How the calculator prices your move
Movers don't price by the box. They price by how much your stuff weighs, how far it goes and how hard it is to carry. The calculator starts from your home size, turns it into a weight and a crew, then prices each way to move. Here is the math with the default example: a 2-bedroom home moving 500 miles in the off-season.
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1
Estimate the weight
Movers convert space to weight at about 7 lb per cubic foot. A furnished 2-bedroom fills roughly 790 cubic feet, so plan on about 5,500 lb.
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2
Price the movers
Past 50 miles, movers charge by weight and distance. The calculator uses $0.40 per lb plus $0.25 per lb for every 1,000 miles: 5,500 lb × $0.525 = $2,888. Add $180 of boxes and tape you buy to pack yourself, and full service comes to $3,068, plus about $90 in tips.
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3
Price a container
One 16 ft container holds a 2-bedroom. Delivery, a month of rental and pickup start near $800, and transport adds about $2.20 a mile: $1,900. Two hired helpers for 6 hours each at $50 add $600, and supplies add $180, for $2,680.
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4
Price a DIY truck
A 20 ft truck one way runs about $250 plus $0.70 a mile: $600. Fuel at 10 mpg and $4.27 a gallon is $213. Two days of damage protection ($60), one hotel night ($150), a dolly and pads ($25), the same helpers ($600) and supplies ($180) bring it to $1,828.
Within 50 miles the movers' column switches to hourly pricing: crew size × hourly rate × hours, where hours cover loading, unloading, one hour of travel fee and the drive between homes at about 30 mph. Every number above is editable in the calculator, and each total shows a likely range of 20% below to 25% above, because real quotes swing that much.
Weight, crew and time by home size
These are the starting points the calculator uses. A home full of books, a piano or a stocked garage can weigh far more.
| Home | Weight | Crew | Load + unload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 2,000 lb | 2 | 3 hours |
| 1 bedroom | 3,500 lb | 2 | 4.5 hours |
| 2 bedrooms | 5,500 lb | 3 | 6 hours |
| 3 bedrooms | 8,000 lb | 4 | 8 hours |
| 4 bedrooms | 10,000 lb | 4 | 10 hours |
| 5 bedrooms | 12,500 lb | 5 | 11 hours |
Typical price ranges
Published cost guides for full-service movers land in these ranges. Big metro areas and peak season push toward the top.
| Distance | 1 bed | 2–3 bed | 4–5 bed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local | $500–$1,200 | $800–$2,800 | $1,800–$5,500 |
| 250 miles | $750–$1,500 | $1,000–$1,750 | $1,500–$2,500 |
| 1,000 miles | $1,500–$3,000 | $2,000–$8,000 | $4,000–$10,000 |
| 2,500 miles | $2,750–$6,000 | $3,250–$8,000 | $5,000–$15,000 |
Movers, container or DIY: how to choose
Full-service movers cost the most but take the heavy lifting, the driving and most of the risk off you. They make the most sense for big homes, long distances, tight schedules and anyone who can't lift for a day.
A portable container sits in your driveway while you load at your own pace, then a driver hauls it. You skip the long drive, and storage between homes is easy. Check that your street or building allows a container. Some cities need a permit to park one on the street.
A DIY truck is cheapest on paper. The real cost is the stuff the rental quote leaves out: fuel at 8 to 12 mpg, hotel nights, helpers and a few days of your life. Trucks up to 26 ft don't need a commercial license, but they drive like a bus. Plan wide turns, low bridges and gas stations you can pull through.
Your rights on an interstate move
Movers that cross state lines are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Before you sign, check the company's USDOT number on the FMCSA website and know these rules:
- Binding estimate: you pay the quoted price, no more, unless you add items or services and the mover gives you a new written estimate before loading.
- Non-binding estimate: at delivery the mover can't demand more than 110% of the estimate. Any balance is billed later, at least 30 days after delivery.
- Released value: free, but the mover owes at most 60 cents per pound per item. A 25 lb TV is worth $15 under this option. You must sign a waiver to get it.
- Full value protection: the default if you don't waive it. The mover must repair, replace or pay current value. Price and deductibles vary by mover. The calculator assumes about 1% of a declared value of $6 per pound.
- Survey: the estimate should be based on a survey of your goods, in person or virtual. A quote given over the phone without one is a red flag.
Local moves inside one state follow state rules, which vary. Ask for the estimate type and valuation in writing either way.
Ways to cut the cost
- Sell or donate before you pack. Long-distance price follows weight. Every 100 lb you drop saves about $50 on a 500-mile move.
- Move mid-month, mid-week, off-season. Summer and month-end are when crews sell out and prices climb.
- Pack yourself, but well. Paying the crew to pack a 2-bedroom costs around $500 to $1,500. Boxes packed loosely or overweight slow loading, which costs you on hourly jobs.
- Get three written estimates. Compare the same inventory, the same valuation and the same estimate type. A bid far below the rest is a warning sign, not a deal.
- Mix and match. Hire a labor-only crew to load your truck or container, then drive or ship it yourself. That's what the helper settings model.
Common mistakes: forgetting the long-carry and stair fees, booking a truck too small for a second trip you can't afford, and not measuring the new place's doors for big furniture. Pianos, gun safes and pool tables need specialists, so get those quoted separately.
How much to tip movers
Tipping isn't required, but it's expected for good work. A common guide is $4 to $6 per mover for every hour on the job. The calculator shows a typical tip of $5 per mover-hour under the breakdown and leaves it out of the total. On a long-distance move, the loading and unloading crews are often different people, so split the tip between both days. Cold water and lunch on a long day go a long way too.
Sources and assumptions
Prices were checked in October 2026. Real quotes depend on your city, building and inventory, so use the result as a budget, not a bid.
- Released value (60¢ per lb per item) and full value protection: FMCSA, Valuation and insurance.
- Binding and non-binding estimates, the 110% rule and the 30-day billing window: FMCSA, What is a binding move estimate? and FMCSA, Estimating charges.
- Survey and written estimate rules: 49 CFR 375.401.
- 7 lb per cubic foot of loaded space: Washington UTC household goods Tariff 15-C (2026).
- Hourly rates ($50 to $100 per mover), cost per pound, price-by-distance table, packing ($500 to $1,500 for 2 bedrooms), stair fees, peak-season 20% to 30% markup and the $4 to $6 per mover-hour tip: Fixr moving cost guide (Jan 2025). Local ranges by home size are a cross-check of several 2026 mover cost guides.
- Mover wages for context ($18.12 median per hour, May 2024): BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
- Container costs: U-Pack container cost data (2026) and This Old House container price survey.
- Truck fuel economy and capacity: U-Haul's published specs, 12 mpg for the 10 ft, 10 mpg for the 15 ft and 20 ft and 8 to 10 mpg for the 26 ft (the calculator uses 9); see also the 20 ft and 26 ft truck pages. Checked November 1, 2026.
- Gas price ($4.27 per gallon, week of Oct 26, 2026): EIA Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update.
- In-town truck rates: U-Haul's local truck rentals start at $19.95 (used for the 10 ft), and its In-Town vs. One-Way price example (May 4, 2026) shows a 15 ft truck at $29.95 plus $0.99 a mile, before fuel, taxes, coverage and fees. One-way rentals are quoted by route, so they are not published as a rate.
- Our assumptions: truck rental one way of $150 to $300 plus $0.50 to $0.80 per mile by size, in-town rental of $50 a day for the 20 ft and $60 for the 26 ft, plus $0.99 per mile, $30 a day damage protection, 450 driving miles a day, $150 per hotel night with meals, container delivery and first month of $800 per 16 ft unit, peak-season markup of 20% for movers, 15% for containers and 10% for trucks.
Common questions
How much do movers cost for a 2-bedroom apartment?
A local move across town with a crew of three usually runs about $1,000 to $2,000 for a 2-bedroom. Moving the same apartment 500 miles costs roughly $2,500 to $4,000, because long-distance movers charge by weight and distance instead of by the hour.
Is it cheaper to rent a truck or hire movers?
Renting a truck is almost always the cheapest option on paper, often 30 to 50 percent less than full-service movers. The gap shrinks once you add fuel, hotel nights, hired help and your own time, and on short local moves an hourly crew can cost about the same.
How much should I tip movers?
A common guide is $4 to $6 per mover for every hour they work. That works out to about $20 to $30 per mover for a half-day job and $40 to $60 for a full day. Tip more for stairs, heavy items or bad weather.
What is full value protection when moving?
Full value protection makes the mover responsible for repairing, replacing or paying the current value of anything lost or damaged. On interstate moves it is the default unless you sign a waiver for released value, which is free but pays only 60 cents per pound per item.
How much does a portable moving container cost?
A local container move usually costs about $400 to $1,000 including a month of rental. Long-distance container moves typically run $2,000 to $5,000, depending on the number of containers, distance and season.
When is the cheapest time to move?
Fall and winter weekdays in the middle of the month are cheapest. Summer, weekends and the last days of the month are peak times, and full-service moves in peak season can cost 20 to 30 percent more.