Itemized household relocation budget

Moving Cost Calculator

Estimate a local mover, long-distance moving company, or DIY rental-truck budget. Enter actual quotes and rates to separate transportation, labor, packing, tax, tips and contingency.

Move type

Currency symbol

ContingencyPercent added to the pre-tax subtotal.

Number of movers

On-site hours

Billed travel hours

Hourly rate per mover

Truck or base fee

Billable distanceUse miles or kilometers consistently with the next rate.

Distance rate

Packing and materials

Stairs, carry, specialty and other fees

Storage

Tax rateApplied to the service subtotal; adjust for the quote.

Tip on labor

Shipment weightUse the same unit covered by the entered weight rate.

Transportation rate per weight unit

Billable distance

Distance surcharge rate

Packing and materials

Valuation or coverage charge

Storage and handling

Access, shuttle and specialty fees

Tax rate

Rental days

Truck rate per day

Driving distance

Mileage rate

Truck fuel economyDistance units per fuel unit, such as mpg or km/L.

Fuel price per unit

Rental coverage

Equipment and supplies

Paid helpers

Hours per helper

Hourly rate per helper

Packing materials

Tolls, lodging and meals

Storage

Tax on rental itemsApplied to truck, mileage, rental coverage and equipment.

Total—

Subtotal—

Contingency—

Tax—

Labor or transport—

Other costs—

Moving cost formulas

Local crew: labor = movers × (on-site hours + billed travel hours) × hourly rate. Distance, base, packing, storage and access fees are added. Tax is applied to the entered service subtotal, tip to labor, and contingency to the pre-tax subtotal.

Long-distance mover: transport = shipment weight × weight rate + distance × distance surcharge. Packing, valuation, storage and access charges are added before tax and contingency.

DIY truck: fuel = distance ÷ fuel economy × fuel price and helper labor = helpers × hours × rate. Rental tax applies only to the rental items identified beside the input.

Rates are not built in. Enter written quotes and the taxes that actually apply. Moving companies may price by crew hour, shipment weight, volume, container, lane, date, minimum charge or binding estimate. This calculator performs transparent arithmetic; it does not determine a legal charge or guarantee a final invoice.

Checked examples

Move type	Key inputs	Checked total
Local crew	3 movers, 7 billed hours each, $45/h, $150 base, 25 × $1.50, $275 other, 6% tax, 15% labor tip, 10% contingency	$1,774.45
Long distance	5,000 × $1.10, 800 × $0.50, $850 other, 5% tax, 8% contingency	$7,627.50
DIY truck	3 × $90, 600 × $0.99, 12 mpg, $3.50/gal, $685 other, 6% rental tax, 10% contingency	$1,956.34

What to include before booking

Ask whether travel time, fuel, mileage, stairs, elevators, long carries, shuttle trucks, bulky items, packing and storage are already included.
Use the shipment weight or rate unit exactly as quoted. Do not mix pounds and kilograms, or miles and kilometers, without converting the rate too.
For a DIY move, include the return trip when the rental agreement requires it, plus fuel refill rules and mileage limits.
Taxability and tipping practices vary. Enter zero when a charge does not apply rather than assuming a default.
Contingency is a planning allowance, not a fee owed to the mover. Keep it separate from the signed estimate.
This household calculator does not estimate towing or setup of a manufactured/mobile home; use the dedicated tool for that specialized move.

Moving Cost Calculator

Moving cost formulas

Checked examples

What to include before booking

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