Average Cost Of Movers – Factors Affecting Moving Estimates

Published on 2022-07-04

You have finally decided to move to a new location in town, or moving cross country, relocating to another part of the US. But you’re wondering how much do movers cost and what the average cost of movers would be for your move. We are here to provide you with a detailed guide on the moving expenses you are likely to incur, what factors affect your moving costs, and how to choose a responsible moving company and save costs. We can also do the job of estimating moving costs for you for free.

What is the national average cost of movers?

For local moves, the national cost of movers can range anywhere between $755 and $2,038, putting the average cost at around $1,400. A long distance move can cost you as low as $2,200 and as high as $5,700.  When you’re looking for a moving company, it can be frustrating to find much information about what the final cost of moving will be. This is mostly because rates in the industry aren’t necessarily fixed as the average cost of a moving company is affected by several different factors, such as the ones described in the next section.

Factors Affecting Average Cost Of Moving Company

One of the major things that determine the total cost of your move is the size of your home. A four-bedroom apartment will require more work than a one-bedroom apartment. Other factors affecting the cost of moving out of state are:

• How many belongings you need to move – the size of the cargo is one of the first things that will influence how much you pay for moving services. The more you need to transport, the more space in a truck you require;
• The moving distance or mileage – the average cost for movers carrying out long-distance moves is definitely more than local, short-distance movers.
• Moving date or time of the year – moving companies are a lot more in-demand during certain times of the year, which also means they are more expensive. For instance, moving during the summer is a lot more expensive than moving just a few months later, during fall;
• The types of services you choose – So, the type of moving services you ask for will be needed to determine how much do movers cost for your particular relocation. If you are working with a full service moving company, the more services you opt for, the higher the final bill will be;
• The types of objects you need to move – if you have certain high-value or vintage pieces, for instance, that usually means the company must take greater care moving them, such as having completely different types of boxes or taking extra precautions to secure the objects during transport. This can also make your rate go up a bit.
• Liability and valuation coverage – You will need to purchase liability coverage if working with a moving company. You can get different forms of protection including: Basic Release Value Protection and Full Value Protection. You may also incur additional insurance cost if you will like to purchase moving insurance coverage from a third-party provider.
• How urgent the move is – same day movers will cost more

This is why the golden rule in finding a moving company is to contact them and ask for an estimate. While it will not necessarily be the final price you’ll end up paying, the estimate should be a good representation of average moving costs and what kind of moving budget you should have.

Moving Cost Calculator

To arrive at an accurate cost estimate for your moving plan, we have itemized the basic costs that the move will incur below so you can do a manual estimation of the average moving cost.

Labor Costs and Packing

Labor costs will be determined by whether your move is local or long distance. You’ll also have to tip movers for their labor. Packing will also add to the cost, whether you plan on doing it yourself or hiring movers and packing services.

Local moving costs

Professional movers charge labor costs on per hour basis. For a move, local moving companies charge an hourly rate of $25 to $50 per mover on average. Therefore, the labor cost for a three-man team working for four hours will be between $300 – $600.   Bear in mind that your home size, which has to do with the number of bedrooms will affect the number of local movers you will need and the hours they will spend, a 1-bedroom home will require two men and 4 hours to pack, whereas a 5-bedroom will require 12 hours. The no. of movers required will have a drastic effect on the cost to move.

When packing without the help of a moving company, you will need packing materials such as packing boxes, packing paper, and other moving supplies, so add that to the moving expenses. But packing is a daunting task, and that’s the reason people prefer outsourcing this aspect of their move. You can hire full service movers so they can get the packing done for you as well.

To hire movers for packing and to move it will cost you $2,300 or more. However, note that when using a full service moving company, your belongings may spend some days or weeks with them before they are delivered. Therefore, you should get your essential items and other important documents in your first night box, which you should keep with you.

Long Distance Moving Cost

Long distance movers have more factors to consider, which makes the costs pretty much higher. Gas, mileage, toll fees, lodging if required, and additional trip incurred fees that will be passed to you are some important factors that need to be considered to calculate moving costs for long distance moves. Also, some moving companies charge by the mile when it comes to long distance moves. Therefore, your long distance move can cost anything between $755 and $10000.

Average Cost of Full Service Movers

There are two types of full service moves: Local moves, which is usually around 100 miles or less and long distance moves.

Full service local moves could cost between $800 – $5600, as a range from 1-bedroom to 5-bedroom. Full service long distance moving companies can charge between $2,500 – $11,500.

Expect to pay coverage on the moving, which is usually between $0 – $8 per $1000 of value moved.

Average Costs of Moving Special Items

Special items like flat screen TVs, piano, swing sets, animal pens, antiques, appliances and items that are considered bulky such as pool tables. Special items also include automobiles, boats, jet skis, kiteboards, sails, and other watersport equipment.

The average moving cost for specialty movers can be anything between $400 to $2000 for special items. If you are moving your car with your other possessions, expect an additional $1000 per vehicle.

Average Cost for Self Moving

If you are moving within the same city (short distance), it is possible you want to handle the move yourself, especially if you have  a moderate home size and friends and families who can help. Below is a quick guide on what you will need for packing and moving and how it affects the average cost of a moving company.

Rental truck

Truck rental companies charge anything from $20 to $100 to rent a moving truck per day, depending on the size of a vehicle, the distance and the number of days you will need the truck. There could also be extra fees such as truck cleaning fees, tolls, and additional mileage fees. It will also require paying for truck rental insurance which maybe around $150.

Gas/Diesel Costs

You will be responsible for the fuel cost of your journey. The average fuel consumption rate is a gallon per 7 – 10 miles depending on the size of a rental truck. You will also be required by the truck rental company to fill up the fuel tank when returning to truck, to avoid paying a fine.

Moving container

Another option when moving on your own if you don’t want to rent a moving truck is to rent a moving container. Moving containers provide additional storage opportunities and there are no restrictions on when you can use them, unlike rental trucks. You can hire a portable moving container that you can use to store your belongings temporarily, especially when your new home is not ready yet. The average cost of moving containers is between $2,000 (1 bedroom) – $4,500 (5 bedrooms).

Moving boxes and packing supplies

The average cost you will incur on moving boxes depends on the size of your home, how many boxes you will need, and the sizes of the boxes.

For a modest household of 3 bedrooms and young adults and adults, you can expect to spend an average cost of $550 on moving boxes and packing supplies. So basically, this can increase or decreases according to home size, family size, and lifestyle.

Should You Handle Your Move Yourself To Avoid Mover’s Cost?

The choice is up to you. There are ways you can save cost self-handling your move but’s that’s only if you have  previous experience and know exactly what to do. Otherwise, your cost to move might end up being a few hundred dollars more than what you would have spent if you hire movers who are professionals. Besides, packing and moving yourself will take a considerably longer time, and if care is not taken you might run into logistics problems.

Three Movers’s Affordable Moving Services

Professional moving services can sound like a high expense, but that’s not always the case. Apart from having some of the cheapest and best moving rates in the industry, we at Three Movers are happy to work with our clients and find the best solutions based on their budget.

You will get our expertise and dedication no matter the size and cost of your job. We guarantee:

• High-quality moving services at low average moving costs.
• Personalized packages, with only the service you want and need
• A dedicated team of trained and insured professionals
• Great insurance coverage
• Extremely affordable prices
• Completely stress free local and cross country move

And more!

Get in touch with us now for a free estimate and more information.

Examples For Average Cost Of Movers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good price for movers?

Many factors like the distance of move, weight, and type of items being moved, type of services you need, e.t.c, determine the reasonable moving prices. The good price for movers drastically changes from move to move.

How much should movers cost per hour?

On average, you’ll have to pay $25 to $50 per mover for local movers. The rate usually changes based on the price of the move. Long distance movers are not usually carried out on an hourly basis.

How much do movers cost for a 2 bedroom apartment?

To move a 2 bedroom apartment around 250 miles, you can expect to pay around $1400 – $4000.

Do I need to feed my movers?

You’ll probably need to feed movers for long distance moves. But, for local moves lasting less than 5 hours, you’ll not have to worry about the cost of feeding your movers.

How much do movers charge for packing services?

The packing cost at Three Movers usually lies somewhere between $270 to $2,200. The drastic change in prices is affected by factors like the number of things you need to pack and the time required to pack those things.

Average Cost Of Moving

Here are other informational articles relates to average cost of moving that can be helpful:

• Average Cost Of Moving In Same City
• Average Cost Of Moving A 4 Bedroom House
• Average Cost Of Moving Coast To Coast
• Average Cost Of Moving In NYC
• Average Cost Of  Moving In Chicago
• Average Cost Of Moving In Ontario
• Average Cost Of Moving Insurance
• Average Cost Of Moving Locally
• Average Cost Of Moving Interstate
• Average Cost Of Moving Containers
• Average Cost Of Moving Expenses
• Average Cost Of Moving From East Coast To West Coast
• Average Cost Of Moving In State
• Average Cost OF Moving Labor