Moving Cost Calculator
Local and long-distance moves: hire movers or rent a truck
A moving cost calculator adds up labor, transportation and supplies for your move. With this page's default assumptions, a 2-bedroom local move of 15 miles costs about $1,150 with a three-person crew for five hours, against about $273 with a rental truck. Moving the same home 1,000 miles (about 5,000 pounds) costs about $4,150 with movers and $1,705 with a one-way truck, fuel included. The cost to move comes down to weight, distance and hours, so replace the defaults with real quotes.
Last updated October 2026
Method: Local movers = crew × hours × rate per mover-hour + fees. Long distance = weight × (base rate per lb + distance rate per lb × miles ÷ 1,000) + services. Rental truck = flat fee + days × daily rate + miles × mileage rate + miles ÷ mpg × fuel price + protection. Packing materials, storage and other costs go into both totals. Default weights use about 1,000 lb per room (a U.S. Army rule of thumb); all rates are labeled assumptions.
Included: Local and long-distance modes, movers and rental truck side by side, fuel from mpg and the EIA U.S. average gasoline price for the week of October 5, 2026 ($4.354 per gallon), boxes and supplies, storage, a comparison by home size, the federal rules for interstate estimates, and the moving deduction rules for tax years 2025 and 2026.
Not included: Real quotes or regional prices, tips (add them under other costs), your own travel, car shipping, state rules for moves within one state, and the value of your time.
🚚 Your move
Choosing a home size fills in typical crew, hours, boxes and weight (about 1,000 lb per room). Every number below is an editable assumption: replace it with your quotes.
🧑🔧 Hiring movers
🔑 Renting a truck yourself
Default fuel price: U.S. average for regular gasoline, $4.354 per gallon in the week of October 5, 2026 (EIA).
📦 Packing, storage & other costs
These costs are added to both options. If the movers pack for you, set boxes to 0.
🚚 Estimated cost: local move, 2 bedrooms, 15 miles
🧾 Cost breakdown
| Item | Movers | DIY truck |
|---|---|---|
| Labor (3 movers × 5 h × $60.00) | $900.00 | - |
| Truck & travel fee | $100.00 | - |
| Extra services (stairs, piano, long carry) | $0.00 | - |
| Truck rental (1 day × $40.00) | - | $40.00 |
| Mileage (30 mi × $1.00) | - | $30.00 |
| Fuel (3 gal × $4.35) | - | $13.05 |
| Protection & equipment | - | $40.00 |
| Packing materials (40 boxes × $2.50 + $50.00) | $150.00 | $150.00 |
| Storage (0 months × $150.00) | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Other costs | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $1,150.00 | $273.05 |
🏠 Same move, other home sizes
Your rates and distance, with each home size's typical crew, hours and box count.
| Home size | Crew × hours | Movers | DIY truck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 2 × 3 h | $548 | $211 |
| 1 bedroom | 2 × 4 h | $693 | $236 |
| 2 bedrooms | 3 × 5 h | $1,150 | $273 |
| 3 bedrooms | 3 × 7 h | $1,560 | $323 |
| 4 bedrooms | 4 × 8 h | $2,270 | $373 |
| 5+ bedrooms | 4 × 10 h | $2,800 | $423 |
Moving cost calculator: what it costs to move, and how to estimate it
A local crew sells hours, a long-distance carrier sells pounds hauled over miles, and a rental company sells days, miles and the fuel you burn. This moving calculator models all three side by side, so you can see what the same move costs with movers and with a truck you drive yourself.
What drives the cost to move
Three things decide almost every moving bill. Labor: on a local move you pay for crew time, so stairs, parking and packing all show up as hours. Weight and distance: on a long-distance move the price follows the weight of the shipment and the miles it travels, which is why a non-binding interstate estimate is settled on the actual weight. Materials and extras: boxes, packing service, storage and charges for bulky items or a shuttle truck.
Short local moves are usually priced by the hour and longer ones by weight and distance; the calculator's two tabs follow that split.
The formulas
Local movers = Crew × Hours × Rate per mover-hour + Truck & travel fee + Extras Rate per lb = Base rate + Distance rate × Miles ÷ 1,000 Long-distance movers = Weight × Rate per lb + Packing + Valuation + Extras Truck = Flat fee + Days × Daily rate + Miles × Mileage rate + Miles ÷ mpg × Fuel price + Protection Shipment weight ≈ Rooms × 1,000 lb Packing materials = Boxes × Price + Supplies A local rental drives the distance × 2 × the number of trips, since in-town rentals return to where they started. A one-way rental drives the distance once, and its rental days are the driving days (distance ÷ miles per day, rounded up) plus a loading day.
Worked example 1: a 1-bedroom local move
Sam is moving a 1-bedroom apartment 12 miles across town. The defaults assume a crew of two for four hours at $60 per mover-hour:
- Movers: 2 × 4 × $60 = $480 of labor, plus a $100 truck and travel fee = $580
- Packing materials: 25 boxes × $2.50 + $50 of tape and paper = $112.50
- Total with movers: $692.50
Doing it himself, Sam rents a truck for one day at $40. The round trip is 24 truck miles at $1.00 = $24, and 24 miles at 10 mpg burns 2.4 gallons, or $10.44 at $4.35. With $40 for protection and a dolly, the truck costs $114.44, and with the same packing materials the DIY total is $226.94. Doing it himself saves $465.56, in exchange for a day of lifting and a borrowed friend or two.
Worked example 2: a 3-bedroom move of 1,200 miles with storage
The Garcia family is moving a 3-bedroom house 1,200 miles and needs two months of storage while their new home is finished. Seven furnished rooms at 1,000 pounds each give an estimated 7,000 pounds. The rate per pound is $0.40 + $0.40 × 1,200 ÷ 1,000 = $0.88, so transportation costs 7,000 × $0.88 = $6,160. Add 60 boxes with supplies ($200) and storage of 2 × $150 = $300, and the movers' total is $6,660.
A one-way truck at 450 miles a day needs 3 driving days plus a loading day: 4 days × $30 = $120, mileage 1,200 × $0.90 = $1,080, fuel 120 gallons × $4.35 = $522, and $100 of protection, for $1,822. With the same boxes and storage, the DIY total is $2,322, which is $4,338 less than the movers, before motels and meals on the road.
Example scenarios at the default rates
Every row uses the calculator's defaults for that home size, including boxes and supplies. Local rows use the hourly model with a one-day rental and one round trip; long-distance rows use the weight model and a one-way rental.
| Move | Basis | Movers | Rental truck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio, 10 miles | 2 movers × 3 h | $548 | $196 |
| 1 bedroom, 12 miles | 2 movers × 4 h | $693 | $227 |
| 2 bedrooms, 15 miles | 3 movers × 5 h | $1,150 | $273 |
| 3 bedrooms, 25 miles | 3 movers × 7 h | $1,560 | $352 |
| 4 bedrooms, 30 miles | 4 movers × 8 h | $2,270 | $416 |
| 1 bedroom, 500 miles | 3,000 lb; 3 rental days | $1,913 | $970 |
| 2 bedrooms, 1,000 miles | 5,000 lb; 4 rental days | $4,150 | $1,705 |
| 3 bedrooms, 1,500 miles | 7,000 lb; 5 rental days | $7,200 | $2,453 |
| 4 bedrooms, 2,500 miles | 9,000 lb; 7 rental days | $12,850 | $3,898 |
| 5+ bedrooms, 2,800 miles | 11,000 lb; 8 rental days | $17,020 | $4,378 |
The truck column assumes one truck carries everything; a large household may need a second trip or a trailer.
Long-distance mover price by weight and distance
This grid shows the transportation charge alone at the default rates ($0.40 per pound plus $0.40 per pound per 1,000 miles), before packing, protection and extras. The rate per pound rises from $0.50 at 250 miles to $1.60 at 3,000 miles.
| Weight | 250 mi | 500 mi | 1,000 mi | 1,500 mi | 2,000 mi | 2,500 mi | 3,000 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,000 lb | $1,000 | $1,200 | $1,600 | $2,000 | $2,400 | $2,800 | $3,200 |
| 3,000 lb | $1,500 | $1,800 | $2,400 | $3,000 | $3,600 | $4,200 | $4,800 |
| 5,000 lb | $2,500 | $3,000 | $4,000 | $5,000 | $6,000 | $7,000 | $8,000 |
| 7,000 lb | $3,500 | $4,200 | $5,600 | $7,000 | $8,400 | $9,800 | $11,200 |
| 9,000 lb | $4,500 | $5,400 | $7,200 | $9,000 | $10,800 | $12,600 | $14,400 |
| 11,000 lb | $5,500 | $6,600 | $8,800 | $11,000 | $13,200 | $15,400 | $17,600 |
Real tariffs use weight and mileage brackets and often a minimum weight, so use the grid for proportions and a written estimate for the price.
What a rental truck really costs
The moving truck cost is more than the daily rate. This table adds up a one-way rental at the defaults: $30 a day, $0.90 a mile, 10 mpg, $4.35 a gallon, $100 of protection and equipment, and one rental day per 450 miles plus a loading day.
| Distance | Days | Rental | Mileage | Fuel | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 mi | 2 | $60.00 | $225.00 | $108.75 | $493.75 |
| 500 mi | 3 | $90.00 | $450.00 | $217.50 | $857.50 |
| 1,000 mi | 4 | $120.00 | $900.00 | $435.00 | $1,555.00 |
| 1,500 mi | 5 | $150.00 | $1,350.00 | $652.50 | $2,252.50 |
| 2,000 mi | 6 | $180.00 | $1,800.00 | $870.00 | $2,950.00 |
| 3,000 mi | 8 | $240.00 | $2,700.00 | $1,305.00 | $4,345.00 |
Fuel makes up 22% to 30% of these totals, and its price varies by region: in the same EIA weekly survey, regular gasoline averaged $5.727 on the West Coast and $3.911 on the Gulf Coast, so 100 gallons cost $572.70 in one region and $391.10 in the other.
Binding and non-binding estimates on an interstate move
Moves across state lines fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's consumer protection rules in 49 CFR Part 375. The parts that matter most for your budget:
- Binding estimate: a guaranteed price for the listed goods and services. You cannot be required to pay more than the estimate at delivery, apart from a limited charge for impracticable operations where it applies.
- Non-binding estimate: the mover's best guess; the final bill follows actual weight and services. At delivery the mover must release your goods once you pay 110% of the estimate, and bills any remaining charges after 30 days.
- Survey: the mover must survey your goods, on-site or virtually, before giving a written estimate, unless you waive the survey.
- Liability: full value protection is the default; released value costs nothing extra but limits the mover's liability to 60 cents per pound per article.
- Paperwork: movers must give you the "Ready to Move" brochure and the booklet "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move", or links to them.
Moves within a single state are regulated by that state, so ask the mover which rules apply.
Can you deduct moving expenses?
For most people, no. The IRS limits the moving expense deduction to active-duty members of the Armed Forces who move under a military order incident to a permanent change of station; they figure it on Form 3903. Starting with moves in 2026, employees and new appointees of the intelligence community who relocate are treated as members of the Armed Forces for this purpose. Everyone else lost the deduction for tax years after 2017, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21) made that permanent: IRS Notice 2026-10 explains that section 70113 of the law made the disallowance permanent except for these two groups, and IRS Publication 15-B for 2026 states that the law also permanently eliminates the exclusion for qualified moving expense reimbursements, with the same two exceptions. An employer's relocation payment is therefore taxable wages for most workers, which the Paycheck Calculator can help you plan for.
How to use this calculator, and who it is for
- Choose Local move or Long distance and pick your home size; it fills in a typical crew, hours, box count and weight.
- Enter the distance in miles, then replace the movers' rates with your quotes.
- Adjust the truck inputs. For a flat one-way quote, enter it as the flat fee and set the day and mile rates to zero.
- Add boxes, supplies, storage months and other costs. The results show both totals, a line-by-line breakdown and the same move for every home size.
It suits renters and homeowners comparing quotes, students, and employees weighing a relocation package.
What changes the result
- Weight: at 1,000 miles and the default rates, every 1,000 pounds costs $800 to move.
- Hours: with a three-person crew at the default rate, each extra hour adds $180, so access and preparation matter as much as distance.
- Distance: the per-pound rate climbs with miles, and every rental truck mile adds mileage and fuel.
- Services: professional packing, crating, storage-in-transit and shuttle trucks can rival the transportation charge.
The calculator does not know local prices or see your stairs and parking; its results are planning estimates, not quotes.
Tips to lower your moving costs
- Declutter before the survey, not after: with weight-based pricing you pay to move everything you keep.
- Get several written estimates for the same inventory, and ask whether each one is binding.
- Pack yourself and label boxes by room so the crew spends its paid hours carrying, not searching.
- For an interstate move, check the mover's registration and complaint history through FMCSA's Protect Your Move site.
Related calculators
- For fuel on a long drive in your own car, use the Fuel Cost Calculator or the Gas Mileage Calculator.
- To fit the move into your monthly plan, try the Budget Calculator; to save up for it, the Savings Goal Calculator.
- Choosing the new place? The Rent Affordability Calculator and the Rent vs Buy Calculator help.
- Moving after a wedding? See the Wedding Budget Calculator; with kids, the Allowance Calculator.
Sources
The default rates and per-home-size inputs are labeled assumptions, not survey data. The rules and figures come from these primary sources:
- 49 CFR Part 375, Transportation of Household Goods in Interstate Commerce: current regulation text (eCFR), including appendix A, Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move; FMCSA Protect Your Move.
- IRS: Topic 455, Moving expenses for members of the Armed Forces and the Intelligence Community; Instructions for Form 3903 (2025); Publication 15-B (2026); Notice 2026-10 (section 70113 of P.L. 119-21).
- U.S. Energy Information Administration: Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update (U.S. regular $4.354, West Coast $5.727, Gulf Coast $3.911; week of October 5, 2026).
- U.S. Army Surface Deployment and Distribution Command: How to make your PCS move go smoothly (about 1,000 pounds per room).
⚠️ Common mistakes & edge cases
Leaving the garage and basement out of the estimate
A full garage counts as a room. Forgetting one at 1,000 pounds adds $800 to a 1,000-mile move at the default rates, and on a non-binding estimate it shows up on the final bill.
Accepting a quick estimate without a survey
Interstate movers must survey your goods, on-site or virtually, unless you waive it. A low phone number without a survey is not a price; insist on a written estimate and know whether it is binding.
Assuming released value covers your things
At 60 cents per pound per article, a 10-pound item worth $1,000 brings at most $6. If you sign away full value protection, insure valuable items separately.
Forgetting fuel and return miles on a rental truck
An in-town rental usually goes back to where it started, so a 15-mile move is 30 truck miles, and at 10 mpg a 1,000-mile trip burns 100 gallons. Fuel is often the largest surprise on a DIY move.
Planning one trip with a truck that is too small
Each extra local trip adds round-trip miles and fuel. Set trips to two if the household will not fit in one load.
Ignoring access charges
Stairs, long carries, elevators and shuttle trucks are often billed separately. Ask up front and enter them as extra services.
❓ Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to move?
It depends on distance, weight and labor. With this calculator's default assumptions, a 2-bedroom local move of 15 miles costs about $1,150 with movers or $273 with a rental truck, including $150 of boxes and supplies. Moving the same home 1,000 miles costs about $4,150 with movers and $1,705 with a one-way truck. Replace the default rates with your quotes to get your own number.
How much do movers cost per hour?
Local movers usually charge per mover per hour, plus a truck or travel fee. The calculator's default is an assumed $60 per mover per hour, so a crew of three costs $180 an hour. A 5-hour, 3-person job is $900 of labor plus a $100 fee.
How much does a long-distance move cost?
Long-distance movers price by weight and distance. With the default rates of $0.40 per pound plus $0.40 per pound per 1,000 miles, 5,000 pounds moved 1,000 miles costs $4,000 for transportation, and 7,000 pounds moved 2,500 miles costs $9,800. Packing service, full value protection and access charges come on top.
How much does a moving truck cost?
Add the rental, mileage, fuel and protection. With the defaults ($30 a day, $0.90 a mile, 10 mpg, $4.35 a gallon and $100 of protection and equipment), a 1,000-mile one-way rental over four days costs $1,555 before boxes. A local rental for one day and 30 miles costs $123.05. For a flat one-way quote, use the flat fee field.
How do I estimate the weight of my household goods?
A quick rule of thumb from the U.S. Army's Surface Deployment and Distribution Command is about 1,000 pounds per room. A 2-bedroom home with five furnished rooms comes to roughly 5,000 pounds and a 3-bedroom home with seven rooms to roughly 7,000. Count a full garage or basement as a room. A mover's survey gives a better estimate.
What is the difference between a binding and a non-binding moving estimate?
Under federal rules for interstate moves (49 CFR Part 375), a binding estimate fixes the price: you cannot be required to pay more than the estimate at delivery, apart from a limited charge for impracticable operations where it applies. A non-binding estimate is the mover's best guess, and the final bill follows the actual weight and services. At delivery the mover must release your goods once you pay 110% of a non-binding estimate, and bills any remaining charges after 30 days.
Is it cheaper to rent a truck or hire movers?
In cash, renting a truck is almost always cheaper: in the default 1,000-mile example, $1,705 against $4,150. The gap pays for labor, the mover's truck and liability for your goods. Driving a loaded truck and lifting everything yourself have costs of their own, so some people hire labor-only help and drive the truck themselves.
Are moving expenses tax deductible in 2026?
Only for active-duty members of the Armed Forces who move under a military order incident to a permanent change of station, who use Form 3903. From 2026, employees and new appointees of the intelligence community who relocate are treated the same way. For everyone else the deduction is gone for good: P.L. 119-21 made its suspension permanent and also permanently eliminated the exclusion for employer moving reimbursements, so those are taxable wages.
How much fuel will a moving truck use?
Divide the miles by the truck's fuel economy and multiply by the fuel price. At 10 mpg, 1,000 miles takes 100 gallons, which is $435 at $4.35 a gallon; at 8 mpg it takes 125 gallons, or $543.75. Ask the rental company for the truck's rating.
What does released value protection cover?
Very little. Released value is the no-extra-cost option on an interstate move, and the mover's liability is limited to 60 cents per pound per article. A 10-pound item worth $1,000 that is lost or destroyed would bring at most $6. Full value protection is the default level of liability unless you sign a waiver choosing released value; the mover sets its price.
💡 Good to know
Every pound you sell is a pound you do not pay to move
At 1,000 miles and the default rates, moving costs $0.80 per pound. Selling a 300-pound piano or a 150-pound treadmill before the move saves $240 or $120 in transportation alone.
The 110% rule protects you at delivery
On a non-binding estimate of $4,000, the mover must release your goods once you pay $4,400. Anything above that is billed after 30 days, which gives you time to check the weight tickets.
Time is the hidden cost of doing it yourself
A 1,000-mile DIY move saves $2,445 at the default rates, but takes four rental days of loading, driving and unloading. Labor-only help for loading can be a middle path.