20 Hidden Moving Costs and Expenses When Hiring Movers

In this week’s home moving blog, we’ve compiled a complete list of all the unexpected moving expenses when moving out; the hidden, forgotten, and uncommon costs that have the potential to hurt your chances of a low-cost house move.

What are the Hidden Costs of Moving Home when Using a Moving Company?

Each of these additional charges should be clearly stated on the Bill of Lading, which is the contract between you and your mover.

But knowing what the potential added costs are will help you budget accordingly.

Ensure that you thoroughly read and understand the Bill of Lading before signing it.

Must read: Understanding the Bill of Lading. It is such an important document that we have written a whole guide to understanding the BoL.

1. Packing labor and Packing supplies

Packing services and materials are additional services offered by full-service moving companies.

Whilst packing items yourself will save some money, most people would agree that hiring professional packers is money well spent

It is important to note that insurance rarely covers any items that you have packed yourself, so if you want to save some money, pack your low-value items yourself and get the expensive stuff packed by the professionals.

The required packing materials may or may not be included in the cost of the packing service. Review the cost estimate carefully to find out that detail.

You may also like to read: How Much Does It Cost to Hire Packers? In this guide, we find out how much, on average, it costs to hire professional packers.

2. Moving insurance

When you sign your Bill of Lading, you automatically get basic coverage (called Basic Limited Liability Protection). You don’t have to pay for that basic type of insurance, it’s free of charge, but its meager coverage of 60 cents per pound per item is woefully inadequate.

If something bad happened to your flat-screen TV (weighing approx. 30 pounds), you’d be compensated with around $18 for its damage or loss.

One of the most frequently forgotten moving expenses is proper moving insurance, called Full Value Protection. So, when moving valuable items, seriously consider purchasing this type of moving insurance because it will entitle the moving company to reimburse the replacement value of any damaged or lost items.

You may also like to read: Types of Moving Insurance. This is an extremely important guide to read. Being underinsured is a common and costly mistake. Learn all you need to know about moving insurance in this guide.

3. Fee for disassembly and re-assembly of furniture

Expect your furniture movers to charge you extra if they need to disassemble or reassemble large pieces of furniture.

Adding to the extra costs when moving out, you may not even be aware that beds, wardrobes, dressers, china cabinets, desks, and sofas will often need to be taken apart in order to be wrapped up easily and transported safely.

You may also like to read: How to Disassemble Furniture When Moving. If you have the tools and physical ability, then you can save some money by dismantling your furniture yourself. In this guide, we show you how.

4. Extra charge for handling bulky items

If your items are heavy or oversized, you may be charged additional moving fees.

Moving items such as pianos, pool tables, hot tubs, and heavy metal safes all incur special handling fees.

If your piano needs to be lifted by crane, it will cost you around $800-$2,500 extra, depending on its weight and dimensions, as well as the access to your house or apartment.

You may also like to read: How Much Does It Cost to Move a Piano? In this guide, we explain how much it costs on average to move a piano and the associated costs you can expect to incur, such as retuning.

5. Elevator fees (flight charges)

If your building has no elevator or if that elevator is out of order at the time of the move, you may be charged a one-time fee of around $75.

This cost is only an approximation; the actual amount will depend on the moving company itself.

So, if you live in a high-rise building, make sure you speak with the building management and reserve an elevator exclusively for the move so that you don’t get stunned by another one of the unexpected costs of moving.

6. Long carry fees

You will be charged extra if the movers cannot park the moving truck close enough to your doorstep; this is known as a long carry fee.

You may be charged between $90 and $120 for every 75 feet from the truck to your door.

It is hard to rely on free parking spots in big cities like New York, for example. To protect your budget, see if there is a way to reserve a parking spot for the moving truck. You can also try to get a parking permit for your movers for the specific day and time of the move.

If that is not possible, speak directly with your movers to find out the terms and conditions of their long carry fee.

You may also like to read: Move it or Sell it? In this guide, we help you decide what to pay to move and things that you should sell for a cheaper and easier home move.

7. Move cancellation fee

At the last minute, your relocation plans may have changed, or you may have decided to go with another moving company. The decision to cancel your booked move may cost you extra money.

Every moving company has its own cancellation policy. As one of the most common hidden moving costs, you should make sure you understand its terms in order to avoid the extra moving expense.

• For more than a one-week notice, you won’t normally be charged a cancellation fee.

• If you notify your mover one week in advance, you may be charged $50 – $100 as part of their cancellation policy.

• For a canceled move, in less than five days, you may be charged an average cost of $300 or the full moving deposit.

8. Storage fee (delayed delivery fee)

Should your household items need to be stored temporarily at the mover’s storage facility (warehouse), you will incur costs.

The most common reason for being charged a storage fee is when you request delayed delivery of your items; for example, when your new home is not yet ready for the shipment due to renovation, repair works, or paperwork problems.

The storage fee should be calculated in the cost estimate after you’ve informed the moving company about the precise delivery date. Keep in mind that the longer you have your possessions in storage, the higher that extra moving expense will be.

You may also like to read: What Not to Put Into Storage. In this guide, we explain why you cannot put certain things into storage, and what those items are.

9. Express delivery fee

Do you want your items delivered to the new home as fast as possible?

In such cases, you should expect to pay extra for that privilege.

The express delivery charge is usually associated with long-distance moving. In an attempt to cut costs, cross-country movers tend to combine several shipments if there is enough room in the moving truck.

So, if you don’t want to wait, speak with your mover about paying extra for the exclusive use of the moving van.

10. Extra stops charges – fees for extra stops

The extra stops charge is not one of the common moving expenses, but you may still need to pay extra if you request that the moving company stop for additional pick-ups or drop-offs along the route.

$75 is the usual starting price for an extra stop.

11. Travel fee

When you’re moving locally and you’ve hired a local moving company, you’re likely to get charged a hidden moving cost known as a travel fee.

A travel fee is a charge for the time your movers will require to reach your home from their main office. Usually, that extra cost is calculated as 1 additional hour of labor, but it can cost more.

Ask your movers whether they plan to charge you a travel fee.

You may also like to read: The Complete Guide to Hiring Local Movers. In this guide, we explain all you need to know about hiring local movers.

12. Hoisting fee

Another moving expense you may not foresee is the so-called hoisting fee.

If you own an item that is too big to fit through the doorways, hallways, or staircases of your home, then your mover might be able to offer you hoisting services.

A hoisting or rigging service will mean that the moving company will take that bulky and heavy item through a window or a balcony to save time, guarantee general safety, and avoid any property damage.

Costs vary by mover and complexity, so check with your mover.

13. Environmental charge (disposal fee)

Whenever possible, unpack by yourself and dispose of the packaging materials on your own.

Some moving companies may try to inflate the overall moving costs by adding extra fees like the environmental fee (also called a disposal fee).

In fact, the environmental charge is one of the most unexpected costs of moving you may need to pay when moving house.

Don’t forget to explicitly ask your moving company about what fees they intend to hit you with before you sign the moving contract.

You may also like to read: What to Do With Boxes After Moving: 20 Great Options. In this guide, we suggest things to do with your boxes after you unpack.

14. Cash for tipping movers

One of the hidden costs of moving out with the help of a professional moving company is the expense of tipping your movers.

Whilst tipping is not mandatory, it’s an expense you should consider if you’re happy with the work they’ve done.

You may also like to read: How Much to Tip Movers. In this guide, we suggest a simple guide on how much and when to tip movers, if at all.

15. Fuel charge

Because the price of fuel is so volatile, your movers may apply a fuel surcharge.

Ask your moving company specifically about the fuel expenses. Also, speak with them about the possibility of consolidated shipment – meaning that your items and another person’s items will be transported in the same truck if the storage space of the vehicle allows it.

That way, the moving expenses will be split between the two households, including the fuel expenses.

16. Cost of a parking ticket

Parking a big moving truck near your home can be problematic.

If the movers need to park the truck illegally due to the lack of a reserved space, you’re likely to be charged extra for the cost of the parking ticket.

The best way to avoid such unnecessary expenses is to obtain a parking permit from the City Hall a few weeks in advance. That is especially relevant in big cities where parking is usually a big problem.

Some movers may arrange the permit, others will not, so find out who is responsible in advance.

17. Cost of boarding pets

When your movers arrive on Moving day, the packing and loading process can become a bit chaotic, which can be dangerous for any pets running around the movers’ feet while large and heavy furniture items are being carried out of the house.

Ideally, you’ll want to have your dog or cat locked in a room away from the packing and moving epicenter, or you may have to resort to leaving your pets at a boarding kennel until the movers are done.

Boarding fees can vary greatly from one boarding kennel to another, but the average cost is between $20 and $40 per day per pet.

Boarding kennels usually require all pets to be up to date with their vaccinations, so having to vaccinate your pet will be yet another unplanned expense ($30-$50).

You may also like to read: Moving with Pets. This is such an important topic that we have created an entire section of guides about moving with pets.

18. Cost of replacing food items

One of the most unexpected costs of moving is the cost of restocking your pantry.

Professional movers are not allowed by law to pack and move perishable food items. So that means that you’ll have to restock the pantry after the move is over, and that’s an extra expense that few home movers ever include in their moving budget.

You may also like to read: What to Do With Food When Moving. In this guide, we suggest what to do with the food in your home before moving day arrives.

19. Cost of forgotten memberships

When you’re moving to a new home, it’s unlikely that you will forget to factor in the cost of setting up the new utilities in the new place, but you should also take into account the utility deposits that can easily go into hundreds of dollars, too.

While the home utility costs are viewed as common moving expenses during a house move, a house moving expense that may catch you by surprise is the cost of various memberships that you have forgotten to cancel before moving out.

Most memberships for gyms, yoga studios, sports clubs, country clubs, spas, and so on renew automatically from one month to the next unless they are canceled.

Canceling your memberships before moving out is a must-do task, but bear in mind that you may have to pay an early termination fee in some cases.

You may also like to read: Change of Address Checklist. This checklist will ensure that you do not forget to advise companies and organizations of your new address, which may also prompt you to cancel subscriptions, etc.

20. Cost of lost wages

Possibly the moving cost that few people ever factor in is the cost of lost wages.

If you request the add-on service of packing from your professional movers, then you’ll have to pay extra for the packing service. On the other hand, if you decide to pack your things on your own, then you’ll most likely need to get days off work to finish the packing task, meaning you’ll lose the wages for those days. And lost wages add up quickly.

If you’re lucky enough, you may get to use paid time off to complete the packing marathon on time. In that case, however, that time off work will be at the expense of your vacation days, so you’ll have to choose your course of action wisely.

You may also like to read: 10 Ways Movers Can Increase the Final Cost (Without Cheating). There are additional fees that a mover can legally add to your final bill. Check out this guide so that you are aware of what those fees are and what you can do to avoid them.

Now that you are aware of these hidden costs, it is easier to make a more accurate moving budget and avoid any moving day surprises.

Good luck with your move, and be sure to visit our home moving blog, which is packed with guides to make every aspect of your move easier, cheaper, and safer.