Plan your Denver move
Denver moving checklist: eight weeks out to unpacked
Start eight weeks out if you can. Lock in estimates and the date by week six. Handle the address change, utilities and building bookings by week four, and file for truck parking by week two. The checklist below runs in that order, with the Denver-specific steps (DOTI street permits, Xcel Energy, Denver Water, large-item pickup) at the point you need them.
The weeks are suggested planning windows, not legal deadlines. A building's, a utility's or the city's own deadline overrides them. Your ticks are saved only in this browser.
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The eight-week timeline
Moving a parent or downsizing? See senior moving and downsizing for a longer timeline.
8 weeks before
6 weeks before
4 weeks before
2 weeks before
1 week before
The day before
Moving day
After the move
Booking with less time? Do weeks eight to four in one go: estimates, permit checks and the building rules. Then file for parking straight away. Under Colorado rules, a mover must give the written estimate at least 24 hours before the move unless you booked less than 24 hours ahead. (4 CCR 723-6-6608.)
Room-by-room packing
| Room | How to pack it |
|---|---|
| Kitchen | Pack dishes on edge in small boxes with paper between them; wrap glasses one by one; tape knives in cardboard sleeves; empty and dry the fridge. Pack the last-week kitchen into one box you open first. |
| Bedrooms | Wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes; drawers emptied unless the mover says the dresser travels full; mattress bags for every mattress; bedding in the essentials box. |
| Living room | Photograph the back of the TV and electronics before unplugging; pack cables with their devices; remove TV wall mounts and bag the screws; wrap art and mirrors on their edge. |
| Bathrooms | Seal liquids in bags; pack medicines and prescriptions in your personal bag, not the truck; leave out one set of towels. |
| Home office | Back up computers; carry hard drives and important papers yourself; pack books in small boxes, which keeps them light enough to lift. |
| Garage, basement and outdoors | Drain fuel from mowers and tools; dispose of paint, propane and chemicals separately (movers commonly refuse them); bundle long tools; clean outdoor furniture. |
Labeling that saves time at the other end
- Label each box with its destination room, not where it came from, on the top and on one side.
- Number the boxes and keep a simple list. It makes a missing box obvious at delivery.
- Mark "fragile" and "this side up" only where it is true, so the marks keep their meaning.
- Tape a room sign to each door at the new home, so the crew doesn't have to ask.
If the movers are packing, ask whether materials are charged separately and whether Colorado sales tax applies to packing (cost guide).
Utilities and address changes
| Who | What they say | When |
|---|---|---|
| Xcel Energy (electric and gas, where it serves) | Xcel Energy takes online start, stop and transfer requests from a few business days to 60 days before a move, and cannot backdate a request made after you have moved. | 2–4 weeks before |
| Denver Water (where it serves) | Denver Water starts and stops service through Customer Care (303-893-2444, weekdays) and asks for transfer requests two to 12 business days before the transfer date; a meter read is needed to close out an account. | 2–12 business days before |
| Denver trash and recycling | Leave the city carts at the address, and tell Solid Waste Management you are moving out. Ask for a second recycling cart for boxes. | Move week |
| USPS | Change your mailing address with USPS online or at a post office before you move. | 2–4 weeks before |
| Internet | Book installation at the new address; return equipment from the old one. | 3–4 weeks before (installs book up) |
Sources: Xcel Energy; Denver Water; City and County of Denver; USPS. All read 2026-10-20. Suburbs have their own water and trash providers. Your landlord or the meter at the new address will tell you who serves it.
Truck parking: the step people forget
Denver requires a permit to park a moving truck or van in the street. Where there are parking meters you file a Parking Meter Request; otherwise a Right-of-Way Street Occupancy request. Street occupancy permits take at least five days to review. Denver meter bagging requests take up to 72 hours to process, and DOTI asks for them at least one week ahead. (Denver DOTI.)
Ask your mover at booking who files it. In a suburb, call the city and read the posted signs. The service-area guide covers what we have confirmed city by city.
A moving-day schedule
A schedule for a typical local move. The hours vary with the size of the home and the access.
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| Before arrival | Parking space held; elevator booked | Clear walks; prop doors; protect floors |
| Arrival | The crew walks through; the contract is signed | Check the PUC permit number, the price basis and the valuation choice |
| Loading | Protection goes on; furniture is taken apart; the truck is loaded | Answer questions; keep children and pets away |
| Final sweep | The crew finishes | Check every closet, cabinet and storage space |
| Drive | Travel time, often billed | Arrive first, with keys and the elevator booking |
| Unloading | Items placed by room; furniture reassembled | Direct rooms; check items off; note damage before you sign |
| Payment | Final bill | Compare it to the estimate; under Colorado rules, no more than 110% |
New to Colorado
Arriving from another state? The moving to Denver guide goes further.
New Colorado residents must transfer an out-of-state driver license within 30 days of establishing residency, and title and register a vehicle within 90 days, in person at the county motor vehicle office. You become a resident by working in Colorado, running a business there, or living there for 90 consecutive days. (Colorado DMV, new residents; vehicle registration.)
- Book the driver license appointment early.
- For a vehicle, bring proof of insurance, and check whether your county requires an emissions test before registration.
- A utility bill or lease at the new address is commonly used as proof of residency, so keep the first ones.
Moving out of a rental
Colorado law gives a landlord one month to return a security deposit, or up to 60 days if the lease says so, with a written statement of the reasons for anything kept. Normal wear and tear cannot be deducted. Verify (C.R.S. 38-12-103.)
- Clean, then photograph and video every room once it is empty.
- Ask for a walkthrough, and keep any written notes.
- Return every key and fob, and get a receipt or an email confirming you did.
- Give your forwarding address in writing.
- Furniture you are leaving: Denver Solid Waste Management collects large items every nine weeks on your trash day: up to five items and ten bags. Furniture, rugs and bagged, wrapped mattresses qualify; appliances do not. Flattened cardboard goes in the purple recycling cart, and a second recycling cart is free through Denver Utilities Online or 311.
Winter moves
Denver's average first measurable snow falls on 19 October and the last on 28 April. The 1991–2020 seasonal normal is 49.0 inches, with 8.8 inches in March. (NWS Boulder.) Add these steps for a move between mid-October and late April:
- Ask the mover how it handles snow days, and whether the deposit carries over.
- Have shovels and ice melt at both addresses.
- Lay floor runners, or ask whether the mover brings them.
- Keep anything that could freeze, such as liquids, plants and electronics, in your heated car.
- For a move west into the mountains, check road conditions and chain-law status the night before.
Common questions about planning a move
When should I start packing?
Start with the rooms you use least, about four weeks out, and aim to have everything but daily essentials packed a week before. On an hourly move, packing while the crew waits is the most expensive way to pack.
How far ahead should I book movers in Denver?
Six weeks or more is comfortable, and more for May–September, weekends or month-end, when the published peak premium is 20–30%. With less time, book the mover and the truck parking first.
What should go in a moving-day essentials box?
Documents, chargers, medicines, toiletries, a change of clothes, bedding, basic tools, a kettle or coffee maker, snacks and toilet paper. It travels with you, not on the truck.
Do I need to tell Denver I'm moving out for trash service?
Yes. Leave the city carts at the address, and notify Solid Waste Management of the change in residency.
Related guides
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