MoverChecked

Check the quote. Then check the mover.

Independent price ranges for long-distance moves in the United States, and how to verify a carrier's licence, insurance and record before you sign anything.

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What a long-distance move costs

Door to door price for an interstate move of 1,000 miles or more: transport, loading, unloading, basic released valuation and fuel surcharge. Before packing services, storage, specialty items and any deposit.

How we calculate these ranges
Studio or 1 bedroom1,000+ miles
$1,500–5,000typical $2,400–3,800
2 bedroom1,000+ miles
$2,500–7,500typical $3,800–5,600
3 bedroom1,000+ miles
$4,000–11,000typical $5,500–8,000
4 bedroom or larger1,000+ miles
$6,000–16,000typical $8,000–12,000
Moving container2 to 3 bedroom, cross country
$2,000–6,000typical $3,000–4,500
Rental truck, self move2 to 3 bedroom, cross country
$1,200–4,500typical $2,000–3,200
$0$8,000$16,000
Full observed rangeWhere most quotes land

Six things to check before you sign

Interstate movers are federally regulated, and most of what you need is on the public record.

01USDOT and MC numbersEvery interstate mover must have them and must display the USDOT number. No number means no interstate authority.
02Active operating authorityAuthority can be revoked. What matters is whether it is active today, not whether it once existed.
03Insurance on fileCarriers must keep current insurance filed. A lapsed filing is a warning about the whole operation.
04Complaint historyComplaints are recorded publicly. A pattern of loss and damage complaints is the pattern that matters.
05Written estimate, binding or notFederal rules require a written estimate. Which type it is decides what you can be charged on delivery day.
06Deposit demandsLarge cash deposits up front are not standard practice and are the most common opening move of a scam.

How to run each of these checks

Cost by route

Distance is only part of it. Origin labor rates, access at both ends and the direction of seasonal demand move the same load by thousands.

CaliforniaTexas$3,500–7,2001,400 mi · 3 to 8 daysNew YorkFlorida$2,900–6,0001,150 mi · 3 to 10 daysIllinoisTexas$3,000–7,000990 mi · 2 to 6 daysCaliforniaArizona$2,800–5,500740 mi · 2 to 5 daysNew JerseyNorth Carolina$2,250–5,000480 mi · 1 to 4 days

Ranges are for a 2 to 3 bedroom move with full-service movers, each triangulated from independent sources for that corridor. Nine more of the highest volume routes are in preparation. See what moves the price on a route.

6 move sizes, one method.

We publish ranges, never a single number. Any site quoting one price for a job that varies by distance, access and season is guessing.

  1. Door to door priceEvery figure covers transport, loading, unloading, basic released valuation and fuel surcharge, before packing services and storage.
  2. Interstate, 1,000 miles and upLocal moves are billed by the hour and interstate moves by weight and distance. Mixing the two is the most common error in published pricing.
  3. Before depositsRanges exclude deposits, because a large up front deposit is a warning sign rather than a normal line item.
  4. Reviewed and datedRanges are revised twice a year and every page carries the date it was last checked.

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