How to Get an Accurate Moving Labor Quote in 2023

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When you decide to move home to a new destination, one of the biggest challenges you face is about getting an accurate moving labor quote. You research various sources including online but many in vain. But you don’t need to complain anymore. We can help you get the best and accurate moving labor quotes.

Since we are moving experts with a solid base in the industry, we can also help you understand more about the moving process, including how a moving labor cost is determined and what are steps need to be taken to hire moving labor. So come along with us to know how much you need to spend to relocate to the new precious home hundreds of miles away.

So let’s now check how much the moving labor cost will be. Before moving ahead, you need to know that this is an approximate amount and it can go up or drop-down based on different factors which we’ll see in detail later.

How can I know the accurate moving cost?

On our website, there’s a free moving calculator section where you need to fill in the zip codes of your current home destination and the location for your new home. You need to mention the moving date as well as the volume of the household belonging. This will give you the amount that needs to be spending while relocating the home.

Why do I need to provide the zip codes?

When you provide a zip code, it will help us identify the city or town and can verify if the services are available at a particular destination. This will also help to calculate the distance between two destinations, which are required to calculate the moving labor cost.

How is the moving date important?

You need to know that moving costs change with dates. It will be expensive during weekends, on-season, public holidays, and summers. During the off-season, winter, and midweek, the companies cut down the moving costs. Additionally, during these periods, discounts or offers may also be available. When you prove the moving date, based on these factors we calculate moving labor costs.

How much does the volume of my personal belongings impact the cost?

Based on the volume of your belongings, the company will send laborers to load the truck and unload it. If you are moving locally, the cost is calculated on an hourly basis and the quantity of the items determines the duration they need to be at the home. This impacts the local moving cost.

While moving long-distance, the cost is calculated based on the volume of the stuff loaded and unloaded. The larger the size of the belongings, the more expensive it will be.

How accurate is the moving cost that I will receive here?

No moving cost calculator provides a completely accurate amount as it is determined by various factors that may change from person to person. However, we assure you that the most approximate amount as per the latest industry trends will be provided. Slight differences may occur based on later add-ons.

What are these add-ons that may impact moving labor quotes?

Usually, a moving service company determines its long-distance quote based on the distance from destination A to destination B, the volume of belongings, and the date on which you prefer to move. For a local mover, it would be calculated based on the hours he spends in the process. However, a few more specific factors like the presence of special items, distance from the main door to the truck, or the absence of a lift can directly impact the cost.

What are the special items?

Do you have a piano at home? Or do you have an antique clock or a rare painting? Do you want to move the aquarium at home to the new place? All these items are ‘special’ as they require extra care and attention. Maybe an item is not heavy – for example, a gift item – but it is highly valuable and requires special care while moving. And obviously, it makes special moving expensive.

How does the absence of an elevator impact the moving labor charges?

The heavy items at home need to be moved through the staircase which is tiresome and challenging. This consumes a lot of time when you have a three or four-bedroom house. For a moving labor company, this can be a reason to hike the moving quote. But it is uncommon for a professional mover to hike the quote just for this reason. Most moving labor companies do not consider this part as a valid reason for a higher quote.

Once you hire a moving labor company, its representative reaches the home to take stock of the stuff that needs to be moved. Evaluating every item at home and the distance from the main door to the truck, he will provide a quote, which you can negotiate on.

Why do you hire moving labor services?

Moving home is not an easy task. It takes heavy physical stress. You assume it to do alone but ask someone who had moved earlier and will realize how challenging it is. Instead, when you hire moving labor for assistance, the task becomes easier and faster.

You offload the stress of loading and unloading the truck and if needed, can ask the help to pack the items as well.

What is a moving labor quote?

The moving labor company handles the loading and unloading of the truck you hired to transport your household belongings. For this, the company initially raises a moving labor quote which you may accept if found reasonable and pocket friendly. If you feel the quote is unreasonable, you either negotiate to bring it down or walk away to another service provider who offers a lesser quote.

Generally moving labor company is involved only in the loading and unloading of the truck but you can discuss with it to include the packing service against an additional cost, which will be added to the moving labor quote.

What’s the average moving cost in 2023?

Moving companies charge customers two different rates – hourly and flat rate to pack the household belongings. This is based on your demand to include packing in the labor service. Let’s shed more light on this.

Local companies charge on an hourly basis

Local companies evaluate the stuff at your home and analyze the hours required to load the truck and unload them, and if required to pack as well. They charge around $35 – $40 per hour per packer and can go as high as $60 per hour per one packing specialist. The amount is multiplied by the hours they will at the home.

The hours taken to load a one-bedroom house will be different from a three-bedroom house. You also need to note that the more the laborers are involved, the less will be the hours taken to complete the task.

Long-distance companies follow a flat rate

To move your home interstate or cross-country, moving service providers follow a flat rate based on the volume of the household belongings you move. The larger the size, the higher the moving labor quote will be.

How does the fixed rate for moving labor look like?

For a one-bedroom apartment, the typical weight of household items will be approximately 3,000 Ibs, and the typical moving labor packing cost range from $300 – $400.
It will require two packing specialists and 3- 4 hours to pack the apartment. Packing supplies cost for such size of move range from $100 – $150. And if you haven’t got the packing materials, you need to be ready to shell out for that as well.
For a two-bedroom apartment, the total volume of household belongs will be approximately 5,000 lbs and the total cost would take $450 to $600. Similarly, the packing supplies would cost $150 to $250.

How a moving labor company is better than doing it yourself?

Moving impacts you in three ways – physically, economically, and psychologically. You need to spend a specific amount to relocate every household item to the new home. That’s understood and there’s no escape. Apart from that, lifting the heavy objects through corridors and stairs and loading the truck that’s parked outside and then again unloading them and taking them inside the new home is a challenge.

Thinking about the whole process, you might get insomnia. Why do you go through all these challenges when someone can get them done for you?

What are the benefits of hiring moving labor?

Let’s see how moving labor is helpful in the process.

No physical injury

The team of laborers is professional and is daily involved in moving heavy objects. They know where to hold a heavy dining table and how to take it through the door and stairway. Perhaps when you do it alone, you may get injured.

It saves time

When a professional team takes the charge of loading the stuff, it gets faster. Which could have taken you 3 hours will be complete in one hour by the moving labor company. This cuts down your budget and helps you stick to the schedule.

No damage to the items

Your home might have many items that are delicate or antique. You don’t want them to be broken during the process. However, since you are inexperienced in moving them, damages may happen. When you assign the professionals to handle these items, they ensure utmost safety.

Can do packing services

Packing the entire household items is not child’s play. Once you begin the process, you may regret not hiring a professional team. But if you want, you could have asked the moving service for packing assistance. Since they have high-quality packing materials and devices to move heavy objects, you will be relieved from the anguish of efficiently packing the stuff.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How can you finalize a moving labor quote?

Once you’ve filtered a few couples of movers, contact them if possible by reaching the office. There is no cap on the number of movers you can visit and you need to visit as many companies as possible. The more you visit, the more you will realize the quotes and services involved in each quote.

Compare the moving labor quotes and see what additions you need to make or if any service is not required, how much can you save by removing it. Open communication with the labor company is mandatory and this will help you judge how much it is open to your ideas.

What are the points I should note before I finalize the deal?

The moving labor company has a good track record
It’s open to negotiate
The moving labor cost is realistic and fits your budget
There is scope for further tweaks if required

How can I save money when hiring moving labor?

If you want to be a minimalist while moving, try doing the moving process yourself. Handle every possible task yourself and hire an outside laborer only for tasks you cannot do alone – moving heavy large pieces of furniture and loading or unloading heavy boxes.

This means almost every other task will be done by you, including the packing of your possessions and unpacking them at the new home. Ensure every task is done before the mover arrives at your home so that you can save both time and money. This is because most movers charge hourly basis.

Packing supplies seem very expensive in my area. How can I cut down on the cost of these items?

To cut down the packing cost, procure free moving boxes and storage containers. You can get them from different shops or second-hand online stores at reasonable rates. Moving companies even sell them after one use and you can get them from their warehouses.

Put a cap on the use of packing supplies like bubble wrap and packing paper. Instead use household items such as paper towels in place of packing paper, while t-shirts, sweaters, towels, bed linens, and kitchen linens can take the place of bubble wrap.

Do I need to tip the moving laborers after they are finished working?

It’s for you to decide whether to tip or not. However, there is a common practice to tip movers after the work is done. If you find the work satisfactory, you may consider tipping them $20 or $40 per mover.

Tipping is indeed an added expense, but it is one that shows your appreciation for the hard work that movers put in packing, loading, unloading, and unpacking your possessions.

Which type of companies should I avoid?

You need to be cautious while signing a contract with the moving service provider. Proper homework is required about the mover and one should study the contract before signing it.

Some of the points to remember before you hire moving labor are:

The mover should be in the industry for a minimum of three years
It should have a clean and transparent track record
The moving labor company is properly licensed
It has not changed the name in the past
There’s a client feedback section on the website
Every point in the contract is transparent
There is no hidden cost in the deal
The laborers are trained to handle special items

What are some commonly added expenses when hiring moving labor?

When you hire moving labor, you need to know what expenses are tacked onto your final bill. These are not hidden fees, but a mover adds them onto the hourly rate based on services.

Usually, movers have a flat fee that you require to pay in addition to the hourly expense, which includes the expenditure on basic packing supplies and the cost to maintain their moving trucks.

Some movers also charge for the mileage between your present and destination addresses. Some states require movers by law to double the travel time in the final bill. For instance, if it takes them 20 minutes to go between houses or apartments, they must charge 40 minutes in the final bill.

How can I best protect my furniture from being scratched or damaged?

When you hire moving labor, confirm the method of loading and unloading furniture. Generally, movers provide blankets and wrapping tape as a free add-on. The decorative pieces and furniture are covered by blankets for safety and paintings are covered with wrapping tape so they do not suffer damage.

When you see that the labor company is not providing the utmost security to your belongings, you can do it yourself. You can wrap smaller items yourself and ask the movers for help in wrapping larger furniture.

Ensure that every piece of furniture is secured before it is loaded into the truck. This because even a slight bump during the transit can cause serious damage to the item, which may include cabinets, tables, shelves, and chairs.

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