What a Bay Area local move costs, by home size

A local Bay Area move with Spartan is billed by the hour for the whole crew and the truck: $145 per hour for 2 movers, $175 for 3 movers and $235 for 4 movers, the same rate every day of the week, with a 3-hour minimum. Across the 77 local moves we completed between July and October 2026, not counting account work, the median move took 6.25 billed hours and the median final bill was about $1,253 before tip and card fee.

At our current 3-mover rate, a typical studio works out to about $700 in labor, a 1-bedroom about $570, a typical 2-bedroom about $1,100, and a 3-bedroom from about $1,925 to $2,585 depending on crew size. The rest of this guide shows where those numbers come from and what moves them up or down.

The rate covers the crew and the truck together; there is no separate truck fee. Most homes get 3 movers. A 3-bedroom over 1,800 sq ft and any home with 4 or more bedrooms gets 4. We send 2 movers only for very small moves or when a customer asks for it.

Labor column = median billed hours x our current published hourly rate, before packing supplies, packages, discounts, tip and card fee. It is an illustration from real job lengths, not a quote. The 4+ bedroom row is based on only six jobs.

Data: 77 local moves Spartan completed and closed between July 16 and October 17, 2026, not counting account work (jobs booked through a business account or moving broker) or test entries. Billed hours are the hours on the final invoice, including any double drive time. Home size was recorded on 58 of those jobs.

• Labor: billed hours x the hourly rate. Time is counted from arrival to completion, in 15-minute increments after the 3-hour minimum.
• Double drive time: if your two addresses are more than 10 minutes apart, the drive between them is counted twice, per California rules. Driving to your pickup and back from your drop-off is not charged. See our double drive time guide.
• Packing supplies, as used: boxes, mattress covers, bubble wrap, dish packs and similar. Moving blankets, tape, wardrobe boxes (during the move) and floor protection are included.
• Card fee: 3% if you pay by Visa or Mastercard. Cash and money order have no fee. We do not take checks, Zelle or Venmo.

No mileage charge, no fuel surcharge, no tax line, no stair fee, no elevator fee and no extra-stop fee on a local move. Stairs, elevators and extra stops still cost something: the time they take. Elevator wait time is billed as part of the move, so reserving the elevator at both buildings is one of the easiest ways to save money.

You do not need to choose a package in advance. We can start at the standard rate and, at the end of the move, compare the total with and without a package and bill whichever is lower. In our July to October data, 9 of 77 local moves ended up on the Golden Package.

1. Pack everything before the crew arrives. Sealed boxes stack fast; loose items and bags do not.
2. Empty dressers and take apart what you can. Disassembly is included, but it is still time.
3. Reserve elevators and parking. Our truck needs about 40 feet of curb. In San Francisco a double-parking citation is added to the bill, so a permit can pay for itself.
4. Pay by cash or money order to avoid the 3% card fee.
5. Ask about discounts: 7% for returning customers, 5% when a past customer or friend refers you, 7% when your real estate agent refers you (we need the referrer's name or phone number).
6. Use the right crew size. Two movers cost less per hour, but on anything beyond a very small move the extra hours usually cost more than the lower rate saves.