If you are planning a move across state lines, working with experienced long distance movers can help you understand the process before you start comparing costs. If you’ve ever wondered what a long distance move will actually cost, the answer comes down to a straightforward formula. Your cost is shaped by the weight of your shipment, the distance it travels, the services you choose, and the time of year that you move.
That formula is consistent across every interstate move; only the variables change. Understanding how they work together is how you go from a vague estimate to a sum that you can actually plan around.
What Drives the Cost of a Long Distance Move
At National Van Lines, we’ve moved more than a million families across the country since 1929, and the data behind that history tells a consistent story about what drives cost. Keep reading to learn what that data can tell you about planning for the cost of your long distance move.
The Formula Starts With Weight and Distance
Every interstate move is priced on two variables above everything else. Those variables are how much your shipment weighs, and how far it has to travel. Multiply those together and you have the foundation of your quote; other components are layered on top.
It’s safe to assume that the distance you’re traveling won’t change. Perhaps you’re going from Los Angeles to Denver, or Chicago to Atlanta. This is where the weight of your shipment makes a big difference.
For example, someone moving the contents of a fully furnished four-bedroom home is shipping a lot more weight than someone dealing with a smaller household. And this is why two households planning coast to coast moving can end up with noticeably different bills.
What Moves Cost Based on Home Size
Because weight drives price, home size is the strongest predictor of what you’ll spend. But the relationship isn’t linear – rather than adding a fixed amount, each additional bedroom compounds the total. Our move data across 3,487 completed shipments in 2025 shows exactly how that compounding plays out.
| Home Size | Est. Weight Range | National Van Lines Avg. Cost Per Move |
|---|---|---|
| Studio / 1-bedroom | Under 3,500 lbs | $3,543 |
| 2-bedroom | 3,500–5,000 lbs | $5,773 |
| 3-bedroom | 5,000–9,000 lbs | $7,666 |
| 4-bedroom | 9,000–13,000 lbs | $12,421 |
| 5+ bedrooms | Over 13,000 lbs | $18,132 |
As seen above, the increase in moving price from a three-bedroom to a four-bedroom can be significant. This happens because larger homes don’t simply have “more rooms,” they often have years of accumulated belongings in garages, closets and storage units that never appear in a room count.
The most useful thing you can do before your moving survey (the appointment where an agent reviews what you plan to move), is to think in terms of weight and not bedrooms. Take a walkthrough of your garage and open that storage unit. Essentially, make sure everything that is actually in your home is accounted for.
The Additional Moving Services Selected Will Add to the Base Cost
Once the components of weight and moving distance are established, the moving services you choose will shape the rest of the moving cost.
- Packing – Packing services can range from a few hundred dollars for limited packing help to a couple of thousand dollars for full-service packing (depending on volume and the amount of fragile or specialty material involved). You can also pack on your own, or choose partial packing service for specific items.
- Valuation Coverage – Released value is included at no charge, but covers only 60 cents per pound per item. In contrast, full value protection covers repair or replacement at actual value. For a home full of furniture and valuables, that difference is worth understanding before you sign.
- Storage – When your move-out and move-in dates don’t line up, climate-controlled storage services bridge the gap and also add to the total, based on how long you need them.
- Specialty Handling – Fine art, antiques, oversized items and fragile collections need certified handling and custom crating. These are not line items on every move, but when they apply, they do add costs for specialized handling and protection.
- Understand that these potential costs sit on top of the base price of weight plus distance traveled. The moving survey is where special needs and services are accounted for and priced for your specific move.
Timing Affects Moving Costs More Than Most People Expect
The time of year that you move will affect what you pay. Our 2025 data shows that peak-season moves average $9,450 per shipment, compared with $7,754 off-peak. That’s a 22% difference for the same household that moved the same distance.
June is the most concentrated moving window we see, with 96% of June moves falling under peak pricing. May and July run at partial peak, and every other month sits well below that threshold.
Understand that the weight does not change, but the demand does. When your move dates have any flexibility, the off-peak months represent a real opportunity to move the same household for meaningfully less money.
There’s also a planning rhythm worth knowing. Most National Van Lines customers request quotes 2–3 months before their moving date. That lead time is how you secure the dates, crews, and pricing you want before the peak window tightens availability.
How to Get a Long Distance Moving Estimate You Can Trust
As you’ve read, the formula is consistent but the specific variables are unique to your move. That’s why the most reliable path to getting an accurate quote is a proper in-home or virtual survey.
When a National Van Lines agent inventories your home, they assign your belongings an estimated weight, and that weight translates into a price. From there, you can request a binding estimate, which locks in your cost based on that inventory. There are no adjustments on moving day and no surprises.
One distinction that sets National Van Lines apart from other long distance movers is that we are a licensed carrier and agent network, not a broker. Your belongings move through a vetted network of National Van Lines agents; moves are not assigned to whomever submits the lowest bid. On a long distance move, this accountability structure is also part of what you’re paying for.
You now have a clear picture of how long distance moving costs are built. If you’re working through the full scope of your upcoming move, our complete guide to long distance moving walks through what a full-service move includes, from the initial survey to delivery.
See What Your Long Distance Move Could Cost
When you’re ready to turn the formula into a real number, National Van Lines offers free, no-obligation written quotes based on a proper inventory survey. Call 800-323-1962 or request your quote online today.