How moving companies usually bill
Local moves are usually billed by the hour for a crew and truck, with a minimum number of hours and a charge for travel time to and from the depot. Long distance moves are more often priced by volume, weight or a flat rate. Packing materials, packing labor and access fees such as stairs are added on top.
- Crew and truck rate: an hourly price for, say, three movers and a 26 foot truck, often with a 3 hour minimum.
- Travel time: a flat fee or the hourly rate for driving from the depot and back.
- Materials: boxes, tape, mattress bags and wardrobe cartons, charged per item.
- Access fees: extra flights of stairs, a long carry from the truck to the door, or an elevator booking.
- Specialty items and storage: pianos, safes or large artwork priced per item, and storage priced per month.
Moving invoice template line items and example prices
The table shows common line items for a household move, with example prices only. Local hourly rates, truck sizes and access fees differ a lot between cities and companies, so use the table to see how each charge can be worded rather than as a price list for your own quotes.
| Line item | How it is usually charged | Example price |
|---|---|---|
| 3 movers and 26 ft truck | Per hour, 3 hour minimum | $165 per hour (example) |
| Travel time, depot to first address and back | Flat fee | $90 (example) |
| Packing service | Per mover per hour | $45 per hour (example) |
| Medium moving boxes | Per box | $3.50 each (example) |
| Wardrobe cartons | Per carton | $14 each (example) |
| Stairs fee, third floor walk up | Per flight or flat | $75 (example) |
| Long carry, over 75 feet to the door | Flat per address | $60 (example) |
| Upright piano | Per item | $250 (example) |
What a movers invoice should show
Because hourly moves are billed on time, the invoice needs to show when the clock started and stopped. Many moving companies include the move date, the pickup and delivery addresses, start and finish times, the crew size and truck, a count of materials used, and a reference to the inventory the customer signed at pickup.
- Addresses: every pickup and drop off point, including any storage stop.
- Times: “Crew arrived 8:00 am, finished 1:30 pm, 5.5 hours billed.”
- Inventory reference: the inventory sheet number, with large items listed.
- Materials count: boxes and cartons used, matching the packing sheet.
- Deposit: any booking deposit already paid, shown before the balance. Our guide to deposit invoices covers the wording.
Removalists in Australia and New Zealand
In Australia and New Zealand the trade is usually called removals, and the business is a removalist rather than a mover. The billing works the same way, with hourly truck and crew rates, but customers search for a removalist invoice, volumes are given in cubic meters and distances in kilometers.
If your removals business is registered for GST, your invoice needs to meet local tax invoice rules. Our Australian tax invoice template and New Zealand invoice template explain what to include, and the generator has presets for both countries. To price the job first, try the removalist quote template on WhizQuote.
Common moving invoice mistakes
Moving disputes tend to happen on the doorstep, at the end of a long day, when the customer sees a total higher than the quote. Clear times and access charges that were mentioned before the move make that conversation much easier. These are the slips to watch for.
- No start and finish times, leaving the customer to guess how the hours were counted.
- Stairs or long carry fees that never appeared on the quote.
- Unexplained travel time. Say whether it is a flat fee or billed by the hour.
- Box counts that do not match what the crew left behind.
- Forgetting the deposit when working out the balance due on the day.
Using our moving template and generator
Download the moving template from this page as Word, Excel or PDF, or start from the prefilled movers invoice sample in our free generator. It shows a three person crew, travel time, boxes, wardrobe cartons and a stairs fee. Change the hours and items, then save a PDF on your phone or laptop.
The Statement and Ledger designs handle long lists of materials well. Browse all our invoice templates for other styles. Movers who offer end of lease cleaning can use the cleaning invoice, and small reassembly jobs fit the handyman invoice.
Fill it in on screen and download or email a real PDF. No sign up.