior. They were extremely time efficient. We paid exactly what we were quoted, even though I think it ended up taking a little bit longer than was estimated. Very pleased with this business, would definitely recommend/use them again. read more

Rational Moving took some of the stress (and backaches) out of our move. Abby was extremely friendly and efficient in getting George out to do an estimate and booking our appointment. All four of the movers were friendly and professional and they got the job done quickly. They actually went over the estimated time and added an extra mover to the job, and we paid what George estimated nonetheless. We have an antique dining set that is a family heirloom...George pointed out a large ding, and wanted to know if it happened during their job. It had not (I did that myself during our last move) but he was very honest and concerned about it. Rational Moving was great to work with. I am very glad I chose them for the job and wouldn't hesitate recommending them to friends and family. They were friendly, honest, hard-working and efficient. Great customer service and great business! read more

We worked with Rational Movers on moving some estate items from Aptos, CA to an Auction House for sale. They were very responsive to our inquiry and George insisted on coming out in-person to meet with us to survey the project. We got a realistic and fair cost estimate and was able to schedule the move within our time requirements. They showed up on time and were very fast and efficient with moving the items. They were very careful with packing the items and nothing got damaged in the move. We got everything done within the time frame and cost estimate that was originally provided. It was a real pleasure to work with George and his team. I would definitely use them again for future moving needs and would recommend them to others. read more

Rational did an excellent job. I used them twice in my local moves. The second time, there was some mild damage and they took care of it right away, replacing the parts that broke. My only complaint was some of the movers were young (students prob) and one of them a bit snarky. read more

Contacted them with 2 days notice and they showed up on time, hustled with no damage and were super efficient! Abbey and George were both extremely professional in the booking experience and face to face. George did a great job of being one step ahead of the movers on what was going and what was not. Great team of guys. Totally recommend them!! read more