The honest range
A 2-bedroom apartment averages around 4,500–6,500 lbs of household goods. The actual weight drives most of the long-distance price; access conditions and timing drive most of the local price.
Quotes for the same apartment can legitimately spread by 30-40% between carriers — variation in equipment use, pricing model (weight vs cube), and crew rates explain the gap. That's why three quotes is the floor, not the ceiling.
Local moves (under 100 miles)
Most local 2-bedroom moves bill at $130–$220 per hour for a 3-mover crew with a truck. Total time is usually 5–9 hours including drive time. Stairs, long carries, and packing add hours, not flat fees.
Long-distance moves
Pricing is weight + distance + accessorial charges. The weight share is the dominant factor under 1,500 miles; distance starts to matter more on coast-to-coast lanes.
| Distance | Typical full-service range | Container (DIY load) range |
|---|---|---|
| Local (< 50 mi) | $700 – $1,800 | Not typical |
| Short distance (50–250 mi) | $1,400 – $3,000 | $1,200 – $2,200 |
| Mid distance (250–1,000 mi) | $3,000 – $5,200 | $1,800 – $3,400 |
| Long distance (1,000–2,000 mi) | $4,500 – $7,000 | $2,400 – $4,500 |
| Coast-to-coast (2,000–3,000+ mi) | $6,000 – $8,500 | $3,200 – $5,500 |
Cost factors that actually move the number
- Weight / cube — every additional 1,000 lbs adds roughly $400–$800 long-distance
- Season — May through September runs 15–30% above winter rates
- Stairs and elevator access — flights add carry charges; reserved elevators usually do not
- Packing — full-pack service typically runs $400–$1,200 for a 2BR
- Storage-in-transit — $150–$400/month if delivery has to wait
- Long carry / shuttle — applies when the truck cannot park within 75 ft of the door
Sample quote scenarios
Chicago → Denver, 2BR, ~5,200 lbs, mid-September: $4,650 binding NTE from a major van line, $4,100 from a regional carrier, $2,850 with a container service plus $700 in load/unload labor. Same apartment in the off-season (February): full-service quotes drop to roughly $3,800–$4,200.
Where 2-bedroom movers overspend
- Booking peak month-end weekends at peak rates
- Paying for full packing when partial packing covers fragile items only
- Defaulting to released-rate valuation, then paying out of pocket for damage that full-value would have covered
- Skipping the third quote — the spread between #1 and #3 is usually larger than the cost of full-value protection
Lower the price without raising the risk
Move mid-week, mid-month, in the off-season. Get three written quotes with the same inventory list. Ask for binding-not-to-exceed terms. Consider a container service for moves over 500 miles where you can recruit free loading help. Pre-pack everything you can yourself — a 2BR full-pack at the door is the most expensive labor on the bill.