Moving labor is billed by the hour, per person, which means preparation is money. A well-packed, labeled, cleared-out home loads in half the time of a chaotic one. Here is how to prepare, what the crew can and can't do, and how to guess your hours.
How hourly moving labor works
Our moving help is $55 per person per hour with a two-hour minimum; heavy lifting and hauling is $65 per person per hour. You choose the crew size and the hours when you get a quote, and you pay only for the time actually used above the minimum. Two movers for three hours is $330; three movers for four hours is $660.
You provide the truck, pod or vehicle. The crew loads, unloads, carries, and places furniture where you want it. Packing boxes is a separate task you can add hours for.
Do these before the crew arrives
- Finish packing. Everything in boxes, boxes taped and labeled with the room they go to. Open boxes and loose items are the number-one time sink.
- Disassemble what you can: bed frames, table legs, mirrors off dressers. Bag the hardware and tape it to the piece.
- Empty dressers and desks. Full drawers make furniture too heavy to carry safely.
- Clear a path: hallways, stairs, and the route from the door to the truck. Prop doors open, remove rugs that slide.
- Reserve parking or the loading zone as close to the door as possible. Every extra 50 feet is added minutes per trip.
- Point out fragile and high-value items first so the crew pads and wraps them.
Estimating your hours
- Studio or 1-bedroom, packed and ready: 2 movers, 2–3 hours to load; the same to unload
- 2-bedroom apartment: 2 movers, 3–4 hours per side
- 3-bedroom house: 3 movers, 4–5 hours per side
- Stairs or a long carry add about 30–45 minutes per floor per side
- Not packed yet? Add 1–2 hours per bedroom for packing help
Book slightly more than you think. Unused time isn't charged, but adding a crew member mid-job isn't always possible.
What counts as a heavy item
Anything over roughly 200 pounds, awkwardly shaped, or that needs special equipment: upright and grand pianos, gun safes, hot tubs, treadmills and gym racks, large aquariums, commercial appliances, and solid-wood armoires. These are booked as Heavy Lifting & Hauling so the crew arrives with dollies, straps, sliders and enough people.
Tell us the item, its approximate weight, and the path it has to travel (stairs, turns, doorway width). A grand piano down a spiral staircase is a different job than a safe across a garage.
What the crew won't move
- Hazardous materials: propane tanks, gasoline, paint thinner, pool chemicals, ammunition
- Perishables and open liquids
- Cash, jewelry, passports and irreplaceable documents — carry these yourself
- Items that can't be moved safely with the crew booked; we'll tell you if a job needs more people or a different plan
On the day
- Walk the crew through the home and point out fragile, heavy, and “don't touch” items.
- Have water available and keep pets and kids out of the path.
- Stay reachable, but let the crew work; they'll ask when something is unclear.
- Before they leave, check closets, the garage and the attic together.
Frequently asked
Do you supply the truck?
No, our crews are labor-only: they load, unload and carry. Rent a truck or pod and we meet it at either end, or both.
What if the job finishes early?
You pay for the time used, down to the two-hour minimum (four hours for construction site labor). Book generously; the unused hours aren't charged.
What if something gets damaged during the move?
Tell us within 48 hours with photos and we'll repair, replace or credit it. Every crew member is background-checked, and listing heavy or fragile items up front is the best protection — it lets us send the right crew and equipment.