How Do You Determine the Cost of a Move?

It comes down to two pricing models, depending on where you are headed. Local moves are priced by the hour, based on the crew and truck. Long-distance moves are priced on how much you are moving and how far. Either way, there are no hidden fees and no seasonal markups. Here is how each one works.

Local moves: priced by the hour

For a local move around Chicago or the suburbs, you pay for the crew and the truck by the hour. That keeps it fair: you pay for the time your move actually takes, and nothing more. So the real question is what makes a move take longer or go faster. A few things drive that.

The biggest is simply how much you are moving. More boxes and more furniture means more trips and more time. Then there is access at both ends. A ground-floor unit with the truck at the door is quick, while three flights of stairs, a slow freight elevator, or a long carry from a far-off parking spot all add time. How ready you are matters too: if everything is packed, labeled, and stacked when we arrive, the clock runs shorter, which is one reason some people add our full packing service and let us handle it quickly. And specialty pieces like a piano or a big safe take extra care and equipment, which factors into the labor.

Because it is hourly, you have real influence over the final number. A well-prepared move is a faster, cheaper move, and we are glad to tell you exactly how to set yours up that way.

Long-distance moves: size and distance

Once a move crosses out of the local range, the math changes. A long-distance move is priced on two things: how much you are moving (the size and volume of your shipment) and how far it is going. The bigger the load and the longer the haul, the more it costs, which is the standard way long moves work just about everywhere.

We get a clear picture of your inventory up front, so the estimate reflects what you are actually shipping rather than a rough guess that balloons later.

What we do not charge extra for

Here is where we differ from a lot of the industry. We do not raise prices by the season. Plenty of companies quietly bump rates during the busy summer months or on holiday weekends, when demand is high and you have the least leverage. We do not. We also do not change the price based on the day of the month. The quote you get is based on the work your move takes, not the calendar. A Saturday in July costs the same as a Tuesday in February.

No hidden fees, no surge pricing, no surprises when the ramp comes down. The number we give you is the number you plan around.

How to get an accurate quote

We offer free, no-obligation estimates, and the more detail you give us, the tighter the number. The most helpful things to have ready are a list of your larger furniture pieces and a rough box count, plus a sense of the layout at both ends: the floor you are on, the stairs or elevator, and where the truck can park. With that, our team can account for every variable instead of guessing.

The honest truth about moving quotes is that accuracy beats a low-ball every time. A real estimate you can count on is worth more than a cheap one that changes on moving day.

Ready for a straight, detailed estimate? Call (773) 275-4100 or email info@wcmoving.com for a free quote, or read more in our FAQ. We will tell you exactly what your move will take, and what it will cost.