What LA Movers Actually Charge: Real Prices from 40+ Reddit Users

Los Angeles is the second-largest moving market in the country, and it has the least pricing transparency. Most LA movers do not publish rates online. Quote forms require your phone number. And hourly rates vary so wildly between companies that consumers have no baseline for what is normal.

We tracked every price point shared across 9 r/LosAngeles threads. We also collected pricing published directly by mover owners who post on Reddit. The result is the most specific local pricing data for LA movers that exists outside of calling 10 companies yourself.

The single most useful number from this dataset: $100 per hour for two movers and a truck is the floor for a legitimate, insured moving company in Los Angeles. Below that, you are hiring day labor, TaskRabbit gig workers, or unlicensed operators.

This is not a judgment call. Day labor and TaskRabbit can work well for small moves. But consumers who expect professional movers at $75/hr will either be disappointed by the service or surprised by the final bill.

The actual range for professional LA movers is $110 to $245 per hour depending on crew size and company tier. Three data points define the spectrum:

Splendid Moving: $110/hr for 2 movers. Moved a small 2BR in 3 hours flat for $330 total. 25 upvotes on r/LosAngeles, the most-endorsed price point in our dataset.

Studio City Movers: $160/hr for 3 movers. Quoted to an r/LosAngeles user for a local move.

Excalibur Movers: $235/hr for 4 movers plus a 5th at $60/hr. Used for a 3BR WeHo to Pasadena move.

The $245/hr quote that prompted the original "How much are yall paying?" thread was flagged by the community as above market. At that rate for 3 movers, you are paying premium-tier pricing.

One of the most useful posts in our dataset came from the owner of On The Go Movers, who has worked for multiple LA moving companies and posts pricing breakdowns across several r/LosAngeles threads. His ranges, based on years of moving full-time in LA:

Studio: $500 to $800. 1 Bedroom: $700 to $1,000. 2 Bedroom: $1,000 to $1,400. 3 Bedroom: $1,400 to $2,000.

He also identified the three things that add the most cost: long distance from your front door to the truck (apartment complexes and high-rises), stairs or elevator waits, and the time movers spend wrapping furniture. His advice for saving money: disassemble and reassemble your own furniture, box everything possible, and wrap your own furniture before the crew arrives.

Splendid Moving generated the single highest-upvoted price report in all of our LA data: $110/hr for 2 movers, 3-hour minimum, moved a small 2BR in exactly 3 hours for $330 total. The commenter noted: no frills, not particularly friendly, but they came and did WORK.

That $330 for a 2BR is an outlier on the low end. It worked because the apartment was small, the move was local (7 miles), and the crew was fast. But it establishes that sub-$400 two-bedroom moves are possible in LA if the conditions are right.

LA's gig economy has created a parallel moving market that barely exists in other cities. Three apps appear repeatedly in r/LosAngeles moving threads:

TaskRabbit (which acquired Dolly in 2024): Multiple users reported $200 to $400 for small moves. One user completed a move for $300 on Dolly, $400 after tip. TaskRabbit is owned by IKEA and is not a fly-by-night operation, but the quality depends entirely on the individual provider. Read reviews for each mover on the platform, not just the app itself.

Lugg: An app specifically designed for furniture delivery and small moves. Multiple r/LosAngeles users recommended it for single items or minimal moves. One user described it as very affordable for moving two large chairs.

The key distinction: apps work best when you have fewer than 10 items and no complex disassembly. Once you cross into full-apartment territory, the 2-3 hour minimums of professional movers become more cost-effective than hourly gig workers who may take longer.

One commenter summarized: at $200 budget, you will get TaskRabbit. At $300, you are at the absolute floor for a real mover. At $450 minimum, you get a professional crew with a truck and equipment.

The most recommended mover across our LA dataset is Real Rock N Roll Movers with 8 separate mentions. The recommendations span years and include one consumer who described them as THE BEST (all caps, 2 upvotes) and another who reported $500 for a 2BR move with 2 movers in 3 hours from Pacoima to the hills.

Excalibur Movers appeared 6 times, including one consumer who used them 3 to 4 times over 15 years. NorthStar Moving appeared 6 times with a consistent pattern: came in slightly under quote both times.

The negative signals are also instructive. Trek Movers had mixed reviews: one consumer reported incorrect billing and property damage with no refund, while another had a positive experience. The lesson repeated across multiple threads: get your own insurance because theirs never covers anything.

Full-service packing in LA costs roughly $3,500, based on one data point from a consumer who had movers pack everything, unpack furniture, and handle a 1.5-bedroom apartment. That is 3 to 5 times what a self-packed move of the same size costs.

This tracks with what we see in other markets. The packing labor itself is not expensive per hour, but it adds 4 to 8 hours of crew time to a move that would otherwise take 3 to 5 hours. At $150 to $200 per hour for a crew, that math adds up fast.

A flat-rate model may be better for full-service moves. One r/LosAngeles user noted they switched from hourly movers to flat-rate companies after an experience where hourly movers dragged their feet knowing they would make more money. The flat-rate movers literally jogged to get it done.

Studio City Movers offers lower rates for dates other than Saturday and additional discounts for cash payment. Beverly Hills Movers recommended Tuesday through Thursday afternoon slots for rock bottom pricing.

The Tuesday-Thursday discount is real across the industry. Moving companies staff for weekend demand and have idle capacity midweek. A Wednesday afternoon move can cost 20 to 30 percent less than a Saturday morning move with the same company.

Several threads also noted that August 1 is peak season in LA (like September 1 in Boston) and prices spike accordingly.

Minimal move (few items, TaskRabbit/Lugg): $200 to $400.

Studio: $330 to $800. The $330 Splendid Moving data point is the low outlier. $500 to $800 is the realistic professional range.

1 Bedroom: $425 to $1,000. Self-packed local moves cluster at $425 to $700. Longer distances or difficult access push toward $1,000.

2 Bedroom: $700 to $1,400. The widest clustering is $1,000 to $1,400. Two locations merged into one: $1,000.

3 Bedroom: $1,400 to $2,000. One data point at $1,700 for a local 3BR to 4BR move (2015, likely higher today).

Full-service pack and move: $3,500.

These ranges assume self-packing. Add 2 to 3 times for full-service packing.