Moving customers want a number before the day, but the day depends on stairs, packing and how ready they are. The answer most movers use is an hourly rate per crew size with a minimum and a clear estimate of hours. Price the hour from your costs, and the estimate from your experience.
- Price the crew hour: wages with burden for each mover, plus the truck, fuel, insurance and overhead.
- Fixr lists local moves at $800 to $2,500 and labor-only movers at $50 to $100 per hour per mover.
- Its table gives $100 to $200 an hour for a crew of two.
- Set a minimum, a travel charge and a clear rule for stairs, long carries and heavy items.
Start with the crew hour
Start with the wage. The closest group the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes is laborers and freight, stock and material movers, hand, the closest published group for movers. In its May 2025 wage survey, that group's national mean wage was $20.32 an hour and the median was $19.35 (BLS OEWS 53-7062).
Add your labor burden on top: payroll taxes, workers' comp and any paid time off. If burden in your state comes to 25% of wages, a $19 an hour tech costs you $23.75 an hour. That loaded number is what goes into the job cost.
Then add the truck: payment or rent, fuel per hour, insurance and maintenance, divided by the hours it works. The free labor rate calculator does the labor side.
Published moving prices
| Job | Published price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Local move | $800 to $2,500 | Fixr |
| Labor-only movers, most moves | $600 to $2,500 | Fixr |
| Per mover, per hour | $50 to $100 | Fixr |
| Two movers, per hour | $100 to $200 | Fixr |
| Per day | $750 to $3,250 | Fixr |
| Long distance, per pound | $0.50 to $0.80 | Fixr |
A worked example: a two-person crew hour
Every input is an assumption for the example.
- Movers: 2 x $23.75 loaded = $47.50 an hour
- Truck: $28 an hour for payment, insurance and upkeep spread over working hours
- Fuel on a local job: $9 an hour
- Blankets, wrap and tape wear: $4 an hour
- Direct cost per crew hour: $47.50 + $28 + $9 + $4 = $88.50
- Overhead plus profit: 25% + 15% = 40% of the price
- Rate for two movers and a truck: $88.50 / 0.60 = $148 an hour
That lands inside Fixr's $100 to $200 an hour for two movers. A three-person crew adds a mover's loaded wage, divided the same way. With a three-hour minimum, the smallest job is 3 x $148 = $444.
Give an estimate of hours they can trust
Ask about bedrooms, stairs, elevators, long carries, heavy items and whether everything is packed. Write the hours you expect as a range and what changes it. Customers who see the reasons upfront argue less on the day.
Koira's estimates send up to three options, for example two movers, three movers, and three movers with packing. The customer picks, signs and pays a deposit to hold the date.
Book the date, get paid at the end
Moving days fill early. On Grow, booking by text offers open times and puts the job on your day with one reply. When the job is done, the invoice goes out when you tap done and the customer can pay at the door by QR code, card or phone wallet.
Common moving pricing mistakes
- No minimum. A one-hour job still takes a crew half a day.
- Travel time free. Charge for the drive to and from, or a flat travel fee.
- Stairs and heavy items not priced. Pianos, safes and third floors need their own lines.
Questions contractors ask
How much should movers charge per hour?
Build it from your crew's loaded wages and truck costs. Fixr lists $50 to $100 per hour per mover and $100 to $200 an hour for two movers.
What does a local move cost?
Fixr lists local moves at $800 to $2,500.
Should I charge a minimum?
Yes. Most movers set a minimum number of hours plus a travel charge.
How do I price long distance moves?
Long distance moves are often priced by weight. Fixr lists $0.50 to $0.80 per pound. Interstate moves also need federal registration.
