It’s an indisputable fact that a house move can end up being really tough on a home mover’s budget. We all know that quality moving services do not come without a proportional price tag and that’s OK – that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
If you’ve decided to hire a moving company for your upcoming residential move, then you know that you’re going to have to pay for their professional moving services. But the real question is, How much do you have to pay? In other words, How much do movers cost?
The very first thing you need to realize is that the movers cost will depend primarily on whether you’re moving only a short distance away (within a radius of around 50 miles) or whether you’re moving long distance (usually to another state altogether).
You should keep in mind that local movers charge by the hour (an hourly rate) whereas long-distance movers charge a flat rate calculated on the basis of your specific house-move parameters such as move distance, shipment weight, and additional moving services.
So, when you’re moving across the country and you’ve made the right decision to use the services of a reputable cross-country moving company, then you’d surely like to know the right answer to the question, How much do cross-country movers cost? By knowing the long-distance movers cost in advance, you will be able to set your moving budget accordingly.
Read on to find out how much cross-country movers cost on average.
How much do cross-country movers charge?
What you need to know in advance when you’re using the services of a cross-country moving company is that the moving price will be calculated on a case-by-case basis. Why? It’s because there are numerous factors that are specific for each residential move and the moving company has to take those critical factors into consideration before they tell you exactly how much they will charge you.
The best way to learn the precise moving cost in advance is to use our Moving Cost Calculator to get in touch with top-rated cross-country movers in your area. Once the initial contact is established, you have to ask the moving experts to visit your home in person in order to take a closer look at all the things you want to move to the new place and assess any potential difficulties on Moving day.
After the moving company representatives complete the on-site survey, they will supply you with a binding moving estimate in writing and that’s exactly what you want. Nevertheless, it’s a good idea that you get ready, both mentally and financially, for the price you’re going to see on the cost estimate.
So, here are the average costs of cross-country movers for distances of 250 miles, 500 miles, 1,000 miles, and 2,000 miles respectively.
How much do cross-country movers charge for 250 miles?
| Home Size | Move Distance | Average Cost |
| 1-bedroom | 250 miles | $1,252 – $3,120 |
| 2-bedroom | 250 miles | $1,610 – $4,374 |
| 3-bedroom | 250 miles | $1,947 – $4,664 |
| 4-bedroom | 250 miles | $2,174 – $5,245 |
How much do cross-country movers charge for 500 miles?
| Home Size | Move Distance | Average Cost |
| 1-bedroom | 500 miles | $1,614 – $3,306 |
| 2-bedroom | 500 miles | $2,101 – $4,492 |
| 3-bedroom | 500 miles | $3,223 – $5,474 |
| 4-bedroom | 500 miles | $3,747 – $6,845 |
How much do cross-country movers charge for 1,000 miles?
| Home Size | Move Distance | Average Cost |
| 1-bedroom | 1,000 miles | $2,407 – $5,015 |
| 2-bedroom | 1,000 miles | $2,633 – $5,931 |
| 3-bedroom | 1,000 miles | $3,679 – $6,340 |
| 4-bedroom | 1,000 miles | $4,334 – $7,123 |
How much do cross-country movers charge for 2,000 miles?
| Home Size | Move Distance | Average Cost |
| 1-bedroom | 2,000 miles | $2,665 – $5,173 |
| 2-bedroom | 2,000 miles | $3,559 – $6,354 |
| 3-bedroom | 2,000 miles | $4,829 – $7,753 |
| 4-bedroom | 2,000 miles | $6,651 – $10,903 |
It’s important to note that all the moving cost ranges above are merely rough estimates to give you an idea of how much long-distance movers cost on average. You should use these average costs of hiring cross-country movers as reference points and set a preliminary moving budget that will help you have full control over your move-related expenses.
Therefore, the only way to learn how much your upcoming cross-country move will cost is to get free moving quotes (use the quote form at the top of the page) from the best interstate moving companies in your area.
Read also: Why should you hire movers?
Factors that affect the cost of cross-country movers
Now that you are familiar with the average cost of cross-country movers, the next step is to understand the factors that will affect the movers cost one way or another.
This way, you should be able to use smart techniques to lower the moving price in your favor – after all, why should you pay more when you can complete the house move with less money, right?
- Move distance. The distance between the two homes will affect greatly the moving cost. As you can easily guess, the greater the distance, the more your cross-country moving company will charge you to transport your household items to the destination place. The bad news in this case is that there’s nothing you can to do lower the moving price since the move distance remains a constant value. But while you can’t possibly shorten the distance between New York City and Los Angeles, you can use other ways to lower the cost of using long-distance movers.
- Shipment weight. Most cross-country moving companies will weigh their truck after it’s been loaded to determine the overall weight of the shipment. By knowing the total weight of your household items, the interstate mover you have hired to help you move will be able to calculate the final moving cost accurately. Therefore, to save money on your residential move, get rid of any useless items so that you are left only with things that you love and intend to use after the move.
- Additional services. In addition to the actual transportation of your belongings to the new address, cross-country moving companies can offer you a number of extra services that are deemed necessary for the successful completion of the move. The most common add-on service is packing but you should be able to also request unpacking in the new home, furniture disassembly and reassembly, and temporary storage (aka delayed delivery) for your possessions. Keep in mind that this is where you can save big bucks – for example, when you choose to pack up your things by yourself.
- Complexity of the move. The overall complexity of the move will definitely affect the price of your move. How? If there’s no operating elevator in the apartment building – either out of order or missing altogether, then the movers will charge you more for the extra effort of going up and down the stairs. Also, too many flights of stairs or a long walk from the entrance of the building to the moving truck will most likely incur extra charges. Handling of bulky household items such as large furniture pieces can also increase the final moving cost.
- Insurance. If you’re moving any valuable items with you, you might want to consider purchasing proper moving insurance for your prized possessions. Your interstate moving company is supposed to offer Released Value Protection for free but at 60 cents per pound per article, that type of coverage is practically useless. Therefore, you should get Full Value Protection if you want extra assurance that your valuables will reach the new home intact. Needless to say, your decision to purchase adequate moving insurance will increase the overall price of your house move.
- Time of the year. When you are moving out will also affect the movers cost one way or another. During the peak moving season (May – September), professional moving companies tend to charge more money because their services are in great demand. However, during the off-peak moving season (September – May), moving company rates tend to go down because of the lessened demand for moving services. Therefore, if you have a flexible move-out date, you should pick a date that will enable you to get a better deal from cross-country movers.
See also: How to cut moving costs
