Why we made this guide
Most moving companies hide their pricing, dodge specifics, or make you fill out a form before they will give you a single number. We would rather do the opposite.
A move is one of the more stressful things you will do, and the last thing you need is a surprise charge on the day the truck shows up. So we put our real numbers here, along with the thinking behind them. Use this to budget realistically, compare quotes fairly, and understand exactly what shapes the final price.
This is not a sales pitch. It is the same honest explanation we would give you on the phone, written down so you can read it on your own time.
What a move typically costs by home size
Every move is different, but these are realistic all-in ranges for a standard local move in the DMV area. Each range already includes the crew, the truck, the trip fee, and the fuel surcharge.
| Home size | Typical price range | Typical crew | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $550 to $694 | 2 movers | 2 to 3 hours |
| 1-bedroom apartment | $694 to $814 | 2 movers | 3 to 4 hours |
| 2-bedroom apartment | $1,299 to $1,500 | 3 movers | 4 to 5 hours |
| 3-bedroom house | $2,080 to $2,315 | 4 movers | 5 to 6 hours |
| 4-bedroom house | $2,947 to $3,215 | 4 movers | 8 to 9 hours |
Your spot in a range depends on access (stairs and long carries), distance, how much packing you need, and any specialty items. Long-distance moves are priced differently, by weight and distance rather than by the hour. We explain both models below.
What drives your moving cost
There is no single per-bedroom formula. Four things move the number up or down.
Inventory: what you are moving
The total volume and weight of your belongings sets how much labor and truck space the job needs. Two homes with the same number of bedrooms can cost very different amounts if one holds twice the furniture. We estimate weight from the cubic footage of your inventory. For reference, a 26-foot truck holds 10,000 to 12,000 pounds, so half a truck is roughly 5,000 pounds.
Access conditions
Access is the variable most people forget. Stairs, elevators, long carries from the truck to the door, and tight or distant parking all add time. If the truck cannot park close, the carry takes longer, and time is what you pay for on a local move.
Timing and season
We do not charge extra for weekends or holidays. The real driver is demand. During our busy season, June 1 through September 30, base rates can step up: based on capacity, prices can go up 5 to 10%. The single busiest stretch is late June through the Fourth of July. That extra goes straight into crew bonuses, training, and staffing, which is how we keep service sharp when everyone is moving at once.
Packing services
Whether you pack yourself or have us do it changes the total. Full packing buys you convenience and protection. Partial packing keeps costs down while we still handle the fragile things.
Local vs long distance, explained
The line between the two is 150 miles. Under 150 miles is generally a local, hourly move. At 150 miles or more it becomes a long-distance move priced by weight and distance.
Local moves are billed hourly
For local moves you pay for crew time, travel time, the truck, and any materials used. Labor time is the main cost, and hourly keeps it honest (more on why below).
Long-distance moves are binding, by weight and distance
Long-distance pricing is locked to your inventory and estimated weight, plus the distance. The estimate is binding. If the final weighed amount changes because items were added, the same per-pound rate still applies and only the final total adjusts. You get two delivery options:
- Flexible delivery costs less. Your shipment is combined with others, so the delivery window is wider.
- Dedicated delivery arrives on the date you require, priced higher for that certainty.
One detail unique to our area: crossing a state line inside the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region does not by itself raise your price. What classifies a move is distance, not the state line.
Hourly pricing, and why it is fairer
For local moves we charge by the hour. We could quote a flat rate instead, but here is what years of doing this has taught us: flat rates sound simple until move day, when a few items were not packed or a couple of things got added, and suddenly the fixed price has to change and nobody is happy. Hourly keeps it honest. If your home is well prepared, the job can land right on estimate or even under it. If a little more turns up, you only pay for the time it actually takes.
Crew and truck rates
Hourly rates are set by crew size. These are base rates and can rise during peak season as described above.
| Crew size | Base hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2 movers | $120 / hour | Our minimum crew size. |
| 3 movers | $201 / hour | Common for small to mid-size homes. |
| 4 movers | $268 / hour | Best for larger homes and specialty items with stairs. |
| 5 movers | $335 / hour | |
| 6 movers | $402 / hour | |
| 7 movers | $469 / hour | For large jobs. |
| 8+ movers | add $67 / hour | Each additional mover beyond seven. |
What every local job includes
We will never bury these in fine print:
- The truck at $150. A second truck, if needed, is another $150.
- A trip fee equal to one hour of labor, covering the crew driving from our facility to your home and back. It reflects real road time and grows only when the job is farther out.
- A fuel surcharge of 18 percent of the labor cost, the same on every move.
Minimums and billingStandard jobs have a 3-hour minimum, billed in quarter-hour increments, with a guaranteed 2-hour arrival window. For a one or two-piece move we can offer a shorter minimum in exchange for a wider, multi-day arrival window.
Packing and materials
We offer full packing, partial packing, and even last-minute packing, since every truck arrives stocked with materials. Rather than a flat packing fee, we charge the same hourly crew rate plus only the materials actually used. That way you are never paying a padded packing estimate for boxes you did not need.
Unpacking is available too. A basic unpack removes boxes and debris and sets your things out on surfaces and counters. Full placement, where we put items away exactly where you want them, is available as a concierge service at additional cost.
Packing materials price list
| Material | Price |
|---|---|
| Small box | $4 |
| Medium box | $5 |
| Large box | $6 |
| Dish pack | $14 |
| Mirror slice | $5 |
| Wardrobe box | $20 |
| Packing tape | $3.95 / roll |
| Shrink wrap | $40 / roll |
| White packing paper (set) | $25 per bundle |
| Moving blankets | Included free |
Specialty items
Some pieces take extra hands, equipment, or care. Here is how the most common ones work.
| Item | Fee | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Piano (upright or baby grand) | $250 | 4 movers when stairs are involved, 3 without. No separate stair fee is stacked on top. |
| Pool table | $250 | Disassembly and reassembly handled by our crew within labor time. Re-felting available with our certified team. |
| Heavy or bulky items | $250 | Treadmills, large refrigerators, solid-wood armoires, and similar oversized pieces. |
| Gun safes | Quoted by size | From roughly 200 to 2,000-plus pounds. Larger or tightly placed safes may need extra crew, equipment, or a crane. |
| Hot tubs | Quoted by size | Customer arranges the plumbing disconnect first. |
| Chandeliers and fixtures | Within labor time | Customer arranges an electrician, or our crew can handle it with a signed waiver. |
| Taxidermy and mounts | Crating quoted | Crating is recommended and tied to the valuation option you choose. |
Assembly and disassembly are includedFor local hourly moves, taking furniture apart and putting it back together is part of labor time at no separate charge. We only need a heads-up on complex items so we can send the right crew.
Access and long-carry fees
We keep access fees simple, and most local moves never trigger them at all.
| Fee | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Stairs | $175 flat | Three or more flights at the origin or destination. One or two flights, or around ten steps, are not charged. |
| Elevator | $75 | Combined long-distance deliveries only. Not charged on local or dedicated moves. |
| Long carry | First 75 ft free, then $75 / 75 ft | Combined deliveries only, when the truck cannot park near the door. |
| Shuttle | By volume, around $300 minimum | Combined deliveries only, when a tractor-trailer cannot reach the home, such as a tight downtown street or gated community. |
Truck clearance is never an extra charge. We run both lift-gate and high-clearance ramp trucks for steep driveways. We just need advance notice to bring the right one.
Storage
| Service | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Overnight hold (warehouse or on the truck) | $175 / night | For short holds when delivery is a day or two out. |
| Monthly storage | $95 / crate / month | Each wooden crate holds about 1,000 pounds. First month free. |
| Storage-in fee | $120 / crate | Loading your items into crates at the warehouse. |
| Storage-out fee | $120 / crate | Pulling crates and loading items back onto the truck. |
We do not double-bill youThe hourly clock stops the moment your items are picked up at your home. The storage-in and storage-out fees cover the warehouse handling, so you are not paying hourly for that work on top.
One honest note on access: stored crates are not opened for one-off retrieval, because pulling a single box means unloading and reloading every crate. If you expect to need things while in storage, we will recommend a self-storage unit we load for you, so you can come and go freely. It usually saves you money.
Junk and debris removal
Most often this is the partial load left over after a move rather than a standalone job.
| Volume | Price |
|---|---|
| Quarter truck | $300 |
| Half truck | $600 |
| Full truck | $1,200 |
Valuation and coverage
Every move includes basic released-value protection at no charge, as required by law. For real peace of mind, especially on higher-value homes, you can upgrade to Full Value Protection.
| Option | Coverage basis | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Basic released value | $0.60 per pound, per item | Included free |
| Full Value Protection | Up to $6 per pound of declared value | Quoted per move |
Full Value Protection offers deductible choices of $0, $500, or $1,000, which change the cost. As an illustration only, a 5,000-pound shipment valued at $35,000 might run roughly $700 at a $0 deductible, less with a higher deductible. We quote it exactly for your move.
- Single-item coverage is available through our partner insurers if you want to protect one specific high-value piece.
- Check your homeowner’s insurance first. Some policies already cover household goods in transit, sometimes at no extra cost. It is the first place worth looking.
- Certificates of Insurance for buildings that require them are provided free. Just give us the building manager contact, ideally 24 to 48 hours ahead.
Payment and deposits
- Accepted: cash, all major credit and debit cards, Zelle, and financing through our partner for customers who prefer to pay over time.
- Card processing fee: 4 percent on credit and debit payments.
- Deposit: $100 to book your date and assign a crew.
When payment is due
- Local moves: half of the balance once the truck is loaded, and the final balance at unload when the clock stops.
- Long-distance moves: the second payment is due before the truck arrives, since the truck must keep to its route to the next stop.
CancellationsYour deposit is transferable and refundable with advance notice. A last-minute cancellation, such as the evening before, is non-refundable. All terms are spelled out in your written quote.
Why some movers seem cheaper
A lower quote often hides one of a few things: a shared truck with a wide delivery window of two to four weeks, an underestimated inventory that balloons on move day, or fees that only appear at delivery. A binding estimate built from your real inventory protects you from all three.
Lower upfront pricing does not always mean a lower total. The number that matters is the one you actually pay at the end, and that is the number we work to make match your estimate.
How to get an accurate quote
You can get an estimate three ways, and the more detail you share, the tighter the number:
- Phone estimate works well for smaller moves.
- Virtual video survey, where you walk through your home on a video call or send a recorded link, is nearly as accurate and open to everyone.
- On-site estimate, preferred for three-bedroom homes and larger, where we see everything in person.
Have a sense of your inventory, your access at both ends (stairs, elevators, parking), any specialty items, whether you want packing, and any timing constraints. That is all it takes for a precise quote.
Ready for a real number?
Tell us about your move and we will walk through your inventory and access to give you a clear, honest quote. No pressure, no surprises.