What Does a Moving Company Cost in 2026?
7 min read · Last updated October 12, 2026
- A local move for a 2 to 3 bedroom home typically runs $1,440 to $2,900, while a long-distance move of roughly 1,000 miles for a 2 to 4 bedroom home runs $2,600 to $6,900.
- Moving industry labor and service costs rose roughly 13.2% year over year through August 2026, the sharpest increase of any home-service category this site tracks.
- Under federal rules, a non-binding estimate can’t legally grow to more than 110% of the original number once the truck is loaded and weighed.
- A binding estimate locks the number in advance; a non-binding estimate is a weight-based guess with a legal ceiling on how far it can climb.
A local move for a 2 to 3 bedroom home typically runs the homeowner $1,440 to $2,900, while a long-distance move of roughly 1,000 miles for a 2 to 4 bedroom home runs $2,600 to $6,900. A federal rule set the real ceiling on one specific quote before the truck ever arrived: Dana Kowalski, moving a two-bedroom apartment from Spokane, Washington to a house in Des Moines, Iowa, got a binding estimate of $4,950 and a non-binding estimate of $4,300 from the same company for the identical move.
In this article
- What a moving company actually costs, by home size and distance
- What drives the price up or down
- Binding versus non-binding estimates: the math that matters
- Your estimate may vary
- Frequently asked questions
Moving industry labor and service costs rose roughly 13.2% year over year through August 2026, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ producer price index for used household and office goods moving, the steepest increase of any home-service category this site tracks. The sections below cover what a move actually costs by home size and distance, plus the one number, buried in federal regulation, that decides how much a non-binding quote is legally allowed to grow.
What a moving company actually costs, by home size and distance
| Move type | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Studio / 1-bedroom, local | $480-$900 | 3-4 hours, 2-mover crew |
| 2 to 3-bedroom, local | $1,440-$2,900 | 6-8 hours, 3 to 4-mover crew |
| 1-bedroom, long-distance (~1,000 mi) | $2,400-$4,900 | Weight and distance-based |
| 2 to 4-bedroom, long-distance (~1,000 mi) | $2,600-$6,900 | Wider range reflects shipment weight spread |
A local move’s cost bills mostly on crew time: hours on site multiplied by crew size. A long-distance move bills on shipment weight and miles instead, which is why the range widens so much once state lines are involved. Dana’s move runs further than the 1,000-mile reference range above, yet both quotes still land inside it, since a lighter two-bedroom shipment can offset the extra distance in a weight-based formula.
What drives the price up or down
| Factor | Impact on price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stairs or a long carry to the truck | +$75-$200 or added labor hours | Charged per flight or per distance beyond the standard carry |
| Full packing service | +$30-$80 per hour, per packer | Partial packing of a few rooms costs less than a full-house pack |
| Specialty items (piano, safe, pool table) | +$150-$600 per item | Often billed as a separate handling fee, sometimes a dedicated crew |
| Shipment weight and distance | Sets the baseline long-distance price directly | This is the number a binding estimate locks in advance |
| Season and date | Summer and month-end dates run higher | Memorial Day through Labor Day and the last few days of any month see the most demand |
Binding versus non-binding estimates: the math that matters
A binding estimate is a number agreed to in writing before the move. Under federal regulation, “a binding estimate guarantees that you cannot be required to pay more than the amount on the estimate at the time of delivery,” regardless of what the shipment actually weighs. A non-binding estimate is a weight-based approximation instead, and the same federal rule caps how far it can grow: “the mover cannot require you to pay more than 110 percent of the non-binding estimate at the time of delivery.”
Run Dana’s numbers. The non-binding estimate was $4,300.
Under the 110% rule, the absolute most the mover could legally require at the door, even if the truck weighs in heavier than expected, is $4,300 × 1.10 = $4,730. That’s still $220 below the binding quote of $4,950.
Dana took the non-binding option, since the worst-case number was lower than the binding one and the apartment’s furniture was already weighed at a prior move and unlikely to run far over estimate.
If a final bill on a non-binding estimate comes in above that 110% ceiling, federal rules require the mover to bill you for the remainder separately, only after 30 days have passed from delivery, rather than hold the shipment or demand the full amount at the door. A mover who demands more than 110% in cash at the truck, on the spot, is violating that rule directly.
Your estimate may vary
A studio or one-bedroom local move is genuinely do-it-yourself (DIY) friendly: a rented truck, a couple of friends, and an afternoon can replace a $480 to $900 professional quote for very little money. That math stops working once a move involves stairs, a second story, specialty items, or a drive long enough that fatigue and vehicle unfamiliarity become real safety risks, which is where a long-distance or larger-home move tips toward hiring a crew instead.
Local market rates, home square footage, how much needs packing versus how much is already boxed, and the specific date all move the final number independently of the ranges above. Get at least three quotes, verify the mover’s registration before signing anything, get every estimate in writing with the binding or non-binding terms stated explicitly, and compare the full line-item breakdown, not just the bottom-line total.
The same vetting instinct applies to any home-services hire, covered in more depth in how to hire a contractor without getting burned, and in what a 2,600-square-foot house actually costs to maintain each year if a move is part of a larger relocation budget.
Ready to compare local moving company quotes? Find a vetted moving company near you via Thumbtack and get free quotes from background-checked movers who will put binding or non-binding terms in writing before move day.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the real difference between a binding and non-binding moving estimate? A binding estimate locks in the total price in writing before the move, so the final bill can’t exceed it regardless of actual weight. A non-binding estimate is an approximation based on estimated weight, and federal rules cap how much more than that estimate a mover can require at delivery, at 110% of the original number.
Can a moving company demand more money than my non-binding estimate at the door? Only up to 110% of the original non-binding estimate. Anything above that must be billed separately, only after 30 days have passed from delivery under federal rules, rather than demanded in cash before the movers will unload the truck.
Why is a long-distance move priced so differently from a local one? Local moves bill mostly on crew hours on site. Long-distance moves bill on shipment weight and mileage instead, which is why the price range widens so much once a move crosses state lines or covers hundreds of miles.
Is it worth doing a local move myself instead of hiring movers? For a studio or one-bedroom with no stairs, a DIY move with a rented truck is often genuinely cheaper and manageable. Once a move involves stairs, a larger home, specialty items, or long-distance driving, the economics and the physical risk both shift toward hiring a crew.
What should I check before signing with a mover? Get at least three quotes, confirm the company’s registration, get the binding or non-binding terms spelled out in writing, and read the line-item breakdown rather than just comparing bottom-line totals. See what to confirm before anyone loads the truck for the full vetting checklist, including how to check a mover’s liability coverage.
