How Much Do Removalists Cost in Australia? Hourly Rates by City and Move Size

Most removalists in Australia charge by the hour for local moves: typically $120 to $180 an hour for two movers and a truck, and $160 to $220 for a three-person crew, usually with a two-hour minimum and travel time on top. As a total, a one-bedroom local move generally lands between $300 and $600, a two-bedroom between $500 and $900, a three-bedroom between $800 and $1,500, and a large four-bedroom family home between $1,200 and $2,500. Interstate moves price differently again, by volume and distance rather than the clock.

Nobody in this industry likes publishing numbers, which is why the answers online come from comparison sites rather than companies that actually carry furniture. We would rather you walked into your quotes knowing what things cost. So here they are.

Hourly rates by crew and truck size

Two things to check under any hourly rate. First, the minimum: two hours is standard, and some companies bill in half-hour blocks after that while others round up the full hour. Second, travel: most removalists charge a call-out or depot-to-depot travel component, so a cheap hourly rate with a fat travel charge can beat you home. Always compare the estimated total, never the rate.

What moves cost by city

As a rough guide for a local two-to-three-bedroom move: Sydney sits at the top of the national range, Melbourne close behind, and Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Adelaide and Perth typically run 10 to 20 per cent below the Sydney figure for the same job. The spread is mostly labour costs, parking realities and distance between suburbs. Queensland movers get one structural advantage: houses with driveways beat apartment towers with loading docks for speed, and speed is money when the clock is running.

What about the big national brands?

The pricing questions people compare us against are usually about the large franchise networks, and the honest answer is that their local hourly rates sit inside the same market ranges above; national branding does not change what a truck and two careful people cost to run for an hour. What changes your total far more than the logo is everything in the next section.

What actually moves the price

• Access. Stairs, long carries, no lift, no parking. Every extra barrier adds time, and difficult access at both ends can double a small move.
• Volume and preparation. A packed, boxed, ready home moves fast. A half-packed one moves at the speed of the slowest cupboard.
• The day and the date. End of month, weekends and the December to January peak all book out first and price accordingly. A mid-week, mid-month move is the same truck for less.
• Specialty items. Pianos, pool tables, safes and glass cabinets need extra hands or equipment, quoted as additions.
• Distance. Past roughly 100 kilometres, moves shift from hourly to fixed pricing by volume and route, which is its own topic and its own maths.

Hourly rate or fixed quote?

For small local moves, hourly is fair and usually cheapest. For bigger homes and anything interstate, push for a fixed quote based on an accurate inventory, because a fixed number puts the time risk on the company that controls the truck, not on you. Our quotes for Brisbane and Gold Coast moves are built from a proper inventory, in writing, before moving day, and a home removal that has been quoted properly is one where nobody is watching the clock with their stomach in a knot.

Frequently asked questions

Planning a move around Brisbane or the Gold Coast? Get a quote built from your actual inventory, so the number you plan around is the number you pay.