Moving in North Charleston, SC

Moving in North Charleston — Charleston Tri-County, SC

Looking for movers in North Charleston, SC? Low Country Moving Specialists, a locally owned mover, moves households into, out of and within North Charleston, inside the tri-county; the city spans Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties. Our published rates: $135 to $225 an hour full service, $115 to $195 labor only, by crew size, two-hour minimum; additional fees may apply.

Updated October 2026 · 8 min read · Serving the Charleston tri-county

The short version:

• One city, three counties. North Charleston lies in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties; in the Charleston County part, recycling is a county service.
• Inside city limits, a storage container needs a City permit. In a residential district, one unit can stay up to 30 days a calendar year while it’s actively being loaded or unloaded.
• Trucks in residential districts. City code bars parking a truck of over two-ton capacity on streets in R-1, R-2 and R-3 districts, but the same section doesn’t limit loading and unloading.
• Sort the curb pile. Furniture goes in its own pile, no earlier than 48 hours before collection day.
• Our published rates: $135 to $225 an hour with our truck, $115 to $195 for labor only, by crew size, two-hour minimum; additional fees may apply.

1. Moving in North Charleston: what a move there involves

The City rules below apply to addresses inside North Charleston’s city limits, so check that your address is inside them; recycling and some utilities depend on the county and the address.

One city, three counties

The City of North Charleston sits in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties. It’s home to about 120,000 people in about 49,000 households, and about half of its occupied housing units are renter-occupied; for renter households, the median year they moved into their current home is 2020 (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 five-year estimates). ACS figures are estimates with margins of error.

A portable storage container needs a City permit

Renting a portable storage container? Sort out the permit first. North Charleston’s zoning regulations require the unit’s user or provider to apply for a permit with the Zoning department, giving the unit’s purpose, how long it will stay and a site plan or sketch showing where it will sit on the property. The City takes the Portable Temporary Storage Unit Permit through its online permit portal; questions go to Zoning at 843-740-2581 or 2582.

• How long. In a residential district, one unit is allowed for up to 30 days per calendar year, or two units for up to 14 days per calendar year, while actively being loaded or unloaded.
• Extensions. The code counts relocation as a “reasonable need.” At the zoning administrator’s discretion, an extended permit can add up to 90 days (four months in total), or last as long as a building permit if that’s shorter.
• Where it sits. The code puts units in the rear yard and prohibits them on sidewalks, roads and other rights-of-way unless no other reasonable alternative exists or the owner would face unreasonable hardship.
• Size and sign. A unit can be no more than 20 feet long, 8 feet wide and 8.5 feet high, and it must carry a sign showing the provider’s name and contact information.

Parking the moving truck

City code makes it unlawful to park or leave unattended a truck of over two-ton capacity on any street in districts zoned R-1, R-2 or R-3, but the same section says it does not prohibit or limit the loading and unloading of trucks. No vehicle may stay parked on a city street for more than 24 hours, so plan where a rental truck waits if a move runs longer than that. A trailer may not be left standing on a city street unless it stays attached to its vehicle. And in a marked loading zone, a stop to load or unload materials can’t run longer than 30 minutes.

Furniture, bulk trash and moving boxes

The City collects bulk trash such as furniture weekly at the curb. Its New Resident Guide notes that your collection day depends on where in the city you live, and its bulk trash page says nothing should go to the curb more than 48 hours before that day.

• Sort it. Furniture and small amounts of construction debris go in a separate pile; mixed piles can’t be collected.
• Place it. City code puts couches, chairs and other large items near the curb but safely out of the roadway, never on a water meter or sprinkler head, next to a fire hydrant, or under power lines or trees.
• Take the doors off. Refrigerator and freezer doors must come off before the appliance goes to the curb.
• Hold back the electronics. The City no longer picks up e-waste such as TVs and computers.

Details are on the City’s bulk trash page; Public Works takes collection requests at (843) 745-1026.

In the Charleston County part of the city, recycling is a Charleston County service rather than a City one, and the County’s curbside rules say to flatten boxes and cut them to fit inside the cart, since material left outside it isn’t collected; large amounts of cardboard from a move-in can go to a county convenience center or dropsite (the County requires an advance appointment to bring a box truck or moving van to a convenience center, the centers are for county residents with proof of residency, and commercial businesses and contractors can’t use them). In the Berkeley or Dorchester County part, check your county’s own rules.

Water, sewer, power and paperwork

The City’s utilities page lists three water and/or sewer utilities for North Charleston addresses (Charleston Water System, the North Charleston Sewer District and Dorchester County Water and Sewer) without saying which serves which address, so confirm yours first. Charleston Water System customers can open an account at an existing home online, by phone at (843) 727-6800 or at its offices; allow at least one business day for activation, and expect a $35 origination fee on each new water and each new sewer account. For electricity, the City lists Dominion Energy, Berkeley Electric Cooperative and Santee Cooper. Once you’re in, the City’s New Resident Guide reminds newcomers that a driver’s license and vehicle registration must be changed when you change residences.

From Mount Pleasant: I-526 and I-26

We’re based in Mount Pleasant, and I-526 is the corridor to North Charleston: SCDOT defined its I-526 Lowcountry Corridor EAST study as the 11 miles from Virginia Avenue in North Charleston to about US 17 in Mount Pleasant. The City says most visitors arrive by car on I-26, with its main thoroughfares, Rivers Avenue and Dorchester Road, running parallel. It also warns that rush hour can slow Charleston-bound traffic in the morning and outbound traffic in the afternoon; that’s worth weighing when you pick a start time.

2. Our moving services in North Charleston

Need movers and packers for the whole job, or a crew for a truck you rented? We book three kinds of crews, each with two to six movers.

Full Moving Service

Our Full Moving Service pairs a packing crew with a moving crew for your household goods. You choose the packing crew and the moving crew separately, each for its own hours, and the two can’t be scheduled on the same day. The moving crew’s rate covers the crew, our truck and the equipment (dollies, furniture pads and straps), and basic disassembly is part of the job.

Truck + Labor Crew

If you’d rather pack yourself, a Truck + Labor Crew brings our truck and a crew to load your home and unload it at the other end. It books at the same hourly rates as Full Moving Service, without the packing and unpacking.

Moving Labor Only

If you’ve rented your own moving truck or a portable container, a Moving Labor Only crew loads or unloads it: we load your rental truck here, and you drive it. The same crews handle packing and unpacking labor and inside labor, such as a move inside one building; our labor-only guide explains where a crew’s responsibility ends.

Packing and unpacking

With Full Moving Service, the packing crew is booked separately from the moving crew, on a different day. Packing is also available as labor through a Moving Labor Only crew; a Truck + Labor Crew doesn’t pack. Packing supplies and specialty items such as pianos and gun safes carry an additional charge, and we quote upright pianos by phone.

Looking for commercial movers in North Charleston? Office moves are scoped at a walkthrough rather than priced from our hourly rates, and our office move guide covers pricing and keeping downtime short.

3. Our published rates

These are our published residential and labor-only rates. Crew size sets the hourly rate, and your home and its access (stairs, walk distance, where the truck can park) set the hours.

Every crew carries a two-hour minimum, billed even if the job finishes sooner. Additional fees may apply; on a Full Moving Service, the packing supplies fee is added after the job is complete. Our guide to what a local move actually costs in Charleston covers what drives the hours, and current Full Moving Service and Labor Only rates are printed on our service rates page.

4. Licensed for the tri-county, rated by customers

Our South Carolina Public Service Commission Class E certificate covers moves between points in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties. We’re locally owned and operating in the Charleston tri-county area, our crews are background-checked and trained, and our estimates come in writing. Customers rate us 4.7 stars on more than 480 Google reviews.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do movers in North Charleston, SC cost? Our published rates run $135 to $225 an hour for Full Moving Service or a Truck + Labor Crew and $115 to $195 for Moving Labor Only, by crew size, with a two-hour minimum. Additional fees may apply; on a Full Moving Service, the packing supplies fee is added after the job.

Do I need a permit for a portable storage container in North Charleston? Yes. The container’s user or provider applies to the City’s Zoning department for a portable storage unit permit. In a residential district, one unit is allowed for up to 30 days per calendar year, or two units for up to 14 days per calendar year, while actively being loaded or unloaded.

Can a moving truck park on a residential street in North Charleston? City code bars parking or leaving unattended a truck of over two-ton capacity on streets in R-1, R-2 and R-3 districts, but the same section doesn’t limit loading and unloading. And no vehicle may stay parked on a city street for more than 24 hours.

What do I do with old furniture and moving boxes in North Charleston? Put furniture out for the City’s weekly bulk collection in its own pile, no earlier than 48 hours before your collection day. In the Charleston County part of the city, flatten boxes to fit inside your recycling cart; large amounts of move-in cardboard can go to a county convenience center or dropsite, with an advance appointment if it comes in a box truck or moving van.

How do I start water service at a new home in North Charleston? Confirm your provider first; the City lists three without saying which serves which address. Charleston Water System opens accounts online, by phone at (843) 727-6800 or at its offices, takes at least one business day to activate water service, and charges a $35 origination fee on each new water and each new sewer account.

How far ahead should I book movers in North Charleston? We often need 7 to 10 days’ notice to schedule a move.

Ready to Move in North Charleston?

Moving into, out of or within North Charleston, inside the tri-county? Get a free, no-obligation estimate, in-home or virtual, and we’ll size the crew, flag the access issues and put the estimate in writing.

Call (843) 737-1279 or contact your local mover. Or book online through our booking page.

See our current service rates or browse more moving tips.

This page summarizes City, county, utility, SCDOT and Census information as we read it on October 20, 2026, and is not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm them with the City or your provider before move day.