From a Dallas apartment building to a Phoenix driveway
In Dallas, 47% of homes sit in buildings of five or more units. In Phoenix that share is 26%, and detached houses make up 60% of the housing, against 42% in Dallas. If you are leaving a Dallas apartment, the place you land in is likely a house, and the mechanics of the move flip with it.
Describe both ends to every mover before you ask for a price. Loading from an apartment building can mean a reserved elevator, a loading dock or a long carry from a parking lot. Unloading at a house can mean a driveway, a front step and a staircase inside. Each of those adds or removes labor time, and labor time moves the price on this route alongside the weight of your belongings and the date you pick. The price range at the top of this page is where to start; your two buildings are what move you within it.
Sort the inventory before the survey
A house has more rooms to fill than an apartment. Before the survey, walk through your Dallas place and sort everything into three piles: coming, selling and storing. Then picture the Phoenix house: a garage, a yard, perhaps a spare room. Patio furniture, tools or a mower may be new items on your list.
Every pound on the truck goes into the estimate on an interstate move. A worn sofa you plan to swap out soon is worth a second look in that light, because selling it in Dallas and buying fresh in Phoenix is a choice you can price against carrying it. Measure the rooms and the doorways at the new house if you can, so that what you bring will fit what is there.
Arrange a physical survey, in person or by video, and have the three piles ready for the surveyor. A figure built on a walk-through is the one to compare between companies.
Rent, home values and Arizona's 2.5% income tax
On the federal price index for 2024 (U.S. = 100), the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the Phoenix area share one score, 103. The differences are in the detail.
- Home values: the median home in Phoenix is worth $381,900, against $295,300 in Dallas, a gap of 29%. Selling a Dallas house to buy in Phoenix means your equity has to cover a higher entry point. For a first-time buyer leaving a Dallas rental, the starting figure is higher too.
- Rent: the median runs $1,458 a month in Phoenix and $1,403 in Dallas, only 4% more.
- Income: the median household earns $77,041 in Phoenix and $67,760 in Dallas.
- Tax: Texas collects no state income tax. Arizona charges a flat 2.5%, which on an $80,000 salary comes to about $2,000 a year. Count it in your budget before you decide the rent figure makes Phoenix cheaper.
Timing the lease, the storage unit and the truck
Phoenix is the larger city, with 1,624,832 residents to Dallas's 1,299,553. Turnover is alike at both ends: 15% of Phoenix residents and 16% of Dallas residents changed addresses in the past year. In Dallas, 58% of households rent; in Phoenix it is 43%.
Sign the Phoenix lease with a firm start date, then book the mover to match it. If you book the truck first and sign later, you can end up with a delivery date and no door to deliver to.
If you plan to rent in Phoenix for a few months before buying, you may need a short lease and a storage unit for the overflow. Tell your mover now. Delivery to storage followed by a second delivery later is billed differently from one delivery to one address.
Phoenix neighborhoods to look at first
Phoenix spreads over a vast metro area, so the right neighborhood depends on what you need nearby. Five places to research:
- Arcadia: walkable pockets, established trees (rare in Phoenix) and a strong restaurant scene. Home prices run above the metro median.
- Scottsdale (an adjacent city): upscale amenities, schools, and hiking close by, at a higher price point.
- Tempe: home to Arizona State University, with light rail access and relatively more affordable rents.
- Gilbert and Chandler (Southeast Valley): suburbs with newer construction, schools and a calmer pace, which suits a household coming from the Dallas suburbs.
- Downtown Phoenix and Midtown: the urban core, with significant recent investment and a denser, more walkable feel.
Once you have narrowed it down, movers in Phoenix who know the metro can advise on access, parking permits and elevator reservations, which vary from one neighborhood to the next. Movers in Dallas can do the same for the building you are leaving.
Spring storms in Dallas, summer heat in Phoenix
Dallas summers are hot and humid, with temperatures often above 100°F, and spring brings thunderstorm and tornado risk. Phoenix summers are more extreme: temperatures routinely exceed 110°F from June to September. Winters at the Phoenix end are mild and sunny.
October through February sits between Dallas's storm season and Phoenix's summer heat. If your dates are flexible, that stretch avoids both. If they are not, plan for the season you have:
- A July or August delivery puts the crew at work in 110°F heat. Ask for an early start and keep water on hand for everyone.
- A spring departure from Dallas can meet storm delays, so build a little slack into the delivery window you agree on.
- Anything that melts or spoils, including plants, candles and electronics, travels in your own car, not on the truck.
What Phoenix weather asks of you after arrival
Dallas heat comes with humidity. Phoenix heat is dry, and a dry 110°F or more is dangerous even though it feels different. Outdoor errands move to early morning and evening from June through September, and a supply of water stays in the car.
Several other things are particular to Phoenix:
- Haboobs: these huge dust storms can roll in with little warning and cut visibility to near zero within minutes. Download a local weather app before you arrive and take its alerts seriously.
- Sun and UV: window tint, sunshades and good wiper blades are worth buying early, since the Arizona sun wears wipers out quickly. If you are buying a house, check the roof and the insulation, because summer cooling is a budget line of its own.
- Smoke: Dallas's tornado risk gives way to wildfire smoke. Phoenix itself does not face significant direct wildfire risk, but smoke from fires across Arizona, New Mexico and California can drift into the valley and affect air quality for days. If anyone in your household has respiratory concerns, check air quality data as part of your research.
Estimates, valuation and claims on an interstate move
Dallas and Phoenix are in different states, so federal rules apply to your move.
- Get the estimate in writing, based on a physical survey, in person or by video. A price given sight unseen is a red flag.
- A binding estimate means you pay that figure at delivery, plus anything you added after signing and up to 15% for impracticable operations, with anything beyond that billed later.
- A non-binding estimate is based on the final weight. The mover must release your goods once you pay 110% of the estimate at delivery, and any balance is billed after 30 days.
- A not-to-exceed price is a kind of binding estimate that movers offer on this route; the final bill cannot pass the stated number.
- Full Value Protection applies automatically. The mover must repair, replace or pay the replacement value of what it damages. Only a signed written waiver moves you to the free basic option, Released Value, which pays 60 cents per pound per article. Valuation is the mover's liability level and is not insurance; separate moving insurance is optional.
- Claims must be filed in writing within 9 months of delivery. A note on the delivery receipt is not a claim.
- The bill of lading must reach you at least 3 days before loading. Never sign a blank document, and treat a large cash deposit as a warning sign.
For your Arizona driver license, vehicle registration and tax details, check the Arizona state DMV.
Picking a mover for Dallas to Phoenix
Our team has 35+ years of hands-on service-provider experience, including an operator who ran a moving company for 18 years.
The question that comes up most is whether a company moves you itself or hands you to someone else. On the federal registry, "Motor Carrier of Household Goods" means the company does the move. "Broker of Household Goods" means it passes the job on.
Work through these steps in order:
- Look up the company's USDOT number on the FMCSA website. An interstate mover must be licensed with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
- Ask for at least three written estimates, from companies that survey both buildings, and ask each to name the estimate type.
- Read reviews that describe long-distance jobs, not local ones.
- Get the delivery window written into the contract.
- Ask whether your shipment stays on one truck. Some carriers use partner agents in Texas or Arizona, and your items may be transferred to a second truck.
Start with find movers to compare companies by move date and home size, or browse by state if you are weighing other destinations.
Dallas to Phoenix: four questions that come up
Does leaving Texas for Arizona add a state income tax?
Yes. Texas collects none, and Arizona charges a flat 2.5% rate. On a salary of $75,000 that is a new yearly cost worth working out before you finalize the move.
What if the Phoenix lease starts after the Dallas lease ends?
Tell your mover while you are collecting estimates. Ask about a longer delivery window, or about a short stay in storage between the two dates, and get the answer in writing.
How long is the delivery window?
No law sets a number of days. The window is whatever you and the mover agree and write on the bill of lading. On this route it typically runs two to five business days. The mover must give you 24 hours' notice of delivery and tell you as soon as it knows of a delay.
What do I do if a haboob catches me on the road in a car or rental truck?
Pull as far off the road as you can, turn off your lights, put the vehicle in park, keep your foot off the brake and wait it out. Arizona's Department of Transportation puts it this way: "Pull aside, stay alive." Before any summer drive, have the cooling system serviced and carry extra water.