Denver moving cost, 2026
What movers cost in Denver in 2026
Named Denver sources print about $279–$900 for a local studio move, $279–$1,100 for one bedroom, $625–$2,400 for two, $1,200–$3,600 for three and $1,442–$5,500 for four bedrooms or more in 2026. Local moves are billed by crew and hour, at $130–$220 an hour for two movers and a truck. Stairs, parking, packing and the date move you up or down that range more than mileage does.
These are 6 named third-party sources' figures, each with its page date. They are not quotes from us or from a partner mover. In Colorado, your own written estimate is what binds the price, within 110%.
We are an independent publisher, not a moving company. Facts last checked . How we source.
Published Denver moving prices by home size
The table below combines every source that prints a figure for each home size: the lowest low and the highest high. A middle figure would hide how far apart the sources are, so the median of the sources' midpoints is shown as well.
| Home | Typical crew and time | Published range | Median of sources | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 2 movers, 3–5 hours | $279–$900 | $650 | 5 |
| 1 bedroom | 2 movers, 4–6 hours | $279–$1,100 | $650 | 5 |
| 2 bedrooms | 3 movers, 5–9 hours | $625–$2,400 | $1,050 | 5 |
| 3 bedrooms | 4 movers, 7–12 hours | $1,200–$3,600 | $2,200 | 5 |
| 4 bedrooms or more | 4 movers, 8–12 hours | $1,442–$5,500 | $3,000 | 5 |
Crew and hours: Discipled Movers, Moving Brothers, moveBuddha and MoveAdvisor. moveBuddha prints studio and one-bedroom as one band and 3–4 bedrooms as one band. Moving Brothers' and Discipled Movers' top figures for four bedrooms are open-ended ("$4,000+", "$5,500+").
How the sources compare
Two of the sources are Denver moving companies describing their own market (Moving Brothers, Discipled Movers). Three are national cost publishers with a Denver page (FreightWaves Checkpoint, moveBuddha, MoveAdvisor). A third mover, Movemasters, publishes hourly rates but no totals. The bars below share one scale, from $0 to $5,500. A dot is a published average rather than a range.
| Source and page date | Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moving Brothers dated 2026-02-21, read 2026-09-29 | $400–$900 | $400–$900 | $700–$1,400 | $1,200–$2,200 | $2,000–$4,000 |
| Discipled Movers dated 2026-05-14, read 2026-09-29 | $450–$850 | $600–$1,100 | $1,200–$2,100 | $1,800–$3,500 | $3,500–$5,500 |
| FreightWaves dated 2026-05-15, read 2026-09-29 | $417 avg. | $583 avg. | $948 avg. | $2,202 avg. | $2,527 avg. |
| moveBuddha dated 2026-09-25, read 2026-09-29 | $279–$596 | $279–$596 | $625–$962 | $1,442–$2,545 | $1,442–$2,545 |
| MoveAdvisor dated 2026-02-18, read 2026-09-29 | $600–$800 | $800–$1,100 | $1,800–$2,400 | $2,800–$3,600 | $3,800–$4,800 |
The spread is widest for two- and three-bedroom moves. moveBuddha prints $625–$962 for two bedrooms, while MoveAdvisor prints $1,800–$2,400. Those two bands do not even overlap. The difference is mostly assumptions: hours, crew size and what counts as "included". That is why a written estimate built on your own inventory and access matters more than any published average.
Hourly rates and crew size
Most Denver local moves are billed per crew-hour, with the truck included. More movers cost more per hour but can finish sooner, so the total does not rise in step with the crew.
| Crew | Published hourly range | Printed by |
|---|---|---|
| 2 movers and a truck | $130–$220 | Moving Brothers, Discipled Movers, Movemasters |
| 3 movers and a truck | $170–$270 | Moving Brothers, Discipled Movers, Movemasters |
| 4 movers and a truck | $220–$340 | Moving Brothers, Movemasters |
Movemasters prints $170 an hour for two movers Monday–Thursday, $190 on Friday and $200 on Saturday, plus $70 an hour for each extra mover; the three- and four-mover rows include that arithmetic. MoveAdvisor prints $100–$120 an hour per mover rather than per crew, and FreightWaves prints an hourly rate near $115, so those two are left out of this table.
Which crew size makes sense
The sources' typical pairing is two movers for a studio or one-bedroom, three for a two-bedroom, and four for three bedrooms or more. Ask for one more person than that when the carry is long, there are several flights of stairs, or the elevator window is short. The sources price a third mover at roughly $40–$70 an hour more. Whether that pays off depends on how much time it saves, so ask each mover to estimate the job with both crew sizes.
Minimums, start fees and how time is billed
Two estimates with the same hourly rate can produce very different bills. The difference is in the billing rules:
| Rule | What the sources print | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum hours | Discipled Movers: 3-hour minimum. FreightWaves: 2-hour minimum is common. Movemasters: no minimum. | A small move can cost the minimum, however fast the crew is. |
| Start or trip fee | FreightWaves: a starting fee of about $262. | A flat charge on top of hourly labor; ask whether it covers drive time. |
| Billing increment | Movemasters: 15-minute increments. | Rounding up to the half hour or hour adds cost at the end of the day. |
| When the clock starts | Not printed as a market rule | Leaving the yard, arriving at your door, or a flat travel charge: get it in writing. |
What adds to the bill
| Item | Published figure | Source | What to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stairs | $50–$75 a flight | moveBuddha | Is it per flight, or folded into the hourly time? |
| Elevator | $50–$100 | moveBuddha | What if the reserved window runs out? |
| Long carry | $75–$150 | MoveAdvisor; Moving Brothers charges past 75 feet | How far from the truck to the door counts as long? |
| Piano | $192–$800 | moveBuddha, MoveAdvisor | Upright or grand, how many steps, any turns? |
| Packing, smaller home | $300–$900 | Moving Brothers, MoveAdvisor | Labor and materials as separate lines |
| Packing, larger home | $900–$3,000+ | Moving Brothers, MoveAdvisor | Full, partial or fragile-only? |
| Storage | $100–$300 a month | MoveAdvisor | The charge to unload in and reload out, not only the monthly rate |
moveBuddha also prints packing at $640–$6,400 across all home sizes. Packing is the line with the widest spread, because it depends on how much you own and how much you pack yourself.
Local moves compared with long-distance moves
| Topic | Local (inside the metro) | Long-distance (out of Colorado) |
|---|---|---|
| Priced by | Crew and hours | Weight (or volume) and distance |
| Who regulates | Colorado PUC | FMCSA (federal) |
| Estimate rule | Written, at least 24 hours ahead; the charge can't exceed 110% | Binding or non-binding; on non-binding you pay 110% at delivery to get your goods unloaded |
| Default valuation | The contract must offer released value (60¢/lb/article) or full replacement | Full Value Protection, unless you waive it in writing |
| Published price | See the tables above | moveBuddha: $1,920–$10,880+ out of Denver. MoveAdvisor, 1,000 miles: $3,000–$6,500 (1 BR) to $6,500–$11,000 (4 BR) |
A move between Denver and a city elsewhere in Colorado stays under the PUC, even if it is a long drive. The long-distance moving guide covers interstate estimates, delivery windows and the USDOT check in detail.
Rent a truck instead?
The full comparison, with U-Haul's truck sizes and a truck-size picker, is in movers vs renting a truck; containers are compared in movers vs moving containers.
moveBuddha prints $172–$1,566 for a local truck rental. That is cheaper on paper, but the labor, the parking permit, the stairs and any damage become yours. For a studio with a friend or two, it can be the cheapest option. For a full house with a piano, it rarely is.
Colorado rules that shape the price
- The estimate: A Colorado mover must give a written estimate of the total cost, and the basis for it, at least 24 hours before a scheduled move, unless the move is booked less than 24 hours ahead. The mover cannot charge more than 110 percent of the estimate. (4 CCR 723-6-6608.)
- The contract: Before work starts the mover must leave a contract that states its PUC permit number, itemizes costs and names at least two accepted forms of payment, and must have you sign a consumer advisement. (C.R.S. 40-10.1-505.)
- Valuation: The contract must offer two cargo valuation options: released value, at the lesser of sixty cents per pound per lost or damaged article, or full replacement cost, where you declare the value of the shipment. Full replacement cost costs more, so ask for its price as its own line.
- Delivery: A mover must deliver your goods inside the home once you pay the contract amount, and may never hold back prescription medicines, medical equipment, or children's furniture, clothing or toys. Refund disputes with a mover go to binding arbitration.
Before you compare prices, check the mover's permit: how to check a Colorado mover.
Season and timing
moveBuddha puts the peak premium at 20–30%, for May through September, weekends, and the last three days of a month. MoveAdvisor prints 15–25% more in summer. Discipled Movers prints a premium of 20% or more on summer weekends and at month-end. Movemasters' own rate card rises from $170 an hour Monday to Thursday to $200 on Saturday.
Winter is the off-season, but it is also snow season. Denver's average first measurable snow falls on 19 October and the last on 28 April. The 1991–2020 seasonal normal is 49.0 inches, with 8.8 inches in March. (NWS Boulder.) A snow day can push a winter move, so ask how the mover handles weather rescheduling and whether a deposit carries over.
Estimator: check a quote against published figures
Choose your home size, floor and access, and the estimator shows the crew and hours the sources print, the hourly band that implies, and the published range for that size. It is a planning check, not a quote, and it asks for no personal details.
Denver moving estimator
Denver movers bill a local move by crew and hour. Pick your home and access, and this shows the crew and hours Denver sources print, the hourly band that implies, and the published range for that size. It is a check on a written estimate, not an estimate.
Crew and hours: Discipled Movers, Moving Brothers, moveBuddha and MoveAdvisor. Hourly rates: Moving Brothers (2026-02-21), Discipled Movers (2026-05-14), Movemasters (2026-07-31).
Stairs, elevator and peak: moveBuddha (2026-09-25). Long carry: MoveAdvisor (2026-02-18). Piano and packing: two sources each. Single-source lines are the least settled.
Your crew and hours
Hours Denver sources print for this size. Stairs, a long carry and parking add time on an hourly bill.
Published 2026 figures from named Denver sources, not our prices. A written estimate outside the band is not wrong, but it should say why.
Get quotes for this moveQuote comparison worksheet
Enter each mover's numbers from its written estimate, and the worksheet totals each column the same way: hours times rate, plus every other line. Nothing you type is saved or sent.
| Line | Quote A | Quote B | Quote C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate ($) | |||
| Estimated hours (or the minimum, if higher) | |||
| Start, trip or travel fee ($) | |||
| Stairs, elevator, long carry ($) | |||
| Packing labor and materials ($) | |||
| Other lines: piano, storage, tax ($) | |||
| Valuation upgrade ($) | |||
| Estimated total | — | — | — |
| Most you can be charged (110%) | — | — | — |
The 110% row applies the Colorado PUC cap to a local move's written estimate. On an interstate non-binding estimate, 110% is what you pay at delivery to get your goods unloaded.
How to avoid paying for waiting and extra trips
For every lever that lowers a quote, and the lowball warning signs, see affordable movers in Denver.
- Give a full inventory, including the garage, basement, storage unit and patio. Anything the estimate missed adds trips and can mean a bigger truck.
- Be packed before the crew arrives, unless packing is on the estimate. Taping boxes while the clock runs is the most expensive packing there is.
- Sort out parking first. A truck parked a block away turns every trip into a long carry. In Denver, street parking for a moving truck needs a DOTI permit (how it works).
- Book elevators and docks for the arrival time at both ends.
- Pick a weekday mid-month if you can, outside May–September.
- Take apart what you can yourself, and bag and label the hardware.
None of these guarantees a lower price. They remove the most common sources of extra hours.
Common questions about Denver moving costs
How much does a one-bedroom move cost in Denver?
Published 2026 figures run $279–$1,100 from 5 sources, with a median of about $650. That is typically two movers for four to six hours. A third-floor walk-up, a long carry or a three-hour minimum puts you toward the top.
How much does it cost to move a two-bedroom apartment or house?
Sources print $625–$2,400, with a median near $1,050. The range is wide because the sources assume different hours; ask each mover how many hours and how many movers its estimate assumes.
How much do movers charge per hour in Denver?
Two movers and a truck: $130–$220 an hour. Three: $170–$270. Four: $220–$340. Weekend, month-end and summer dates cost more.
Can a Denver mover charge more than the estimate?
On a move inside Colorado, the mover must give a written estimate at least 24 hours ahead and cannot charge more than 110% of it, unless you both sign a change. Keep your copy.
Should I tip movers in Denver?
Tipping is up to you and is not part of the contract price. None of the regulatory sources we use sets or expects a tip, so we do not publish a "standard" amount.
Are these your prices?
No. They are what named Denver movers and cost publishers have printed, each with its date. We will publish a figure of our own only once we hold at least 12 dated Denver estimates for that home size.
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