How Much Do Movers Cost in Philadelphia?

Key Points (2026)

• Typical local costs: Most Philadelphia local moves cost between $913 and $2,422, with the citywide average landing around $1,625 once you factor in labor, truck, and all the time it takes to load and unload at both ends.
• Hourly rates by crew: Two movers with a truck run $90–$180 per hour, three movers cost $180–$260 per hour, and four-person crews run $260–$390 per hour more per hour, but significantly fewer total hours for larger moves.
• Long-distance average: Interstate moves from Philadelphia average around $5,040, ranging from $2,400 for a small one-bedroom moving shorter distances to $13,300+ for large homes heading cross-country, priced on weight and mileage rather than hourly rates.
• Parking permits are mandatory: Moving trucks require temporary no-parking permits costing $50 per day in Center City and University City or $25 per day elsewhere, applied for at least 4 business days in advance, skipping this leads to tickets, boots, or towing that cost far more than the permit itself.
• Timing swings prices by 30 – 40%: Summer weekend month-end moves command 20–30% premiums over baseline rates, while off-season weekday mid-month moves in November through March can cost 30–40% less for the exact same service.

Hourly Rates: What Philadelphia Movers Charge by Crew Size

Almost every local Philadelphia move is priced by the hour, with rates that bundle together the labor, the truck, fuel, and basic equipment like dollies and furniture blankets. The number changes based on crew size, and while it’s tempting to just book the cheapest two-person option, the math doesn’t always favor the lowest hourly rate since a smaller crew takes proportionally longer to complete the same job, often ending up costing similar or even more than a bigger crew that finishes in fewer total hours.

Two movers with a standard truck, the entry-level configuration works well for studios, light one-bedroom apartments, and situations where you’ve already done all the packing and disassembly yourself, charging somewhere between $90 and $180 per hour depending on the company’s experience, insurance coverage, and current demand. The lower end of that range around $90 – $130 tends to represent newer or less-established companies, while reputable, properly insured operations with experienced crews fall in the $139 – $180 range. Adding a third mover bumps you into the $180 – $260 per hour bracket, which for two-bedroom apartments and small houses often delivers better overall value because that third person cuts total move time by 30 – 40%, allowing them to form an actual assembly line that keeps boxes and furniture moving continuously rather than two people making individual trips back and forth with rest stops in between.

Four-person crews running $260 – $390 per hour represent the best setup for three-bedroom or larger homes, and while the sticker price per hour looks steep, they routinely complete moves in half the time a two-person crew would need, meaning a job that might take two movers eight hours could wrap up in four hours with four people working efficiently, and your final bill ends up in a similar or lower range with a much shorter day.

Note: Pricing based on 2026 data from Broad Street Movers and Angi. Rates typically include moving truck, fuel, and standard equipment.

Local Move Costs by Home Size

Home size is the single most reliable predictor of what your move is going to cost, mainly because it determines how many items movers are dealing with and how many total hours it realistically takes to load, transport, and unload everything. That said, two apartments with the same number of bedrooms can produce very different final bills depending on whether you’ve been living there minimally for a year or accumulating furniture and possessions for a decade, which is why getting an in-person or virtual estimate beats relying purely on size-based averages.

Studios are the fastest and cheapest moves in Philly, typically finishing in three to four hours for $320 – $420 with a two-person crew handling the bedroom furniture, kitchen basics, and a modest number of boxes.

One-bedrooms take a bit longer depending on how much has accumulated in the space, usually running between $420 and $670 for three to five hours, with the higher end reflecting walk-up buildings, larger furniture collections, or moves that stretch across more distance within the metro.

Two-bedrooms hit $750 – $1,000 with a three-person crew working four to six hours, while three-bedroom houses, especially rowhouses with multiple floors require six to nine hours and typically land somewhere between $1,150 and $2,250 depending heavily on how much furniture and storage has built up over the years.

Four-bedroom homes start at $1,600 and routinely reach $2,800 or more when families have spent years filling every room plus basement and garage space.

Logistics Note: Duration estimates include loading, transit (under 30 mins), and unloading.
Operational Efficiency: For 3+ bedroom homes, a 4th mover often reduces the total bill by shortening the “long-carry” time between the house and the truck.

Long-Distance Moving Costs from Philadelphia

Once you cross state lines, the whole pricing structure changes from hourly billing to a combination of weight and mileage, which is why interstate moving estimates require much more detailed information than local ones. Moving companies need to know roughly how much your belongings weigh usually estimated from a room-by-room inventory or an in-home visit, and how far they’re driving, because those two variables determine the bulk of what they’ll charge. Philadelphia long-distance moves average around $5,040 overall, sitting roughly 12% above the national average partly because urban loading and unloading in a dense East Coast city adds complexity and time compared to suburban moves.

Shorter interstate moves under 250 miles to destinations like New York, Washington DC, or Pittsburgh run $1,200 – $3,500 depending on home size, while mid-range moves of 500 – 750 miles toward Chicago, North Carolina, or Ohio push into $2,100 – $6,900 territory. Cross-country relocations exceeding 2,000 miles can easily reach $7,000 – $13,300 for larger households, with fully loaded four and five-bedroom homes sometimes exceeding those ranges when total weight climbs past 12,000 – 15,000 pounds.

Logistics Strategy: Long-distance rates are primarily calculated by weight and mileage.
Efficiency Tip: Consolidating your shipment to a smaller footprint can move you into a lower weight bracket, potentially saving $1,000–$2,000 on interstate routes.

Philadelphia-Specific Factors That Affect Your Price

Moving in Philadelphia comes with a set of logistical challenges that people relocating from less dense cities rarely anticipate, and each one has a direct impact on total hours billed, which in a local hourly-rate structure means a direct impact on your final cost. These aren’t worst-case scenarios; they’re everyday realities that experienced Philadelphia movers plan for and that you should budget for from the start.

Rowhouse stairs slow down almost every Philly move, particularly in neighborhoods like South Philly, Fishtown, Northern Liberties, and Fairmount where three-story townhomes with narrow staircases are the norm rather than the exception. Each flight typically adds 15-30 minutes to total move time, and when you’re dealing with three floors at your origin and three more at your destination, you’re potentially adding two full hours of billable time compared to a ground-floor apartment with elevator access. Buildings that do have elevators help, but they often come with their own complications, reservation systems that need to be booked weeks ahead, strict time windows for moving, and certificate of insurance requirements from your moving company.

Center City and Old City access create challenges that newer Philadelphia neighborhoods don’t face to the same degree, because the street grid and building infrastructure date back centuries when the biggest moving challenge was fitting a piece of furniture through a normal-sized doorway. Trucks often have to stop in travel lanes because curb space isn’t available, long carries from street to unit entrance add unplanned time, and buildings routinely require documented insurance certificates before allowing any moving activity.

Logistics & Efficiency: Operational Cost Drivers

Efficiency Strategy: Securing a parking permit and pre-packing all loose items can reduce total moving time by up to 2 hours, potentially saving over $300 in labor costs.

Parking Permits: The Step Most People Skip Until It’s Too Late

Philadelphia requires temporary no-parking permits for moving trucks, and this isn’t a formality that enforcement overlooks, the Philadelphia Parking Authority actively tickets, boots, and tows illegally parked commercial vehicles, creating move-day disasters that cost far more than the permit ever would have. The permit costs $50 per day for 40 feet of space (equivalent to two standard parking spots) in Center City and University City, or $25 per day in all other neighborhoods, and you need to apply at least four business days in advance through the city’s online system, though applying two to four weeks out during summer peak season is strongly recommended because processing can back up.

Once approved and paid for, you receive your permit along with temporary “No Parking” signs that must be posted at your reserved street location at least 48 hours before your move so that existing cars have notice to move. If cars are still parked in your permitted space when moving day arrives, you contact the local police district to request a tow rather than handling it yourself, which adds time to your morning but keeps things legal. Companies like EverSafe Moving and Well Known Moving emphasize that failing to secure permits reliably turns minor logistical headaches into major ones, when a moving truck parks illegally and gets towed mid-move, everything stops while you deal with the impound lot, and you’re paying your crew by the hour the entire time.

When You Move Determines How Much You Pay

Moving companies operate on basic supply and demand economics, and in Philadelphia that means summer weekend month-end moves are the most expensive possible combination while winter weekday mid-month moves represent the cheapest window you’ll find all year. Understanding where your planned date falls on that spectrum is one of the easiest ways to control your total cost without changing anything about the actual move itself.

Summer from May through September represents peak season for all the obvious reasons, families moving before school starts, college students turning over apartments, and weather conditions that feel ideal for moving. July and August sit at the absolute top of the pricing curve, with rates running 20 – 30% above off-season baselines and availability disappearing weeks in advance, especially for weekend dates. Fall from September through November offers a genuine sweet spot with rates dropping 15 – 25% from summer peaks, pleasant weather through at least mid-October, and movers who are no longer turning away business and are actually competing for yours. Winter from December through February delivers the lowest rates of the year at 30 – 40% below summer peaks, with companies willing to negotiate that won’t entertain price discussions during July.

Logistics Strategy: 2026 Moving Price & Demand Calendar

Efficiency Insight: Shifting your move from a summer Saturday to a winter Tuesday can reduce the total operational cost by over 50%.

Philadelphia Move Planning Checklist

Strategies That Actually Reduce Your Bill

Some cost-cutting strategies for moving are genuinely effective and others are impractical or create bigger problems than the money they save, so it’s worth being clear about which approaches deliver real savings versus theoretical ones that don’t pan out in practice.

Decluttering before you move is the single most effective thing you can do because reducing your volume by even 20 – 30% translates directly to fewer hours of labor. Most households can donate, sell, or discard a meaningful portion of their possessions before a move just by going through closets, storage areas, and rooms honestly, and every item eliminated is one fewer trip up and down those rowhouse stairs.

Booking weekday mid-month moves during off-season (November through March) stacks three separate discounts on top of each other, lower season rates, lower day-of-week rates, and lower month-position rates; potentially cutting 35 – 45% off what the same move would cost on a Saturday in late July. That difference on a $1,500 move is $525 – $675 in pure savings for simply adjusting your calendar.

Packing yourself eliminates $300 – $800 in professional packing labor while giving you full control over how fragile items are protected. The key is actually finishing before the crew arrives rather than treating it as something you’ll somehow manage the night before, which never works as planned.

Getting three written estimates ensures you’re seeing the competitive range rather than accidentally paying the highest price in the market for identical service quality. Quotes for the same Philadelphia move often vary by $200 – $500 depending on company overhead and current booking levels, and a short afternoon of phone calls or online quotes can save more money than almost any other single step.

FAQ

How much do movers cost in Philadelphia?

Most Philadelphia local moves cost between $913 and $2,422, with the citywide average around $1,625. Hourly rates run $90 – $180 for two movers, $180 – $260 for three movers, and $260 – $390 for four-person crews, with total costs determined by how many hours the move actually takes.

Do I need a parking permit for a moving truck in Philadelphia?

Yes. Permits cost $50 per day per 40-foot space in Center City and University City, or $25 per day in other neighborhoods. Apply at least 4 business days in advance through the city’s online system and post your temporary no-parking signs 48 hours before moving day.

When is the cheapest time to move in Philadelphia?

Mid-week moves (Tuesday–Thursday) during mid-month in the November–March off-season deliver the lowest rates, potentially 35–45% below peak summer weekend month-end pricing. October and November offer the best balance of reduced prices and mild weather.

How much do long-distance moves from Philadelphia cost?

Long-distance moves from Philadelphia average $5,040, ranging from $2,400 for smaller apartments moving shorter distances to $13,300+ for large homes moving cross-country. Pricing is based on weight and mileage rather than hourly rates.

Why do Philadelphia moves cost more than in other cities?

Rowhouse stairs, narrow historic streets, competitive parking, and mandatory permit requirements all add time and complexity compared to suburban moves with easy ground-floor access. These factors regularly add 30 – 120 minutes to typical moves, and with hourly billing, extra time means extra cost.

What hidden costs should I watch for?

Travel time to and from the company’s facility, minimum hour requirements of 2 – 4 hours even for short moves, long carry fees if parking is far from your door, specialty item fees for pianos or safes ($100 – $350), and any packing services not clearly excluded from your initial estimate are the most common surprise charges.

Is it worth hiring movers or should I rent a truck and do it myself?

For studios and minimally furnished one-bedrooms where you have help and can do the physical work, DIY saves real money. For two-bedroom or larger moves with significant furniture, multiple flights of rowhouse stairs, or valuable items you’d rather not risk, professional movers typically deliver enough value in efficiency, safety, and stress reduction to justify the cost.

References

1. City of Philadelphia: Temporary No Parking Permits for Moving Trucks & Containers
2. City of Philadelphia: Apply for a Residential or Temporary Parking Permit
3. Angi: 2026 Data on Moving Costs in Philadelphia, PA
4. ConsumerAffairs: Best Moving Companies in Philadelphia (2026 Guide)
5. SpotAngels: 2026 Philadelphia Street Parking & Holiday Guide
6. Today’s Homeowner: Moving Cost Benchmarks and Accessibility Fees
7. Redfin: Philadelphia Moving and Neighborhood Cost Guide
8. Zillow: Philadelphia, PA Housing Market Trends & Forecast 2026
9. WHYY News: Philadelphia Residential Parking Rate Changes and Updates
10. Allied Van Lines: Long Distance Moving Cost Calculator 2026