Moving Cost Calculator

Moving Cost Calculator

Moving companies developed the special tool that helps customers to have a clear idea of how much they’ll end up spending on their relocation.

We would like to pay your attention that our moving cost calculator provides you with the approximate moving cost.

Online Moving Cost Calculator

Mileage

100 miles

What is your moving size?

Additional services

Insurance

Do you need a full packing service?

Full packing

Average Cost:

$ 0.00

Please, take into consideration that the final cost also depends on such factors as date, home size and weight of belongings, a shipment size, chosen services and distance from A to B point. For example, the calculations based on a 2 – 3 bedroom move of approximately 7,500 pounds is about $1,800 for a local move together with the average cost of $4,800 for a long-distance move (1,000 miles). Be prepared that the info processing time can take up to 1-2 days due to details of your move mentioned above.

Planning the moving process in advance, everybody wants to find a way on how to save on and understand what to deny and do it yourself. Our moving cost calculator is the best tool to start getting control of the moving situation. You can choose between an in-home estimate and an over-the-phone estimate. The in-home estimate will help to count the actual number of items the customer has and also understand how moving costs are determined. Together with our money-saving tips, here you will find everything you may be interested in when calculating moving costs for your relocation.

We consolidated common moving issues in FAQ categories below to save your time from thorough research.

FAQs

What factors affect moving costs?

Moving companies have a robust formula to calculate moving cost where variables depend on:

  • Mileage (local or long distance)
  • Moving Insurance (don’t underestimate your moving protection)
  • Liability and valuation coverage (there are two different liability options referred to as valuation coverage: Full Value Protection and Released Value)
  • Size of your move (the fewer items and boxes you move, the less you pay)
  • Moving date (try to avoid a weekend move and/or a move during peak season as it can affect the price dramatically)
  • Packing services (hiring packers isn’t cheap, but not cheaper than your damaged or even broken DIY packed valuables)
  • Travel fees (fuel costs, as well as labor costs, a lot depends on distance)
  • Moving add-ons (additional services like disassembling and reassembling furniture, moving valuables or fragile items, or prof moving supplies)
  • Storage (storage can be used before, during or after your move)
  • The number of floors and stairs (hard movers’ job must be paid for appropriately)

What is the average cost of moving?

The American Moving and Storage Association lists the average cost of a local household move to be $2,300, and the average cost of a long-distance move to be $4,300. These amounts are based on 7,400 pounds as an average moving weight.

Before hiring a reliable moving company or even if you have chosen DIY move for yourself you should be prepared or at least think over about:

How are local moves calculated?

Local moves are generally charged per hour. The average price across the country is $25 to $50 per mover/per hour. As you can see, rates differ from one moving company to another. If you have 1 bedroom apartment, add one mover to save your money, time and effort ($100 an hour for a two mover).

How are long distance moves calculated?

The final cost of your long distance move depends on the weight of your belongings and the distance from point A to point B. Rates vary from company to company but you will likely to pay a rate per pound and a rate per mile (50 cents per pound and around 75 cents per mile). Use our moving cost calculator to learn average cost of your moving.

Distance1 bedroom2 – 3 bedrooms4 – 5 bedrooms
50 miles+$1,400$2,200$3,700
250 miles+$1,900$2,800$4,800
1000 miles+$2,500$3,800$6,400
2500 miles+$3,300$4,900$8,200

What is moving insurance? How does it influence to moving cost calculation?

Clients are available to choose an option to protect their household. That means the moving company takes responsibility for your valuable belongings in case of damage or loss. Under Federal law, interstate movers must offer two different liability options: Full Value Protection and Released Value. Moreover, the client may also obtain separate liability insurance from the third party, which are regulated by state law.

What is valuation coverage cost?

Released Value Protection and Full Value Protection is offered to customers by all interstate movers. It is required by federal law but the cost of Full Value Protection varies from mover to mover. The most basic level of liability, Released Value Protection, is automatically included in the cost of your move. This basic protection covers 60 cents per pound per item. Choosing Full Value Protection means that if the mover damages or loses a belonging, the mover must pay back.

How to estimate moving size?

Go through your home room-by-room and make a list of the major pieces of furniture you have. Include the large items like beds, dressers and other items and any other items that will not fit into a box. The simplest method is to choose a moving size by the number of bedrooms. Moving companies usually offer the cubic feet measurement.

Moving Cost Calculator

What is the cheapest time to move?

The cheapest moving period of the year is from late September to April. Rates and demand are much lower. Try to plan a mid-month and mid-week time frame. It is obvious that summertime, holidays and weekends are the busiest and the most expensive options.

Can moving costs be deducted?

Of course! To claim a tax deduction on donations make sure that you record the value and quantity of all belongings on the donation receipt. Save it as your moving expenses could be tax-deductible. A tax deduction may also be available on relocation expenses to those who are moving because of a job.

Are moving costs for a job tax-deductible?

We have great news, according to the IRS, “if you moved due to a change in your job or business location, or because you started a new job or business, you may be able to deduct your reasonable moving expenses but not any expenses for meals.” Fill out and submit IRS Form 3903 to deduct moving expenses if your move closely relates to the start of work, you meet the distance test or meet the time test.

What should I consider before hiring a moving company?

Everything depends on your moving needs and the amount of money you are ready to spend. Hiring professionals is the best option for the long-distance move. They won’t only save your time and energy but nerves as they are moving people every day and know exactly how to do it right. If you can’t afford movers, don’t worry, consider less expensive DIY alternatives such as truck rentals or moving containers. Take into consideration some hidden costs of moving like weight and stairs.

What’s the difference between an in-home estimate and an over-the-phone estimate?

An in-home moving estimate is the most accurate estimate type. That means a moving agent will examine your home at a scheduled time and assess how much your move will cost.
An over-the-phone moving estimate is also acceptable but in majority cases is a less accurate estimate than an in-home estimate. We recommend making a list of everything you need to move before a phone call to feel more relaxed and prepared.

What is LCL?

LCL stands for less than a container load. If you know that you cannot fill even a 20-foot container, LCL is the most obvious option in terms of cost and convenience. Shipping fewer goods more frequently means spending less on inventory space. With an LCL shipment, you pay for your load to be shipped in a container with one or more loads from other customers.

What is FCL?

FCL stands for a full container load that is an ocean shipment in which the cargo occupies a full container (of any size). An FCL shipment can be delivered directly to the destination place.

Which is the cheaper LCL or FCL?

Unlike FCL, which usually has a flat rate per container, LCL is charged based on the volume, set in cubic meters. LCL shipping is a cost-effective solution for smaller shipments as you only need to pay for the volume space used. At the same time it is almost always cheaper than air freight.

Summary

Our moving cost calculator will help you to plan your budget effectively. This easy-to-use tool will provide you with an approximate moving cost. Due to our efforts and analyses, everyone can make their own preliminary estimate. However, you must also consider the factors from the movers’ side that affect the total moving cost. These are such factors as busy work schedule and already booked dates, logistics points of storage and long-distance transportation complications, availability of all the necessary equipment, etc. That is not mentioned in the article, but obviously has its influence on the total moving cost.

From our side we are ready to provide you with real customers feedback of already completed moves. As an alternative you may fill out the form and get a free moving quote if you need to book a moving date or for additional details. The representative of a moving company will contact you as soon as possible.

Responses of Moving Me visitors

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Review Content

How accurate is the moving estimate?

★★★★★
After several intercontinental moves, I still don’t know exactly how do professional movers estimate moving cost. My estimates were not regularly accurate. Due to my own experience, I stopped to ask for an estimate the last 2 years, but have always asked for a quote so that there are no unexpected extras on the bill. If it’s a house load for international shipment then its usually a matter of them figuring out if you need a 20-foot or 40-foot container and estimating how many packers and movers will be needed at each end for how long. Number of people times hourly rate gives part of the total + the costs of loading, transport and completing paperwork for the container. If it is smaller than a full container, then they estimate the volume and work out if you can share a container with another small shipment then apportion the container costs between the parties who share it. That sounds simple but there are complications - if you live up a steep pathway or apartment building and gear has to be hand-carried then the labor costs will be higher than if they can back their truck up to your door. If you have a lot of collector's items or art that might need special packing that will also increase the amount of labor and possibly the volume. Besides it, if you are moving international, please do be aware that you may get hit with import duties and taxes on some items and the movers are never responsible for those. Big-ticket items like cars are possible problem areas; unless you have owned a car for a certain period (perhaps a couple of years)before moving, you may well end up paying local duties and taxes on the new car value before your goods will be released from customs, even if you paid the same taxes in the home country.
- Marc L.

★★★★★
How can one roughly estimate moving costs? We planning to move from Austin, TX, to Seattle, WA, in autumn. We will be footing the bill ourselves so want to plan accordingly. We are looking for the most economical solution. Firstly we checked variants by moving calculators from relevant companies. I was able to roughly estimate moving costs without submitting my name and email address. the final outcome was that full service of moving is very expensive. so we got a quote for the right size truck and then calculated gas costs and food and lodging along the way. There are a couple of layers of complexity that cannot be ignored. We compared that with several POD companies, the list we got from the reviewer, which varied with PODs of different dimensions, etc. we have some doughs how to avoid fraud from moving companies. we plan to hire local movers for a couple of hours to help load/unload the big items (though we plan to pack all the boxes ourselves), so once again - get estimates. We found that we can plan to spend about $5500–$6000 to move from Austin to Seattle, which is the most affordable plan we could put together with all estimates considered. The Accuratiosity of the estimate will be confirmed soon! For now, I'm very happy that you shared with me the basic criteria to plan and calculate. Great job!
- Jessica F.

★★★★★
My personal experience was awful!!! I chose a mover who turned out to be a broker that claims to be highly skilled and professional. Epic fail. I recently used them to move from my previous apartment in NY. I provided my inventory with exact dimensions of all boxes that I have, huge items, and furniture. I was quoted a final price of $1,950. They confirmed the exact inventory the day before my move (I was calling to confirm!!!), and assured me that the price won’t change. Imagine my surprise, I was told my price was actually $3,600 when the crew of movers came to pick up all of my belongings! Being furious I asked what had happened and was given the answer that the company’s representative totally undercut my total cubic footage. After half a year of going back and forth with them, they are now trying to deny any responsibility for this. But I am firmly convinced that this fraud must be revealed. I also complained with the Better Business Bureau, as they breached the contract and have been extremely unresponsive. So beware!”
- Alex Calish

★★★★★
TBH I wasn’t successful. My local move cost me 800$ more that was estimated. So many promises and everything was a huge fraud in every way possible. I even read the bad reviews first and I let them know, but they said that it was all made up to ruin their reputation. Please, I beg you, read the reviews and trust them. Don’t make my mistake. Do not hesitate to ask any questions and certainly clarify all the details that you do not understand. Be prepared to be flexible with dates as the cost directly depends on the hot time for moves. If your date is definite be 70% ready to pay extra. Please avoid the word “going” when talking to a representative from a moving company while in-home estimation. This term can mean going away or going to the new place. Use “taking” and “leaving”, or simply “yes” and “no” instead. Be sure to ask for your copy of the inventory, and check it for accuracy. Don’t forget about additional fees assessment and things that are charged extra for like bulky furniture, pianos, safes, huge appliances, packing, fuel, etc. Any obstacles, like stairs might also raise the estimate. Using a moving cost calculator can make your life much easier. Being not accurate but very close to the final price.
- Kirk Johnson

★★★★★
The real story of how I research the moving domains to find a reliable estimate tool. I follow the moving review companies because I want to figure out the measurement criteria for an in-house estimate. it’s complicated to develop a constant formula yourself because the requirement is changing depending on internal and external factors. An accurate assessment could be done only by a professional moving expert. Due to the deference of the state’s low of insurance and local/interstate option of moving, moving size, and packaging alternatives an expenses can extremely rise up. Googling the internet I've got an insight that clients have done calculation slightly worse than suggested by the rough measure of an online calculator. as a result, the estimated expenses exceeded expectations. the same situation with the phone operators that give an “estimate” of how much they anticipate the work will cost. I Get a few mover’s quotes and passed the in-house inspection step. then compared the final proposals. Estimates, generally, were professionally reasonable. finally, in my case, the estimate has had a maximum 15% overage deviation from the quoted price. it might be reasonable because during the process discovered issues along the way that he could have been aware of initially. Full value protection service (vs Released Value) and full packaging for fragile things were the changes that increased the prices.
- Natalia Sandrigailo
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