Cheap Movers in Dallas: The Cheapest Way to Move, Priced 5 Ways
Doing it yourself, renting a truck and hiring labor, a moving container, or full-service movers. Each one priced for the same Dallas move from our published rates, including the case where our own cheaper-sounding service is not the cheapest choice.
Five Ways to Move in Dallas, Side by Side
Same move, five ways. Prices below are for a 1-bedroom apartment moving across Dallas (about 10 miles), using our published rates for the crew portion and third-party estimates for trucks and containers:
| Option | What you pay for | Est. total | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Full DIY | Rental truck, mileage, fuel, protection, dolly | $90–$150 | Small loads, strong friends, ground floor |
| 2. Truck + labor to load only | Truck + 2 movers at the old place | $420–$615 | Friends or family can unload; out-of-state self-drive |
| 3. Truck + labor at both ends | Truck + 2 movers twice (2 minimums, 2 travel fees) | $750–$945 | You want to drive your own truck |
| 4. Full-service hourly | 2 movers + our truck, one travel fee | $369–$650 | Local moves with help at both ends |
| 5. Container + labor | Local container rental + loading and unloading | $960–$1,445 | You need storage or days between homes |
The surprise for most people is row 3 versus row 4. Labor-only and full-service crews bill the same hourly rate ($135/hr for 2 movers). When you book labor at both ends, you pay a 2-hour minimum and a $60 travel fee twice, plus the truck. Full-service charges one $99 travel fee, and the crew goes straight from loading to unloading. That's why we'll often quote you full-service when you call asking for labor-only on a local move.
By Home SizeDallas Moving Cost by Home Size, Every Option
Local moves within Dallas, packed and ready when the crew arrives. Labor and full-service figures are computed from our published rates and typical crew times; truck and container figures are third-party estimates.
| Home | Full DIY | Truck + labor (load only) | Truck + labor (both ends) | Full-service hourly | Container + labor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom apartment | $90–$150 | $420–$615 | $750–$945 | $369–$650 | $960–$1,445 |
| 2-bedroom home | $110–$180 | $725–$980 | $1,155–$1,595 | $839–$1,300 | $1,345–$2,065 |
| 3-bedroom house | $110–$180 | $1,070–$1,365 | $1,805–$2,325 | $1,449–$2,100 | $2,145–$3,045 |
Crew sizes behind those numbers: 2 movers for a 1-bedroom, 3 for a 2-bedroom, 4 for a 3-bedroom. Labor-only rates are $135/$185/$225 per hour for 2/3/4 movers plus a $60 travel fee each time a crew comes out. Full-service is $135/$185/$225/$265 per hour for 2/3/4/5 movers with the truck, plus a $99 travel fee. Both have a 2-hour minimum. See the full breakdown in our load-time and cost database.
CalculatorWork Out Your Own Number
Labor-only total: $848 · Full-service estimate: $774
Labor-only = truck + each end at the crew rate (2-hour minimum, $60 travel fee per end). Full-service estimate = load + unload hours + 0.5 hr drive at the same crew rate, one $99 travel fee, no truck rental. Stairs beyond the first flight add $75 per flight. Estimates only; call for a written quote.
When Hiring Labor Only Is the Cheapest Way to Move
Labor-only, sometimes called moving help or hourly moving labor, means you supply the truck, trailer or container and a crew does the lifting. It is the lowest-cost way to get professional movers in these situations:
- Only one end needs a crew. You're loading a rental truck and family will unload it, or a container is arriving and you only need it emptied. One minimum, one travel fee: from $330 for 2 movers.
- You're driving out of state. Rent a one-way truck or book a U-Pack trailer or PODS container, and hire us to load it in DFW. You avoid paying a crew to ride along for hours on the highway.
- Storage units and rearranging. Moving things into or out of a storage unit, or between rooms and floors of the same home, never needed a truck from us in the first place.
- You already own or borrowed the truck. Then the truck line in the table above drops to zero, and labor-only at both ends becomes competitive with full-service.
If one of those is you, start with our Dallas moving labor page or the U-Haul loading help guide.
When Full-Service WinsWhen Full-Service Movers Are Actually Cheaper
- Local move, crew at both ends. The shared crew rate means you're mainly comparing one travel fee and one minimum against two of each plus a truck. Full-service usually wins or ties.
- Downtown, Uptown and high-rise moves. Loading-dock windows and freight-elevator reservations punish waiting. A crew that controls its own truck can time arrival to the dock. You'll also need a certificate of insurance for most managed buildings, which we provide with the move.
- You'd be driving a 20–26 ft truck for the first time. Parking tickets, a clipped mirror or a damaged rental are not in anyone's budget comparison, and your truck rental's protection plan is a separate charge.
- Your time matters. Picking up and returning a truck, fueling it, and driving between stops usually adds 2–3 hours to your day.
The Hidden Costs of Cheap Moves (Including 2-Hour Movers)
Every option has costs that don't show up in the headline price. Here's the complete list for each:
| Option | Costs people forget |
|---|---|
| Full DIY | Mileage (often $0.79–$1.09/mi in town), fuel, damage protection, dolly and pad rental, a second day if you run late, and your own injuries |
| Labor-only | A second 2-hour minimum and travel fee when you book both ends, plus everything on the truck side |
| Container | Delivery and pickup fees, monthly rental, and labor at both ends |
| Full-service (ours) | Nothing hidden: hourly crew rate, 2-hour minimum, one $99 travel fee, $75 per flight of stairs after the first. Pads, wrap, dollies and furniture disassembly are included. |
The real cost driver on any hourly move is time the crew spends waiting. Unpacked kitchens, beds still assembled, and a truck parked half a block away add more to the bill than any fee.
Red Flags When a Mover Is Suspiciously Cheap
- A price quoted over the phone without anyone asking what you're moving.
- A large deposit demanded for a local move. We don't take a deposit on local moves.
- No street address, or an address that turns out to be a mailbox.
- A quote that isn't in writing, or that says the price will be "confirmed on the day."
- Nobody can tell you whether employees or independent gig workers will show up.
- Bad reviews that describe the price going up after the truck was loaded.
Check the company's Google reviews, then call and ask for the rate, minimum, travel fee and stair policy in writing. A real mover answers all four in under a minute.
Save Money12 Ways to Cut the Cost of Any Dallas Move
- Book a mid-month weekday; the last days of the month and Saturdays fill first.
- Pack and tape every box before the crew arrives. Movers carrying is cheaper than movers packing.
- Take beds and tables apart yourself if you can (we include disassembly, but your time is free).
- Stage boxes near the door, heaviest at the bottom.
- Reserve the freight elevator and loading dock for both buildings.
- Save a parking spot for the truck right outside the door, so the crew isn't making long carries.
- Get free boxes: liquor and grocery stores, Buy Nothing groups, and office recycling.
- Sell or donate what you won't use; every piece you don't move is time you don't pay for.
- Book the right crew size. Three movers often finish a 2-bedroom faster and cheaper than two.
- Ask about current offers. Through Feb 15, 2027, Winter2026 takes 5% off labor on labor-only moves and 5%OffApartments takes 5% off labor on apartment moves (one offer per move; travel fees and minimums aren't discounted).
- Move one heavy item on its own with a flat-rate single-item move instead of a full crew.
- Call two services from the same company and compare. We'll price labor-only and full-service side by side.
Our Published Rates, All in One Place
| Service | Price | Minimum | Travel fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moving labor (no truck), 2 / 3 / 4 movers | $135 / $185 / $225 per hour | 2 hours | $60 |
| Full-service (with truck), 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 movers | $135 / $185 / $225 / $265 per hour | 2 hours | $99 |
| Single heavy item | From $225 flat | — | Included in quote |
| Stairs | First flight free, $75 per additional flight | — | — |
| Deposit | None on local moves | — | — |
More detail: moving labor cost guide, how much movers cost in Dallas, and full-service vs. labor-only.
Our 3 DFW Offices on Google Maps, With Real Reviews
Cheap only matters if the crew is good. Moving Company Guys sends its own crews from three offices, each with its own Google Business Profile. Here's where each one is, what customers rate it, and what they wrote, word for word.
Ratings and reviews are from each office's Google Business Profile as of November 2026.
Cheapest Way to Move in Dallas — FAQ
It depends on the distance. Across town, with a crew needed at both ends, a full-service hourly move is usually about the same price as renting a truck and hiring labor, or less: we bring the truck, charge one travel fee and one 2-hour minimum, and the crew moves straight from load to unload. Labor-only (you rent and drive the truck, we lift) is cheapest when only one end needs a crew, when you're driving out of state, or when you're loading a container. Doing it entirely yourself costs only the truck, about $90–$150 for a day in town, plus your own time and risk.
For a local Dallas move with both ends staffed, the two come out close, and full-service is often cheaper: a 1-bedroom runs about $369–$650 full-service versus $750–$945 for a rental truck plus labor at both ends. Labor-only wins when you only need one end loaded or unloaded ($420–$615 including the truck for that 1-bedroom) and on long-distance self-drive moves.
For a local move, a container is usually the most expensive option, because you still need labor at both ends and the container rental itself runs roughly $300–$650 locally (third-party estimates; get a quote for your ZIP). Containers make sense when you need storage between homes or a gap of days or weeks between move-out and move-in.
Not with us, and rarely with any real moving company. Our minimum is 2 hours for both labor-only and full-service jobs, because the crew still has to drive to you and back. If you only have one heavy piece, our single-item moves start at a $225 flat rate, which is usually the cheapest way to move one item.
With us there are four line items you can know before booking: the hourly crew rate, the 2-hour minimum, one flat travel fee ($60 labor-only, $99 full-service), and $75 per flight of stairs after the first free flight. Pads, dollies, straps and furniture disassembly are included. On a DIY or labor-only move, the costs people forget are on the truck side: mileage, fuel, damage protection, and a second minimum and travel fee when you book a crew for both ends.
Mid-month weekdays (Monday to Thursday) are the easiest days to book, because the end of the month and weekends fill first. Some companies charge more on weekends, so ask. The bigger savings come from being ready: an hourly crew that only carries, and never waits on packing, costs the least.
Tipping is optional. Most DFW customers tip $20–$40 per mover for a half-day job or $40–$60 per mover for a full day, in cash at the end. On a $500 move that's typically $40–$80 for a 2-person crew.
A price given over the phone without asking about your inventory, a large deposit for a local move, no physical address, a quote that isn't in writing, and a company that will not say who actually shows up on move day. We take no deposit on local moves, publish our rates, and send our own employees from offices in Dallas, Garland and Plano.
Yes. We move single heavy items, such as a couch, a dresser or an appliance, from a $225 flat rate. Pianos and safes have their own flat rates, and we move them on ground level only, with no stairs.
GET BOTH PRICES
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Tell us your home size and both addresses. We'll price labor-only and full-service side by side and tell you which one is cheaper for your move.