How we estimate
Foyeric's tools are planning aids. They turn a few inputs into a reasonable range using published rules of thumb and round-number assumptions. They are not quotes and not averages from a survey of real moves. We list every assumption here so you can judge them and adjust for your situation.
Moving cost estimator
Shipment size by home
| Home | Weight (lbs) | Crew | Load + unload hrs | DIY truck |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 1,500–2,500 | 2 | 2–4 | 10 ft, ~12 mpg |
| 1 bedroom | 2,500–3,500 | 2 | 3–5 | 15 ft, ~10 mpg |
| 2 bedrooms | 4,000–6,000 | 3 | 4–7 | 20 ft, ~10 mpg |
| 3 bedrooms | 6,000–9,000 | 3 | 6–10 | 26 ft, ~8 mpg |
| 4+ bedrooms | 9,000–12,000 | 4 | 8–12 | 26 ft, ~8 mpg |
Weights follow the common industry rule of thumb of roughly 1,000 lbs per furnished room. Homes with big furniture, pianos, gym equipment or full garages can weigh far more.
Full-service movers
- Local (up to 100 miles): crew × (load/unload hours + drive time at 35 mph + 0.5 hr) × $35–$60 per mover-hour, plus a $75–$200 truck/trip fee.
- Long distance: weight × (base + per-mile rate × miles). Low end: low weight × ($0.35 + $0.0004 × miles) per lb. High end: high weight × ($0.55 + $0.0006 × miles) per lb.
- Packing service: $0.12–$0.30 per lb of goods.
Rent a truck (DIY)
- Local: in-town base rate by truck size plus a per-mile charge on a round trip (2 × distance + 20 miles), plus fuel.
- Long distance: one-way rental of $150–$300 base plus a per-mile rate from $0.55–$1.10 (10 ft) to $0.85–$1.65 (26 ft); fuel at the price you enter (default $3.50/gal) and mpg ±2 around the truck's figure above; 450 miles of driving per day; $90–$180 per motel night and $40–$80 per day for food.
- Always: damage coverage at $15–$40 per day and $20–$60 for a dolly and pads. Optional loading help: 2 helpers × 80% of the crew hours × $35–$60 per hour.
- Not included: boxes and supplies, tolls, towing a car, storage, tips, cleaning and time off work.
Real truck-rental prices, especially one-way, change with route, season and demand, and mover pricing differs between companies and regions. Treat our ranges as a sanity check against the quotes you collect, not as a replacement for them.
Moving box calculator
Boxes per room for an average packer (small / medium / large / wardrobe / dish pack):
| Room | S | M | L | Wardrobe | Dish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bedroom | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| bathroom | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| kitchen | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| living | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| dining | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| office | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| garage | 3 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| closets / hallways (per unit) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Closets and hallways count as 1 unit for studios and 1-bedrooms, 2 for 2–3 bedrooms and 3 for larger homes. A studio counts as one bedroom. Kitchen size multiplies the kitchen row (small / kitchenette ×0.6, standard ×1, large, well-stocked ×1.4). Packing style multiplies everything except wardrobe boxes (minimalist / light ×0.7, average ×1, lots of stuff / collector ×1.4).
Packing supplies calculator
One tape roll (55–60 yd) per 12 boxes; one 25 lb bundle of packing paper per 40 boxes (25 if you have a lot of breakables); 1.5–3 ft of bubble wrap per box; one dozen furniture pads per 25 boxes for DIY moves.
Paint calculator
Wall area = 2 × (length + width) × height, minus 21 sq ft per door and 15 sq ft per window, times coats, divided by coverage (350 sq ft per gallon by default, the low end of typical label claims). Rounded up to gallons, or to a quart when just over.
State moving guides
- Cost examples use the moving cost model above for a 2-bedroom home, from New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta to each state's largest city. Distance is the straight-line distance × 1.2, a rough stand-in for driving miles. Origins less than 150 miles away are skipped.
- Tax facts are limited to whether a state taxes wages and its state-level base sales tax rate. Where we were not confident of the current rate, we don't show one.
- License deadlines are shown only where we have a specific figure; otherwise we name the agency to check.
- Every state row in our data file records where its figures should be verified. Rules change; if you spot an outdated figure, please tell us.
Last updated October 17, 2026.