Local Moving Costs in 2026
By the Moving Company Estimate data team · Last updated July 2026 · Methodology
Short answer: a local move (under 50 miles) costs $325–$3,500 in 2026, depending on home size. A 2-bedroom typically lands around $1,075. You're billed by the hour: about $62 per mover per hour including the truck, $124/hr for two movers, $186/hr for three. Your final bill is crew size × hours × rate, plus travel time and any add-ons like packing.
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Local moving cost by home size
These are 2026 national blended figures from our published rate model, the same engine behind our moving cost calculator. Crew size and hours scale with how much you own, not your square footage:
| Home size | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio (2 movers, ~3 hrs) | $325 | $400 | $500 |
| 1 Bedroom (2 movers, ~4 hrs) | $450 | $550 | $675 |
| 2 Bedroom (3 movers, ~5.5 hrs) | $875 | $1,075 | $1,300 |
| 3 Bedroom (3 movers, ~7.5 hrs) | $1,200 | $1,475 | $1,800 |
| 4 Bedroom (4 movers, ~9 hrs) | $1,925 | $2,350 | $2,875 |
| 5+ Bedroom (4 movers, ~11 hrs) | $2,350 | $2,875 | $3,500 |
Hourly rates by crew size
The hourly rate covers labor, the truck, fuel, basic protection (pads, shrink wrap), and released-value liability. What varies is your metro: competitive markets like Dallas run about 5% under the national average, while tighter labor markets like Denver and Miami run 5–8% over it.
| Crew | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-mover crew | $118 | $124 | $134 |
| 3-mover crew | $177 | $186 | $201 |
| 4-mover crew | $236 | $248 | $268 |
Watch the minimums: most companies bill a 2–4 hour minimum even for a tiny job, and most charge travel time, either a flat fee or "double drive time" between your addresses. A quoted $124/hr crew with a 3-hour minimum and 45 minutes of drive time is really a $465 floor before a box moves.
The date is your biggest lever
Demand pricing is real in local moving. May–September adds about 15%, and the last five days of any month (lease-turnover crunch) add roughly 8%, they stack:
| When you move | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-month, off-season (Oct–Apr) | $875 | $1,075 | $1,300 |
| Peak season (May–Sep) | $1,025 | $1,250 | $1,525 |
| Peak season + end of month | $1,100 | $1,350 | $1,650 |
How to keep the hours down
- Be 100% packed before the crew arrives.Movers waiting on you to tape boxes is the most expensive packing labor you'll ever buy at $186/hr.
- Reserve parking and the elevator. A 200-foot long-carry or a shared elevator can add an hour on each end.
- Disassemble beds and desks yourself.That's 30–60 crew-minutes you can do the night before for free.
- Move the small stuff yourself, if you can. Shuttling boxes in your car and leaving movers only furniture can turn a 5.5-hour 2-bedroom job into 4 hours, roughly $280 saved at 3-mover rates.
For longer hauls, the same crew cost is joined by a per-mile transport charge that grows with distance, see our long-distance moving cost guide. And if you only need muscle, not a truck, labor-only crews are cheaper, see movers' hourly rates.
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Answer six quick questions, your price range appears instantly, before any contact form.
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Prefer to talk? Call (561) 220-0117, free, no obligation.
FAQ
In 2026, a local move (under 50 miles) runs about $375 for a studio, $1,025 for a 2-bedroom, and $2,225 for a 4-bedroom home at typical off-peak rates. The full national range is roughly $300–$3,325 depending on size, date, and access.
The national blended average is about $62 per mover per hour including the truck, $124/hour for a 2-mover crew, $186/hour for 3 movers, $248/hour for 4. Expect roughly 5% below that in low-cost metros and 8–10% above it in high-cost coastal markets.
Typical crew-hours by size: studio ~3 hours (2 movers), 1-bedroom ~4 hours (2 movers), 2-bedroom ~5.5 hours (3 movers), 3-bedroom ~7.5 hours (3 movers), 4-bedroom ~9 hours (4 movers). Stairs, long carries, and poor parking add time.
Almost always. Most local movers bill either a flat travel fee or 'double drive time' (California's required method) covering the trip between your two addresses. Ask exactly how travel is billed before you book, it can add an hour to the invoice.
Tips are customary but optional: $5–$10 per mover per hour of work, or roughly 10–20% of the bill split across the crew, scaled to difficulty (flights of stairs, heavy items, summer heat).