What a 2-bedroom apartment move costs
Our pricing model describes a 2-bedroom apartment as 800–1,200 sq ft, ~5,500 lb. Weight drives most of the interstate price. Access conditions and crew hours drive most of the local price, which is why the same apartment prices differently on the third floor of a walk-up than on the ground floor.
Quotes from different carriers on the same inventory can differ substantially, because carriers differ in equipment use, in whether they price on weight or cubic feet, and in crew rates. That spread is the argument for three written estimates rather than two.
| Home size | Approximate weight | Local move | Interstate move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | ≤500 sq ft, ~2,000 lb | $315–$775 | $1,650–$4,200 |
| 1 Bedroom | 500–800 sq ft, ~3,500 lb | $420–$930 | $2,250–$5,460 |
| 2 Bedroom | 800–1,200 sq ft, ~5,500 lb | $630–$1,395 | $3,000–$7,000 |
| 3 Bedroom | 1,200–1,800 sq ft, ~8,500 lb | $840–$1,860 | $4,350–$10,850 |
| 4 Bedroom | 1,800+ sq ft, ~12,000 lb | $1,155–$2,480 | $5,850–$15,050 |
| 5+ Bedroom | 2,600+ sq ft, ~16,000 lb | $1,470–$3,100 | $7,200–$18,900 |
Local moves under 50 miles
A local 2-bedroom move is billed by the hour for a crew and a truck, and our model puts the total at $630–$1,395. Stairs, long carries and packing on the day add hours rather than flat fees, which is why the hourly structure can move the total more than people expect.
Interstate moves
An interstate 2-bedroom move is priced on the weight of the shipment and the tariff distance, plus the services performed, and our model puts a full-service interstate 2-bedroom at $3,000–$7,000. BestMovers.info holds no dataset of finished invoices by distance band, so this page publishes one interstate figure rather than a ladder of bands that would imply a precision we cannot support.
We do not publish prices for rental trucks, portable containers, or freight trailers. Those are vendor quotes that change by lane, date, and equipment availability, and we hold no stored dataset for them — a number here would be a guess with a dollar sign on it. Price the option you are considering directly, on your own dates, and compare it against the full-service figures above.
What actually changes the number
- Weight, which is the largest single input on any interstate move and is confirmed at a certified scale
- Access at both ends: stairs, distance from the door to where the truck can legally park, and whether a shuttle is needed
- Timing, since summer and month-end weekends are the busiest windows and carrier capacity is priced accordingly
- Packing scope, since a full pack performed at the door is the most expensive labour on the bill
- Storage-in-transit, if the destination is not ready when the shipment arrives
- The valuation option chosen, since released value is the default and is calculated on weight rather than on what an item is worth
What the mover has to put in writing
An interstate household-goods carrier must give the shipper a written estimate of charges before the move. (49 CFR 375.401.) For a 2-bedroom interstate move that document should name the assumed weight, the services included and the estimate type, because those three things explain nearly every difference between two quotes on the same apartment.
On a non-binding estimate the carrier may require no more than 110 percent of the estimated charges at delivery; the balance is billed afterwards. (49 CFR 375.407.) A binding not-to-exceed estimate is the version worth asking for: it caps the total, and a lighter shipment costs less.
Where 2-bedroom movers overspend
- Booking a peak month-end weekend when a mid-week date was available
- Paying for a full pack when partial packing of fragile items would have done
- Leaving released value in place by default, then paying out of pocket for damage that full-value protection would have covered
- Stopping at two quotes, which shows a difference without showing where the middle is
Lower the price without raising the risk
Move mid-week and mid-month where the calendar allows. Get three written estimates against one inventory list. Ask for binding not-to-exceed terms and confirm the estimate type on the document rather than on the phone. Pack what you can yourself before the crew arrives.