Stoops, stairs and alternate side
The brownstone is the defining Brooklyn moving problem, and it is not the stoop. It is what is behind the front door: a staircase that was built narrow, turns at a half landing, and has a handrail that will not come off. Sofas and mattresses are the usual casualties. Knowing the width of that stairwell in advance is the difference between a piece going up and a piece going back on the truck.
Outside, alternate side parking rules govern where a truck can stand and for how long, and on a lot of residential blocks the honest answer is that the truck parks where it can and the crew walks further. That is a real cost in time and it belongs in the estimate rather than as a surprise on the invoice.
The newer elevator buildings in Downtown Brooklyn, Williamsburg and along the waterfront work like Manhattan: certificate of insurance to the managing agent's wording, a booked service elevator, and a loading area with a time limit. We handle that side of it.
What we ask before we quote it
- Whether it is a walk-up or an elevator building, and which floor
- How narrow the staircase is, and whether it turns
- Whether the building requires a COI or an elevator reservation
- Where a truck can realistically stand on the block
