Try it: moving cost calculator. It is free, needs no account, and works for any two US ZIP codes.
1. Distance decides the pricing model
We estimate the driving distance between the two ZIP codes (the straight-line distance plus 25% for the road network) and put the move in one of three groups:
- Local (under 50 miles): movers bill by the hour, so the estimate is crew hours × hourly rate.
- Short haul (50–250 miles): a hybrid of hourly time and distance.
- Long distance (250+ miles): movers price on shipment size plus mileage.
2. Base rates by home size
These are the starting ranges before any market or timing adjustment. The low end assumes a light load, a small crew and easy access. The high end assumes a larger crew, more hours or full-service packing.
Local moves
| Home size | Typical crew | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | about 2 movers for 3–4 hours | $300 | $500 | $750 |
| 1 bedroom | about 2 movers for 4–5½ hours | $400 | $750 | $1,100 |
| 2 bedrooms | about 2–3 movers for 5½–7½ hours | $550 | $1,100 | $1,800 |
| 3+ bedrooms | about 3 movers for 7½ hours or more | $750 | $1,800 | $2,800 |
Short-haul moves (50–250 miles)
| Home size | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,000 | $1,500 | $2,500 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,500 | $2,250 | $3,800 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,500 | $4,000 | $5,500 |
| 3+ bedrooms | $3,500 | $5,500 | $7,000 |
Long-distance moves: typical cost by distance
| Home size | 250–500 mi | 500–1,000 mi | 1,000–1,500 mi | 1,500–2,500 mi | 2,500+ mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,944 | $2,250 | $2,610 | $3,096 | $3,510 |
| 1 bedroom | $2,592 | $3,000 | $3,480 | $4,128 | $4,680 |
| 2 bedrooms | $4,104 | $4,750 | $5,510 | $6,536 | $7,410 |
| 3+ bedrooms | $5,616 | $6,500 | $7,540 | $8,944 | $10,140 |
For long-distance moves the low end is 75% of the typical figure (basic service) and the high end is 135% (premium service with full packing).
3. Local market adjustment
Moving costs more in some places than others. Each end of the move gets a state cost index, multiplied by a premium for high-cost metros such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and New York. The destination counts for 60% and the origin for 40%, because the destination is where the crew finishes the job. The combined adjustment is capped at −15% to +25%.
4. Timing adjustment
| When you move | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| June, July or August (peak season) | +18% |
| Saturday or Sunday | +8% |
| The 25th of the month through the 3rd (lease turnover) | +10% |
| Booked less than a week ahead | +15% |
| Booked less than 3 days ahead in peak season (replaces the line above) | +22% |
These compound, capped at +45% in total. A weekday move mid-month outside summer, booked a few weeks ahead, gets no timing adjustment.
5. The range you see
The headline number is a central planning range around the typical cost. We narrow the full low–high range to where your move lands if one thing goes differently from typical (the job runs long, or the crew charges more) but not everything at once. The full low–high range is shown as secondary context.
The central range is not a statistical confidence interval, and we don't claim a percentage of moves fall inside it. It is a transparent, rule-based planning number.
What the estimate doesn't know
- How much you actually own. Two 2-bedroom homes can differ by thousands of pounds of furniture.
- Stairs, elevators, long carries, parking and building rules.
- Packing services, specialty items (pianos, safes, art) and storage.
- An individual mover's pricing and availability.
That is why a written quote from a mover, ideally after a video or in-home survey, is the number to budget around. See how moving quotes work and binding vs. non-binding estimates.
Sources
Base rates and adjustments come from published industry pricing research, including HireAHelper, moveBuddha and Move.org rate data (for example, HireAHelper reports that 41% of US moves happen from June to August). Our movers' prices are not an input, so the estimate is the same whether or not we have partners on your route. See how Smooth Move makes money.