Moving Cost Calculator

Every move is different. Hence, there's no one size fit all when it comes to calculating moving costs.

Several factors affect how much you'll pay for your move but the two biggest factors that contribute the most to the cost are the Distance and Size of the Move.

Let's take a look at how these two factors affect the cost.

• The Distance of Your Move

  You can either have a short distance move (local moves) or a long-distance move (mostly interstate moves). If you're moving within 50 miles radius, that's a local or a short-distance move.

  If you're moving over 50 miles radius, either within state lines or not, or across the country such as moving to Canada or Mexico etc. that's a long-distance move.

  The higher the distance of your move the higher the price will be.

• The Size of Your Move

  The cost of moving items in a one-bedroom apartment is higher than the cost of moving items in a 2 or more-bedroom apartment. The more items you have, the longer it will take to pack and load them into a moving truck and the heavier your entire shipment will be.

  The more things you're planning on moving, the higher your moving cost is going to be.

Local moves are generally referred to as moves that happen with one state. If you're moving from one city to another within a state or less than 50 miles, you're making what is referred to in the industry as a Local Move.

Local moves are almost usually calculated on an hourly basis. In these moves, the time it takes to complete the move is the biggest deterring factor when it comes to calculating moving costs.

The longer it takes to complete the job, the higher your moving cost will be.

Here's the general formula to give you a quick idea:

(Number of Hours) x (Number of people needed) x (Hourly Rate) + Fees & Taxes

Long Distance moves, or Interstate Moves are a little more complicated to price. There are many factors that affect the moving costs in this case. But the general rule of thumb still applies.

The higher the distance and the more stuff you're moving, the higher the moving cost will be.

The biggest factor when you're moving long distances is the weight of your items. Based on how much your stuff weighs, the price can differ drastically.

When getting estimates for a long distance move, the moving company will first and foremost try to estimate the weight of all your items that you're planning on moving. This is where the experience of a moving company comes in handy. The more accurately they can estimate your move weight, the more accurate your moving estimate will be, leaving less room for any surprises.

Don't worry tho, the move weight estimate is just to get you a price. Your items will be weighed formally at a weigh station to get the accurate weight, once they are loaded on the truck.

Here's the general formula moving companies use to estimate moving costs for a long distance or interstate move:

(Weight of Shipment) x (Rate per Pound per Mile) x (Move Distance)

If you're ready to get some estimates from our moving companies, try our moving cost calculator to get some no-obligation moving quotes.

Like we mentioned earlier, every move is different and there's no one fixed price for moves.

That being said, we've compiled a chart to give you a rough idea of how much you can expect to pay for different move sizes.

Please keep in mind that these prices are just very rough estimates based on several moving quotes we process through our website. Your moving cost will vary based on different factors discussed above.

So, with that in mind, let's take a quick look at some average moving costs you can expect to pay for your move.

Local moves generally cost a lot lower than Long Distance moves. A local move on average could range from $250 to $2000. While the average long-distance moving cost ranges from $1000 - $6000. Your final moving cost could be higher or lower, depending on the size of your move.

Additionally, if you need to ship a car or need storage options, those costs could be extra. The average cost of car shipping can range from $400-$1500 depending upon how far you're shipping and the type of car it is. To get estimates on car shipping, check out our auto transport page.

Here's a simple breakdown of the average moving costs based on distance and room sizes:

Many factors affect your moving cost. Let's take a look at some in detail.

• Type of Moving Service you opt for

  You have several options to choose from. You can either hire a full-service moving company, opt for partial moving services, truck rental services, or rent a moving container. Whatever you prefer will determine your moving cost.

• Seasonality

  Moving during winter is less expensive because only a few people move during the cold weather. Moving companies are typically busier during the summer as many people prefer moving during this period. This makes moving costs more expensive in summer months.

• Your Moving Date

  Moving costs are typically higher during weekends and month-ends. Moving during midweek and the middle of the month is less expensive.

• Moving specialty items

  Items such as hot tubs, boats, large musical instruments like pianos, motorcycles, pool tables, and safes etc. will add to your moving cost.

• Special Services

  These include full packing services, unpacking, shuttle truck charges, packing supplies, travel fees, long carry charges, and packing supplies etc.