PODS Moving Cost (2026): Container vs Full-Service Movers

DIY vs pro at a glance

What pros charge for moving with a container

What moves the price

Distance

Local movers charge by the hour — $120–$200 for two movers and a truck, more for a bigger crew — so a move under 50 miles is priced by how long it takes. Past about 100 miles it's a long-distance move priced by weight and mileage, and the transport leg becomes most of the bill. Containers follow the same curve: $500–$1,000 local, $2,500–$5,000 at 500 miles, $5,000–$9,000 across the country.

How much you own

A 1-bedroom apartment is 2,000–3,000 lb and fits an 8–12 ft container or a half-day for two movers; a 3-bedroom house is 6,000–9,000 lb, two 16 ft containers, or a full day for four. Underestimating is the usual surprise on both sides — a second container or a second truck trip.

Season and date

May through September, month-ends and weekends run 20–30% above winter weekday rates for movers and containers alike. Flexibility on the date is the one discount everyone can get.

Packing

Full-service quotes usually assume you've packed. Having the crew pack adds $500–$2,500 by home size, plus materials; unpacking is another $300–$1,200. A container move is self-packed by definition.

Access

Stairs, elevators, a long carry from the truck to the door, or a street the truck can't reach (a shuttle) each add $150–$1,000 to a mover's bill. A container needs a flat spot about 12 ft wide and 8 ft under any overhang, on your driveway or a permitted street space.

Specialty items and protection

A piano, a safe, a hot tub or a large aquarium is $300–$1,500 extra with movers and often not allowed in a container at all. Full-value protection on a long-distance move is $200–$1,000; container companies sell contents protection at $10–$300 a month.

Storage

If there's a gap between homes, a container stays at the company's warehouse for $150–$350 a month and comes back when you're ready. Movers charge storage-in-transit at $300–$1,200 a month plus a second handling fee, which is where full-service moves with a gap get expensive.

Common add-ons

What it costs to do it yourself

Local move, 1-bedroom apartment: $1,160–$1,310 and 8–14 hours

DIY line items for local move, 1-bedroom apartment

Item	Cost	Note
Furniture dolly and appliance hand truck rental	$45 ($45/day)	Rental · a four-wheel dolly for dressers and a strapped hand truck for the fridge and washer
Ratchet straps, 4-pack	$40	Purchase · loads shift in transit; strap every section to the container's tie-down rings
Moving blankets, 12-pack	$60	Purchase · container companies rent them too, but buying is about the same price
Forearm lifting straps	$30	Purchase · the cheapest thing that keeps two people from hurting their backs
Box cutter, tape gun, marker, work gloves	$25	Purchase · most homeowners already own this
Screwdriver set and socket set for furniture	$40	Purchase · most homeowners already own this
One 8–12 ft container: delivery, one month, transport under 50 miles, pickup	$850	$600–$1,000 all-in; each extra month is $150–$250
Boxes, tape, packing paper and bubble wrap — 1-bedroom	$90	Materials
Mattress bags, stretch wrap and a lock for the container	$45	Materials
Disposal	$0	Dump fees, haul-away or bagging
Permit	$0–$150	no permit for a container on your own driveway; most cities require a temporary street-occupancy permit if it sits on the street, and many HOAs limit how long a container can stay in view
Total (own common tools)	$1,160–$1,310	typical $1,235
Total (own nothing)	$1,225–$1,375	buying every tool listed

Local move, 3-bedroom house: $2,080–$2,230 and 20–35 hours

DIY line items for local move, 3-bedroom house

Item	Cost	Note
Furniture dolly and appliance hand truck rental	$45 ($45/day)	Rental · a four-wheel dolly for dressers and a strapped hand truck for the fridge and washer
Ratchet straps, 4-pack	$40	Purchase · loads shift in transit; strap every section to the container's tie-down rings
Moving blankets, 12-pack	$60	Purchase · container companies rent them too, but buying is about the same price
Forearm lifting straps	$30	Purchase · the cheapest thing that keeps two people from hurting their backs
Box cutter, tape gun, marker, work gloves	$25	Purchase · most homeowners already own this
Screwdriver set and socket set for furniture	$40	Purchase · most homeowners already own this
Two 16 ft containers: delivery, one month, local transport, pickup	$1,600	$1,200–$2,000 all-in for a 3-bedroom house
Boxes, tape, packing paper and bubble wrap — 3-bedroom	$260	60–90 boxes; free used boxes from stores and neighbors cut this in half
Mattress bags, stretch wrap and a lock for the container	$45	Materials
Disposal	$0	Dump fees, haul-away or bagging
Permit	$0–$150	no permit for a container on your own driveway; most cities require a temporary street-occupancy permit if it sits on the street, and many HOAs limit how long a container can stay in view
Total (own common tools)	$2,080–$2,230	typical $2,155
Total (own nothing)	$2,145–$2,295	buying every tool listed

500-mile move, 3-bedroom house: $4,680–$4,830 and 24–40 hours

DIY line items for 500-mile move, 3-bedroom house

Item	Cost	Note
Furniture dolly and appliance hand truck rental	$45 ($45/day)	Rental · a four-wheel dolly for dressers and a strapped hand truck for the fridge and washer
Ratchet straps, 4-pack	$40	Purchase · loads shift in transit; strap every section to the container's tie-down rings
Moving blankets, 12-pack	$60	Purchase · container companies rent them too, but buying is about the same price
Forearm lifting straps	$30	Purchase · the cheapest thing that keeps two people from hurting their backs
Box cutter, tape gun, marker, work gloves	$25	Purchase · most homeowners already own this
Screwdriver set and socket set for furniture	$40	Purchase · most homeowners already own this
Two 16 ft containers shipped about 500 miles	$4,200	$3,000–$5,500 with a month at each end and transport
Boxes, tape, packing paper and bubble wrap — 3-bedroom	$260	60–90 boxes; free used boxes from stores and neighbors cut this in half
Mattress bags, stretch wrap and a lock for the container	$45	Materials
Disposal	$0	Dump fees, haul-away or bagging
Permit	$0–$150	no permit for a container on your own driveway; most cities require a temporary street-occupancy permit if it sits on the street, and many HOAs limit how long a container can stay in view
Total (own common tools)	$4,680–$4,830	typical $4,755
Total (own nothing)	$4,745–$4,895	buying every tool listed

Cross-country move, 3-bedroom house: $7,480–$7,630 and 24–40 hours

DIY line items for cross-country move, 3-bedroom house

Item	Cost	Note
Furniture dolly and appliance hand truck rental	$45 ($45/day)	Rental · a four-wheel dolly for dressers and a strapped hand truck for the fridge and washer
Ratchet straps, 4-pack	$40	Purchase · loads shift in transit; strap every section to the container's tie-down rings
Moving blankets, 12-pack	$60	Purchase · container companies rent them too, but buying is about the same price
Forearm lifting straps	$30	Purchase · the cheapest thing that keeps two people from hurting their backs
Box cutter, tape gun, marker, work gloves	$25	Purchase · most homeowners already own this
Screwdriver set and socket set for furniture	$40	Purchase · most homeowners already own this
Two 16 ft containers shipped about 2,500 miles	$7,000	$5,000–$9,000; quotes vary widely by route and season, so get three
Boxes, tape, packing paper and bubble wrap — 3-bedroom	$260	60–90 boxes; free used boxes from stores and neighbors cut this in half
Mattress bags, stretch wrap and a lock for the container	$45	Materials
Disposal	$0	Dump fees, haul-away or bagging
Permit	$0–$150	no permit for a container on your own driveway; most cities require a temporary street-occupancy permit if it sits on the street, and many HOAs limit how long a container can stay in view
Total (own common tools)	$7,480–$7,630	typical $7,555
Total (own nothing)	$7,545–$7,695	buying every tool listed

Hidden costs of DIY

The monthly clock

Containers bill by the month, and the month starts at delivery, not at your closing date. A move that slips a week past the rental period is another full month at $150–$250 per container, and on a long-distance move both ends have their own clock.

Loading is the whole job

The container company drives; you do everything else. A 3-bedroom house is 20–35 hours of packing, carrying and loading for two people, and the heavy pieces still need two backs. Hiring two loaders for three hours is $200–$400 and turns a container move into the hybrid most people actually want.

Fit and the second container

A 16 ft container holds about three rooms of furniture, packed tight. Companies size by room count and are optimistic; if it doesn't fit, the second container is a second delivery, second month and second transport. Measure the big pieces and be honest about the garage.

Where it sits

A container needs a flat 12 × 8 ft space with 8 ft of overhead clearance for the delivery truck. On the street that's a permit in most cities; in an HOA it's often a 7- or 14-day limit. A steep or short driveway means it goes on the street or doesn't come.

Insurance

Your homeowners or renters policy usually doesn't cover goods in a container in transit or in the company's warehouse. Contents protection is sold by the month at $10–$300 depending on the declared value, and it's the only coverage on a self-packed load.

Delivery windows on long moves

Cross-country containers arrive in a window of several days, not on a day, and a delay at the destination end means a hotel and a rental clock still running. Movers have the same windows, but the container's arrival is your problem to receive.

Packing quality

A load that shifts breaks things, and the company's protection doesn't cover damage from how you loaded it. Heavy on the bottom, furniture blanketed, every gap filled, a strap every 4–6 ft to the rings. It's the one skill a first-timer doesn't have.

When to DIY and when to hire

The container’s real advantage isn’t the price

A moving container is a truck ride you load yourself. The company’s cost is the drop-off, the pickup and the miles; your cost is the same miles plus a week of your own back. That’s why the cost tables below split the way they do. On a local move, two movers and a truck cost about what a container does — $1,100 against $1,235 for a 1-bedroom, where movers are actually cheaper, and $2,500 against $2,155 for a 3-bedroom — and the movers do the lifting in a morning. On a long move, the container’s truck ride is a fixed price while a van line charges by weight, crew and days on the road, and the gap opens to $1,245 at 500 miles and $2,945 cross-country.

The other thing a container gives you is time and storage. It sits in the driveway for a month at each end, so packing happens over evenings rather than in one frantic day, and a gap between closing dates is absorbed by the company’s warehouse for $150–$250 a month instead of a mover’s storage-in-transit at $300–$1,200 plus a second handling charge. For a lot of moves that’s worth more than the price difference.

What it costs you is loading. A 3-bedroom house is 20–35 hours of packing, carrying and stacking, the heavy pieces still need two people, and a load that shifts in transit breaks things the company’s protection doesn’t cover. The DIY guide is about doing that well — and about the hybrid that most people end up preferring: a container plus two hired loaders for three hours at $200–$400.

How pros price it

Full-service movers price local moves by the hour and long-distance moves by weight and distance, with a long list of extras. The hire-a-pro page covers how to read an estimate and check a mover’s license. The lines that move the price most:

• Distance — hourly under about 50–100 miles; by the pound and the mile beyond.
• Weight — a 3-bedroom is 6,000–9,000 lb; every 1,000 lb is $400–$800 on a long move.
• Packing — $500–$2,500 to have the crew pack; unpacking $300–$1,200.
• Access — stairs, long carries and shuttle trucks, $150–$1,000.
• Season — May–September, month-ends and weekends run 20–30% higher.
• Storage — storage-in-transit at $300–$1,200 a month.
• Protection — full-value coverage at $200–$1,000; the free option pays 60 cents a pound.

Before you book either

Three checks. Where the container would sit — a flat 12 × 8 ft spot with overhead clearance, and the city’s street rules or the HOA’s limit on days. What’s in the house — a piano, a safe, a gun safe or a hot tub goes with movers, not in a container. The dates — a container’s month starts at delivery, and a long-distance container arrives in a window, not on a day. If a cleaning is part of the move-out, plan it for the day after the container leaves, not before.

Run your own numbers. The pods moving cost calculator prices it both ways: as DIY, with the tools you already own and a value on your time, or as a pro job at a low, typical or high quote with the add-ons that apply.

Frequently asked questions

How much does PODS cost?

$600 to $1,000 for a local move with one 8–12 ft container — delivery, a month of rental, transport under 50 miles and pickup — and $1,200–$2,000 for two 16 ft containers on a 3-bedroom house. Long distance, $3,000–$5,500 for a 3-bedroom at about 500 miles and $5,000–$9,000 across the country. Extra months are $150–$250 per container. PODS, 1-800-PACK-RAT, U-Pack and U-Haul U-Box all price in the same bands; quotes vary 20–30% by season and route, so get three.

Is PODS cheaper than movers?

On long-distance moves, yes — about 20–30% less, because the container's truck ride costs the same whether you or a crew loaded it, and full-service van lines price by weight and crew time. Locally, no: a container plus supplies for a 1-bedroom is about $1,235 against $1,100 for movers, and a 3-bedroom saves only about $345. The container's real local advantage is time — a week to load instead of a morning — and built-in storage, not price.

How much does PODS cost per month?

$150–$250 per container per month for rental, whether it's in your driveway or at the company's storage center, plus a one-time delivery and pickup fee of $75–$150 each way. The first month is bundled into most move quotes; storage past that is billed monthly, and the clock starts at delivery. A container held for three months on a local move typically ends up at $1,000–$1,400.

What size PODS container do I need?

An 8 ft container holds a studio or one room (about 400 cubic feet); a 12 ft, a 1-bedroom apartment or two rooms; a 16 ft, three rooms or a 2-bedroom house, packed tight. A 3-bedroom house is usually two 16 ft containers; a 4-bedroom, three. Companies estimate by room count and run optimistic — if you have a full garage, a workshop or oversized furniture, size up. A second container that arrives late is a second delivery fee and a second month.

How much do full-service movers cost?

Locally, $120–$200 an hour for two movers and a truck, so $800–$1,600 for a 1-bedroom apartment and $1,800–$3,500 for a 3-bedroom house with a crew of three or four. Long distance is priced by weight and miles: $4,500–$8,000 for a 3-bedroom at 500 miles and $8,000–$14,000 across the country. Packing ($500–$2,500), specialty items, stairs and storage-in-transit are extra. Get a binding or not-to-exceed estimate for any long-distance move.

How much does PODS cost for a long-distance move?

$3,000–$5,500 for two 16 ft containers moved about 500 miles, and $5,000–$9,000 for the same house cross-country, including a month at each end. Distance matters less than the route and the season — a move between two big metros in winter is the cheap end, a rural destination in July the expensive one. U-Pack's ReloCube and trailer options often price under PODS on long routes; get both.

What are the cheapest alternatives to PODS?

For the same container model: U-Pack (pay only for the space you use in a trailer, or ReloCubes), 1-800-PACK-RAT (all-steel containers, often price-matches) and U-Haul U-Box (cheapest locally, slower long distance). For a lower price altogether: a rental truck you drive yourself ($150–$400 local, $1,500–$3,500 cross-country with fuel) — but that trades the container's loading week and storage for a one-day sprint and a 26-foot truck in traffic. Hiring movers by the hour to load a container you rented is the middle path.

How does a PODS move work?

The company drops an empty container at your address on a delivery day; you load it over days or weeks; they pick it up and either store it or drive it to the new address, where it sits again while you unload. Local moves are priced as one package (delivery, a month, transport, pickup); long-distance moves add a transit leg with a delivery window of several days. You need a flat 12 × 8 ft spot with 8 ft of overhead clearance for the delivery truck's lift, on your driveway or a permitted street space.

Do I need a permit for a PODS container?

Not on your own driveway. On a public street, most cities require a temporary occupancy or right-of-way permit ($25–$150 for a week or two), and some prohibit containers on the street altogether. HOAs commonly limit how long a container can be visible — 7 or 14 days is typical — and some require notice. The container company can tell you what your city requires; the HOA rules are yours to check.

Sources

1. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand (SOC 53-7062), Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics , U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026-04
2. PODS Cost in 2026: Cost by Size, Distance, and Season , moveBuddha, 2026-09
3. How Much Do PODS Cost? Breakdown by Size and Distance , Forbes Home, 2026-09
4. Moving Pods vs. Moving Companies , Angi, 2026-09
5. Best Moving Container Companies: Costs and Reviews , Move.org, 2026-09
6. Moving Costs for Moving Containers , PODS Enterprises, 2026-09
7. Protect Your Move: Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move , Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 2026-09

Figures last reviewed 2026-09-19. See how we estimate.