What If My Building Only Allows Moves on Certain Days?

What If My Building Only Allows Moves on Certain Days?

Last updated: October 2026

Then we move on those days. Simple as that. Buildings that limit move days are more common than most people expect, especially downtown, where every resident in the building shares the same freight elevator and loading dock.

A lot of Chicago apartment and condo buildings control when moves can happen. Some allow weekdays only. Some set a window in the morning or afternoon. Some need the freight elevator reserved, a certificate of insurance on file, and the loading dock booked, all before the truck shows up. None of that is a problem. It just has to be planned.

Start with your building's rules

Before you pick a date, ask management three things. Which days are allowed? What hours? And what do they need from the moving company? Then tell us when you call. We'll schedule your move inside the window your building gives you, whichever of our moving services you're booking.

If the building needs a certificate of insurance, we send it free, usually the same day they send their requirements. Our post on when you'll receive the COI covers how that works.

Book early if your window is tight

We move seven days a week, every day except Christmas and New Year's. Your building may not give you that much room.

If your building only allows a handful of days, those days fill up. From May through September, the first and last weekends of each month book out first, because that's when leases turn over. If your only option falls on one of them, call as soon as you know your date. There's no deposit to book. Our guide on how far in advance to book a move has more on timing.

Give yourself breathing room

If you take one thing from this post, take this. When you reserve the elevator, ask for a wider window than you think you need.

A move window with no slack turns every small delay into a crisis, because a slow freight elevator or one extra trip down to the boxes in the storage locker can eat the margin before anyone notices it's gone. A little breathing room costs you nothing. It takes the pressure off everyone.

Getting the estimate right from the start

The best way to stay inside a building's window is an accurate estimate. Tell us how much you're moving and what floor you're on. Tell us how far the walk is from the elevator to the truck. With that, we can size the crew so the job fits the time you have.

That's why we ask so many questions up front. It's not paperwork. It's how we keep your move from bumping into the building's clock.

If the move might run past the window

Sometimes things change. More stuff turns up than expected, or the elevator is slower than promised. If it looks like a move might not fit the window, we assess the situation with you on the spot. Usually that means one of two things. Either we recommend adding more movers so the job finishes in time, or we recommend rescheduling the rest for a later day the building allows.

Rescheduling is free with us. Our post on rescheduling a move explains how it works.

Moving into a high-rise?

High-rises tend to have the strictest rules of all. If you're headed to one along the lake, our post on moving into an Edgewater high-rise is a good read before you book.

Tell us your building's rules and we'll plan around them. Call (773) 275-4100 or email info@wcmoving.com. You'll also find this question on our apartment moving service page.