DIY vs Hire Moving Company: Which Costs Less in 2026?

Is $405.00 the right DIY cost for a 2-bedroom move?

On the defaults — a $180.00 truck rental, $45.00 of supplies and 6 hours of your time at $30.00 an hour — moving a 2-bedroom home yourself costs $405.00, against a $650.00 pro quote, so DIY wins by $245.00. The DIY cost is the truck rental plus the supplies plus your hours valued at your hourly rate; the pro cost is the flat pro quote. Professional movers for a 2-bedroom local move typically cost $400–$800, roughly $25–$50 per mover per hour, two movers, four to six hours. A rental truck for a local move typically costs $20–$40 per day plus about $0.79–$0.99 per mile. Moving supplies run about $30–$60, with $45 a common figure. A first-timer should allow about 5–7 hours for a 2-bedroom move.

Four things about the model are worth stating plainly. First, the truck rental is $180.00 — a day’s rental with mileage, all in. Second, the DIY cost is $405.00 — $180.00 of truck rental + $45.00 of supplies + 6 × $30.00 of your time. Third, the pro cost is $650.00 — the flat pro quote. And fourth, DIY wins by $245.00 — but the answer turns on your hourly value: at $70.83 an hour the two ways tie, and at $71.00 an hour hiring wins; all listed in Accuracy & limitations.

The worked example, line by line

Setup: $180.00 truck rental, $45.00 of supplies, 6 hours at $30.00 an hour, pro quote $650.00.

Line 1 — the DIY cost. The DIY cost is $180.00 + $45.00 + 6 × $30.00 = $405.00.

Line 2 — the pro cost. The pro cost is the flat quote: $650.00.

Line 3 — the winner. $650.00 − $405.00 = $245.00 — DIY wins by $245.00.

Line 4 — the check. $180.00 + $45.00 + $180.00 = $405.00, the DIY cost; and $405.00 + $245.00 = $650.00, the pro quote.

Every branch, checked

Truck rental $350: DIY $575.00; pro $650.00 — DIY wins by $75.00 — With a $350.00 truck rental the DIY cost is $575.00 — DIY wins by $75.00.

Pro quote $400: DIY $405.00; pro $400.00 — Hiring wins by $5.00 — With a $400.00 quote the pro total is $400.00 — hiring wins by $5.00.

Hours 3: DIY $315.00; pro $650.00 — DIY wins by $335.00 — With 3 hours the DIY cost is $315.00 — DIY wins by $335.00.

Hourly value $50: DIY $525.00; pro $650.00 — DIY wins by $125.00 — With your time at $50.00 an hour the DIY cost is $525.00 — DIY wins by $125.00.

Hourly value $60: DIY $585.00; pro $650.00 — DIY wins by $65.00 — With your time at $60.00 an hour the DIY cost is $585.00 — DIY wins by $65.00.

Supplies $0: DIY $360.00; pro $650.00 — DIY wins by $290.00 — With no supplies the DIY cost is $360.00 — DIY wins by $290.00.

Pro quote $405: DIY $405.00; pro $405.00 — exact tie — With a $405.00 quote the pro total is $405.00 — an exact tie, $0.00 difference.

The reverses, worked backwards

Smallest whole-dollar hourly value where hiring WINS: At the displayed $71.00 the figures are DIY $651.00; pro $650.00 — Hiring wins by $1.00. At the displayed $71.00 the DIY cost is $651.00 and hiring wins by $1.00. At $70/hour the DIY cost is $645.00 and DIY wins by $5.00 — so $71.00 is the smallest whole-dollar hourly value where hiring wins. The exact tie is at $70.83/hour.

Largest whole-dollar hourly value where DIY still wins by at least $100.00: At the displayed $54.00 the figures are DIY $549.00; pro $650.00 — DIY wins by $101.00. At the displayed $54.00 the DIY cost is $549.00 and DIY wins by $101.00. At $55/hour the DIY cost is $555.00 and DIY wins by $95.00 — below $100 — so $54.00 is the largest whole-dollar hourly value where DIY still wins by at least $100.00. The exact hourly value is $54.17/hour.

Smallest whole-dollar pro quote where DIY wins by at least $100.00: At the displayed $505.00 the figures are DIY $405.00; pro $505.00 — DIY wins by $100.00. At the displayed $505.00 DIY wins by $100.00 exactly. At a $504.00 quote DIY wins by $99.00 — below $100 — so $505.00 is the smallest whole-dollar pro quote where DIY wins by at least $100.00. The exact quote is $505.00.

Smallest whole-dollar truck rental where hiring WINS: At the displayed $426.00 the figures are DIY $651.00; pro $650.00 — Hiring wins by $1.00. At the displayed $426.00 the DIY cost is $651.00 and hiring wins by $1.00. At $425 truck rental the DIY cost is $650.00 — an exact tie — so $426.00 is the smallest whole-dollar truck rental where hiring wins. The exact tie is at $425.00 of truck rental.

Smallest whole-dollar supplies where hiring WINS: At the displayed $291.00 the figures are DIY $651.00; pro $650.00 — Hiring wins by $1.00. At the displayed $291.00 the DIY cost is $651.00 and hiring wins by $1.00. At $290 supplies the DIY cost is $650.00 — an exact tie — so $291.00 is the smallest whole-dollar supplies where hiring wins. The exact tie is at $290.00 of supplies.

Smallest whole-hours value where hiring WINS: At the displayed 15 hours the figures are DIY $675.00; pro $650.00 — Hiring wins by $25.00. At the displayed 15 hours the DIY cost is $675.00 and hiring wins by $25.00. At 14 hours the DIY cost is $645.00 and DIY wins by $5.00 — so 15 hours is the smallest whole-hours value where hiring wins. The exact tie is at 14.17 hours.

What the defaults assume

The defaults are a $180.00 truck rental, $45.00 of supplies, 6 hours at $30.00 an hour and a $650.00 pro quote — DIY $405.00; pro $650.00 — DIY wins by $245.00. With Truck rental $350, DIY $575.00; pro $650.00 — DIY wins by $75.00. With Pro quote $400, DIY $405.00; pro $400.00 — Hiring wins by $5.00. With Hours 3, DIY $315.00; pro $650.00 — DIY wins by $335.00. With Hourly value $50, DIY $525.00; pro $650.00 — DIY wins by $125.00. With Hourly value $60, DIY $585.00; pro $650.00 — DIY wins by $65.00. With Supplies $0, DIY $360.00; pro $650.00 — DIY wins by $290.00. With Pro quote $405, DIY $405.00; pro $405.00 — exact tie. With Truck $0, supplies $0, hours 0, DIY $0.00; pro $650.00 — DIY wins by $650.00. With Hourly value $0, DIY $225.00; pro $650.00 — DIY wins by $425.00. With Pro quote $405, DIY $405.00; pro $405.00 — exact tie. With Hours 12, DIY $585.00; pro $650.00 — DIY wins by $65.00. With Truck $700, DIY $925.00; pro $650.00 — Hiring wins by $275.00. With Hours 7.5, DIY $450.00; pro $650.00 — DIY wins by $200.00. With Target bars — DIY $405.00, pro quote needed for DIY to win by $200.00 is $605.00; for DIY to win by $50.00 is $455.00; the hourly value for an exact tie is $70.83.

A note on the tie: at $70.83 an hour the DIY cost is $650.00 — an exact tie with the $650.00 quote — and at $71.00 an hour hiring wins by $1.00. The hourly value is yours to set — an hour of a Saturday is not worth the same to everyone.

Output · formula · meaning

Who uses this

• The renter moving a 2-bedroom home across town: they learn moving it themselves costs $405.00 against a $650.00 quote — and they check the $71.00 reverse to see where hiring takes over.
• The renter whose time is pricey: they learn at $70.83 an hour the two ways tie exactly — and they check the $54.00 reverse to see how much their time can be worth before DIY stops winning by $100.00.
• The renter facing a $505 quote: they learn DIY wins by $100.00 exactly at that quote — and they check the $426.00 reverse to see how expensive the truck must get before hiring wins.
• The renter with a 15-hour move: they learn at 15 hours hiring wins by $25.00 — and they check the $291.00 reverse to see how much supplies must cost before hiring wins.

Accuracy & limitations

The math is first-principles: the DIY cost is the truck rental plus the supplies plus the hours times the hourly value; the pro cost is the flat pro quote; the winner is the lower total. The reverses are judged on the UNROUNDED totals: at $70.83 an hour the DIY cost is $650.00, exactly the quote, so it ties; at $71.00 an hour the DIY cost is $651.00, so hiring wins by $1.00. What the model cannot do is price your move: the $400–$800 pro range and the $20–$40-per-day truck range are typical figures, not quotes; a piano, a safe or a pool table usually costs extra or needs specialists; and the hourly value is yours to set — an hour of a Saturday is not worth the same to everyone. Book movers 4–6 weeks ahead in summer, get the quote in writing, and check the mover is licensed and insured. Use it to see which side wins on your numbers — then get a real quote before you book the truck.

Frequently asked questions