Published: September 2026 | Reading Time: 12 minutes
A moving company costs around $1,700 on average for a local move, with most households paying somewhere between about $876 and $2,547. A long-distance move is a different product entirely and runs from roughly $2,700 to $10,000 or more, because it is priced on the weight of your belongings and the distance rather than on hours worked.
This guide separates the two pricing models, gives current figures by home size and distance, covers the fees that appear after the estimate, and explains the liability coverage that most people accept without reading — the part that decides what you actually get back if something is destroyed.
Local Moves: Priced by the Hour
Within roughly the same metro area, movers charge by the hour per mover. Angi’s 2026 data puts the rate at around $80 per hour per person, ranging from $30 to $100 depending on the market. Crews scale from there: two movers commonly run $60 to $200 an hour, three $90 to $300, and four $120 to $400.
| Home size | Published local move cost |
|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | $250–$700 |
| 2 bedrooms | $500–$1,200 |
| 3 bedrooms | $900–$2,000 |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,200–$3,500 |
| 5 bedrooms | $3,000–$4,000 |
Because the clock is running, the things that slow a crew down are the things that cost you money: stairs, a long carry from the door to the truck, no lift in an apartment block, no parking near the entrance, and boxes that are not packed and sealed when the crew arrives.
Ask two questions about hourly pricing before booking. Is there a minimum number of hours? And does the clock start when they arrive at your door or when they leave the depot? Both answers change the real price more than the headline rate does.
Long-Distance Moves: Priced by Weight and Distance
Once you cross a state line or go far enough, the hourly model disappears. The price is built from the weight of your shipment and the miles travelled, published at roughly $0.50 to $0.80 per pound, with total costs commonly between $2,700 and $10,000 or more.
| Distance and home size | Published cost range |
|---|---|
| 250 miles, 1–2 bedrooms | $700–$2,500 |
| 1,000 miles, 3–5 bedrooms | $4,000–$8,000 |
Pricing by weight changes what saves you money. On a local move, packing faster saves hours. On a long-distance move, owning less saves dollars — every pound you sell, donate or discard before the truck is weighed comes straight off the bill. The heavy, low-value items are where this bites: old bookcases, exercise equipment, half-full paint tins, a garage of things you have not opened since the last move.
Interstate moves also come with federal consumer protections that local moves do not, which is the next section.
The Coverage Decision Most People Get Wrong
For interstate moves, federal rules require movers to offer two levels of liability, and the difference between them is enormous.
Released Value Protection is free and is the minimum. The mover’s liability is no more than 60 cents per pound per article. The FMCSA’s own example makes the consequence plain: a 25-pound television is worth $15 under this option, whatever you paid for it.
Full Value Protection costs extra and makes the mover responsible for the replacement value of lost or damaged goods — repairing the item, replacing it with something similar, or settling in cash at current market replacement value. Movers may limit liability on items worth more than $100 per pound, such as jewellery, china and furs, unless you list them specifically on the shipping documents.
Read the box you are signing
Full Value Protection applies automatically on an interstate move unless you specifically sign a statement choosing Released Value Protection. If that box is already ticked when the paperwork reaches you, you are being asked to accept 60 cents per pound. And if you have high-value items, list them on the shipping documents or the mover can limit liability on them.
Note that neither of these is insurance in the ordinary sense — they are levels of the mover’s liability, set by federal regulation. Separate moving insurance is a different product sold by insurers, and your homeowners or renters policy may or may not cover goods in transit. Check yours rather than assuming.
Add-On Services and What They Cost
| Service | Published range |
|---|---|
| Full packing service | $280–$2,200, averaging around $1,000 |
| Furniture disassembly and reassembly | $50–$150 per hour |
| Storage between properties | $20–$450 per month |
| Truck rental, if you do it yourself | $30–$3,500 depending on size and distance |
| Full Value Protection | Varies by mover and declared value; deductible options apply |
Packing is the add-on worth thinking hardest about. It is the largest single extra, but a professionally packed box is also the one a mover will accept liability for. Boxes you packed yourself are frequently excluded from damage claims unless the carton itself is visibly damaged, so packing your own fragile items saves money and moves the risk onto you at the same time.
The Charges That Appear Later
- Long carry fee, when the truck cannot park close to the door.
- Stair or elevator charges, often per flight and sometimes at both ends.
- Shuttle fee, where a full-size truck cannot reach the property and a smaller vehicle is needed.
- Bulky item charges for pianos, safes, gym equipment and large appliances.
- Materials, boxes, tape, mattress bags and wrapping billed separately.
- Fuel surcharge, a percentage rather than a fixed figure on many quotes.
- Storage-in-transit, when the delivery date moves and your goods sit in a warehouse.
- Peak-season pricing, since summer weekends and month-ends are the busiest slots of the year.
Ask for these to be identified in the written estimate rather than described as “possible additional charges”. A company that has done your building before will already know whether a shuttle or a long carry applies.
Checking the Company Before You Book
Moving is one of the few household services with a dedicated federal consumer programme behind it, because moving fraud is common enough to warrant one — the FMCSA states that thousands of Americans report it each year.
- Check the registered mover database. The FMCSA maintains one so you can confirm an interstate mover is legitimately registered before you hand over a deposit.
- Establish whether you are talking to a mover or a broker. A broker arranges your move and sells it on to a carrier you have not vetted. That is not automatically bad, but you should know which one you are hiring, and the FMCSA specifically flags the distinction.
- Expect the required paperwork. Interstate movers must give you the “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” booklet and a “Ready to Move” brochure before the move. A company that does not provide them is not following the rules it operates under.
- Insist on an in-home or video survey for anything larger than a studio. An estimate given without seeing your belongings is a number, not an estimate.
- Get everything in writing, and check whether the estimate is binding or non-binding — a non-binding estimate can legitimately change once the shipment is weighed.
The warning signs mirror those in any home service: a large cash deposit demanded upfront, no written estimate, a company that will not give a physical address, and a quote well below every other one you received. The vetting habits are the same ones set out in how to check a contractor’s licence and insurance before hiring.
How to Bring the Price Down
Move at the right time
Summer, weekends and the last few days of any month are the busiest and dearest slots. A mid-week move in the middle of a month, outside summer, is the same work at a quieter price.
Reduce what moves
On a long-distance move you are paying by the pound, so selling or donating heavy, low-value items has a direct and calculable payoff. Do it before the estimate, not after, so the quote reflects the smaller shipment.
Be genuinely ready
On an hourly local move, every box still open when the crew arrives is billable time. Boxes sealed and labelled, furniture emptied, and a parking space reserved will often save more than any discount you could negotiate.
One thing not worth cutting is the coverage. Saving the cost of Full Value Protection is a good trade right up until the moment a wardrobe is dropped, at which point 60 cents per pound is what stands between you and the replacement cost.
