West Island moving, from Dorval to Senneville
The West Island stretches along the north shore of Lac Saint-Louis and the Lake of Two Mountains, from Dorval and the airport to Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Senneville at the western tip of the island. It is a region of family homes, quiet crescents, lakeside properties and a growing number of condos along the main boulevards — and it is part of our regular service area, at the same hourly rate as downtown Montreal.
Our trucks leave from Verdun and reach the West Island in about twenty-five minutes by Highway 20. We move houses, condos and apartments in every West Island community, and we move people between the West Island and the rest of Greater Montreal every week.
Communities we serve
The West Island is a patchwork of independent cities and Montreal boroughs. Dorval, Pointe-Claire, Beaconsfield, Kirkland, Baie-d’Urfé, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Senneville and Dollard-des-Ormeaux are independent municipalities, each with its own by-laws. Pierrefonds-Roxboro and L’Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève are boroughs of the City of Montreal. For a moving company, that mostly matters for street parking and condo rules — the move itself is the same everywhere.
Dorval and Pointe-Claire
Close to the airport and the train, Dorval and Pointe-Claire mix older houses, lakeshore homes, apartment buildings and newer condo projects near the main shopping and business areas. Condo moves here usually involve an elevator booking and a certificate of insurance; house moves often have a basement and a garage full of things nobody listed.
Beaconsfield, Baie-d’Urfé and Senneville
Larger properties along the lake, many with long driveways, mature trees, pianos, art and antique furniture. For these homes we often recommend a walkthrough and, for the largest, our luxury and estate moving service with a dedicated move manager.
Kirkland and Dollard-des-Ormeaux
Family neighbourhoods of split-levels, cottages and townhouses. House moves here are our most common West Island job: four movers, a 34-foot truck and a well-planned day.
Pierrefonds, Roxboro, Île-Bizard and Sainte-Geneviève
A mix of houses, duplexes and apartment buildings along the Rivière des Prairies, plus island properties on Île-Bizard reached by a single bridge. We plan the truck’s access in advance for narrow residential streets and waterfront lots.
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
A village at the western tip of the island with John Abbott College and McGill’s Macdonald Campus. Student moves peak in late August and at the end of the school year; most need two movers and fit within a short morning.
West Island homes and what they mean for a move
The typical West Island house is a split-level or a two-storey home with a finished basement, a garage and a backyard shed. That is good news for access — driveways, short flights of stairs, wide doors — and it means more volume than the number of bedrooms suggests. The basement is where estimates go wrong: a workshop, a second fridge, exercise equipment, seasonal decorations and years of stored boxes. For houses, we ask for a walkthrough, in person or by video, so the estimate includes everything that is actually going.
Other things we see often in West Island moves:
- Pools and patio furniture. Outdoor furniture, barbecues and pool equipment need to be cleaned and emptied before loading; propane tanks cannot travel in the truck.
- Gym equipment. Treadmills, ellipticals and home gyms in basements often need partial disassembly to get up the stairs.
- Pianos. Many West Island homes have an upright or a baby grand. We plan them as specialty items so the right equipment is on the truck.
- Downsizing. Many West Island moves are from a family house to a condo or retirement residence. We help plan what fits in the new space and can deliver furniture to family, charities or storage.
Driveways, lakeside roads and condo towers
Access in the West Island is usually easier than downtown, but it has its own habits. A long, sloped or shared driveway decides whether the 34-foot truck backs up to the door or stays on the street while the crew carries a little further. The older lakeside roads in Senneville, Baie-d’Urfé and Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue are narrow, with mature trees and low wires, so we look at the approach during the survey rather than on moving morning. The condo buildings along Boulevard Saint-Jean, Boulevard des Sources and Boulevard Gouin work like any downtown tower: an elevator booking and a certificate of insurance for the building. The street-permit rules for each city are summarized at the top of this page.
What a West Island move costs
Most West Island moves are houses, and houses here are rarely small: a three-bedroom split-level in Pierrefonds or Dollard-des-Ormeaux usually takes three movers and the 34-foot truck, at $180 an hour, and a larger home with a finished basement and a garage four movers, at $220. Condos along the main boulevards in Pointe-Claire and Dorval are often a two-mover job at $120, or three movers with the 22-foot truck at $160 for a larger unit. The West Island is on the island of Montreal, so travel time is the standard 1 hour at the same rate; the minimum is 2 hours of work, and there is no out-of-town surcharge and no charge for stairs, weekends or fuel.
| Home | Crew | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Condo or apartment, 1–2 bedrooms | 2–3 movers | 4–7 hours |
| Townhouse or cottage, 3 bedrooms | 3–4 movers | 6–9 hours |
| Split-level or two-storey house, 4 bedrooms | 4 movers | 8–12 hours |
Moving into or out of the West Island
Many of our West Island moves start or finish elsewhere: from a downtown condo to a family house in Kirkland, from a house in Beaconsfield to a condo in Pointe-Claire, from Pierrefonds to Laval, or from the West Island to Vaudreuil-Soulanges just across the bridge. All of these are local moves at the same hourly rate.
Traffic is the main variable between the West Island and the rest of the island. Highway 20 and Highway 40 can be slow at rush hour, and we schedule moves to avoid the worst of it where we can — an early start on a weekday often saves an hour of drive time for both the crew and you.
Moving out of province from the West Island
The West Island is home to many families who relocate for work — to Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary or the United States. We handle those moves too, at a fixed price: see interprovincial moving and Canada–USA moving. If your employer is paying for the move, our corporate relocation service can bill the company directly.
Planning your West Island move
- Walk through the basement and garage before you ask for an estimate, and list the large items.
- Book early for the summer. June, July and August are busy in the West Island too, with families moving before the school year.
- Empty fuel from equipment. Lawn mowers, snow blowers and generators must be drained before the move; propane tanks stay behind.
- Plan the first night. Keep beds, a few kitchen boxes and essentials easy to reach in the truck so they come off first.
Why West Island moves take longer than you think
A West Island house often looks smaller than its contents. Three bedrooms upstairs can come with a finished basement with a second living room, a workshop, a storage room of seasonal decorations and sports equipment, a double garage and a backyard shed. We see estimates go wrong on these homes more than anywhere else — not because of stairs, but because of volume nobody counted. That is why we ask for a walkthrough of every level, including the garage and the shed, before we give you a range.
| West Island house | Typical volume | Crew and truck |
|---|---|---|
| Bungalow, 3 bedrooms, finished basement | about one 34 ft truck | 4 movers |
| Split-level, 4 bedrooms, garage | one full 34 ft truck | 4 movers |
| Two-storey, 4–5 bedrooms, basement and garage | one 34 ft truck and a second truck | 4–6 movers |
Moving from a West Island house to a condo
Many West Island moves are downsizings: from a family house in Kirkland, Beaconsfield or DDO to a condo in Pointe-Claire, Dorval or downtown. The hardest part is not the move — it is deciding what fits. We recommend measuring the new rooms and planning furniture placement before the move, so you only pay to move what you will keep. What does not fit can go to family, a charity, a consignment store or storage while you decide. On moving day, we deliver the family’s pieces to their own addresses on the same trip when the route allows.
Moving day logistics in the West Island
Most West Island homes have a driveway that fits a 34-foot truck, but older streets near the lake and some crescents are narrow or lined with trees. Low branches, overhead wires and soft lawns in spring decide where the truck can park. When you book, tell us about the driveway and the street — a photo helps — and we will plan the approach. On the condo side, buildings usually allow moves only on weekdays or within set hours, and some require a deposit for elevator use; we check and book with you.
The West Island and the rest of our service area
The West Island sits between the city and Vaudreuil-Soulanges, with Laval just across the Rivière des Prairies from Pierrefonds and Île-Bizard. Moves in any of these directions are local moves at the same hourly rate. Downtown Montreal is about twenty-five minutes away outside rush hour.
Bilingual crews for a bilingual West Island
The West Island is one of the most English-speaking parts of Greater Montreal, and many of its residents are more comfortable dealing with a mover in English. Our crews and coordinators work in both English and French, and your estimate, invoice and any paperwork can be in either language.
What West Island customers book most
West Island customers most often book a full house move with a crew of four, packing for the kitchen and fragile rooms, and sometimes storage when the sale and purchase dates do not line up. Piano moving and gym equipment are frequent additions, and for the largest lakeshore homes, our luxury and estate service with a dedicated move manager.
