How Much Do Movers Cost? [2025 Data]
Hiring movers usually costs anywhere between $882 and $2,567 or more. The national average is $1,711.
You’ll pay about $80 per hour for each mover, though prices vary based on location and add-ons.
Distance has the largest impact on price, with long-distance moves costing more than local ones.
Moving costs are also impacted by your house size, truck rentals, and whether you need additional services like packing and furniture disassembly.
Though moving yourself is less expensive, hiring a professional can prevent injuries and save time, especially for long-distance moves.
If you’re planning to relocate, you’re probably wondering how much movers cost. Distance has a major impact on moving prices, with local moves costing between $882 and $2,567. Long-distance moves can cost anywhere from $2,700 to $10,000 or more. Other factors affecting the price include house size, truck rentals, and services like packing and furniture disassembly.
How Much Do Movers Cost for Local Moves?
A local move within a 100-mile radius typically costs $1,711 on average, or between $882 and $2,567. In most cases, you’ll be staying within state lines and driving for two hours or less. Moving from Chicago to Detroit, for example, is around 285 miles and roughly five hours of driving, so this wouldn’t be considered a local move.
I had a challenging move with an oversized sofa and large art pieces. The movers arrived well-prepared with specialized equipment, including a heavy-duty dolly and protective covers for the artwork. They expertly handled every challenge, ensuring everything was transported smoothly without any damage to my property or belongings.
Average Hourly Rate for Hiring Movers
How much do movers cost per hour? Movers charge around $80 per hour for each mover, though the price varies widely based on location. The guide below provides an estimate:
| Movers | Cost per Hour |
|---|---|
| 1 | $30–$100 |
| 2 | $60–$200 |
| 3 | $90–$300 |
| 4 | $120–$400 |
Home Size
The size of your home is a good base for determining your local moving cost. Below are some estimates based on home size and include two to three movers:
| Home Size | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | $250–$700 |
| 2 bedroom | $500–$1,200 |
| 3 bedroom | $900–$2,000 |
| 4 bedroom | $1,200–$3,500 |
| 5 bedroom | $3,000–$4,000 |
Packing Cost
How much do moving companies charge for packing services? Expect to pay around $1,000 on average, with a range of $280 to $2,200 depending on home size and number of belongings. Packing service costs include materials like boxes, tape, and padding.
Professional movers will typically come up with a custom quote based on the total square footage and the number of rooms. Keep in mind that packing and unpacking services aren’t automatically included in local moves, so be sure to specify this add-on when making your reservation.
How Much Do Movers Cost for Long-Distance Moves?
The average cost of movers for relocations spanning over 100 miles, also known as long-distance moving, is anywhere from $2,700 to $10,000 overall. Final costs depend on the size of the load and the distance traveled, plus any moving add-ons you choose.
Moving Cost by Mileage
One primary factor affecting the cost for long-distance moves is the mileage traveled. Naturally, further distances equate to higher prices.
| Mileage | 1–2 Bedrooms | 3–5 Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | $700–$2,500 | $2,000–$6,000 |
| 500 | $1,000–$3,000 | $3,500–$7,500 |
| 1,000 | $1,400–$3,500 | $4,000–$8,000 |
| 2,000+ | $2,000–$6,000 | $6,500–$9,000+ |
Home Size
The size of your home (by number of bedrooms) plays a major role in the cost to hire movers for a long-distance move.
| Number of Bedrooms | Pounds | Average Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2,000 | $700–$3,000 |
| 2 | 5,000 | $1,000–$6,000 |
| 3 | 9,000 | $1,400–$8,000 |
| 4 | 12,000 | $1,800–$10,000 |
| 5 | 15,000 | $3,000–$12,000 |
| 6 | 18,000 | $4,000–$15,000 |
Weight
Most moving companies will base the cost of your long-distance move on the weight of your household goods, and, no surprise, the heavier the load, the more you can expect to pay. Professional movers charge between $0.50 to $0.80 per pound.
Origin weighing: Movers weigh the moving vehicle before and after loading items to determine the net weight.
Destination weighing: Movers weigh the moving vehicle upon arrival, unload your items, and then weigh the empty truck.
Cost for Moving Services
Some moving companies determine the total cost by adding up the individual services they perform on moving day. Here’s what you can expect each service to cost.
Professional cleaning service: $30–$100 per hour or $200–$500 for move-out cleaning
Packing supplies: $2–$20 each
Renting a moving truck: $30–$3,500
Loading and unloading service: $45–$80 per hour
Packing and unpacking service: $280–$2,200
Furniture disassembly: $50–$150 per hour
Shipping: $800–$3,000
Moving insurance: $0.60 per pound
Other Cost Factors When Hiring Movers
Many factors impact the cost of moving, and some may even make your relocation cost more or less than expected.
Ease of access: Any obstructions in your home that cause inconveniences to the movers, slow down the process, or require more hands will increase the overall price, often by $200 to $500. Obstructions might include narrow staircases, lack of elevators in a tall building, and more.
Moving date: Moving during peak season, May to September, will cost more due to the extra demand. Moving during the winter, known as the off-season, is less expensive when considering moving company rates.
Tipping movers: Tipping your movers at least 10% and up to 20% of your final bill is strongly encouraged, particularly if you’re working with local movers.
Extra stops: Additional stops will add extra fees for mileage and service.
Permits and fees: You may need to purchase a moving permit to temporarily park your moving vehicle, costing $10 to $80, depending on the area.
Storage: You might need to rent a temporary storage unit while moving, which can cost $20 to $450 per month.
Moving insurance: Meant to protect your items, moving insurance can cost anywhere from $35 to $10,000, depending on which type you choose.
Cost to Move Specialty Items
Certain items will be charged extra on top of your base moving expenses if they require special handling or packaging. Below are price estimates for moving cars, pianos, pool tables, and more.
| Items | Average Moving Cost |
|---|---|
| Piano | $260–$580 |
| Pool table | $375–$1,500 |
| Hot tub | $300–$1,200 |
| Small boat | $2.50 per mile |
| Car | $1,000–$2,000 |
| Motorcycle | $200–$2,000 |
| Cat or small dog | $300 via plane |
| Other pet relocation | $1,000* |
| Aquarium (small) | $50–$100 |
| Aquarium (large) | $300+ |
| Gun safe | $200–$525 |
| Standard safe | $175–$500 |
| Wine collection | $10 per case |
*For the first pet; if you have more than one pet, you’ll pay $200 to $300 per additional pet.
Cost of Hiring Movers by Vehicle Size
Renting a truck or van costs anywhere from $20 to $100 per day, depending on the size of the vehicle. Many local moving companies include a standard van as part of the package, with larger vehicles costing extra.
| House Size | Truck Size | Average Cost per Day |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | 10–12 feet | $20–$30 |
| 2-3 bedrooms | 14–20 feet | $30–$80 |
| 4+ bedrooms | 22–26 feet | $40–$130 |
Fuel Costs
Some moving services will charge separately for fuel costs. Per-mile pricing fluctuates based on fuel prices in your area and the moving company’s policies. For example, U-Haul charges a local move price of $0.99 per mile.
Road Tolls and Parking Fees
If your movers encounter any road tolls or parking fees, they’ll add these costs to your bill. Consider alternate routes beforehand to avoid these additional costs.
DIY Moving vs. Hiring a Pro
The cost of moving yourself depends on the distance and load size. Moving locally will cost between $150 and $250, covering the price of renting a moving truck and buying packing supplies. DIY long-distance moves can cost $1,550 to $2,350 or more, and this accounts for packing supplies, truck rental, fuel, and mileage.
Beyond financial considerations, a DIY move requires considerable physical effort and time, including packing, heavy lifting, and driving a large vehicle over potentially long distances. Full-service movers provide non-monetary benefits, including time savings and injury prevention.
Determine whether the reduced cost of a DIY move is worth the effort or if you’ll be better off hiring local movers. Hiring professional movers is often the best route for long-distance moves.
How to Save Money When Moving
Moving can get expensive, but there are several ways to cut costs. Here are some tips to lower your moving budget:
Declutter: Pare down your belongings beforehand to move as few items as possible and start fresh in your new home.
Sell unwanted items: Consider selling furniture and other large items on local secondary marketplaces. On top of saving money by moving fewer items, you can earn extra cash to put toward your moving budget.
Get started early: The more time you allow yourself to prepare, the more likely you are to sell your items for the best price. Also, by starting early and working slow, you’ll feel less overwhelmed by the scope of the work.
Move during the off-season: If possible, time your move during the off-season (October through April) for lower moving company rates and rental truck rates.
Opt for DIY packing and unpacking: Pack and unpack your belongings on your own to reduce costs. Your movers will move your boxes and furniture and unload in your new home.
Prep everything for your movers: To save on hourly labor costs, be sure everything is packed up and ready for transport when the movers arrive.
Recycle packing supplies: Ask friends or retail stores for used moving boxes and other packing supplies instead of buying them new. If you move frequently, store your boxes and supplies to reuse in the future.
Shop around: When researching how much a moving company will be, get multiple quotes from qualified services to find the best deal.
How Angi Gets Its Cost Data
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We’ve surveyed over 10,000 real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to [email protected]. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.
The cost to hire movers for a full-service move is at least $2,300. This typically includes packing and unpacking, loading and unloading, transportation, furniture assembly, and furniture disassembly.
Costs will vary based on the number of items you have, with additional surcharges for heavy and valuable items. If you’re interested in this service, get multiple quotes from different moving services to find the best deal.
Deciding whether it's worth it to hire movers depends on your budget, patience, and physical capabilities. It's difficult to gauge the amount of work that moving calls for, and it's easy to be off by about tenfold.
If you're able to call in some favors and round up friends to help, you might get through it just fine, but if you only have a few hands helping, things can quickly get overwhelming. Either way, bringing in the pros will save considerable time and stress, so if it's within your budget, it's a great investment.
You should book your moving company as far in advance as possible, at least two months or more. This is especially important if you're moving during the summer months, which are the peak moving season. This will help you save money on unexpected expenses and the stress that comes with trying to find a mover, which can be harder during certain months of the year.
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