Did you know that, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, just over 40 million Americans moved annually between the years 2014 and 2019? This means that around 13% of Americans moved every year.
If you’re among the many Americans who move every year, then you might be wondering:
“How much does a moving company cost ?”
When you’re moving, not knowing the answer to this question can be quite stressful. After all, there are so many other costs and logistical issues you have to worry about already.
There’s cleaning your home, selling it, packing everything up. There’s figuring out how you’re going to get you and your family comfortable and settled in your new home.
Having to find the right moving company and how much to hire movers for can feel overwhelming and like one extra thing to add to your never-ending to-do list.
That’s why we’ve put together this article. In it, you’ll learn the answer to the question, “How much is it to hire movers?” Finally, you can hire the right movers and be prepared for your move. Read on to learn more.
How Much Does It Typically Cost to Hire Movers?
The typical type of move is the local, or intrastate, move. With this type of move, you’re usually moving to another home, but you aren’t crossing your state border into another state. Of course, if you live in a tri-state area, this is still a local move.
For example, if you live in the Washington, D.C., tri-state area, moving from Maryland to Virginia could be a quick twenty-minute move.
If you’re asking the question, “How much do movers cost for a local or intrastate move?” the answer is, that on average, this cost is $1,250.
This is when you’re moving out of a two- or three-bedroom home and the items you’re moving weigh around 7,500 pounds.
If you have fewer bedrooms, this cost might be slightly lower, since you probably won’t need to hire as many individual movers.
Making the Calculation
When it comes to how much to hire movers for a local move, they charge a certain flat rate per hour. However, this flat rate per hour varies depending on what state you’re based in. It can be as low as $50 an hour or a high as $750 an hour.
It will also vary depending on how many individual movers are moving your stuff.
For example, if you have a studio apartment, this will usually cost between $150 and $400 because it would take 2 to 3 hours and 2 workers to take out your things.
But if you have a larger home, then the answer to "How much does it cost to hire movers?" is between $600 to $2,000, since it would take 6 to 10 hours and 3 to 5 workers to take out your things.
Flat Rates
Also, depending on what state you’re based in, some will calculate things a little differently. Instead of charging your per-hour rates per individual taking out your things, they’ll calculate the cost based on weight. When does this happen?
In some states, this happens if the distance between your old house and your new house is over 50 miles. To find out if this is the case in your state, check out your state’s moving regulations.
If you aren’t sure, you can speak with your potential moving company about what counts as a long-distance move in your state and what counts as a local one.
That way, you can answer the question, "How much is it to hire movers?"
Some moving companies will also have a flat rate for moves that are local and in-state. This rate will be the company’s hourly rate multiplied by the estimate of how many hours your move is expected to take.
How Much Does A Moving Company Cost Long Distance?
If you’re doing an interstate or long-distance move, the answer to “How much do movers cost?” is an average of $4,890. This is based on a calculation where the home has two to three bedrooms, the distance is 1,000 miles, and the weight is around 7,500 pounds.
When you pay for a long-distance or interstate move, you’re charged differently than when you’re paying for a local or intrastate move.
Instead of being charged per hour per mover, you’ll mostly be charged according to the weight of your shipment.
Then, additional factors such as insurance, packing services, labor costs, and distance will affect the amount further.
When taking account of distance and these other factors, your moving company should be able to come up with an estimate of how much the move will cost in total.
Ask them to provide you with a contract where this is all detailed out. Additionally, ask for a not-to-exceed estimate that’s binding, so that you don’t end up paying a huge, unexpected amount once the move has been completed.
Making the Calculation
The calculation of a long-distance move can vary significantly because the distance and size of the move can vary so much. For this reason, the cost can be as little as $600 and as much as over $10,000. A move of a few hundred miles will be in the lower range.
A cross-country move, on the other hand, will cost closer to over $2,500.
If your move is an international one, costs will be even higher. This can vary significantly depending on which country you’re moving to.
Additional Factors That Affect the Cost Of Your Move
There are additional factors that affect the cost of your move. These include moving supplies, the type of mover, moving add-ons, the time of year, your moving date, specialty items, travel fees, gratuity for the movers, and coverage for liability and valuation.
If you’ve been wondering, “How much do moving companies charge?” these additional factors will make that amount a bit higher. Once you’ve established how much you’re paying generally, you’ll want to add these costs to your total.
Moving Supplies
There are several moving supplies you’ll have to pay for. These include packing paper, plastic wrap, plastic bins, cardboard boxes, and other supplies. When you’re putting together your moving budget, add this to the cost of how much it is to hire movers.
Type of Mover
When it comes to answering the question, “How much do movers cost?” this answer can vary depending on what type of mover you’re using. A DIY type move, where you’re moving the boxes and the mover is providing the moving van, will be cheaper.
However, if you don’t want to deal with the stress of moving everything yourself, you can hire an entire team of Pro Movers to do this. Pro Movers will be slightly more costly but it might be worth it for you.
Moving Add-Ons
There are many moving add-ons when you hire a moving company. This includes how many movers will be moving your things (labor costs) and additional services like reassembling or disassembling furniture.
Additionally, the moving company might provide add-ons such as mattress bags, felt pads, or stretch wrap. These add-ons might actually be in the quote the moving company provides you with.
If you want the answer to “How much do movers cost?” to be “As little as possible” then you could ask your moving company to remove these add-ons from the total and pay for them on your own.
The Time of Year
The time of year has an impact on the answer to the question, “How much does it cost to hire a moving company?” The peak of the moving season is between May and early September, so if you can, try not to move during the late spring or summer.
The reason it’s more expensive to move during this time of year is that families find it is easier to move during the summer when school isn’t in session.
Your Moving Date and Time
When it comes to your moving date, other than choosing the right time of year, there are other guidelines you should follow. It’s smart to move in the middle of the month, for example. This is because many people move when leases end at the end or beginning of the month.
Additionally, you should consider moving on a weekday if you can. Because many people move during weekends, high demand makes costs higher.
Finally, it’s a good idea to move in the morning. This way, you’ll have the entire day ahead of you in case you have any issues with your move.
Specialty Items
Some items will be more expensive to move because they have to be moved more carefully or with special equipment. These items include safes, motorcycles, hot tubs, pool tables, and large musical instruments like pianos.
If you have any items like this that have to be moved, speak with your potential moving company about how much it will cost to move them.
Travel Fees
Travel fees can vary significantly and are sometimes calculated differently when added to the total cost of your move. Usually, the fees are related to how long it takes to get from your old house to your new house. Often, they are also related to fuel costs.
When travel fees are calculated for a local move, they’re usually similar to the hourly labor rate.
Gratuity for the Movers
Because it’s traditional to pay movers, you might want to include this gratuity in your moving budget. If the movers did their job well, respected your items and home, and arrived on time, then most people moving will give them a tip.
A good rule of thumb is to tip your movers 5% of the moving bill you paid to the moving company. This is industry standard.
So, let’s say your entire move costs $1,000. In this case, you’ll want to tip $50 total. If you have two movers, they’d each get $75. If you have four, they’d each get $12.50.
If you don’t want to use percentages and tip a simple flat amount, then $20 for each mover is usually a good amount. However, if it’s a long or complicated move, you should tip between $30 and $40 for each mover.
For a long-distance move, you’ll want to give a larger tip to the driver or foreman, between $50 and $100.
Coverage for Liability and Valuation
When you hire a moving company, you usually have to pay for liability coverage. Usually, different types are available. The basic type is Basic Released Value Protection. With this coverage, you protect every pound of cargo with .60 cents.
If you’re doing a local move, this cost will make up part of the hourly rate.
There’s also Full Value Protection. With this type of coverage, the moving company will have to pay in full for any damage to your items. If the item is destroyed, then they’ll have to pay for the item fully or replace it.
For this type of protection, you’ll have to pay extra, but it could be well worth it depending on the value of your items.
Need More Information?
Now that you know the answer to the question, “How much does a moving company cost?” you might need additional information. Maybe you want help budgeting for your move. Or maybe you want to find help finding a moving company near you.
Whatever information you need, we can help. At Nexus Auto Transport, we’re experts when it comes to moves. We also provide car shipping services. To learn more about how we can help you, contact us now. Or check out our moving cost estimator for a free quote on how much it will cost to move your household items.
