A local Mercer Island moving company serving the North End, Mercerdale, and the entire Island — one all-inclusive hourly rate, no brokers.
Hi, I’m Mia. Call and you get me — not AI, not a call center.
Mon–Fri 9am–6pm PDT
Mercer Island moves have one recurring challenge that almost no other city on the Eastside shares: a great many homes sit below the road. On the waterfront and along the steep western and eastern shores, the driveway ends at street level and the house is down a flight — sometimes several — from there. That means carrying uphill, loaded, all day. It's slower than the equivalent house on flat ground, and it's the single biggest factor in how long an island move takes.
The rest of the island runs from Town Center condos to established mid-century homes in the North End and larger properties toward the south. We've handled all of it, and we plan crew size around access and carry distance rather than square footage alone.
You get one all-inclusive hourly rate covering the truck, blankets, shrink wrap, tape, furniture assembly, stairs, and travel time. No broker handoff — the person who answers the phone manages your move, and the crew that arrives are our own background-checked employees.
The island is small but the access varies enormously between the flat centre and the sloped shorelines:
Condos and apartments around 78th Avenue SE — the densest part of the island. Buildings here typically require a Certificate of Insurance, a reserved elevator, and a loading zone booking. We provide the COI free and arrange the rest with the building before your date.
The defining Mercer Island move. Homes below street level with long stair runs down from the driveway, and everything carried back up on the way out. We size crews larger for these and rotate movers on the stairs — it's the safest way to do it and usually the fastest.
Established mid-century homes on generally manageable lots. Narrow winding streets are the main constraint, and a few blocks simply won't take a 26-foot truck. We check the approach before dispatch.
Central island neighborhoods, mostly single-family with proper driveways. These are the most straightforward moves on the island — flat access, reasonable carry distances, standard timelines.
Larger homes on bigger lots toward the south. Long driveways and mature trees overhanging them are common, which occasionally rules out a full-height truck. Worth mentioning on the estimate.
Steep, exclusive pockets on the eastern shore. Access is the whole job here — narrow lanes, tight turnarounds, and significant elevation change between the street and the front door. These always warrant an on-site estimate.
What you pay for movers on Mercer Island comes down to crew size and hours worked. We charge one all-inclusive hourly rate — truck, blankets, shrink wrap, tape, furniture assembly, stairs, and travel time are all inside it, so the number you're quoted is the number you pay.
Rough guide for a typical Mercer Island move:
Stairs are the variable that matters most here. A waterfront home with three flights between the door and the driveway can take half again as long as the same house at street level, and no honest quote can ignore that. It's why we push for an on-site estimate on sloped properties rather than working from photos.
Mid-week and mid-month dates are the cheapest way to move on Mercer Island, and starting outside I-90 peak hours helps too. We run daily routes between Mercer Island and Bellevue, Newcastle, Issaquah, and Seattle. Request a free quote or call (206) 590-2288 — on-site or by video, no obligation.
Other companies bill separately for blankets, tape, shrink wrap, and assembly. Not us. Standard with every Mercer Island move:
The person you talk to on the phone manages your move. No job reselling, no mystery crews.
All-inclusive hourly rate covers truck, supplies, stairs, and parking. What we quote is what you pay.
Licensed by the WA UTC (THG070086), USDOT 3666304, MC 1562374. Full commercial cargo and liability insurance, free COI.
Across Google, Yelp and Thumbtack, customers rate us for showing up on time and treating every home with care.
"Sam and his team are so professional, efficient, and kind. I got a call the day before to confirm parking and crew size, then a detailed cost breakdown before they started — no surprises."
"Super easy online reservation, and the team on move day was excellent: friendly, quick, arrived on time, and finished in the exact quoted time, hustling the entire way."
"Moving was incredibly stressful and they treated me with respect — everything went so smoothly. I will definitely be using them again and recommending them to anyone I can."
Yes — Town Center, the North End, East Seattle, First Hill, Mercerdale, Island Crest, the South End, and the waterfront and point neighborhoods. Call (206) 590-2288 and we'll confirm your exact address.
It depends on crew size and hours worked. We charge one all-inclusive hourly rate — truck, blankets, shrink wrap, assembly, stairs, and travel time included. A studio typically takes 3–5 hours with 2 movers; a 2-bedroom 4–6 hours with 3 movers; a 3–4 bedroom home 6–9 hours with 3–4 movers. Sloped waterfront properties run longer. Call (206) 590-2288 for an exact quote.
It's very common on Mercer Island and we're set up for it. We send a larger crew and rotate movers on the stairs, which is both safer and usually faster than pushing a small crew through it. Tell us roughly how many flights when you call — it's the main thing that shapes the quote.
Most do, and we provide it free. Town Center buildings typically also require a reserved elevator and a loading zone booking. Send us the property management company's name and address 2–3 business days ahead and we'll coordinate directly with them.
It can, since everything on and off the island crosses the bridge. Where your schedule allows, we start island moves outside peak hours. On a two-stop move that timing can save an hour of billable time.
Yes, free and with no obligation. On Mercer Island we recommend an on-site estimate rather than video for anything on a slope — stair count and carry distance are difficult to judge accurately from photos, and they're what drive the hours.
Yes — short- and long-term storage between moves. Your items are packed, inventoried, and stored by the same crew that moves you, which helps when closing dates don't line up.
Yes. Licensed by the Washington UTC (permit THG070086), USDOT 3666304, MC 1562374, with full commercial cargo and liability insurance. You can verify any Washington mover's permit at utc.wa.gov before you book.
Tough Cookie provides moving, packing, and storage across the entire Greater Seattle Area metro, including:
Free on-site estimate · No brokers · No hidden fees
Hi, I’m Mia. Call and you get me — not AI, not a call center.