● Money & small business
Moving costs: 4 mover quotes compared on the same total, and the cash you really need
Mover quotes are hard to compare because they aren't quoting the same thing: one is an hourly rate, one is a flat price, and the fees, packing and tip sit in different places. Here's one example local apartment move from the sample file of our moving budget planner, with every quote brought to the same all-in total.
The quotes, all-in
| Mover | How they quoted | Labor | Fees, packing, coverage | Tip | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two Guys & a Van | $169/hour × 7 hours | $1,183.00 | $169.00 | $177.45 (15%) | $1,529.45 |
| City Movers Co. | $145/hour × 9 hours | $1,305.00 | $265.00 | $195.75 (15%) | $1,765.75 |
| Bluebird Movers | Flat $1,690 | $1,690.00 | $155.00 | $169.00 (10%) | $2,014.00 |
| Premier Relocation | Flat $2,400 | $2,400.00 | $350.00 | $240.00 (10%) | $2,990.00 |
The tip is figured as a percentage of the labor, and fees include travel or truck charges, stairs and long carries, packing, and valuation coverage.
The cheaper hourly rate was the dearer quote
City Movers' $145 an hour looks better than $169. But they estimated 9 hours to the other crew's 7, and added $120 of other fees on top of a $145 travel fee. All-in they cost $236.30 more. Compare totals, never rates.
Hourly vs flat: where the risk sits
An hourly quote is only as good as the hours estimate. If Two Guys & a Van takes longer, the total moves: $1,723.80 at 8 hours, $1,918.15 at 9, $2,112.50 at 10. Against Bluebird's flat $2,014, the hourly quote stays cheaper up to about 9.5 hours, more than two hours past the estimate. That's a reasonable margin here. With a tighter gap, a flat price buys certainty worth paying for. Ask hourly movers for their minimum hours and what happens if the job runs long.
The move costs $4,034, but you need $5,934 on the day
| Around moving day | Amount |
|---|---|
| Movers (cheapest quote) | $1,529.45 |
| Everything else: boxes, cleaning, internet setup, curtains, takeout… | $1,179.55 |
| Security deposit on the new place | $2,150.00 |
| Half a month of rent on both places | $1,075.00 |
| Cash needed around moving day | $5,934.00 |
| Deposit back from the old place, weeks later | −$1,900.00 |
| Net cost of the move | $4,034.00 |
With a $5,500 moving budget, this move is $434 short on the day, even though its net cost is well under budget. The new deposit and the overlapping rent ($3,225 together) are more than the movers and the supplies combined. Plan for the cash peak, not the net cost.
Doing it for your move
- Get at least three quotes and put each one on the same all-in total: labor, travel fee, other fees, packing, valuation coverage and tip.
- For hourly quotes, work out how many hours it would take to lose to the best flat quote.
- Add the new deposit and any overlapping rent to the budget; don't count on the old deposit until it arrives.
The free moving cost calculator does the all-in quote comparison and the moving-day cash. Every figure above is from the sample file of our moving budget planner, where every quote, category and cash figure was recomputed independently. Prices are examples, not averages.