IC: Are these local movers' prices normal!? (Des Moines, Iowa City: apartment, insurance)

[Sojourner in Iowa]

I checked online to find some professionals to unload my moving truck (a 1 bedroom apartment) and take my furniture up one flight of stairs. Local IC movers wanted, on average, $330 for two hours. I did find one place that was cheaper, but it had terrible ratings. Are these prices normal? Every other place I've lived (admittedly all larger metros that saw more business) ran half that much.

[zz4guy]

I would put a sign up on one of the many student bulletin boards and offer $150 for the same job. You are paying for insurance and taxes and equipment that these guys have to charge you for. Of course you hire two college guys and they aren't going to pay for your $1500 TV that they dropped or the hole they put in the drywall.

[Sojourner in Iowa]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I am specifically looking for insured professionals. I was concerned about the price (some in IC went as high as $400+), as in Chicago, St. Louis, KC, Dallas, Houston, Austin, etc... the prices usually hover around $100-$150 for the same service.

[SharpHawkeye]

Unfortunately, this seems like a clear-cut case of supply and demand. There are only a few insured professional movers in the Iowa City area--so they can pretty much charge whatever the heck they want.

Unfortunately one of the drawbacks of life in flyover country...

[broux00]

We moved within Des Moines last year, and from the time the movers (2 guys) got there to the time the truck was empty at the new place, about 3 hours had passed. Cost us about $350. I gave them each a $20 tip.