Built to the Item, Not a Box Size
Every crate is measured and constructed around the exact dimensions, weight, and fragility of what's inside — from a single framed painting to a full curio cabinet.
CRATING SERVICE / NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
The Item Sets the Plan.
Full, partial and specialty-item packing planned around the inventory, materials and delivery requirements.
Licensed household-goods carrier · USDOT 3421940 · MC 1416634
SORT → PACK → PROTECT → LABEL
WHAT THIS SERVICE COVERS
Built-to-Fit Wood Crates for Sacramento Valley's Toughest Moves
- Crates custom-built to each item's exact dimensions, weight, and fragility — no one-size-fits-all boxing
- Reinforced wood construction with cushioned, ventilated interiors to manage Sacramento Valley heat swings
- Built and staged at our Chico and Yuba City yards for both local delivery and long-distance freight
- Handles fine art, antiques, marble and glass pieces, electronics, and gallery or consignment shipments
- Engineered for rough handling on foothill, rural, and unpaved ag-country routes
- Licensed and insured with verified insurance coverage backing every crated shipment
Chico and Yuba City routinely see triple-digit summer heat, and that matters more for crating than most movers let on. Solid-wood antiques, veneer furniture, and gallery-framed art expand, contract, and can crack when they sit for hours in a hot trailer staged outdoors before a valley move. We line our crates with cushioned, ventilated cavities rather than sealing an item bare against raw wood, and we schedule crated loads for early-morning pulls out of our Chico (1160 Eaton Rd) and Yuba City (929 Garden Hwy) yards to keep heat exposure to a minimum on 100°F-plus days.
A lot of our crating requests come from the foothills and rural county roads, not flat suburban streets. Homes around Paradise, Magalia, Forest Ranch, and the Oroville foothills often sit at the end of steep gravel driveways, tight switchbacks, or unpaved access roads — terrain that jars a piece far more than a smooth city block ever would. A custom crate absorbs that impact and keeps a piece rigid and immobile inside, which matters just as much for a family's fire-rebuild keepsakes coming out of storage as it does for a fine art collection.
We're also seeing more Bay Area households relocate into Sacramento, Roseville, and the surrounding valley, often bringing high-value art, wine collections, and antiques that never needed serious crating in a short San Francisco or Oakland move but absolutely need it for a 100-plus-mile haul across the Coast Range and into the valley. Our team builds crates sized to the piece — not a generic box — so glass, stone, marble, and electronics ride without shifting.
THE WORK / NOT THE SALES PITCH
What the Crew Plans For.
Designed for Valley Heat
Cushioned, ventilated interiors and early-morning load scheduling protect wood, veneer, and electronics from cracking or warping during 100°F-plus Sacramento Valley summers.
Foothill & Rural-Ready
Reinforced construction holds up to steep driveways, gravel switchbacks, and unpaved ranch access around Paradise, Oroville, and the Butte County foothills.
Long-Haul Grade Construction
Crates built to stay rigid across mountain passes and interstate highway miles, not just a short trip across town.
Fine Art & Gallery Handling
Museum-grade crating for framed art, sculpture, and consignment or exhibition pieces headed to Sacramento galleries, collectors, or auction houses.
Licensed, Insured, locally operated
Locally operated company, USDOT #3421940 / MC #1416634, backed by verified insurance coverage — your valuables are covered from crate to delivery.
MOVE SEQUENCE
A Plan Before the Truck Arrives.
Item Assessment
We inspect the piece on-site or from photos to note dimensions, weight, material, and any fragile points before we design the crate.
Custom Build
Our team builds a reinforced wood crate sized specifically to that item, with cushioning and ventilation matched to the material and the season.
Secure Pack & Seal
The item is wrapped, positioned, and locked into the crate so it can't shift, then the crate is sealed and labeled for handling.
Transport & Delivery
Crated items move on our trucks to their local or long-distance destination and are unpacked and inspected with you on arrival.
BUILD THE REST OF THE MOVE
Related Services.
Does Murdock’s build custom crates for art and antiques?
Yes — we design and build wood crates sized to the exact item, whether it's a framed painting, a marble-top antique, a sculpture, or a full curio cabinet. Each crate is measured to the piece rather than pulled from a stock size, which is what makes it museum-grade rather than a standard moving box.
What items actually need custom crating instead of standard packing?
Fine art, antiques, marble and glass, mirrors, electronics, server or lab equipment, and any high-value or irreplaceable piece needs crating. Standard blankets and boxes work for everyday furniture, but anything that can't be replaced or that has to survive a long-distance haul across the Sacramento Valley and beyond should be crated.
Do crates matter for local moves in Chico or Yuba City, or only long-distance?
Crating matters for local moves too, especially for foothill and rural pickups around Paradise, Oroville, Magalia, and outlying ranch properties where driveways are steep, gravel, or unpaved. The jolt from that kind of terrain is often harder on a fragile item than a longer highway haul on smooth pavement.
How does Sacramento Valley heat affect crated items?
Triple-digit valley heat can warp veneer, crack solid wood joints, and stress electronics if an item sits exposed in a hot trailer. We build ventilated, cushioned crate interiors and schedule crated pickups and deliveries for early morning out of our Chico and Yuba City yards to limit heat exposure on the hottest days.
Can you crate heirlooms or fragile items coming out of storage after a fire rebuild?
Yes — we regularly crate irreplaceable family pieces that families are moving back in as their rebuild is completed in the Paradise and foothill area. We handle these with the same custom-built protection as a fine art shipment, since these items often can't be replaced.
Do you crate items for long-distance or interstate moves?
Yes — crating is one of our most requested add-ons for long-distance moves, since a crated item has to survive mountain passes and hundreds or thousands of highway miles rather than a short trip across town. Our crating and long-distance teams coordinate the build and the load together.
Can you crate oversized or heavy items like safes, machinery, or pianos?
Yes — we build reinforced crates for heavy and oversized items including safes, specialty machinery, and pianos, using thicker stock and internal bracing sized to the load. For dedicated piano and safe handling equipment on moving day, pair this with our piano and safe moving service.
NEXT DISPATCH
Tell Us Where You’re Going.
Tell us what the crating service involves, where it starts and when it needs to happen. We’ll help scope the next step.