Published by Chris Townsend
Last updated Dec, 28 2025
How To Estimate Your Moving Costs
Estimating moving costs can be a tricky endeavor since the total price is based on a number of factors that tend to differ with each specific move. The first thing you need to consider is whether you’ll be renting a truck and handling the labor of packing, loading, driving and unloading yourself, or if you’ll hire a moving company. The do-it-yourself method is generally cheaper than hiring movers, but the cost difference may be less than you think and, in some cases (mainly long distance), the costs can be quite similar.
To give you an idea of the general price range of moving costs, a local move ranges from $1,300 to $2,400 and a long distance move tends to fall between $4,000 and $5,000. Specific pricing, of course, depends on a few factors with the main determining factor being the moving distance.
If you plan on a do-it-yourself move, your main cost is going to be the price of a truck rental. Let’s take a look at some sample prices from the most popular truck rental service, U-Haul, to get a better idea of how much it costs to rent a moving truck. For a move of 1,000 miles, the cost of renting a moving truck falls between $2,300 and $3,200, depending on the size of the move. If you’re moving across the country (around 2,350 miles in this example), the cost for just a truck rental goes up to $4,100 to $5,200. As you can see the cost of hiring movers versus the do-it-yourself approach gets much more even with longer distance and cross country moves.
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Something else to consider is that when you do the moving yourself, you also need to factor in the cost of staying at hotels, eating while on the road, and the amount of time you’ll spend driving. While it may be feasible to drive a car 500 miles in one day, a moving truck is a different story and we recommend that you budget for no more than 300-400 miles per day. If we extrapolate this out to a move of 1,000 miles, that could mean three days of driving, staying at hotels, eating out, and time off of work.
Three Movers is a local, long distance, and nationwide moving company with years of industry experience. We serve customers from every corner of the United States and are capable of handling any size move to or from any location in all 50 states. Contact us today by calling (888) 202-0036 if you’d like a FREE price quote today! No payment or obligation is required and we’re happy to answer any questions you may have!
How Moving Costs Are Calculate With A Moving Company
The cost of hiring movers isn’t a complicated calculation, but there are a few factors that will affect how much you can expect to pay. You may notice that, when you contact a mover for a cost estimate, that you’ll receive slightly different price points from different companies. This isn’t because one company is trying to pull one over on you, but because moving companies use the calculations differently, depending on their costs and margins. Here are the main things that impact the cost or hiring a moving company:
Moving Distance
The main factor is the moving distance. If it’s 2,500 miles between your origin and destination, that’s clearly going to cost more than a move of 1,000 miles as we noted above when comparing prices of renting a truck. The same thing applies to moving companies as well: the further your move, the higher the cost.
Size/weight of Your Move
Similarly, the more belongings (based on weight) you have, the more a move will cost. The size of your move is one factor since a larger truck is needed for more furniture, but the weight is really the key. More weight in the truck equates to higher fuel costs for the moving company, which in turn is passed along to the customer requesting the move.
Moving Date/Time of Year
Some times of the year it will cost more to hire a mover than others. Generally speaking, the summer months and weekends are the busiest times of the year for movers so that’s when you’re likely to get a higher price quote than others.
Additional Services
Any extra services come with an additional cost. This includes things like packing help, furniture disassembly, white glove moving services, storage and additional customer liability protection. You can opt out of these services if you feel you don’t need them, which will then lower your overall moving costs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Start by listing your home size, distance, and move type, then layer in labor and access details. A studio or one-bedroom local move typically uses 2–3 movers for 3–5 hours, while a 3–4 bedroom home often needs 4 movers for a full day. Stairs, elevators, long carries, and specialty items raise costs, which is why using an average cost of movers calculator helps prevent underbudgeting.
The biggest cost drivers are distance, home size, and labor hours. Packing labor, fragile items, pianos, safes, and disassembly add fixed fees. Urban moves cost more due to parking permits and elevator reservations, while traffic delays increase billable time. For state-to-state relocations, pricing follows FMCSA rules under an interstate moving service model based on weight and mileage.
Moving a 2,000 sq ft home locally usually costs $1,200–$3,500, based on 3–4 movers working 6–10 hours. Long-distance moves often range $4,000–$8,500, depending on shipment weight, mileage, and delivery window. Costs rise with packing, stairs, long carries, and heavy furniture, which is common when pricing aligns with benchmarks like the cost of moving a 4 bedroom house.
Online calculators provide a realistic range but not a final price. They estimate labor, distance, and home size, but cannot fully capture stairs, elevators, or fragile-item handling. Accuracy improves when square footage and packing needs are entered precisely, and tools like a moving cost estimator help compare scenarios before requesting inventory-based quotes.
Local moves are usually under 50–100 miles and priced hourly. Intrastate moves stay within one state but may factor distance more heavily. Interstate moves cross state lines and are federally regulated, with pricing based on weight and mileage rather than time, which differs significantly from a standard local moving service pricing structure.
Yes, packing typically adds $300–$1,500+, depending on home size and materials used. Full packing reduces damage risk and speeds loading, while partial packing of kitchens or fragile rooms limits added cost. Many homeowners bundle packing with loading under full service movers to control labor hours and simplify moving-day logistics.
The lowest rates are usually mid-week, mid-month, and during fall or winter. Summer pricing is higher due to peak demand, especially at month-end. Flexible delivery windows and early booking help reduce costs, and understanding patterns outlined in when is the peak moving season helps avoid premium pricing windows.
