Find out how much Indianapolis movers cost.

Moving locally in Indianapolis: A local move within Indiana’s capital city can cost anywhere between $450 (for a small apartment) and $2,500 (for a larger home). The price is calculated on an hourly basis, so the major cost factor is the time needed to complete the job.

Moving long distance to or from Indianapolis, IN: Moving 1,000 miles away from Indianapolis (or moving to Indy from a place located 1,000 away) will cost you a little over $2,000 for a small apartment. If you’re moving a larger household at the same distance, the price will go up to about $7,500. Keep in mind though that while the weight of the shipment and the distance between the pick-up and drop-off locations are the main factors determining the cost of hiring long distance movers in Indianapolis, the required services and the time of the year will also affect your final moving bill.

The cost of the move is one of the biggest stressors of moving, so it’s only natural to be worried about the price of your relocation – about having enough money to cover all moving-related costs, about draining your savings, about making costly moving mistakes, about being overcharged or falling victim to moving fraud, etc.

To put your mind at ease – and to be able to plan your finances in the best way possible – you need to find out how much your move will cost you in advance.

So, when planning a house move within Indianapolis (or a long distance move to or from Indy), you will need to know how much Indianapolis movers cost.

You can find all the information you need below:

How much does it cost to hire local movers in Indianapolis?

When moving locally within the bustling metropolis of Indianapolis, you will be charged by the hour – usually, about $75 per hour per mover.

So, when hiring local movers in Indianapolis, you will have to pay about $450 for a small apartment (assuming that two professionals can complete the job in three hours) and a little over $2,000 for a large home (on the premise that four movers work about 8 hours to finish the move).

Here are the average costs to hire Indianapolis local movers for different home sizes:

  • One-bedroom apartment – Moving a 1-bedroom apartment in Indianapolis usually costs about $425-$465, but the price can go over $700 for overstuffed apartments and longer travel time (such as when relocating from Zionsville to Greenwood, for example);
  • Two-bedroom home – The cost of moving a 2-bedroom apartment in Indy starts at $700 but can go up to $1,300, depending on the number and type of items to be relocated and the specifics of the pickup and delivery locations;
  • Three-bedroom home – Moving a standard 3-bedroom home in Indianapolis costs about $1,500, but the price can easily reach $1,800 for more complicated jobs and greater distances;
  • Four-bedroom house – Hiring professional moving help in Indianapolis for a larger move can cost up to $2,500.

Clearly, local moving costs in Indy can vary greatly from one move to the next, even when the size of the home is the same. The reasons are easy to understand:

  • Some people enjoy minimalistic lifestyles while others accumulate lots of material possessions – so there may be many more items in one 2-bedroom home, for example, as compared to another. More items take longer to move, so the price goes up;
  • There may be several difficult-to-move items in one home (a piano, a large fish tank, a grandfather clock, etc.) and no specialty items in another. Specialty items require special care and incur extra costs;
  • Some people may require a variety of accessorial services (packing and unpacking, furniture disassembly and reassembly, appliance servicing, etc.), while others may not need any – and every extra service comes at an extra cost;
  • Access to one home may be very easy (no stairs, parking place for the moving truck right in front of the entrance to the home, etc.), while access to another may be quite difficult (many flights of stairs, no elevator, tight spaces, small doors, parking restrictions, etc.). Access issues slow down the moving process and make the job more difficult, so the costs increase;
  • Some moves take place in busy periods when the demand for moving services is higher and the rates are higher as well. Moving during the off-peak season costs less;
  • The distance between the origin and destination locations may be very short (when moving within the same neighborhood or suburb) or very long (when moving from one end of the city to the other) – and longer driving time results in higher moving costs, of course.

Especially when moving between suburbs or from the city core to one of the suburbs (Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, Avon, Brownsburg, etc.), you can expect your local moving costs to soar up significantly.

So, when wondering “How much do movers cost in Indianapolis?”, you can use the average costs listed above only to get an approximate idea of your relocation costs – in order to find out how much you’ll have to pay for your move, you need to get a personalized price quote.

Request in-home estimates from several reputable Indianapolis movers and give them all the relevant information – exactly what you have for moving, when you want to relocate, what difficulties may arise, what requirements you have, etc. When the experts perform a visual survey of your home and assess the situation, they will be able to give you an accurate price estimate – and you’ll be able to choose the right moving partners for you.

Good to know: Household goods carriers in Indiana – including moving companies in Indianapolis – are regulated by the Indiana Department of Transportation. So, when choosing an Indianapolis mover to work with, you’re advised to check whether they’re properly registered with the INDOT and what information there is available about them. This will help you pick good and reliable movers for your relocation.

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How much does it cost to hire Indianapolis movers for a long-distance move?

Unlike local movers, long-distance moving companies calculate moving costs per mile. So, if you’re leaving Indy to begin a new life in another part of the country, the price of your move will depend on the distance to your new location.

Here are the average costs of moving long distance from Indianapolis, IN, based on the relocation distance:

 1-bedroom apartment     2-bedroom home        3-bedroom home          4-bedroom house      
250 miles$1,250- $3,050$1,600 – $4,150$2,000 – $4,600$2,350 – $5,100
500 miles$1,650 – $3,400$2,100 – $4,450$3,200 – $5,400$3,850 – $6,700
1,000 miles$2,400 – $4,900$2,750 – $5,800$3,600 – $6,250$4,300 – $7,100
2,000 miles$2,850 – $5,300$3,600 – $6,400$4,900 – $7,600$6,550 – $10,950

Now, let’s explore the average costs of moving along some of the busiest moving routes from Indianapolis, IN, to other big cities in the country:

See also: Average moving costs

The above figures can help you get an idea of how much you’ll have to pay for long distance moving services in Indianapolis, but in order to find out the actual cost of your move, you need to get an in-home estimate from a trustworthy Indianapolis moving company.  

Fill in our free moving quote form to see what different moving companies in Indy have to offer, request on-site estimates from three or four of them that seem to suit your needs and your budget, interview the movers, compare the offers, and choose the best Indianapolis movers for you. Be sure to verify their USDOT number and research the company in detail before signing a contract, so you have a peace of mind that you’re dealing with licensed, experienced, and reliable professionals.

Factors influencing the costs of professional moving services in Indianapolis

In order to be able to better plan your finances when budgeting for your move within Indianapolis or out of state to or from the city, you need to understand how your moving bill will be calculated.

When estimating the cost of a move, professional movers consider:

  • The distance of the move – As previously explained, local moving costs are calculated at an hourly rate, while long distance moving costs are based on the weight of the shipment and the distance between origin and destination;
  • The scope of the move – As already detailed above, the number and type of items to be relocated are the most important factors determining the cost of a move;
  • Any desired accessorial services – Every requested additional service (packing, crating, unpacking, furniture disassembly, furniture reassembly, split pickup and/or delivery, storage, etc.) adds to the final price of the move;
  • Access issues – In case the movers need to navigate stairs or wait for an elevator, the moving truck can’t park within 50 feet from the front door, furniture has to be hoisted through a window, shuttle services are required, or there are any other obstacles or complications that make it difficult to access the home – or the items to be moved – extra fees apply;
  • Insurance coverage – Basic liability coverage comes for free but full value protection costs extra;
  • The time of the move – Costs are higher during peak moving season(from April to September) and on weekends and national holidays when most house moves take place. Moving during the fall or winter, in the middle of a month, or on a weekday can cost up to 25% less.

See also: How much does it cost to hire movers

Ways to reduce moving costs

Cheaper is always better, so you will, of course, want to lower your moving costs as much as possible. Fortunately, there are easy ways to save money on your move:

  • Schedule your move for a less busy period – so you have greater choice of top-rated Indianapolis movers and can take advantage of seasonal discounts;
  • Pare down your possessions – so you have fewer items to relocate. This way, your move will take less time (which will result in lower local moving costs) and the load will be lighter (which will result in lower long distance moving costs). Declutter your home before the move and get rid of everything you don’t need and don’t really love to make your relocation simpler and cheaper;
  • Get multiple quotes – so you know what’s fair in the industry, have greater choice, and have leverage when negotiating with movers. Be sure to book the services of your chosen movers as early as possible;
  • Do your own packing – so you don’t need to pay for professional packing services. Get used packing boxes for free and use alternative packing materials you already own to save on packing expenses;
  • Prepare well for the movers – so you can avoid extra charges on moving day (reserve a parking place for the moving truck close to your home, reserve an elevator for the time of your move, make sure all your items are packed and ready for moving by the time the movers arrive, clear the way of obstacles, etc.).

See also: How to cut moving costs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How to find cheap movers in Indianapolis?

Hiring cheap movers may seem like the best way to save money on your move but that’s only true if you find GOOD cheap movers to work with. So, when looking for affordable movers, be sure to ask for recommendations, check reviews and ratings, and request price estimates only from reputable moving professionals with a proven track record of quality service. Never accept offers that seem too good to be true – lowball estimates are commonly used by fraudulent movers to lure heedless customers.

How to compare Indianapolis moving companies?

In order to find the right Indianapolis movers for you, you need to carefully compare the companies and their offers – ratings, credentials, years of experience, track record, complaints against them, offered services, rates and charges, possible discounts, timeframes, transparency, attitude, etc. Be sure to ask all the important questions, read all the paperwork, and gather as much information as possible, so you can make the best choice.

How to negotiate with movers in Indianapolis?

To get the best moving services at the best possible price, you need to gain bargaining power and use an efficient negotiation strategy – get estimates from several experienced and reliable Indianapolis movers, ask for discounts and promotions, be flexible and persistent, and use moving company competition to your advantage (let the movers you like best know the lowest bid you have received and ask them to match or beat the price).

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