UK directories for removals companies

Removals is a different kind of local search from most trades.

A plumber gets a call at 2am from someone with water coming through the ceiling. A removals firm gets enquiries weeks ahead, from people comparing 3 to 6 quotes and checking reviews, insurance and trade badges before they book. Being first on the map still helps, but it's one step of several before they book.

The first order we ever fulfilled was for a removals and storage company, so this guide comes partly from building their listings. One finding up front: there are almost no free removals-specific directories. The trade-specific options are paid memberships, pay-per-lead comparison sites or job marketplaces. Each is worth knowing about, but they're advertising and accreditation, and they don't replace the free general listings.

Prices below are as shown on each site on 11 October 2026. Where a site doesn't publish its fees, we say so.

Start with the 3 that customers actually use

1. Google Business Profile. Set the primary category to the moving or removals company option, and add storage as a secondary category if you offer it. Fill in your service areas: removals firms cover a radius, and customers search "removals near me" from the house they're leaving.
2. Bing Places. You can import from Google, which saves retyping.
3. Apple Maps. It verifies the business itself, by phone or other checks, so only you can set it up.

Then make sure your name, address and phone are identical on all 3. Our first removals customer had a one-letter postcode slip and 2 different phone numbers across their order, and we spent a morning correcting listings. The 7 decisions to make before you list anywhere prevent that.

The trade associations

These are paid, vetted memberships. Customers recognise them, and each includes some form of listing.

British Association of Removers (BAR) describes itself as the largest UK removals and storage trade association. Applicants are inspected during the application and every year after that, and members follow a Code of Practice approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. BAR says it helps members find work through the find-a-remover tool on its website. Fees aren't published, so you'll need to ask.

National Guild of Removers and Storers (NGRS) requires members to belong to the Removals Industry Ombudsman Scheme and pass an inspection. The inspection checks your goods in transit, storage, fleet, public liability and employer's liability insurance with your broker, your vehicles and operator licence, references from your accountant and bank, and recent customer testimonials. Members are listed on the Guild's website. Fees aren't published.

FIDI only matters if you move people abroad. It needs at least 2 years of continuous inter-continental moving and at least 10 such moves a year, plus an audit at your premises.

Self Storage Association UK is the trade body for self-storage facilities. Full membership for a site of 50 units or fewer is £540 a year plus VAT by Direct Debit, and members are placed on its facility locator.

Comparison and lead sites

These sell you enquiries. Each lead usually goes to several firms at once, so you're paying to compete for the job.

Konnect You (formerly Compare My Move) publishes its prices in its partner terms: £12 a lead in London, £9 elsewhere and £6 for a small move, all before VAT. There's a minimum of 5 leads a day on the standard account, each lead goes to no more than 6 partners, and you can cancel at any time. They expect insurance covering the true value of customers' belongings and contact with each customer within 48 hours.

reallymoving has no sign-up fee: you only pay for leads, with no commitment. It only takes removal companies (no man-and-van operations) that have been trading for over a year, credit checks them, and requires goods in transit, employer's liability, public liability and fleet insurance. Partners get a free profile and reviews page. Its partner brochure, which quotes 2019 figures, gave domestic leads at £2.49 to £4.99 plus VAT. Ask for current prices.

Bark charges in credits, currently £1.80 per credit, with packs bringing the price down. How many credits a removals lead costs depends on the job, the location and how ready the customer is to hire. Credits bought since 1 November 2025 expire 3 months after purchase.

MyBuilder lets you sign up as a moving company with a free profile. You only pay for a customer's contact details if they shortlist you.

Job marketplaces

AnyVan is a managed marketplace: you claim jobs at a price shown upfront, and creating an account is free. For house moves it asks for goods in transit cover of at least £10,000 and public liability of at least £1 million, plus a full UK licence held for at least a year.

Shiply works by bidding. You quote what you want to receive, and Shiply adds its fee, usually around 10 to 15%, which the customer pays as a deposit. Shiply says it can't run due diligence on its members, so it carries no trust signal for you.

The vetted trade platforms

Checkatrade has a "Removals / Storage" category covering house removals, man and van, storage, piano and international removals. Membership is a paid 12-month plan, and prices only appear once you've entered your business details. For sign-ups between 1 and 12 October 2026 it's offering the first 2 months free for removals and storage.

TrustATrader covers removal companies and man-and-van firms. It charges an annual membership with no commission and no lead fees, limits how many members each trade can have in an area, and asks for at least 2 years in the trade, 5 references and your insurance documents. Fees aren't published.

Which? Trusted Traders has a home removals category with endorsed firms listed. Membership costs a £248 assessment fee and then, for a firm with 0 to 3 employees, £69 a month. Assessment includes a credit check, references and a visit to your premises. Its joining FAQ doesn't list removals among eligible trades, so check with Which? before applying.

Rated People has closed its memberships and now sends tradespeople to Checkatrade.

Categories to use

Directories word it differently, so pick the nearest match on each:

• Primary: Removals company, Moving company or House removals
• Secondary: Storage, Self storage, Packing services, Man and van (only if you offer it)
• If relevant: International removals, Office removals, Piano removals

Be careful with tools that pick a category for you. When we set up our first removals customer through a bulk submission service, its category matching filed them as a plumber. We now set the category by hand and check it on screen.

The general directories still count

Customers comparing quotes look you up. Yell, Yelp, Facebook, Trustpilot, Cylex, FreeIndex and the other general UK directories confirm you're established and keep your details consistent across the web. Our post on how many citations a UK business needs lists the 20 to start with, and the full directory list shows what each needs.

How to decide what to pay for

• Free listings: do them all, once, with identical details.
• Trade associations: join one if you can meet its standards. It's the badge customers check.
• Lead and comparison sites: run one at a time for a few months, and work out what each booked move cost you. Keep the ones that pay back.
• Marketplaces: useful for filling gaps in your diary, rarely for building a reputation.

Sources & references

All checked on 11 October 2026.

• British Association of Removers: become a member and membership types
• NGRS: membership benefits and inspection procedure
• FIDI: basic requirements
• Self Storage Association UK: join and membership benefits
• Konnect You: partner terms and conditions
• reallymoving: become a partner and how we check our partners
• Bark Help: what is a credit and how much does it cost
• MyBuilder: tradesperson registration
• AnyVan: become a transport partner
• Shiply: service providers
• Checkatrade: join and October 2026 offer terms
• TrustATrader: join us
• Which? Trusted Traders: join
• Rated People: help for tradespeople