Moving costs vary significantly by location, season, and market conditions. These figures represent national averages as of 2024-2025. Get multiple quotes for your specific move to understand actual costs in your area.
Local Move Pricing
Hourly rate structure
Hourly rate structure
Local moves typically charged by the hour.Components:
- Per-mover hourly rate: $25 -$75 per hour per mover
- Total crew rate: $100 - $200+ per hour (varies by crew size and market)
- Truck fee: $50 - $150 flat (sometimes included in hourly rate)
- Travel time: Usually included
- Minimum hours: 2 to 3 hours typical
- 3 movers at $45/hour each = $135/hour crew rate
- Truck fee: $75
- 4-hour move: ($135 x 4) + 75 = $615
What's typically included
What's typically included
Standard local move includes:
- Loading at origin
- Transportation
- Unloading at destination
- Basic furniture disassembly/reassembly
- Furniture padding and protection
- Dollies and equipment
Minimum charges
Minimum charges
Most companies have minimums:
- 2 to 3 hour minimum
- Minimum number of movers
- Minimum truck size
Average local costs by size
Average local costs by size
| Home Size | Typical Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Studio | $400 - $800 |
| 1 bedroom | $500 - $1,100 |
| 2 bedroom | $800 - $1,600 |
| 3 bedroom | $1,100 - $2,200 |
| 4+ bedroom | $1,500 - $3,000+ |
Long-Distance Pricing
Weight-based pricing
Weight-based pricing
Most common method for interstate moves.How it works:
- Truck weighed empty before loading
- Truck weighed with your items after loading
- Difference is your shipment weight
- Price calculated per pound (often quoted per 100 lbs/CWT)
Distance factors
Distance factors
Longer distance increases cost:
- Base rate per mile or per 100 miles
- Fuel surcharges (can fluctuate significantly)
- Driver wages for longer trips
- More handling for consolidated loads
Volume-based pricing
Volume-based pricing
Alternative to weight-based:
- Price per cubic foot of space
- Common with portable containers
- Sometimes used for partial loads
Average long-distance costs
Average long-distance costs
By home size and distance:
National averages:
| Distance | 1 BR | 2-3 BR | 4+ BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 miles | $1,500 - $3,000 | $2,500 - $5,000 | $4,000 - $7,000 |
| 1,000 miles | $2,000 - $4,000 | $3,200 - $6,500 | $5,000 - $10,000 |
| 2,000+ miles | $2,500 - $5,000 | $4,500 - $8,500 | $7,000 - $14,000+ |
- Average long-distance move: $4,000 - $6,000
- Cross-country (2,500+ miles): $5,000 to $10,000+
Long-distance moving costs can vary by 50% or more between companies for the same move. Always get multiple estimates and compare services, not just price.
Additional Charges
Packing services
Packing services
Professional packing adds significant cost:
- Full packing: 25-40% of base transportation cost
- Partial packing: Per room ($75 - $150 per room) or per item
- Unpacking: Similar to packing costs
- Packing materials: Usually included when movers pack; sold separately for self-pack
Example: $5,000 base move + $1,750 full packing = $6,750 total.
Access fees
Access fees
Difficult access increases cost:
Shuttle service needed when large truck cannot access location.
| Situation | Typical Additional Fee |
|---|---|
| Stairs | $50 - $150 per flight |
| Long carry (75+ ft) | $75 - $200 |
| Elevator-only building | $0 - $100 (varies) |
| Shuttle service | $300 - $700+ |
Special item fees
Special item fees
Items requiring extra handling:
Fees vary significantly by item size, weight, and access difficulty.
| Item | Typical Fee |
|---|---|
| Piano (upright) | $200 - $500 |
| Piano (grand) | $500 - $1,500+ |
| Pool table | $300 - $800 |
| Safe (heavy) | $200 - $600 |
| Hot tub | $400 - $1,200 |
| Gym equipment | $100 - $300 |
| Custom crating | $100 - $750+ |
Appliance services
Appliance services
Appliance preparation and installation:
- Disconnect/reconnect washer: $75 - $150
- Disconnect/reconnect dryer (gas): $100 - $200
- Disconnect/reconnect dryer (electric): $50 - $100
- Refrigerator prep: $50 - $100
Storage
Storage
If items need storage:
- Storage in transit: $150 - $600+ per month
- Warehouse handling: $100 - 400 fee (in and out)
- Delivery from storage: Additional charge
Valuation upgrades
Valuation upgrades
Better coverage costs extra:
- Basic coverage (60 cents/lb): Usually included
- Full value protection: 1-2% of declared value
- Deductible options affect premium
Factors That Increase Costs
Timing
Timing
When you move significantly affects price:Higher cost (peak):
- Summer months (May through September)
- End of month (last week)
- Weekends (especially Saturdays)
- First of month
- Holidays
- Winter months (October through April)
- Mid-month (10th through 20th)
- Mid-week (Tuesday through Thursday)
Last-minute booking
Last-minute booking
Booking late reduces options and increases cost:
- Less mover availability
- No time to compare quotes
- May pay premium for availability
- Quality movers book weeks ahead in peak season
Difficult access
Difficult access
Both origin and destination affect cost:
- Multiple flights of stairs
- No elevator in high-rise
- Long distance from parking to door
- Narrow doorways requiring disassembly
- Tight turns in hallways
- No parking available for truck
- Gated communities with restrictions
Heavy/bulky items
Heavy/bulky items
Dense items cost more to move:
- Books and magazines (very heavy for size)
- Exercise equipment
- Pianos
- Safes
- Aquariums (must be emptied)
- Marble/stone furniture
- Large tool collections
Large/complex homes
Large/complex homes
Beyond square footage:
- Multiple levels
- Lots of furniture
- Full garage, basement, and attic
- Home office equipment
- Workshop contents
- Outdoor furniture and equipment
Ways to Reduce Costs
Declutter before moving
Declutter before moving
Less stuff = lower cost. Every pound costs money on long-distance moves.
- Sell items you don’t need
- Donate to charity
- Give to friends and family
- Dispose of broken items
- Don’t pay to move things you’ll discard later
Pack yourself
Pack yourself
Self-packing saves 25-40% compared to full-service packing.
- Start early (4-6 weeks before)
- Get free boxes from stores, friends, Craigslist, Facebook
- Pack non-essentials first
- Label everything clearly
Move during off-peak times
Move during off-peak times
Timing flexibility saves money:
- Mid-week instead of weekend
- Mid-month instead of month-end
- Winter instead of summer
- Ask about discounts for flexible dates
Compare multiple quotes
Compare multiple quotes
Prices vary significantly between companies:
- Get at least 3 estimates
- Compare same services (apples to apples)
- Negotiate with quotes in hand
- Ask about price matching
Reduce access difficulties
Reduce access difficulties
Easier access = lower cost:
- Reserve elevator for moving day
- Clear pathways in advance
- Secure close parking for truck
- Disassemble furniture yourself if able
- Remove doors if needed for large items
Consider hybrid approaches
Consider hybrid approaches
Mix DIY and professional services:
- Pack yourself, hire movers to load and transport
- Rent truck, hire labor-only to load and unload
- Use container for transport, handle loading yourself
- Move small items yourself, hire movers for furniture only
- Ship boxes via UPS/FedEx, move furniture with movers
Understanding Your Quote
Base charges
Base charges
Core transportation cost:
- Local: Hourly rate times estimated hours plus truck fee
- Long-distance: Weight times rate plus distance factors
Accessorial charges
Accessorial charges
Additional services and fees:
- Review each line item
- Ask about charges you don’t understand
- Identify what’s optional
- Know what triggers additional fees
Valuation/coverage
Valuation/coverage
Protection for loss or damage:
- Basic (60 cents/lb) usually included
- Full value protection is extra
- Understand what’s covered and excluded
- Compare deductible options
Taxes and surcharges
Taxes and surcharges
Regulatory and market-based charges:
- Fuel surcharges (may fluctuate between quote and move)
- Administrative fees
- State taxes where applicable
- Peak season surcharges
Payment terms
Payment terms
When and how payment is due:
- Deposit amount and timing
- Balance due (at delivery for interstate)
- Accepted payment methods
- Cancellation fees and deadlines
Sample Cost Breakdowns
Local move example
Local move example
2-bedroom apartment, same city, self-pack:
- 3 movers x $45/hour x 4 hours = $540
- Truck fee = $75
- Stairs fee (2 flights at origin) = $100
- Total: $715
Long-distance example
Long-distance example
3-bedroom house, 1,000 miles, self-pack:
- Estimated weight: 8,000 lbs
- Transportation = $4,800
- Fuel surcharge (10%) = $480
- Full value protection ($50,000 declared) = $400
- Total: $5,680
Full-service example
Full-service example
4-bedroom house, 1,500 miles, full packing:
- Base transportation = $7,200
- Full packing service = $2,400
- Packing materials = $500
- Piano (upright) = $350
- Full value protection = $550
- Total: $11,000
DIY Comparison
Rental truck costs
Rental truck costs
Self-driving option:
Plus fuel (can be $200 - $800+ for long distance), insurance, and equipment.
| Move Type | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| Local (in-town) | $30 - 150 per day + mileage |
| One-way (500 miles) | $600 - $1,200 |
| One-way (1,000 miles) | $1,000 - $2,000 |
| One-way (cross-country) | $1,500 - $3,500 |
Portable container costs
Portable container costs
You pack and load; company transports:
Often 20-40% less than full-service movers.
| Move Type | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| Local | $200 - $600 per month + delivery |
| Long-distance (1,000 mi) | $2,000 - $4,000 |
| Cross-country | $3,000 - $6,000 |
Labor-only costs
Labor-only costs
Hire help to load/unload your rental truck:
- $50 - $80 per hour per mover
- 2-hour minimum typical
- Loading: 2-4 hours
- Unloading: 1-3 hours