How Much Does Moving Cost?

Check your own quote

Browse Moving records · Compare two itemized quotes · Method and corrections

The evidence table, explorer and exported rows share these records. Narrative examples retain their stated dates and assumptions. Coverage is limited to the listed providers and scope; no local quote or national average is implied.

For local moving, compare a crew-and-truck rate plus its billing rules, not a price per bedroom. Utah’s Premier Moving Company lists two movers, equipment and a truck at $110/hour with a three-hour minimum; travel to and from the job is added to the bill. Moving Hearts’ Atlanta quote page lists two movers and a truck at $155/hour with a two-hour minimum and half-hour increments afterward. These are local examples in USD, not a US average or an interstate quote.

Public menus checked October 6, 2026. The hourly rates below are team rates: do not multiply a two-mover package by two again. Confirm current availability, route, extra services and the final written estimate.

Published crew rates and the clock

These businesses are in different markets, so the table does not identify the cheaper provider for your address. It shows the information a usable local quote should contain. A labor-only offer also leaves you responsible for the truck or container and its rental, mileage, fuel, insurance and return timing.

The billed timeline matters as much as the rate

Separate dispatch travel, loading, loaded travel between addresses, unloading, equipment stow and return travel. Ask which intervals are billable and whether stairs, elevator waits and parking delays are included in the hourly clock or charged again separately. A crew rate alone does not answer this.

Minimum and rounding examples

Illustrative Moving Hearts arithmetic, assuming the quoted two-mover/truck rate applies and no other fees:

These are calculated examples, not customer invoices. A separate fee or differently defined time interval would change them. For Utah’s Premier, three hours at $110 gives $330, but that is not the complete minimum payable when additional drive time applies. Get the travel allowance and its interaction with the minimum in writing.

When a larger crew can cost less

A hypothetical four billable hours with two movers at $155 costs $620. Three billable hours with three movers at $195 costs $585, a $35 saving. That does not prove a third mover will save an hour. A shared elevator, long drive or narrow access can limit the advantage, and both totals must use the same minimum and rounding rules.

Ask the estimator to explain the expected crew size using your inventory and access. Bedroom count is a rough description, not an inventory. Include large furniture, disassembly, boxes, fragile items, stairs, long carries, elevators, loading reservations, parking and extra stops.

Packing and move-out costs outside the base crew

Have packing labor, cartons, specialty handling, storage, overnight holds, protection options and disposal listed separately. Ask what basic protection is included and what it pays if an item is damaged; a marketing reference to insurance is not enough to establish your coverage. Follow the carrier’s written estimate and applicable rules.

Plan the sequence as well as the budget: clear unwanted items, pack, move, then clean the empty property. A hypothetical $620 moving base plus $300 cleaning visit totals $920 before other charges. Cleaning and carpet work can need different appointments and access arrangements. Do not schedule a tight landlord inspection based on an optimistic mover-only estimate.

Interstate moves require a different comparison

Do not stretch these local hourly menus into a long-distance price. For a US interstate household-goods move, use the carrier’s written estimate and verify its registration and identity. FMCSA’s Protect Your Move resources explain consumer checks and estimate issues. Interstate valuation and estimate obligations are not a reason to invent a national cost-per-mile formula; intrastate rules may differ.

Frequently asked questions

Is $110/hour per mover?

The cited Utah full-service menu describes a two-mover team with truck and equipment for that rate. Read your own quote’s unit; cleaning services often use a different per-person convention.

Is a two-hour minimum always cheaper than three hours?

No. In the examples, two hours at $155 is $310 and three hours at $110 is $330 before Utah travel. For a longer job, the rates and travel rules can reverse the comparison. Minimum alone is not the full bill.

What is the best way to keep the estimate useful?

Send the same inventory and access details to each mover. Record the billable clock, rounding, minimum, fees and exclusions. Update the written estimate if the inventory or route changes.

Sources and editorial method

Two provider-owned menus support the local team-rate entries. FMCSA supports the interstate consumer-check section, not the local dollar estimates. CostFAQ did not book a move, verify a customer invoice or measure crew productivity. The worked totals are explicitly hypothetical and are not national averages.

Revision note: this edition replaces broad local/long-distance ranges with traceable local menus and complete billing questions, retaining the original URL. Editorial policy.

Continue your move-out budget with house cleaning, carpet cleaning, unwanted-item removal, or compare your quotes.