How GetMove calculates moving costs
Last reviewed
Every cost figure on this site comes from one of two sources: completed moves we hold data on, or a published formula. Each figure states which one it is, on the page where it appears. This document defines both, so any number here can be checked.
What GetMove is
GetMove is a free referral service, not a moving company. We share your move details with licensed interstate carriers so they can send you quotes.
This matters for reading our numbers: GetMove does not set moving prices and does not perform moves. The figures here describe what carriers charge, observed from the outside. They are not offers, and no carrier is bound by them.
Source 1 — completed moves
Where we hold enough records for a route, we publish the middle half of what people actually paid: the 25th percentile to the 75th percentile. A quarter of moves cost less than the low end, and a quarter cost more than the high end.
A route is only published this way when it has at least 25 completed moves for that home size. Below that threshold, a median is too easily swung by a single unusual move, so we fall back to the model in the next section and label the figure accordingly. We would rather show a clearly-labelled estimate than a precise-looking number built on five data points.
Current status: no route on this site has yet reached the 25-move threshold, so every figure you see today comes from the cost model below and is labelled as an estimate. This notice will change when completed-move data is published.
Source 2 — the cost model
Long-distance carriers price on shipment weight and distance travelled, not hourly labor. Our model mirrors that with a base cost per home size, plus a per-mile rate that scales with the typical weight of that size of home:
cost = base + (per-mile rate × distance in miles)
| Home size | Base cost | Per mile |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $900 | $1.05 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,100 | $1.35 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,600 | $2.30 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,100 | $3.10 |
| 4+ bedrooms | $2,700 | $3.90 |
Two adjustments are applied to the result:
- Peak season: moves dated May–September are increased by 20%, reflecting carrier capacity constraints in those months.
- Range: the published range is ±18% around the calculated figure, rounded to the nearest $50.
Distances
On route pages, distance is the curated road distance for that specific corridor. In the calculator, distance is the great-circle distance between the two cities' coordinates multiplied by 1.2 to approximate road routing. The calculator only offers cities we hold coordinates for — we would rather turn a visitor away than guess at a location and produce a wrong price.
What we do not claim
- We publish no star ratings or review counts for carriers. We do not operate a verified review system, so any such number would be invented.
- We do not claim to be a moving company, to employ movers, or to perform any part of a move.
- Our estimates are not quotes. Only a carrier that has reviewed your inventory can give you a binding price.
- We do not rank carriers by what they pay us. Carriers receive your details based on whether they are licensed for your route.
Corrections
If a figure on this site looks wrong, tell us and we will check it. Call 1-866-654-2966 or use the contact form. Corrections are applied to the underlying data, not to individual pages.