How much does a local move cost in Dallas?

Almost nobody quotes the same way, which is what makes comparing movers in Dallas so annoying. Here is how it actually works.

What Dallas moves actually cost

These are real totals from about 5,000 moves we completed across Dallas–Fort Worth in 2026. “Most moves cost” is the middle half of jobs: a quarter came in under it and a quarter over. “Typical” is the middle job.

What you’re moving	Most moves cost	Typical
Studio apartment	$394–$599	$474
1-bedroom apartment	$400–$722	$540
2-bedroom apartment	$487–$900	$675
3-bedroom apartment	$600–$1,080	$840
House, 1,400–1,600 sq ft	$468–$1,035	$680
House, 1,800–2,000 sq ft	$630–$1,252	$881
House, 2,000–2,200 sq ft	$862–$1,640	$1,080
10×10 storage unit	$400–$622	$500

Moving only. Packing and packing materials are booked separately. Your own number depends on the things below, and you can see it in about a minute on our quote page.

As a rough guide, a one-bedroom takes two to four hours, a two-bedroom three to five, a 1,200–1,600 sq ft house four to six, and larger homes six to eight.

How much do movers charge per hour in Dallas?

Most local movers in DFW bill by the hour, but not the same way. Some charge a different rate for each crew size, and many add a truck fee, tax and supply charges on top of the rate they quote. Ours is $90 an hour for each buddy, so two buddies are $180 an hour, three are $270 and four are $360. On a move, that rate is the whole price, start to finish: the truck, fuel, equipment, stairs and tax are all in it.

How the two hour minimum works

Every move is billed for at least two hours, so a move that takes two hours or less is $360 with two buddies. It isn’t a set price for the whole move: if yours takes four hours, you pay for four hours, which is $720 with two buddies.

After the first two hours we bill to the nearest fifteen minutes, so three hours and ten minutes is billed as three hours and fifteen. Many movers round up to a whole extra hour instead. The clock starts when your buddies reach your door and stops when the work is done.

What does a small move cost?

The same hourly rate, with the same two hour minimum. There’s no separate small-move price. This year most studio moves came to $394–$599, most one-bedroom moves $400–$722, and most 10×10 storage units $400–$622. Here’s more on how small moves work, including how long they take.

Do weekend moves cost more?

Not with us right now. Our rate is currently the same every day, though it has changed by date at times, so check the rate on your quote. Many movers charge much more on weekends and at the end of the month.

Do movers charge for travel?

Many do, and they don’t always say so. A common way is starting the clock when the crew leaves the warehouse, so you pay for the drive to your door.

We only bill for the time we’re on your job. If you’re further out, we add a set amount of time for the crew’s travel, for example 15 minutes, and it’s on your quote before you book, never on the bill afterwards. That’s still the whole price, with no truck fee, tax or supply charges on top.

What should a moving quote include?

Compare how each mover bills, not just the hourly rate. Ask:

• Does the clock start at your door, or when the crew leaves the warehouse?
• Is time billed to the quarter hour, or rounded up to a whole hour?
• Is there a truck fee, fuel charge or tax on top of the rate?
• Are shrink wrap, tape and blankets included, or added at the end?
• What happens if the move runs past the estimate?

We’ve heard this more than once: someone picks a mover who didn’t mention any travel time, then finds an extra hour on the bill because the clock started at the warehouse, plus a truck fee nobody mentioned. Compare the final bill, not the headline.

Bigger crews are usually cheaper

This surprises people. Four movers finishing in five hours beats two movers finishing in eleven. When we size a crew we’re trying to get you the lower total, not the lower rate.

What does packing cost?

Packing is billed by the hour like the move, and the only extra is the materials. We charge only for what we use, like boxes and packing paper, at our cost, and our boxes are thick enough to stack without crushing. How long packing takes depends more on what you own than on the size of the place, but a one or two bedroom is usually fairly quick. Here’s how our packing works.

Boxes cost less than trash bags in the end

Trash bags look like a saving but make the move longer. We can stack six or seven large boxes on a dolly at once. Bags go one or two at a time, tear easily and are harder to keep safe. When you’re paying by the hour, the right boxes usually cost you less.

How to make your move cost less

Which floor you’re on. Whether the truck can park near the door. Whether the elevator works and can be reserved. How much is in the garage. A two bedroom apartment on the third floor with a long walk to the loading zone is a different day to a two bedroom on the ground floor.

Since you’re paying by the hour, being ready saves the most:

• Be fully packed, with boxes sealed, before we arrive. If the crew has loaded everything else and is waiting on the last boxes, you’re paying for the wait.
• Take apart what you can, like a bed frame or the mirror on a dresser. The tools often came with the furniture.
• Washer and dryer: like most movers, we ask you to sign a waiver because we aren’t licensed plumbers, then we’ll help. Your building’s maintenance staff may be able to disconnect them for you.
• Reserve the elevator. Sharing it adds a lot of time.
• Save a parking spot close to the door. If a crew parks further away than they need to, you’re paying for the extra walking.
• Clear a path, so the crew can pad the furniture and start carrying without moving things around first.

Doing all of this can cut a move’s time a lot, sometimes by half. And a low hourly rate isn’t a low bill if it’s made up somewhere else: fees nobody mentioned, parking further away than needed, or a clock that started before the crew arrived.

What we do

One rate per buddy, start to finish, with the truck, fuel, equipment, stairs and tax already in it. We bill for the time we’re on your job, plus any travel time already on your quote. No deposit to book, and you can see your number in about a minute without talking to anybody.

We move apartments, houses and offices in Dallas, Plano, Frisco and the rest of DFW.