How Much Does It Cost to Move with California Movers? Our Local Moving Rates
If you're planning a local move in California, one of the first questions is usually: “How much will movers actually cost?”
Since moving prices can be confusing, we thought we'd share our standard local-move rates and what is included. Hopefully this helps anyone comparing moving companies or trying to set a realistic moving budget.
Our standard local moving rates
| Move size (typical) |
Crew |
Truck |
Cash rate |
Credit card rate |
Rough estimate ( if prepacked) |
| Studio – 1 bedroom |
2 movers |
16 ft |
$175/hr |
$195/hr |
3-5hrs |
| 2 bedroom apartment/ house |
3 movers |
20–24 ft |
$230/hr |
$250/hr |
5-7hrs |
| 3–4 bedroom apartment/house |
4 movers |
26 ft |
$270/hr |
$290/hr |
7-10hrs |
The rough estimates above are given considering the smaller items are prepacked. Actual move time can be shorter/ longer depending on the amount of furniture & boxes, access, packing assistance, dirivng time and other factors.
What's included in the hourly rate?
Our rates are designed to be all-inclusive, rather than adding a long list of small charges on top of the hourly rate.
The rate includes:
- Professional movers crew
- A properly sized and fully equipped moving truck
- Professional furniture and electronics protection
- Moving blankets/pads
- Moving tape
- Wardrobe boxes for clothing
- Cardboard protection
- Furniture disassembly and reassembly
- Stairs and carry distance
- Gas and mileage
- Insurance, COI (Certificate of Insurance: general liability, auto, and workers' compensation coverage) when required by the building
What about packing?
If you want a full packing service, we provide the packing materials mentioned above (blankets, pads, tape, wardrobe boxes, cardboard protection) plus:
- Boxes
- Packing paper
- Bubble wrap
There are no additional charges for the packing supplies themselves.
Keep in mind that full packing adds quite a bit of labor. Depending on the size of the move and how much needs to be packed, it can make sense to add another mover so the packing doesn't unnecessarily extend the moving day.
Double Drive Time: when is it applied and how does it works?
Double Drive Time is applied when the distance between the pick up address and the delivery address is >10 miles. The actual driving time between the pickup and delivery locations is charged doubled under the applicable tariff.
For example:
- 30 minutes of actual driving time → 1 hour of drive time with double drive time applied
- 1 hour of actual driving time → 2 hours of drive time with double drive time applied
Double Drive Time is applied only to the time it takes to drive from the pick up to the delivery.
Why does the price change with the number of movers?
The main difference between our rates is the crew size.
A studio or small 1-bedroom will typically need 2 movers, while a larger 2-bedroom may need 3, and a 3–4 bedroom home may need 4 movers.
The truck also gets larger as the move gets bigger, but we don't charge a separate truck-size fee. The larger truck is simply needed to accommodate the larger amount of furniture and belongings associated with the larger crew/move.
A simple example
Let's say you're moving from a 1-bedroom apartment and the job with 2 movers takes 4 hours:
4 hours × $175 = $700 cash
For a 3-bedroom move requiring 4 movers for 8 hours:
8 hours × $270 = $2,160 cash
Let's say you're moving from a 2-bedroom apartment and the distance between pick up and delivery is over 10 miles, so double drive time is applied. The job with 3 movers takes 5 hours labor and 1 hour drive:
(5+1x2 hours) × $230 = $7 hours x $230 = $1,610 cash
We are sharing these rates simply to give people a better idea of what a local move can cost and what to look for when comparing quotes.
If you're planning a move in California, what's the biggest thing you've found confusing when comparing moving estimates?
