How to Estimate Moving Costs: Calculate the True Cost of Your Move

Moving takes its toll – emotional, physical, and financial. But while you can’t help the powerful moving house emotions, you can greatly alleviate both the physical and financial strain of moving.

Hiring professional movers will lift most of the physical burden off your shoulders – the experts will do all the hard work for you and will ensure a safe and smooth relocation.

Professional moving services, however, come at a price – and if you want to keep that price as low as possible, you will have to complete some of the moving tasks yourself.

In order to strike the most favorable balance between costs and work, you need to calculate the cost of your move in advance – so you can plan your finances and figure out what moving services you can afford and what you need to do by yourself in order to keep some more money in your wallet.

But how can you estimate your relocation expenses? Calculating moving costs is fairly simple, as long as you input the right parameters in the right formulas. Here is what you need to know:

How to Calculate Moving Costs

Your actual moving costs will depend on a number of factors, but the weight of your shipment and the distance between your old home and your final destination will play the most crucial role in determining the final price of your move.

Relocation distance

It is only logical that the greater the distance between the pick-up and delivery locations, the higher the transportation costs will be – it will take more time and more fuel to transport a shipment over a longer distance (not to mention that there will be more road tolls to pay, as well as extra parking fees if the truck needs to stop for the night, etc.).

But that’s not all – the relocation distance determines the type of the move and, therefore, the way the moving costs are calculated:

• If you are moving in a 50-mile radius or less, your move is considered to be local and the moving costs will be based on the time required to complete it;
• If you’re moving more than 50 miles away from your old home, yours is a long-distance move and the moving costs will be based on the weight of your shipment.

Good to know: If you’re moving out of state, your move won’t be considered local, even if the relocation distance is less than 50 miles. A move from Wilmington, DE to Philadelphia, PA (two cities in different states, with 32 miles distance between them), for example, will be charged as an interstate move, despite the short distance between the two cities.

Size of the move / Load weight

Quite naturally, the final moving costs will increase in direct proportion to the number of items you have for moving. The more household goods you’re moving:

• the more space they will occupy and the heavier the shipment will be – which will result in higher long-distance moving costs (a larger moving truck will be necessary to accommodate your items, so more fuel will be used for the transportation);
• the longer they will take to load and unload and more people will be needed to complete the job in a safe and efficient manner – which will increase the cost of a local move (it is determined by the time it takes to perform a move and the number of movers who work on the task);
• the more packing materials will be necessary, so you’ll need to spend more on moving supplies.

Bonus tip: A detailed moving inventory will help you estimate your moving expenses – when you can see all the items you have for moving listed on the inventory sheet, you will be able to assess their weight and determine the type and amount of packing supplies you’re going to need to ensure their safety.

Complexity of the job

The complexity of a move is the third most important factor that determines the final relocation cost. Regardless of the distance and size of your move, any special handling requirements, necessary extra services, existing obstacles, etc. make the moving process slower, riskier, and more difficult. The work takes much more time and effort to complete, so the moving costs increase.

Bonus tip: To get a better idea of the complexity of your move (and the ensuing extra moving costs), you’re advised to:

1. Make a list of any unusually large and heavy items (pool tables, safes, hot tubs, etc.) and extremely delicate items (antiques, pianos, works of art, sensitive electronics, family heirlooms, etc.) you have for moving and find out what will be necessary to ensure their safety during the relocation and how much the required specialized packing materials and accessorial services will cost you;
2. Consider the peculiarities of the pick-up and delivery locations to know what obstacles you can expect during your move (small doorways, lots of stairs, narrow streets, or other physical constraints that prevent the access of a large moving truck to your property, etc.) and to be able to determine what extra services will be necessary to overcome the difficulties (disassembly of furniture, hoisting services, shuttle services, etc.) and how much you will be charged for them (long-carry fee, flight charge, etc.).

Other factors that affect moving costs

In order to accurately estimate your moving costs, in addition to the three major cost determinants listed above, you need to take several other factors into account as well:

The time of your move

Many people choose to move in the summer (the weather is nice, children are out of school, people have more free time, etc.), so moving companies are very busy in the months from May to September and charge more to accommodate a moving date in this period.

The same applies to weekends and national holidays, as well as to the first and last days of a month, which is when most residential moves take place.

So, if you’re moving in peak times, you’ll have to allow for higher relocation costs.

The liability coverage you want for your items

When signing a moving contract, you get basic liability coverage for free. It, however, covers only $0.60 per pound per item.

If you wish to, you can get full value protection for your items, but it comes at an extra cost.

So, the insurance plan you choose will also affect your moving costs.

Your special needs and requirements

As already mentioned above, every extra service you use will incur an extra cost.

It may be the circumstances that necessitate some additional moving services, but others are optional and it’s up to you to decide if you want to use them or not.

You can make your move easier and less stressful by taking advantage of packing and unpacking services, furniture disassembly and reassembly, split pickup or delivery, storage in transit, or any other additional services the movers offer, but you’ll have to pay the extra costs they will incur.

On the other hand, if you don’t have any specialty items to relocate, make all moving preparations yourself, and don’t mind your shipment being consolidated with other people’s goods, your moving costs will be much lower.

When you factor in all these considerations, you’ll be able to estimate the cost of moving quite accurately.

How to Estimate Moving Costs When Moving Short Distance

Time is the most important factor when estimating the cost of a local move. Local movers charge by the hour – they tally up the time that the moving truck will need to get from the origin to the final destination and the number of work hours it will take the moving crew to load and unload the shipment. A travel fee (for the time the movers will spend to get to the pickup location) is typically added to the cost calculations as well.

Needless to say, any requested extra services and packing materials are also included in the final price.

So, if you know how many movers will be needed to perform your move and how much time it will take them to load, transport, and unload your belongings, you’ll be able to calculate the cost of your move. You can use a moving costs calculator or the following formula:

(Hourly rate) X (Number of movers) X (Number of hours to complete the move) + (Travel fee) + (Charges for additional services and packing materials you have requested)

Hourly rates depend on the area you live in, the time of your move, and the specific circumstances of your relocation and can be anywhere between $35 and $85 per mover per hour.

Example: Moving a 2-bedroom home from New York City to Newburgh

$60 hourly rate X 3 movers X 6 hours labor to load and unload + $100 travel fee + $300 for extra services

Total: $1,480

Good to know: Most local moving companies have a minimum charge of 2-4 hours. This means that even if your move takes less time, you’ll still be charged this minimum amount.

How to Estimate Moving Costs When Moving Long Distance

If you’re moving across the country, the moving costs will be based on the total weight of your shipment and the actual distance to your final destination.

It will be easy enough to find the exact distance from your old home to your new one, but estimating the weight of your items will be a much greater challenge. A moving inventory will help you get a rough idea, but for a more realistic estimate, you’re going to need an in-house survey of your belongings.

So, fill out a moving quote to get in touch with several reputable movers, see what they have to offer, and check their credentials to make sure you’re dealing with licensed and trustworthy moving professionals. Top-rated moving companies know that securing more customers is critical for the growth of their business and this is exactly why the best movers in the country choose to make a wise investment in high-quality leads from the best moving leads provider.

Make sure you ask three or four of the moving companies (the ones that seem to best suit your relocation needs and available budget) for on-site estimates. They will send their representatives to make a walk-through of your home and determine the approximate weight of your household items and personal belongings.

Based on that information, the moving companies will prepare moving cost estimates and it will be up to you to compare the offers and choose the best movers for you (make sure you consider not only the price, but also the included extra services, requested deposits, cancellation policies, insurance options, time frames, and any other relevant details and special conditions).

No matter how accurate the weight estimate may be though, your shipment will be weighed once again at the time of the move – the empty truck will be weighed before the move and your mover will give you an “empty weight” receipt or certificate, then the loaded moving vehicle will be weighed again and you will be provided with a weight ticket (moving vans are always weighed on certified scales).

The actual weight of the shipment, the exact distance to your new home, and the extra services you use will determine the final cost of your cross-country move. You can calculate it with the help of the following formula (or use a moving cost estimator):

(Load weight) X (Rate per pound per mile) X (Relocation distance) + (Charges for accessorial services) + (Additional moving insurance)

Example: Moving a 2-bedroom home from Boston to Chicago

The average weight of household goods in a 2-bedroom home is about 5,000-7,000 pounds.

The distance between Boston and Chicago is about 1,000 miles.

Most long-distance moving companies have a rate of 50 to 70 cents per pound per 1,000 miles. You can find the moving companies’ rates on the companies’ official websites (they should be clearly stated on the Bill of Lading as well).

So, using the above formula, the cost to move a 2-bedroom home from Boston to Chicago will be:

6,000 lbs average shipment weight X $0.6 rate per pound per 1,000 miles + $750 for extra services + $150 insurance costs

Total: $4,500

Good to remember: When estimating your moving costs, it won’t be only the movers’ cost you’ll have to think about – you need to figure in a number of other moving-related expenses as well (cost of packing materials, travel expenses, living expenses for the first month in your new home, etc.). Also, do not forget that moving day etiquette dictates that you tip your movers if you’re happy with their services, so you’ll most probably need some money for gratuities too.

How to Get an Accurate Moving Cost Estimate

Now that you know how to calculate moving costs, you’ll be able to determine how much money you’re going to need for your relocation adventure and to plan your finances accordingly.

Keep in mind though that you need to be extremely careful when estimating your moving expenses – if you overlook an important cost determinant or don’t get it right, the actual price of your move will differ from your estimate.

The chance of a mistake is smaller if you use a moving cost calculator provided by a reputable website. Yet, to be sure that you know the actual cost of your move, you need to get a binding on-site price estimate from a trustworthy mover.

Request visual surveys of your home from three or four properly licensed, experienced, and reliable movers – when the moving company representatives come to your place, be sure to provide them with complete and correct information and discuss all the details of your move with them, so you get an accurate moving cost estimate:

• Be clear and specific during the walk-through – show the movers all the items you plan to relocate, paying extra attention to items that may need special handling or special packing materials;
• Inform the movers of any possible obstacles or special conditions at both your old property and your new one;
• Discuss any necessitated extra services and any additional services you’d like to take advantage of – make sure every accessorial service you’re going to use is explicitly stated in the moving estimate, together with its corresponding rate;
• Ask as many questions as necessary to make sure that every last detail of your move has been accounted for.

When the movers have all the necessary information, they will be able to provide you with an accurate estimate. There will be no financial surprises on moving day and your relocation will be a guaranteed success.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)