How Much Does It Cost to Hire Packers?

Should you ever find yourself wondering which part of the moving process is the most laborious one, then you should wonder no more – it’s the task of packing up your items for moving.

And to make things even more complicated, packing often proves to be the riskiest, and – regrettably – the costliest job you’ll have to take care of before moving out.

That is unless you can afford to hire professional packers to do it for you.

There’s no doubt that hiring professional packing services – wrapping, boxing, labeling, packing, and even unpacking – can be very convenient. However, the question of all packing questions is how to know for sure that the cost to hire packers will be worth it in the end.

And speaking of costs, how much do packing services cost in the first place?

Now that you’re quite familiar with the cost to hire movers, let’s cover the topic of the cost to hire packers – the luxury of paying for extra services that will make your move easier than you have ever hoped for. After all, paying for professional packers is the ultimate guarantee that your household items will get the best packing care during the entire move.

How much does it cost to hire packers? 

The national average cost to hire packers for local moves is about $60 per hour per packer.

When moving long distance, your cross-country mover will give you an estimate that will include a flat rate for the packing service.

Hire packers or pack by yourself?

Sooner or later, you will reach the point when you will start asking yourself, Should I hire professional packers? It’s not a big secret that that extra service will cost you money so you must be absolutely positive that there isn’t any better way to get the job done.

Before we move on to discuss how much professional packers charge for their services, let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of professional packing.

Basically, after reading the next few paragraphs, you should have a clear idea of whether you can and should pack up your things by yourself, or whether the lost time and invested efforts will not be worth it once you draw that infamous bottom line.

While you’re getting ready to move out, the major factors that will decide what’s best for you are:

• Time. Packing by yourself will not only take you days, it may take you even weeks in some cases – after all, you’re NOT a professional packer so you have not been trained for efficiency in that type of work. On the other hand, trained professionals are able to pack up your entire home in a few hours to a few days depending on how big your home is and how many items you have under its roof. If you’re really short on time, you probably won’t have too many options as to who will pack up your home.
• Timing. Timing when packing for a move is often neglected but to be able to wrap and box your stuff on your own terms is a luxury you may not have in the end. Increased flexibility will take the stress off your shoulders, but the negative influence of bad timing can only be remedied by calling for professional backup.
• Speed. Professional packers are skilled at what they do, and they are quite familiar with good packing practices that allow them to pack up all types of household items quickly, and more importantly – safely. Make no mistake – it’s their proper training and sheer experience that help them work so efficiently. Higher packing speeds by the pros will lead to saved time for you – time you can use to do other meaningful things before you leave your home. Did you already say your goodbyes to your close friends?
• Safety. Packing safety is extremely important – keep in mind that quick packing techniques are no good without proper safety measures. Throwing random stuff into boxes won’t end well for you, and it won’t save you any real time either. If you’re not sure how to protect your fragile items for the road ahead, it’s good to know that professional packers will assume liability for any boxes they pack up so you should be covered in case any type of damage occurs to your belongings while they are in transit.
• Quality packing materials. If you plan to complete the packing project by yourself, the cost of the necessary packing materials is something you just can’t ignore. And unless you choose to spare the time and effort to look for free moving boxes, the great number of cardboard boxes of all sizes you will need and the variety of wrapping and padding supplies will increase the moving costs significantly. The good news when you hire packers to pack your house is that they will bring quality packing materials with them /less worrying for you/, while the cost of the supplies will be included in the original estimate the moving company has given you at the start of your negotiations.
• Price. It’s fair to say that your final decision will hinge on the price you get quoted for the extra service of packing. Read on to get a much better idea about how the cost to hire packers is calculated and what you can expect to pay for professional packing services through real-life average packing costs.

To learn even more about the main advantages and disadvantages of professional packing services, take a look at our detailed and informative Self-Packing vs Full Packing Guide.

How much does it cost to hire packers? Price factors

Should you reach the informed decision to pay movers to pack up all your belongings or only some of them, the convenience of having those experienced professionals complete the most demanding and time-consuming task in anyone’s moving calendar will come with an added cost.

We’ll take a look at some example packing costs later on, but first, let’s say a few words about the price factors that will determine how much professional packers charge for their job.

By understanding which factors affect the cost of packing services, you will be able to use some clever cost-saving tactics to reduce the packing cost (explained later in the article). The price of professional packers is determined by:

• Volume of household items. It makes a big difference whether you only have a few items that require professional packing, one entire room’s worth of possessions, or an entire house or apartment with all the things inside it. For accurate packing cost estimation, don’t forget to show the moving expert everything you want to be professionally packed during the initial in-home survey. Most of the times, experienced moving companies can guess the approximate amount of items you have only by knowing the size of your home, but such average values can only serve as rough price estimates.
• Packing time. It’s extremely difficult for moving companies to guess how much time they will need to complete each packing job, and as a result, the majority of short-distance movers use an hourly rate for packing services. And that basically means that the more household items you have for packing, the higher the overall packing costs will be.
• Packing supplies. It’s only normal that the packing cost calculation will include the cost of the required packing materials: small boxes, medium boxes, large boxes, dish packs, wardrobe boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap, furniture blankets, stretch tape, and packing tape. All those supplies will cost you but you may be able to get a good deal and have them included in the overall price of packing.
• Specialty items. If you own specialty items that will require extra packing care – antique furniture, glass items, valuables, artwork, then you should expect the packing costs to increase as custom crating may be the only good solution for some of them. Furthermore, asking your packers and movers to safely move a pool table to your new home address will automatically change the initial packing cost calculation.

How much do packers cost?

It’s important to note that estimates for packing services may vary greatly from mover to mover so you should never agree to hire the first packers that make you a price offer. Request estimates from at least three movers so that you will be able to compare the quotes in detail.

Pricing policies of moving companies differ as well – most local movers will charge you an hourly rate for packing and moving, while most long distance movers will give you a flat rate based on the price factors discussed above – usually, it’s the total weight of the shipment.

Hourly rate for packing services

Here’s what you should know if you’re offered an hourly rate for professional packing services:

• National average packing price. The national average price to hire packers on an hourly rate is close to $60 per hour per packer.
• Additional packers. Needless to say, each additional worker will cost you more but that is not necessarily a bad thing as some moving companies will decrease the cost per packer if you request multiple packers and movers. What’s more, the packing job will be finished faster with more helping hands so remember to discuss with your mover the cheapest options for you as a shipper of household goods.
• Travel fee. Most local movers will charge their customers a travel fee as well – that’s the time the packing crew needs to reach your home. One extra hour of packing labor is the standard rate of that travel fee.
• Extra costs. The cost of the packing supplies and the fuel cost may or may not be included in the hourly charge, so you must get familiar with all the terms and conditions beforehand. Also, as explained above, the nature of your specialty items, if any, will contribute to higher packing costs.

Flat rate for packing services

Be mindful that the fixed rate for professional moving services is based on the volume and weight of your prized possessions. If you’re moving to another part of the country, cross-country movers will usually quote you a moving estimate that includes the cost of having their packers pack up your stuff quickly and safely.

So, depending on the approximate size of your home,

• 1-bedroom apartment (approx. weight of 3,000 pounds) should cost you around $300-$450 for the packing labor alone. Two professional packers should be able to finish the packing job in 3-4 hours’ time. If not included in the price, packing supplies should be $100-$150.
• 2-bedroom home (approx. weight of 5,000 pounds) should be around $450-$600 for the packing service alone. A couple of professional packers should be able to complete the job in 3-5 hours. If not included in the cost, packing materials should be $150-$250.
• 3-bedroom home (approx. weight of 9,000 pounds) should take three packers approximately 3-6 hours to pack your items with estimated packing costs in the range of $600-$750 for the packing task alone. If not included in the costs, packing materials will probably cost $250-$350.
• 4-bedroom home (approx. weight of over 10,000 pounds) should cost you around $750-$1,200 for four packers doing what they do best for at least 5-6 hours. If not pre-included, packing supplies should cost you $300-$450.

Here are the same example packing costs arranged neatly in a table for faster reference and preview:

Home size	Weight of items	Cost of packing labor	Cost of packing supplies	Duration of packing	Number of packers
1-bed	3,000 lbs	$300 – $450	$100 – $150	3-4 hours	2
2-bed	5,000 lbs	$450 – $600	$150 – $250	3-5 hours	2
3-bed	9,000 lbs	$600 – $750	$250 – $350	3-6 hours	3
4-bed	over 10,000 lbs	$750 – $1,200	$300 – $450	5-6 hours	4

IMPORTANT: The above packing costs have been given only for the sake of example, and your actual cost to hire packers may be remarkably different from these roughly estimated values. Ultimately, it’s the pre-defined parameters of your household move, plus the moving company you choose, that will determine how much you pay for the professional packing service.

To get much more accurate quotes based on your specific needs and budget, fill out the movers and packers cost calculator.

Special packing services: on-site custom crating

Standard packing services will satisfy the needs of most people who are getting ready to move to another home, just like yourself. In most cases, traditional quality packing supplies such as cardboard boxes of various sizes, packing paper, Bubble wrap, and packing tape will be enough for your shipping needs within your budget.

However, it’s possible that you might own very expensive and fragile items that require a bit more special packing treatment than the rest of your possessions. No matter the cost, such high-value items will have to arrive in your new home 100% safe. In such cases, the perfect solution for you will be an extra packing service known as custom crating.

Wooden crates are always fit to the size of the items that need to be protected at all costs. Highly-skilled movers or specialized carpenters will build the custom crates on-site by first measuring the exact dimensions of your valued items. That extra protection of custom-built crates will guarantee the safety of whatever is inside them, and whatever is inside them usually happens to be valuables that are too fragile to survive the house move without additional protection:

• Antique pieces of furniture, including antique mirrors
• Valuable artwork, including sculptures
• Pricey marble or glass items
• Priceless collector’s items
• Chandeliers
• Sensitive electronic equipment
• Motorcycles
• Any other types of really special items of high value whose safe transportation is a top priority.

How much does crating cost?

Keep in mind that although custom crating services are expensive, the cost of replacing or repairing damaged items of high value will be much higher. What’s more, some items are truly priceless and they cannot possibly be replaced or repaired.

Crating rates vary from mover to mover, and the price of custom-built wooden crates will be determined by the size of the valuable item itself – the larger the item, the more expensive the crating service. Custom crates cost extra – meaning that they are not usually included in the packing quote you will receive.

Generally speaking, the minimum amount of money you will pay for specialized on-site crating services is roughly $70, but the price can be much higher than that – in some cases, the custom crating rates start from around $150 per crate.

The good news is that since wooden crates are custom-built to the precise dimensions of your valuables, you can keep the sturdy containers and use them again as ultimate protectors if you happen to be moving house again in the foreseeable future.

Best ways to save on professional packing services

How much does a packing service cost? Now that you have a rough idea about the cost of having a moving company pack up your stuff, let’s take a look at a few good ways to save money before you even hire packers.

There’s a notable difference between needing professional packing assistance and affording it, so managing some moving costs before the pros even show up at your door can be hugely beneficial to your moving budget.

• Reduce the number of items to be packed. Fewer items to move means fewer items to pack, which in turn means reduced cost of packing. Do you really need to move all items currently found in your home? Moving nothing but your absolute essentials is one of the best ways to save money when moving house. How to Get Rid of Unwanted Items When Moving
• Pre-pack whatever you can by yourself. If your moving budget is rather tight, you can always choose to pack some of your items by yourself. Seriously, do you really need professional packers for your book collection? Leave only your most valuable, delicate, fragile, big, or oddly-shaped household items for the pros so that you can save big on packing services. How to Pack Up Your Home in 60 Simple Steps
• Get cardboard boxes for free. Cardboard boxes constitute the major expense as far as packing supplies go. Find free or cheap moving boxes and you should be able to save plenty of money before having to worry about covering the actual packing costs later on. Where to Get Free Moving Boxes
• Avoid packing mistakes. Hiring professional packers will give you peace of mind and more free time. Still, if you opt to pack some of your stuff by yourself to save some money, then it’s important that you don’t make any costly packing mistakes that could easily ruin your efforts to move house with a limited budget. Packing Mistakes That Will Cost You
• Move during the off-peak season. If you have any flexibility in choosing your move date, then you’ll be glad to learn that the exact period when you choose to move house can help you save extra money. As a rule of thumb, the cost of professional packers and movers during the peak moving season (May-September) is higher due to the greater demand for top-rated moving companies. What that basically means is that you can get a much better price for professional packers if you plan to move out during the off-peak moving season. Important Things to Consider When Deciding on a Moving Date