I think it depends on the street. I did not get a permit and things worked out fine, but I live on a street with 2 lanes each direction, and not that much traffic. But peace of mind is nice with a permit. One less thing to worry about.

I highly recommend Jay’s Small Moves if you’re moving within the city.

Regarding tipping, I think it depends on the complexity/difficulty and speed of the move. The last time I moved they charged by the hour. Since this was a move to a 4th floor with no elevator with some seriously heavy stuff, I was fully prepared to pay like $800. So when the movers ended up being amazingly fast and the amount came to $380, I was more than happy tipping them $200 to split between them. I just considered it part of the cost since I was still way under my budget. I just thought of how worth it it was for me to not have to do all that myself.