Free Moving Cost Calculator (+ Guide)

What is a moving cost calculator?

A moving cost calculator adds up everything a move costs, from the movers to the deposits at your new place.

It compares up to 3 quotes and puts the cheapest in the total.

How it works

Pick the kind of move, and the calculator brings the lines that kind of move needs.

What FMCSA says about movers

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration gives 5 steps for choosing an interstate mover. These are the ones that touch the cost.

• Get a written estimate from several movers, based on an in-person look at your things
• Check the mover's US DOT number, which every interstate mover needs
• Don't pick on price alone: a non-binding estimate can rise by up to 10% at delivery

Its red flags include an estimate given over the phone or online without seeing your things, and a demand for cash or a large deposit before the move.

A worked example

Here's the example the calculator loads: a 600-mile move with 3 movers' quotes of $3,200, $2,800 and $3,500.

The $2,800 quote goes in the total, $700 less than the dearest. The drive at 25 miles a gallon takes 24 gallons of gas.

With $250 of boxes, $240 of hotels, $150 of food, $200 of cleaning, $1,800 of deposits and $150 of utility setup, the move comes to $5,590 plus the fuel.

Mistakes to avoid

These are the slips that come up most.

• Comparing quotes that don't cover the same things
• Forgetting deposits and the first month's rent at the new place
• Paying a large deposit in cash before the move, a red flag FMCSA warns about

Who is the moving cost calculator for?

It's for anyone moving home, across the country or abroad, and these tools help around it.

• Gas trip calculator – for the drive on its own
• Rent affordability calculator – for your new rent
• Currency converter – for a move abroad

Add it up before you book, and moving day holds fewer surprises.