How much does a local move cost in metro Atlanta, and what drives the range?
On this page
A local full-service move in metro Atlanta typically costs a few hundred dollars for a studio and about $1,603 to $1,834 for a three- or four-bedroom home, according to moveBuddha’s Atlanta cost data, updated October 7, 2026. The legal ceiling sits well above those figures: Georgia’s tariff caps a van and two movers at $196.93 an hour. What moves you within the range is hours, and hours come from volume, crew size, and access.
Typical Atlanta prices next to the legal maximum
moveBuddha, a moving marketplace that carries an advertising disclosure, says its Atlanta figures come from “analysis of 51 licensed local full-service movers in Atlanta, using data from real moves booked through our network and updated monthly” and that they do not account for stairs, elevators, or long carries. Two limits apply to the comparison: moveBuddha defines Atlanta local moves as those “under 100 miles”, while Georgia’s hourly ceilings apply only to moves of 50 miles or less, and its figures are marketplace bookings, not tariff calculations. Read the table as a rough guide to crew and hours, not a matched sample. The last column is the most a licensed Georgia carrier could charge for the same crew and hours on a weekday under DPS Maximum Rate Tariff No. 7, before any travel time.
| Home size | Typical cost (moveBuddha, Oct. 2026) | Crew and hours behind that figure | Tariff No. 7 ceiling for that crew and time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $331 | 2 movers, 3 hours | $590.79 |
| 1 bedroom | $450 | 2 movers, 4 hours | $787.72 |
| 2 bedrooms | $710 | 3 movers, 5 hours | $1,269.50 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,603 | 4 movers, 8 hours | $2,496.88 |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,834 | 4 movers, 9 hours | $2,808.99 |
| 5 or more bedrooms | $2,807 | 5 movers, 10 hours | $3,690.80 |
Two things follow. A quote near the typical figure is ordinary for a licensed Atlanta mover, because the tariff is a ceiling and DPS’s own guide says “all rates are negotiable.” And on an hourly move of 50 miles or less inside Georgia, an hourly rate above the ceiling for the crew size and time slot quoted is not allowed on the standard bill of lading terms, whatever a national average says. Compare the hourly rate, not only the total, because a total can also include up to one hour of travel time and other items the tariff permits. The full schedule of maximums is in Georgia’s Maximum Rate Tariff and what it caps.
Where the number comes from
A move within metro Atlanta that covers 50 miles or less is billed under DPS Maximum Rate Tariff No. 7 as an hourly rate for a van and crew times the billable hours. The van is part of the hourly rate, not a separate charge. A licensed carrier may also bill up to one hour of travel to reach you, at no more than its hourly rate, and the clock stops when the crew finishes at the new home, so there is no charge for the drive back. Padding, furniture disassembly and reassembly, and carrying items to and from the truck are included in the rate under Georgia’s rules.
Because the total is rate times time, the same crew charging the same rate can produce very different bills. Most of the levers below change the hours; crew size and overtime change the hourly rate as well.
The levers that move you within the range
- Volume. More rooms and more boxes mean more loading and unloading time. It is the largest driver in moveBuddha’s table, where hours climb from 3 for a studio to 10 for a five-bedroom home.
- Crew size. A bigger crew raises the hourly rate and shortens the job. At the tariff ceiling, a van and three movers costs about 29% more per hour than a van and two ($253.90 against $196.93), so the extra mover pays for itself only if it cuts the hours by more than about 22%.
- Day and time. Weekday work between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. is regular time. Weekends, the five holidays named in DPS’s rules, and after-5 p.m. work are overtime, at a higher ceiling ($246.47 for a van and two movers) and only with your written consent. A nine- or ten-hour job that starts late can run into overtime.
- Access. Stairs, a long walk from the truck, and a wait for the freight elevator all add billable time. In a high-rise, the building’s rules on freight elevator reservations and insurance certificates can decide whether the crew starts on time.
- Packing. If the crew packs, its time bills at the same hourly rate and boxes are added at the tariff’s container prices. Packing yourself before the crew arrives keeps that time off the bill.
How to estimate your own move
Start with the row in the table that matches your home, then adjust the hours: add time for stairs, a long carry, or unfinished packing, and take time off for a fully boxed home and a clear path to the truck. Multiply by the quoted hourly rate for the crew size you are offered, add up to one hour of travel, and check the result against the ceiling column. How long each home size tends to take, and what stretches the day, is covered in how long a local move takes by home size.
Then get the number in writing. A survey of your home, in person or by video, followed by a written estimate on DPS’s Uniform Estimated Cost of Services Form, is the figure to plan around. A phone price for an Atlanta move is a starting point for comparison, not a budget. If you plan to drive a rented truck yourself and only need help with the lifting, the trade-offs are in what a labor-only move is.