# How Much Does Professional Packing Cost? *Reviewed by Joey Padgett · Last reviewed September 2026* Professional packing typically costs $50 to $100 per hour per packer. For a 2-bedroom home, full packing labor commonly runs $600 to $1,500, and materials add $150 to $350 on top of that. A 3-bedroom home with a full kitchen commonly runs $1,200 to $2,500 in labor. Whether that's worth it depends on your timeline, your fragile items, and how you value your time. --- ## Professional Packing Costs by Home Size ### Labor Costs | Home Size | Packing Time (2 packers) | Labor Cost | |---|---|---| | Studio / 1 Bedroom | 2 to 4 hours | $200 to $800 | | 2 Bedroom | 4 to 7 hours | $600 to $1,500 | | 3 Bedroom | 6 to 10 hours | $1,200 to $2,500 | | 4 Bedroom | 8 to 14 hours | $1,600 to $3,500 | *Source: [HomeGuide](https://homeguide.com/costs/packing-cost), [This Old House](https://www.thisoldhouse.com/moving/cost-of-professional-packers)* These reflect typical totals at $50 to $100 per packer per hour with a 2-person crew. Rates vary by company and region. Some companies charge per job for full-home packing rather than by the hour; ask which model applies before booking. ### Materials Costs When moving companies pack your home, they charge for materials separately. These are rough estimates: | Home Size | Materials Estimate | |---|---| | Studio / 1 Bedroom | $100 to $250 | | 2 Bedroom | $150 to $350 | | 3 Bedroom | $250 to $500 | | 4 Bedroom | $350 to $700 | If you buy your own materials and have the movers use them, you can reduce this cost. See [Moving Supplies: The Complete List](/advice/packing/moving-supplies) for what to buy and how much. ### Combined (Labor + Materials) Estimate | Home Size | Estimated Total | |---|---| | Studio / 1 Bedroom | $300 to $1,050 | | 2 Bedroom | $750 to $1,850 | | 3 Bedroom | $1,450 to $3,000 | | 4 Bedroom | $1,950 to $4,200 | --- ## What's Included in Professional Packing Most full-service packing means the crew arrives, supplies all materials, and packs every room. They typically: - Supply all boxes, tape, paper, and specialty materials - Wrap fragile items individually - Disassemble furniture as needed - Label every box by room and contents - Pack specialty items like mirrors and artwork (may cost extra) **What they typically don't include:** moving the boxes (that's a separate service unless you've booked a full-service move), packing items you've asked to pack yourself, or packing things they can't legally transport (hazardous materials, perishables). --- ## Partial Packing: A Middle Ground Most moving companies offer room-by-room or item-by-item packing instead of full-home packing. This is worth knowing about. Common partial packing scenarios: - **Kitchen only.** The kitchen is the most time-consuming room in any home and the one where breakage is most likely. Hiring packers for just the kitchen while you handle everything else is a reasonable middle ground. - **Fragile items only.** Pay for professional packing of your china, artwork, electronics, and anything irreplaceable. Handle everything else yourself. - **Specialty items.** Some moves include one or two problem pieces: a large art collection, a piano, or antiques. Targeted professional help for those items only. Partial packing usually costs the same hourly rate as full packing. You control the scope by what you leave for them. --- ## Is Professional Packing Worth It? It depends on what you're comparing it against. If you're moving locally and have three weeks to pack gradually, doing it yourself is manageable. A 2-bedroom DIY pack takes roughly 24 to 35 hours of actual work. That's spread over evenings and weekends, not a single day. If your move date is fixed and you're working full-time, that 24 to 35 hours is hard to find. A professional crew compresses it to 4 to 6 hours. For a long-distance move, how your things are packed matters more. Items that will spend two days in a moving truck need to be packed more securely than items traveling 20 minutes across town. If you have a significant amount of fragile or irreplaceable items, kitchen china, art, or anything that couldn't be replaced if broken, professional packing is usually the safer call. **→ [Get quotes from movers who offer packing services](/)** --- ## How to Save on Professional Packing **Pack your own non-fragile items.** Pack linens, clothes, books, and pantry items yourself. Let the professionals handle the kitchen, bathrooms, and anything breakable. **Supply your own boxes.** Some companies charge a markup on the boxes they supply. Buying boxes yourself from a home improvement store or getting free boxes from local retailers can lower the materials bill. **Book off-peak.** The same labor cost reduction that applies to moving applies to packing. Booking a Tuesday pack job in October costs less than a Friday pack job in June. **Compare multiple companies.** Packing rates vary by company. Get quotes from at least two or three. --- See [Moving Costs: The Complete Breakdown](/advice/costs) for how packing fits into your overall moving budget, or [Moving Supplies: The Complete List](/advice/packing/moving-supplies) if you'd rather pack yourself. --- ## Sources - [How Much Do Packing Services Cost — HomeGuide](https://homeguide.com/costs/packing-cost) - [How Much Do Professional Packers Cost — This Old House](https://www.thisoldhouse.com/moving/cost-of-professional-packers) - [Professional Packing Cost Guide — Angi](https://www.angi.com/articles/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-movers-for-packing.htm) - [How Much Does It Cost for Movers to Pack — HireAHelper](https://www.hireahelper.com/advice/how-much-does-it-cost-for-movers-to-pack/)