Every week, Priscilla fields some version of the same first question: “just tell me what this is going to cost.” It’s a fair thing to ask, and it deserves a real answer instead of a range so wide it doesn’t mean anything. Here’s how pricing actually works on a Dallas move in 2026 — the same numbers our crew quotes on the phone and in person, not a number built to look good in a search ad.
What Actually Moves the Number Up or Down
Two moves with the same square footage can price out completely differently once you account for what’s actually involved. Before anything gets quoted, we’re looking at:
- Volume and item count — not just bedroom count, but how much is actually in them. A 3-bedroom house lived in for fifteen years moves differently than one a young couple filled two years ago.
- Access at both ends — a third-floor walk-up with no elevator, a long carry from the truck to the front door, narrow streets in some of the newer Cedar Hill developments — all of it adds labor time.
- Packing — whether you’re doing it yourself, want the whole house handled, or just need help with the kitchen and the closets.
- Distance — a move within Duncanville prices differently than one heading up toward Fort Worth or out to Waco.
- Timing — the last weekend of the month and the first weeks of summer book up fast across the Best Southwest; a weekday move mid-month usually has more schedule flexibility.
- Heavy or awkward items — pianos, gun safes, oversized furniture that has to come apart and go back together on the other end.
Local Hourly Rates
Most moves that stay inside Dallas County and the surrounding Best Southwest cities are priced hourly, crew and truck included. Fuel and standard equipment — dollies, floor runners, furniture pads, shrink wrap — are built into the rate, not billed separately afterward.
| Crew Size | Hourly Rate | Typically Fits |
|---|---|---|
| 2 movers + truck | $119/hr | Studio or 1-bedroom apartment, small condo |
| 3 movers + truck | $159/hr | 2-bedroom apartment or townhome |
| 4 movers + truck | $199/hr | 3-bedroom house |
| 5+ movers + truck | $199/hr, plus $40/hr per added mover | 4-bedroom and larger homes, tight timelines |
Every job carries a two-hour minimum. After that we bill in 15-minute increments instead of rounding up to the next full hour — if the job wraps at four hours and twenty minutes, that’s what’s on the invoice, not a fifth hour you didn’t use.
Flat-Rate Bands for Full-Home Moves
If you’d rather have one number than watch a clock, we quote flat rate on full-home moves once Dominic has walked the house — in person or over video. That number is binding once it’s written down.
| Home Size | Typical Flat-Rate Range |
|---|---|
| Studio / 1-bedroom apartment | $650 – $950 |
| 2-bedroom house or townhome | $1,050 – $1,450 |
| 3-bedroom house | $1,650 – $2,250 |
| 4-bedroom and larger | $2,450 – $3,400 |
The spread inside each band comes down to stairs, distance between the two addresses, and how much of the packing we’re doing versus you. Once Dominic gives you a number in writing, that’s the number — it doesn’t shift because the move ran long or a piece of furniture turned out heavier than it looked.
Long-Distance Moves Price Differently
For anything leaving the Dallas–Fort Worth area — Houston, Austin, San Antonio, or a longer route like Atlanta or Phoenix — pricing shifts from an hourly model to a binding estimate built around weight or cubic footage and mileage. Dominic still needs eyes on the actual inventory before that number is final, but once it’s written down, it’s what you pay, not a starting bid that grows later.
How We Actually Get You a Number
The process runs the same whether you call the office or fill out the form on the site:
- Priscilla takes the first call, gets the basics — origin, destination, rough inventory, timeline — and books a walkthrough for anything bigger than a studio or 1-bedroom.
- Dominic handles the estimate itself, either at the house or over video, and builds the quote off what he actually sees instead of a guess made over the phone.
- You get the number in writing before anything gets scheduled — no verbal ballpark that turns into a different figure on move day.
I’d rather spend fifteen extra minutes on a video walkthrough than have a customer standing in the driveway on move day arguing about a number that shouldn’t have moved in the first place.
— Dominic Alvarado, Estimator & Dispatcher
If you’ve got a move coming up anywhere in the Best Southwest — Duncanville, Cedar Hill, Lancaster, Balch Springs, or the surrounding towns — call the office at (888) 278-9005 or send the details through the quote form. Priscilla will have a real number in front of you within a day, usually the same afternoon.