How much does moving cost in 2026?
Per-hour rates by region, common move prices, what drives the cost, and how to write a moving quote that wins.
The short answer
Moving companies typically charge $80 to $250 per hour (3-person crew)
$500 to $8,500+ per move depending on distance and scope. Here is what tradies actually charge in 2026 and how the price gets built.
Moving companies typically quote per hour for local moves or fixed price for interstate. A local 2-bed apartment move runs $500 to $1,500. A local 3-4 bed home move runs $1,200 to $3,500. Interstate moves run $3,500 to $8,500+. Adding packing service runs $400 to $1,500. Adding moving boxes and supplies runs $150 to $500. Pricing depends on distance, home size, access (stairs, elevators), packing needs, fragile items, and whether the move is local hourly or interstate flat-rate.
Hourly rates
Moving companies hourly rates by region (2026)
Standard daytime rates across the major markets. Metro areas typically command a 20-30% premium. After-hours work is 1.5x to 2x.
United States
Notes
Premium full-service movers in metro areas at the top
United Kingdom
Notes
BAR member firms at the higher end
Australia
Notes
AFRA accredited firms at the top
South Africa
Notes
BAR-IMTC accredited firms above this
Canada
Notes
Toronto, Vancouver at the top
New Zealand
Notes
Auckland and Wellington at the top
Ireland
Notes
Dublin commands a premium
India
Notes
Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore at the top
Job pricing
Common moving company jobs and what they cost
Real-world price ranges for the jobs tradies quote every week. Includes labour, parts, and standard call-out.
Site visit and quote
What's included
Most movers quote free in-person or video. Detailed inventory quotes for interstate may be charged.
Local 1-bed apartment (within 20km)
What's included
2-3 hours with 2 movers + truck. Excludes packing service.
Local 2-bed apartment/house
What's included
4-6 hours with 2-3 movers + truck. Excludes packing.
Local 3-4 bed home
What's included
6-10 hours with 3-4 movers + larger truck. Excludes packing.
Interstate move (3-bed home)
What's included
Includes truck, fuel, mileage, 2-day pack/load/transit. Distance-dependent.
Full packing service (3-bed home)
What's included
Includes 2-3 packers for 1-2 days, all materials. Saves time but adds cost.
Packing materials (full home set)
What's included
Includes 30-50 boxes, tape, bubble wrap, paper. Customer self-packs.
Piano move (per piano)
What's included
Per piano. Upright cheaper; baby grand or grand premium. Specialist equipment included.
Storage (per month, per 20ft container)
What's included
Per month. Includes 24/7 secure facility access. Climate-controlled premium-priced.
What drives the price
Six things that change the price of a job
The same job can cost 2x more or less depending on these factors. Knowing them helps customers spot fair quotes and helps tradies justify their own.
Distance
Local moves are hourly. Long-distance and interstate are typically flat-rate based on inventory and mileage. State the distance and pricing model on the quote.
Home size and inventory
1-bed apartment is 2-3 hours. 4-bed home with garage and shed is 8-12 hours. State assumed inventory or do a site visit before quoting.
Access
Ground floor with truck access is fastest. 3rd floor walk-up apartment is 2-3x slower. Long carries, stairs, narrow hallways all add time. Survey before quoting.
Packing service
Customer-packed: cheapest, faster on move day. Mover-packed: $400-1,500 extra, saves customer days of work. Quote both options.
Fragile and specialty items
Pianos, antiques, art, large appliances need specialist handling. Crating costs $50-300 per item. Quote separately to avoid surprise charges.
Insurance
Standard liability covers cents per pound (almost worthless). Full-value insurance covers replacement cost; costs $50-200 extra per $1,000 of declared value. Always recommend full-value.
How to quote it
How moving companies should price their work
Tips for tradies on writing quotes that win the job and protect the margin.
Quote hourly with minimum + estimate
'$220/hr with 4-person crew + truck, estimated 6 hours, minimum 4 hours' beats '$220/hr'. Customers see total expected cost.
Itemise packing service separately
Some customers want full packing; others want just transport. Quoting separately lets customers choose. Reduces 'why is it so expensive' confusion.
Take a 30% deposit
Booking the truck and crew for a specific date requires deposit. 30% on booking. Balance on move day. Larger interstate moves may need 50%.
Quote insurance options upfront
Standard liability (free, useless) vs full-value ($50-200 extra). Customers think about contents value at booking, not when something breaks. Sell insurance at quote time.
Offer end-of-month / weekend premium
Last weekend of the month is peak moving season. Premium pricing (20-30% more) justified by demand. State the premium days on the quote.
Send arrival + walk-through photos via WhatsApp
Photo of truck loading, key inventory items, condition pre-load. Customers trust the process; damage disputes documented.
Watch out for
Pricing red flags to watch for
The patterns that usually signal a problem on the quote, with what to do about each one.
Verbal quote with no inventory
What to do: Always written and based on inventory. Hourly quotes without inventory estimates lead to bill shock when the move takes 12 hours instead of 6.
Cash-only with no invoice
What to do: Walk away. Without an invoice you have no insurance claim path for damaged goods, no proof of payment for tax purposes (work moves).
No insurance offered
What to do: Walk away. Reputable movers offer at least basic liability and recommend full-value coverage. Uninsured movers leaving you with damaged goods means nothing covered.
Hostage scams (refusing to unload until extra payment)
What to do: Some scam movers load your goods then demand extra payment to unload. Look for BAR/AFRA/AMSA accreditation. Verify the company is real before booking.
No accreditation or licence
What to do: Most regions have moving company licensing (BAR-IMTC in SA, AFRA in AU, FMCSA in US for interstate, BAR in UK). Insist on licence number before booking.
Pressure to skip the walk-through
What to do: Walk-through with customer before loading is standard. Skipping it means damage disputes can't be resolved. Insist on photographing the start condition together.
Sample quote
A real example: line-by-line
Local 3-bed home move, 25km, full packing service, premium insurance
Local move: 3 movers + 6m³ truck (estimated 8 hours, minimum 5 hours)
Full packing service (2 packers, 1 day, all materials included)
Fuel surcharge (25km radius + city access)
Full-value insurance (declared content value $35,000)
Piano move (1 upright, climate-controlled handling)
Packing materials (32 boxes, 4 wardrobe boxes, bubble wrap, paper)
Unpacking unloading + box removal (basic placement only)
FAQ
Moving companies pricing questions, answered
Everything customers and tradies ask about moving company pricing.
Local 1-bed apartment: $380-850. 2-bed: $500-1,500. 3-4 bed home: $1,200-3,500. Interstate (3-bed): $3,500-8,500. Add full packing service $400-1,500. Premium full-service movers (white-glove) 50-100% more.
Local moves: hourly is standard with minimum (typically 3-5 hours). Long-distance and interstate: flat rate based on inventory and mileage. For local moves, hourly + estimate gives transparency. For interstate, flat rate gives certainty.
Yes, 2-3 quotes for any move. Compare hourly rate AND estimated hours, packing inclusion, insurance, and accreditation. Cheapest hourly rate can be the most expensive overall if the crew is slow or the inventory is wrong.
Worth the $400-1,500 if you don't have 2-3 days to pack a 3-bed home, or if you have lots of fragile items. Mover-packed is significantly faster than DIY packing. Customer-packed is fine for tight budgets and small moves.
Yes. Standard liability covers $0.30-$0.60 per pound (useless for expensive items). Full-value insurance (typically $50-200 extra per $1,000 of declared value) covers replacement cost. Always insure to value of contents.
Local moves: 30% deposit on booking, balance on completion. Interstate: 30% deposit, 30% on loading, 40% on delivery. Anyone asking for full payment upfront is a scam risk.
Use BAR/AFRA/AMSA accredited movers. Get written quotes based on actual inventory (not just bedroom count). Verify the company at the address listed. Don't pay full upfront. Document goods before loading and after unloading.
1-bed apartment: 2-3 hours. 2-bed: 4-6 hours. 3-bed home: 6-10 hours. 4+ bed: 8-12+ hours. Interstate moves: 2-7 days transit depending on distance. Packing service adds 1-2 days.
Most movers can't transport: hazardous materials (paint, propane, ammunition), perishables, plants (depends on state lines for interstate), pets, valuables (jewelry, important documents). Always confirm at quote time.
Get the hourly rate, crew size, truck size, estimated hours, packing scope, insurance level, and any premium-day pricing upfront in writing. Pay via banking app, never cash. Get the walk-through and photos before loading.
Use a template
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