How Much To Tip Movers In 2024

How much should you tip movers? The answer is different for every situation. The amount you tip your movers should reflect how much they’ve helped you and how long they’ve been working. If they’ve done a great job, they deserve a tip.

Also, each move is different. It is typically recommended that you tip movers between 10% and 20% of the total moving cost. If you’d like to tip per movers, consider $20 to $30 per person for a local move and $50 per person for long-distance moves.

Tip Amount Total

	2-PERSON CREW	3-PERSON CREW	4-PERSON CREW	5-PERSON CREW
2 hours	$16 – $40	$24 – $72	$32 – $80	$40 – $120
4 hours	$32 – $96	$48 – $144	$64 – $192	$80 – $240
8 hours	$64 – $192	$96 – $288	$128 – $384	$160 – $480
12 hours	$96 – $194	$141 – $432	$188 – $576	$240 – $720

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The longer your move takes and the more boxes there are to be packed and moved, the more work goes into it. Tipping movers is generally considered a way to show appreciation for their efforts. Although tipping is not mandatory, it is a kind gesture that can go a long way in showing your gratitude for a job well done. However, since many movers are paid by the hour and not by the job, there’s no guarantee that tipping will actually result in a better service.

Hiring movers certainly makes the process much simpler. As a token of appreciation, you may want to tip your mover following the job’s completion. However, there are several factors that you may want to consider when deciding how much to tip your movers, such as:

Complexity of Move

If your move involves heavy or delicate items, stairs, elevators or other challenges, you may want to consider tipping more to acknowledge the extra effort and care required. Moving companies often charge extra for these kinds of challenges, but tipping your movers can show your appreciation for their hard work and dedication in navigating these obstacles efficiently.

Quality of Service

The amount of your tip should be based on how satisfied you were with the service provided and how efficient and courteous the movers were. If your movers went above and beyond to ensure a smooth move, you might want to consider tipping on the higher end of the range. Contrarily, if you had a less-than-satisfactory experience, you may choose to tip on the lower end of the range or not tip at all.

Final Moving Cost

The total cost of your move can be a good guideline for how much to tip your movers. A standard rule of thumb is typically 10% to 20% of the total moving cost. It’s a good idea to check your receipt for this information before you tip so you know exactly how much each person worked on your move. If a mover does an outstanding job, feel free to tip more.

Distance Moving

Whether you’re moving locally or cross country, the distance of your move can be a factor when determining how much to tip your movers. For instance, for long-distance moves, you may want to consider tipping slightly more per mover to account for the additional time and effort required.

Condition of Items After Move

If your belongings arrived at your new home in good condition, this could be an indication of the care and attention your movers took during the move, which can be reflected in your tip.

In short, no. There is no industry standard for tipping. “Tipping is not required, but greatly appreciated by the movers,” says Hilary Reynolds with All My Sons Moving and Storage. But of course, the fact that it’s not required doesn’t mean you should brush it off without a second thought.

The average hourly salary for movers is only about $19. That’s not a lot considering all of the hard work that they do. “Movers are required to have strength, endurance and skills for the difficult pieces and planning involved,” says Thomas Trainor, founder of Relocation Concierge, a company that provides moving assessments and professional concierge services for relocations.

No one wants to break the bank tipping movers (moving is expensive enough already), especially when they feel a good job wasn’t done or their movers weren’t overly agreeable. After all, tipping is a way to show your gratitude for a job well done. Here are a few situations where you might want to tip a little extra, or perhaps deduct a bit of money from your planned tip amount.

When to tip more:

• When your movers have to handle oversized or particularly fragile items
• When your movers are personable and kind
• When your movers work quickly
• When movers go above and beyond to help you set up and assemble certain items

When to tip less:

• When your movers show up late or bring the wrong-sized vehicle
• When your movers seem to work deliberately slow, like overwrapping materials or moving inefficiently
• When you have to do the brunt of the work yourself
• When your movers mistreat or break your items

So you know you’d like to tip your moving crew. How do you go about doing so? You have a few choices here, and it’s really up to you how you’d like to handle it. You could tip each mover, or you could simply hand your tip to the lead mover. (This is likely the person whom you’ve communicated with the most)

Trainor recommends tipping each mover individually at the end of each day to avoid the possibility of a dishonest lead mover. And for a multi-day move, Trainor says, “tipping only at the end could be complicated to split fairly” since you may have a slightly different moving crew each day. If you tip only at the end, a mover who isn’t working on the last day might be left out of the tip.

No matter how you decide to split it up, it’s crucial to have cash on hand when it comes to tipping. Unless your moving company includes gratuity on the bill they hand you, there’s no way to split up a tip that’s put on a credit card.

If you put everything into your moving budget and can’t afford to tip movers there are other ways to show your appreciation for their hard work. For example, you can offer them water, sports drinks and other beverages and snacks like granola bars.You can also offer feedback, such as a positive review online and referrals to friends and family in need of movers.

Moving often takes several hours, and there’s a good chance you will need to eat at some point during the process. But what about your movers? When thinking about how much to tip movers to show appreciation, another way to make them happy is by feeding them.

While most moving crews will bring enough food and water to provide for themselves, providing food for them can only make things go that much more smoothly. “Movers appreciate it when a customer takes the time to offer them refreshments or snacks,” says Reynolds.

Pizza and subs are easy options since it’s relatively inexpensive and most people enjoy it. As an alternative, you can simply offer your crew a few local options, or even provide a small cash stipend so they can find their own food.