Local Moving Costs | 2024

How Much Does It Cost to Move Locally?

First things first, when we talk about local moves, we refer to moves that occur within the same state. Now, here’s the money question –how much do local movers cost? Short answer is that on average the cost of a local move is around $1,170. To arrive to this number, companies often base their costs either on an hourly rate (≈$25 per hour/per mover), or on a flat rate.

But do note that there might be exceptions to this! If the distance is larger than 50 miles, is it likely that the mover might base its costs on the amount of pounds transported (≈$0.50 to $0.70 per pound) instead. Curious about the total weight of your move? Our nifty moving space calculator can help you calculate this!

Ballpark Estimates of a Local Move

We know this might sound a bit vague, but don’t worry, we got your back! 😉 To illustrate this better, we summarized the average moving costs for full-service local move based on distance and number of rooms moved in the table below.

*Keep in mind that these prices are estimates of a full-service move. The less services you require, the lower the costs will be.

Tip!: The best way to estimate the costs of your local move is by requesting personalized quotes. Not sure how to request quotes? Just click the banner below and fill out our quote form —we’ll take care of the rest for you!

Factors That Affect Your Local Movers Cost

Fun-maybe-not-so-fun fact: Did you know there are several other factors that are involved in the calculation of your bill? Because we know this part can be a bit tricky, we’ve compiled a list with the most common factors that can have an effect on your local movers cost.

• Moving date: We hope you’re flexible with your moving date, because the time of the year and day of the week can rack up your local moving costs quickly! Typically, weekend and summer moves are tend to be pricier.
• Contract costs: Companies often charge around $25/hour per worker needed to perform the move. So, your costs will also be influenced by the amount of movers you decide to hire.
• Packing and unpacking services: Let’s be honest, no one is a really a fan of packing or unpacking, but keep in mind that requesting these services can also increase the final cost of your move.
• Supplies: Common supplies like boxes, tape and plastic wrap can quickly add up during the packing process, resulting on higher local moving costs.
• Dis(assembly) services: Interested in the disassembly/reassembly of your furniture? Unfortunately, this will cost you an extra fee as well.
• Speciality items: Have a fancy piano you’re hoping to take along with you? If so, keep in mind that moving fragile/special items require a set of skills and supplies that will cause your local movers costs to increase.
• Moving insurance: Most movers offer different levels of liability coverage –and we really recommend to purchase one of them. Depending on the type of coverage choose, your final costs will increase by a higher or lower amount.

Tips to Cut Down Your Local Movers Cost

We all know that moving can cost a pretty penny, so why not find ways to save some money? Lucky for you, we’ve learned a few tricks along the way that can help you save on your move. 😉

• Carefully choose your moving date: Try to schedule your move for non-peak moving seasons —so avoid summer at all costs!
• Request multiple moving quotes: Requesting quotes from different companies will allow you to discriminate between prices —this can help you save up to 40% on your move, jackpot!
• Find as many free boxes as you can: Local supermarkets and bookstores often have boxes laying around that they wouldn’t mind giving to you for free —just make sure they’re sturdy enough!
• Declutter your belongings: Have items you’d rather not bring along with you? Go ahead and sell them! Tip!: yard sales and online marketplaces are the way to go when it comes to selling furniture. 
• Donate: If you have non-perishable goods you can always donate them to Move for Hunger or similar NGOs.
• Pack as much as you can yourself: As we mentioned before, packing/unpacking services can significantly add costs to your move. Get your friends to help you out and make a fun day out of it!

We know reading about local moving costs isn’t necessarily anyone’s cup of tea. So, give yourself a pat in the back for making it to the end! 😉 Hopefully now you’re all set to continue planning your moving adventure. In case you still need an extra hand on this, we recommend checking out the pages linked below.