How to hire local movers

Highlights

  • Moving locally should be easier than moving long distance… as long as you make all the right decisions.
  • When moving within a radius of 100 miles, hiring a local moving company can prove to be a great decision.
  • This guide to hiring local movers will give you all the important information when you choose to work with a professional moving company.

Compared to a cross-country move to a new home located hundreds or thousands of miles away, a local move is supposed to be a faster and cheaper relocation experience. That’s right – moving locally will be easier as long as you make the right decisions.

One such decision you should not regret is to hire local movers. Not just any professional movers, that is – you’re going to need to find and hire a licensed, reputable, and affordable local moving company to help you manage your short-distance move.

Make all the right decisions (and more!) by consulting with this ultimate guide to hiring local movers. All the essential information about finding and hiring a top-rated local moving company is inside, plus EIGHT (8) must-know moving tips for hiring local movers.

1. Hiring local movers vs doing it yourself

Hiring local movers is a great option to move locally – you’ll have experienced professionals do the hard work – protecting, lifting, and carrying heavy household items such as all the furniture pieces in your home, for example.

Still, before you rush to find one of the local home movers near you, think about whether it could be more cost-efficient to move by yourself.

Whenever you’re moving locally – that is, moving short distance within the same state, the question of whether you should hire a moving company or do it yourself always takes center stage.

The dilemma may seem rather baffling at first, but the right answer will be clear as soon as you ask yourself these questions:

  • Do you have a bunch of reliable friends who you know will help you move?
  • Do you have any experience in moving from one home to another without the assistance of a local moving company?
  • Have you ever rented a moving truck before, and if yes – do you have any experience driving a large moving van across the state?

Must-know moving tip #1: To have a stress-free and problem-free local move, hire a local mover if you’ve answered NO to at least one of the questions above.

Also, if you happen to own any specialty items that will require special local moving services (a piano, a pool table, or antique furniture), then you’ll be better off hiring one of the best local moving companies near you.

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2. How to find local movers

Request in-home price estimation
Say NO to moving cost estimates done over the phone or via e-mail.

It’s important to understand the need for local moving services as early as possible because the more you wait until you get in touch with a professional moving company near you, the fewer good choices you’ll have left in the end.

To find local movers you can trust with your valuable possessions, just follow a few simple steps:

  • Step 1: Ask friends, colleagues, or relatives if any of them can recommend a good local mover. In reality, word-of-mouth recommendations of local movers can save you plenty of valuable time in research.
  • Step 2: Take a look at local movers reviews and customer testimonials to read what former clients had to say about the services of the local moving companies near your location. Reputation is essential for professional movers and the best of them do try to achieve and maintain a good level of online reputation.
  • Step 3: Single out a few top-rated local moving companies and request moving cost estimates. After all, you’ll need actual moving quotes in your hands to be able to pick up affordable local movers – read on for more information.

Must-know moving tip #2: Some local moving companies may want to have your moving price estimated remotely – that is, over the phone or via e-mail. Do NOT agree to that.

Instead, ask the local movers to come to your home for an in-home visual inspection – the only way to get accurate moving cost estimation.

How to Find a Great Mover in 31.5 Steps

3. How to find CHEAP local movers

Naturally, you’ll want to find not just any local moving company – you’ll want to find the cheapest local movers so that your house move becomes affordable.

Your hard-earned money will be at risk during the home moving process, and it won’t help your relocation cause to spend more money than you absolutely have to.

This ultimate guide to hiring local movers will give you the average cost of local movers in the next heading so that you have a better idea about which local movers are expensive and which are cheap.

But now, let us explain how you can compare the local moving company rates and choose the offer that best fits your moving budget.

  • Step 1. Use our moving cost estimator to get in touch with top-rated local movers in your area.
  • Step 2. Ask the movers to visit your home for an in-home visual inspection.
  • Step 3. Show the relocation experts everything that you want to move to the new home so that they can give you an accurate cost estimate.
  • Step 4. Discuss with the local movers the need for additional moving services (packing, for example) and ask them if you should know in advance about any hidden moving costs and charges.
  • Step 5. Compare the local moving estimates you have received and pick the one that best corresponds to your needs – usually but not always the cheapest moving quote you’ve received.

Must-know moving tip #3: Get multiple moving quotes to be able to compare the rates of several reputable local moving companies

However, be warned to stay away from a possible questionable price estimate that is uncharacteristically lower than the rest – the so-called low-ball estimate.

How to Compare Movers

Local Movers Comparison Chart (available for download as a PDF document)

4. How much do local movers cost?

How much do movers cost for local move?
What’s the cost of hiring movers for a local move?

When hiring local movers, it’s really important to familiarize yourself with the average cost of local moving companies so that you can distinguish the low-cost movers from the relatively expensive ones.

The very first thing you should know when hiring movers for a local move is that, unlike cross-country moving companies that calculate the price based on shipment weight, move distance, and extra services, short-distance movers charge by the hour.

Depending on your location, time of the year, and the local moving company itself, you should expect to pay an average cost of around $60 per mover per hour.

The size and the number of items to be moved will determine how many hours your local movers will work. On average,

  • a studio apartment can be moved by 2 movers in 3 hours,
  • a 2-bedroom home by 3 movers in 5 hours, and
  • a 3-bedroom home by 4 movers in 7 hours.

Expect to be charged 1 extra hour of labor as a travel fee – the approximate time your movers will need to reach your home from their headquarters.

Must-know moving tip #4: The average cost of hiring movers will give you a good basis for comparing the rates of local moving companies.

However, make sure you request binding estimates in writing from 3-4 local movers to guarantee yourself a cheap house move.

What’s the Average Moving Cost?

5. How to reduce local movers cost

Generally speaking, local moves are cheaper than cross-country moves because 1) the distance between the two homes is usually much shorter, and 2) the price calculation method is based on TIME rather than on WEIGHT and DISTANCE.

Nevertheless, your local move can easily become rather expensive. Even when you’ve had in-home surveys for much more precise cost estimation and even though you’ve compared carefully the local relocation offers to pick the most affordable local movers, your short-distance move may still cost more than what you are willing to pay for using local moving services.

Do not despair, for there are a couple of effective cost-saving techniques that will reduce the cost of hiring movers for a local move.

1. Reduce the number of items to reduce the cost

Note that this technique for cutting moving costs works every single time – with fewer items to pack and then to carry and load into the moving vehicle, the total duration of the local move will be shortened significantly. As a result, the faster your hired workers complete the job, the cheaper the intrastate move will be.

Inventory your home and go through your items one by one. Do not take things you won’t use in the future – just be ruthless when deciding what to move and what not to move – after all, your money didn’t grow on your backyard tree either.

Declutter Your Home in 10 Simple Steps

2. Pack up your things by yourself

Hiring movers by the hour means that the more time they spend working on your move, the more money you will have to pay. Therefore, to reduce that move time, you should do your best to pack up on your own anything that you can.

You can still leave the most hard-to-protect specialty items to professional packers, but clothes, shoes, books, and the like are all things you must consider packing by yourself. Ask good friends to help you pack such easy-to-pack household items.

Packing Timeline: What to Pack When for Moving

Must-know moving tip #5: Don’t panic if the cost estimates by local movers seem too high. The good news is that you still have a decent amount of control over the moving cost – just do what it takes to cut the local movers cost by moving fewer items and packing your stuff by yourself.     

How to Cut Moving Costs and Expenses THE SCROOGE WAY

6. Hiring local movers to pack

Professional packing services
If you think this is good and safe packing, then MAYBE you’re going to need to hire professional packing services after all.

As much as you want to pack all items in your home by yourself and thus save money by not having to hire local movers to pack, sometimes it’s impossible to avoid that extra expense when moving locally.

Number one, you may not have enough time to pack your stuff at your own comfortable pace, and number two, you may not know how to pack safely some specialty items that are both valuable and fragile.

Self-packing vs Full packing services

While you have representatives of local moving companies at your home for an in-home survey, inform them that you need professional packing for some or all of your items so that they can include the extra service in their estimates.

Ultimately, the price will depend on the packing time, of course, but also on the number and volume of your household items, how many of those items are specialty ones, and the packing supplies.

How much does it cost to hire local movers to pack your items?

The national average price of hiring packers by the hour is around $60 per hour per packer, but you should be able to find cheaper packing rates with a bit of research. Each extra worker will cost you more but that may be beneficial for you because the entire packing job will be finished faster.

Must-know moving tip #6: Consider hiring movers to pack your items only after a careful analysis of your packing situation. Unless you are really short on time or you own too many valuable or breakable specialty items, then you should pack most of your things on your own.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire Packers?

7. How to protect yourself against bad local movers

Not all local movers are reputable and trustworthy – there are also bad moving companies that will not hesitate to use fraudulent techniques to get more money from their customers.

There have always been bad movers in the moving industry, and the important thing when you’re moving locally is to stay away from such dishonest “rogue” movers.

An impending house move will keep your mind preoccupied with all sorts of move-related thoughts and the last thing you need would be to start worrying about how NOT to fall victim to moving fraud.

Luckily, there are just a few essential things to keep in mind so that you can protect yourself from moving fraud when moving within the same state.

  • Be suspicious of a local moving quote that is too low compared to the other ones you’ve received. If a moving cost estimate is too good to be true, then it probably is.
  • Check to see whether the local moving companies you’re reviewing are members of the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Check their records with the professional organization.
  • Do not pay any large deposits in advance – a deposit to book a local mover should not be more than 10-15% of the estimated final cost.
  • Always pay with a credit card, not cash, so that you can dispute any possible fraudulent activities after the payment is made.

Must-know moving tip #7: Protect yourself, your money, and your possessions from dishonest local movers. By requesting moving estimates through our moving cost estimation tool at the top of this page, you will be contacted only by pre-screened, licensed, insured, and reputable local moving companies.

How to Protect Yourself Against Moving Fraud

8. How much to tip local movers

How much to tip movers
Prepare tipping money – if you’ve followed these tips for hiring local movers, then you’re surely going to need it.

When you’ve already hired local movers – regardless of whether they are specialized local furniture movers or local piano movers, one question may get more and more worrisome as the move is drawing to an end: Do you tip local movers?

It can be really mind-boggling how many people worry too much about whether to tip their hired workers or not, and then even more about how much to tip movers. It’s simple, really: tipping local movers is not something you are required or obliged to do.

In its essence, tipping your movers should be the consequence of your satisfaction and gratitude for a job well done. So, if your local movers did a really poor job, then the last thing on your mind would be to reward their efforts.

So, how much should you tip local movers then?

  • Poor job! Don’t tip your movers if they acted really unprofessionally, treated you rudely, or handled your items disrespectfully.
  • Good job! Tip your packers and movers $5 per mover per hour if they did a good job packing, handling, and transporting your items.
  • Great job! If your movers did a great job and had to work under tougher conditions than usual, then consider tipping them $8 per mover per hour.

Must-know moving tip #8: The best piece of advice you can get about tipping local movers is to use your best judgment. Give each worker the tip you think they deserve. Remember to always tip each person individually as opposed to handing the lump sum to the foreman.

How Much to Tip Movers

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44 Comments

  1. I love how you said to look up a moving service on the BBB, as it will help you see if they have any complaints. My friend will be moving for her last year of college, so these tips could really help her out. Thanks for all the great tips on how to choose a mover.

  2. I’m going to be moving next month. I think it would be really helpful to hire a moving company. It’s good to know that I’ll have to start searching for a company right now. I need to make sure they are available and that I can have them booked, like you said.

  3. Thank you for explaining that I can find a reputable local mover by asking friends, work associates, and relatives for recommendations. That would be a great starting point for my search. Since I need to move into my new place within 3 months, I should have enough time to find them and give them advanced notice of when I will need their services.

  4. I appreciate the national statistic you shared about paying workers an average of $60 per hour when packing up your things in preparation for a move. Working with a reputable moving service is a great method to alleviate yourself of some stress during a transitional phase of life. My family is moving this summer, so I’ll be sure to contact the best moving service in town when the time rolls around.

  5. I like that you pointed out that we should be choosing those who are associated with the AMSA and BBB to ensure that they are with a professional organization. I will follow your advice since the move is not home items. They are office items that require more care since the copiers and other files must not be damaged or missing. This will assure us that they are reputable.

  6. I like how you mention that one way to save time before moving out of a home is to pack as much of your items as possible so that when the professional movers come, all they would have to deal with would be the boxes that are stacked and sorted and labeled. Another thing to keep in mind is that you would have to downsize and leave certain things behind–not everything you own now would fit in the new home, so sacrifices have to be made when it comes to picking what to bring along! While I haven’t experienced moving in quite some time, I would have to agree that downsizing the number of items needed is a must since there is a limit as to how much one can bring along.

  7. Thanks for the tip to ask for estimates from a few of the top-rated local moving companies so you can make sure you can afford them. This is helpful since my husband and I bought a home so we can move out of our apartment and we have a lot of furniture in storage. We’ll have to ask for estimates and look at what services are offered along with the price to determine which company will be the most beneficial.

  8. My sister will be moving to a new apartment and she wants to move as quickly as possible. It was explained here that it will be best to find a local moving company and ask for a referral from friends. Moreover, it’s recommended to hire a professional apartment moving company for quality services.

  9. My parents are moving in about three months. I want to make sure that the moving process is easy for them. It is great to know that you can hire local movers to help them pack. That would be amazing because they have a lot of stuff that they need to pack up.

  10. Hiring local movers is a best option to move because they might assist you task with their knowledge and experience of work and with the help of crew members, you can get your entire task done easily and with no more time being consumed.

  11. I like the tip that you gave to choose a moving service that is referred to you by family and friends. My wife and I have been talking about finding a moving service to help us if we decide to move out of her parents’ home, and it would be important for us to know that we could find one who we could trust in. If we decide to find a moving service, I will be sure to look for referrals.

  12. My sister will be moving to another apartment that’s closer to her workplace. It was explained here that when looking for movers, she should get referrals from friends or family members. Moreover, it’s recommended to hire professionals for quality local moving services.

  13. I liked how you mentioned that to find a reputable company one should ask friends and family for recommendations because that way you can know how the service works and if the service is excellent. My brother is looking to change offices because he wants a closer office to home. I will help him look for a local moving company that offers the services he needs.

  14. It’s good to know that some moving companies will professionally pack some of your items for you if requested. My wife and I will be moving to a house that is closer to the office that I work at, but there are a few fragile items that we need help packing. It might be a good idea to hire some professional movers to ensure that our belongings are transported safely.

  15. I like how you pointed out that a studio apartment can be moved by 2 movers in 3 hours. My sister wants to move closer to my mom’s house and she lives in a small studio. I will tell her to read this article so she can find the most reliable moving company available.

  16. Thank you for stating that you should check to see whether the local moving companies you’re reviewing are members of the American Moving and Storage Association and the Better Business Bureau. My husband recently got a job promotion and we have to relocate across the country and have to move as soon as possible, so we’ve been considering hiring movers to help us. I will definitely keep your great tips and information in mind so I’m prepared if I do decide to hire movers.

  17. I appreciate the tip to pack most of the household items by yourself except the really difficult appliances. I will be moving into a new home next week and I have yet to hire movers. However, I will follow this tip and pack almost everything up before they get to my house.

  18. It was really helpful when you said that you can ask friends for recommendations. My husband and I are planning on moving soon. We’ll make sure to keep these tips in mind as we search for a moving company!

  19. It’s good to know a piano would be better off moved by a professional. Recently, I learned that I’m moving for work. I’ll have to look for local movers.

  20. I thought that it was helpful when you suggested to pack by yourself, and have movers take it. My wife and I want to save money when we move this fall. I will be sure to pack all of our stuff myself.

  21. I love that you said that you could find movers who you could trust by asking friends and relatives if they could recommend one to you. We might need to move to a bigger home once we get a dog, and it would be important for us to know that we could find the right service to help us move when the time would come. If we need to move, I will be sure to get recommendations to help us choose a mover.

  22. Joshua, it’s great that you mentioned that it would probably cost me around $40 per hour when hiring local movers to help me move. My boyfriend and I are moving from our shabby apartment to a townhouse we just leased. We’re planning to hire a moving service to help us since our friends would not be available to help us move on weekdays. I’ll share this information with my boyfriend later so we can set a budget before we start looking for moving services in the city. Thanks!

  23. Its interesting when you said that hiring packers by the hour costs roughly $60 per hour on average across the country. I want to move houses next month and I want to hire a moving service to help me move my items. Thanks for the guide to moving and I hope that I can find a good service for myself soon.

  24. Your advice to talk to friends and relatives to find local movers would be very helpful. Maybe it would help to visit the mover’s website as well. After getting several options, it would probably be best to call and interview them to find the best local movers in your area.

  25. I found it helpful when you suggested comparing the estimates of local moving companies in order to choose the best moving company that can meet your needs. Last Friday, my parents mentioned to me that they need to move back to their old family house to stop renting. Since they have a restricted budget to consider, I will ask them to consider your tips.

  26. I liked how you pointed out that hiring some local movers can help you to have a stress-free move. We’re moving in the next few months and have been thinking about hiring some movers. It seems like it could help us to have an easier time this go around.

  27. I like the advice you shared about asking friends when you are looking for a moving company. My wife and I need to move out of our house by the end of the month. Asking our friends will help us find a moving company that can help us get out of our home.

  28. I love how you showed what to expect when it comes to movers pricing. My friend is moving out into a new apartment and is thinking about hiring movers because he has a lot of big furniture. Knowing common movers prices will be a huge help in avoiding getting scammed or stolen from.

  29. It’s interesting that you mentioned that on average across the nation, employing packers by the hour costs about $60. Next month, I want to relocate, and I want to hire a moving company to help me move my belongings. I appreciate the relocation assistance, and I’m hoping to find a reliable service soon.

  30. My family and I are seeking for movers to help us transfer our belongings to our new home. However, we were unsure how to select an appropriate service provider. We came on this website while hunting for a solution. It’s excellent that you mentioned looking for a licensed firm with skilled employees to ensure that the moving procedure goes well, providing us great peace of mind. Excellent advice; we will certainly consider that when selecting movers. Thanks.

  31. Thank you for explaining that you should look for the best local moving company if you have specialized things you need to move like a piano. My sister has been wondering if she should hire someone to help with moving her piano to her new home. I’ll have to share this advice with her since it seems like it would be a good idea to hire someone for this.

  32. My grandparents are moving from Tacoma and have been looking for movers to help them. I came on this website while looking for ways to assist them. It’s fantastic that you suggested looking for a company with proper licensing and a track record of history, so we can be confident they have experience in the area and are trustworthy. Thank you for the tip; I’ll inform my grandparents.

  33. I like that you said that hiring movers can help the process be problem-free and stress-free. My husband and I want to move closer to the city this year so that our work commutes aren’t so long. Hiring movers seems like the best option for making everything less stressful and for making sure everything gets there in one piece, so we’ll have to look into it.

  34. My grandparents are moving from Florida and are seeking some support. I stumbled across your article while trying to find an answer. It’s fantastic that you mentioned conducting online research to discover suitable movers. Additionally, examine their online reviews to obtain a sense of their reputation level. This appears to be a useful advice, and I’ll inform my grandparents about it so that they can find suitable movers as soon as possible. Thanks.

  35. I’ve been looking for a moving company to assist me with my move out of Albuquerque, but I wasn’t sure what to do until I came across your site. It’s fantastic that you mentioned doing online research to learn about potential movers’ credentials and previous successful work experience in handling moving task efficiently. This is a fantastic advice, and I’ll keep it in mind when I look for a moving company. Thanks.

  36. Aw, I feel so sad right now because my neighbor is going to move to Louisiana this summer. Nevertheless, I’m sure she’d appreciate your suggestion that getting multiple quotations can help us pick the best moving company based on our personal budget. In the end, I hope she hires the right mover to help her with the relocation process.

  37. Thank you for explaining what you can expect to pay for a mover on average. I’ve been thinking about hiring movers for our next move in March. I’ll be sure to look over our budget to see if it is in the cards for us.

  38. I’m looking for movers to help my family and me relocate our possessions to our new house. We didn’t know how to choose a suitable service provider, though. We were looking for a solution when we found this website. It’s nice that you recommended looking for a licensed company with experienced staff to make sure the moving process goes smoothly; it gives us a lot of peace of mind. Great advice; we will take it into account when choosing movers. Thanks.

  39. It’s great that you mentioned that it is a good idea to compare estimates when you are trying to hire a moving company. If you are moving locally, you would probably have to take a lot of loads and waste a lot of gas if you are trying to do it by yourself. Hiring an affordable moving company seems like the most budget-friendly thing to do in this situation.

  40. Great article! Hiring local movers can be a daunting task, but your guide makes it so much easier. You’ve covered all the important aspects such as research, budgeting, and verifying credentials. I especially appreciated the tips on getting quotes and checking reviews. Thank you for sharing your expertise!

  41. A comprehensive guide to hiring local movers can be found in this blog post. It covers topics such as research, quotes, and contracts, and provides helpful tips for making an informed decision. The post is a useful resource for anyone planning to move and needs to hire professional movers.

  42. I’m glad you mentioned that hiring a moving company will be advantageous because skilled workers will undertake the laborious lifting and transporting of large home items. A professional moving company would be a huge help for my cousin when she moves into their newly constructed home, in my opinion. I’ll make sure to let her know about this and look for qualified professionals that can assist her.

  43. Thank you for explaining usually short-distance movers will charge by the hour and not a fixed rate. I’ve been wondering how much we can expect to pay for movers to help us next month. I’ll be sure to keep this in mind when going over some of our options.

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