We get a lot of questions as movers. One popular one is how much movers cost. Moving professionals are more affordable, saving you money and time. If you’re moving within Ottawa, there are three types of things that will affect how much it costs to hire movers: storage, packing, and how much you need us to move.
Let’s look at some actual sample costs to help you prepare for your next move.
Average Moving Costs for Typical Homes in 2023
At Cassidy’s Moving Company, we charge by the number of movers and how many hours it takes.
Free Ultimate Moving Checklist
Say goodbye to moving stress with our 2023 residential moving checklist for Canada—it’s the ultimate time-saver!
Download NowFor the average moving cost of Ottawa moving in 2023, we charge $250 per hour – this includes 3 movers and a moving truck.
To ensure a move is conducted safely and efficiently, all moves last 4 hours minimum. So the minimum cost for a move will be $1000 plus tax.
Many trusted Pembroke moving companies suggest booking your move from September 1st to May 15th. Peak moving months usually go from June to August and are rarely open for bookings. Please contact us for further information.
* Please remember we need to visit your home and do a proper estimate in order to give you an accurate cost for your unique situation.
Come September, these rates drop significantly.
These are averages for local moves only. The truck, pads, and moving equipment like dollies are included. Packing and storage are not included.
Packing costs for a typical 3-bedroom home usually end up in the $2,000 – $3,000 range for a full pack.
Again, your cost may be much cheaper if we’re only doing a partial pack, but to be sure talk to your moving consultant. You can learn more about our packing here.
Moving Cost Calculator in Canada
There are plenty of factors to consider when calculating the cost of a move. Here are some things that will affect the final cost of your move when selecting a trusted moving company.
1. Moving Distance (KM)
If you’re doing a long distance move, either moving from Ottawa to Kelowna, moving to a new province, or moving internationally from Canada to the USA, the cost of moving is calculated differently than the cost of a local move. Time is no longer a factor—you won’t be charged by the hour, but rather by the distance. You can roughly calculate moving costs based on your move distance + shipment weight + extra services.
While the distance is a known, fixed entity, the weight of shipment and any additional services (such as packing, disassembly, and storage) will have to be estimated by a professional moving company.
2. Size of Home
The bigger the house, the higher it will cost to move. A four bedroom home is simply going to have more furniture and boxes than a one bedroom apartment. This means the moving company will have to bring in more movers, and it will take them longer to load and unload your belongings.
Local moves are calculated based on the number of movers and how many hours a move takes. Long distance moving expenses are calculated based on weight, rather than labour hours, so the size of the home will still be a factor during the loading and unloading process.
3. Seasonality
With the kids out of school and it likely easier to take time off from work, summer is definitely the busiest time for moving services. Most people move from June through August, and as a result, that’s when costs are higher.
If you’re looking to save money and are flexible in your moving dates, the colder months are your best bet. From September to June, it’s significantly cheaper, and it’s also much easier to get the exact moving date you want with less notice. This might not matter as much if you’re doing a local move, but for cross-country relocation, you want to give yourself the least amount of stress possible.
4. Number of Movers
We generally decide how many Arnprior movers you need in order to avoid overtime costs, which kick in once the move takes 9 hours or more. Prices will fluctuate with demand (for hourly rates please contact Cassidy’s), especially during the busy season.
For 4-bedroom homes we usually need 4 movers. Smaller homes may require less, though it will also depend on the amount and type of furniture you have—a marble statue collection, for example, is going to take much longer to pack up properly than a home with a minimalist style.
5. Time it Takes to Complete Your Move
Once our Gatineau moving experts get to work, we keep track of how much time it takes to get the truck loaded, get to your new home and then unload. The main factor here is the distance between your old and new homes.
You and your family can help make the loading quicker by packing everything you can into labelled boxes, disassembling furniture (such as bedframes, tables, work benches, etc), and arranging rooms to be easily accessible.
If you get professional help with packing (either full or partial), these costs would be separate and wouldn’t be included in the cost of moving time.
6. Travel Time
If you live within the main part of Ottawa (Kanata / Stittsville to Orléans to Barrhaven) we charge for half an hour to get to your house and half an hour to get back once the move is done.
If you live outside of Ottawa, like moving to Pontiac and Montreal, we charge the actual travel time.
Unfortunately, traffic will affect the travel time. If you’re moving within the same city, try to book your move during a weekday, and avoid rush hour times.
7. Shipment and Storage
You might be moving across the country on a temporary basis and need storage for some of your items until you move back. Or maybe your new home is much smaller than before, and you need extra storage space for your belongings.
The cost of renting will vary, depending on the length of the rental, the size of the container, and if you need the container delivered or not. The containers are excellent for general storage but can also be used as workshops, sheds, studios, or garages.
Whatever the reason, we have permanent, convenient storage available to rent or own.
8. Packing Services and Supplies
If the idea of packing, stacking, and moving (and doing it all in reverse to unload!) sounds like a nightmare, you can take advantage of our wide variety of packing services.
Full packing services are great for long-distance moves, to ensure that all of your possessions are carefully protected for the journey. If you’d rather save some money, you can get us to pack up some of your belongings while you take care of the rest.
You can also hire professional movers to unpack your boxes, which will save you the hassle of unwrapping and dealing with all the packaging.
Professional moving companies will use thick-walled, sturdy cardboard boxes that stack well without collapsing. Specialty items, such as delicate china, will be put in double-thick cartons with reinforced corners.
Want to Save on Your Move?
If you’re tired of DIY moving but still want to save on your move, here’s the secret: it’s all about being prepared. Make sure everything you say you’re going to pack is packed. Here are some things to consider:
- Disassemble furniture like beds yourself if you’re able. The movers will pad and wrap all your furniture.
- Tear down workshops thoroughly and make sure tools are packed separately from workbenches. Even the strongest movers can’t bring a fully-loaded steel tool cabinet up from the basement!
- Prepare any appliances that you’re bringing to your new home. Moving a refrigerator involves several steps. Washing machine drums need to blocked before moving to keep them stable.
Unfortunately, many of our customers say they’ll have everything ready, but when the day arrives there’s still a lot left unpacked.
Moving in the off-season (September to June) can also mean you save anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on how much stuff you have.
How Much Does It Cost to Move Across Canada?
Our long distance moving costs work on a total weight times distance basis. If you’re moving to a new province, find out what steps need to be taken before you make that decision.
Learn more about long distance and international moving >
Our Movers Are Simply Better
We may cost more than the DIY approach, but we won’t just throw stuff into the truck the way your friends do when they’re helping you in exchange for beer and pizza.
- Trustworthy moving team. We also don’t just hire anyone who walks in off the street. Because we are a bonded company, every driver and mover on our team has passed a police background check.
- We have a lot of career movers. Some of our movers have been with us 10 – 15 years. They are very experienced and know how to handle even delicate antiques. We pay them more than the average mover gets because we want to keep them around, and we also provide benefits for them and their families.
- Better training for new hires. For summer moving, we have so much demand that we hire new workers. But we take extra care by always pairing them with experienced movers. New workers only handle packed boxes, not expensive or delicate furniture. That’s because if they make a mistake and cause damage to a wall, for example, then we need to pay to fix it.
Want to learn more about our moving services? Contact us about our local and long distance moving services.
