Moving company fees explained: travel time, truck fees, minimums

How a moving bill adds up

A local move is usually priced by the hour. The bill is the crew’s hourly rate times the hours it works, plus the cost of getting the truck to you, plus any extra fees: stairs, a long walk to the truck, heavy items, packing materials or a busy date.

Each of those is set by the mover, and each mover sets them differently. The tables below show what movers publish on their own websites in 14 Canadian cities, from our October 2026 price audit. Mississauga, the 15th market in our Canada Moving Cost Index, shares Toronto’s figures. Each city’s moving cost page lists the movers by name.

Travel time and truck fees

Movers charge for the trip to your home in one of three ways:

• Travel time at the crew rate. This is the usual way in most cities in our data: about 1 hour, added once. Longer trips can cost more, such as 1.5–2 hours from Surrey or Langley in Vancouver.
• A flat truck or arrival fee instead of travel time. In Toronto, it’s often $100–$160; in Calgary, $99–$149.
• Travel included in the rate. A few movers do this, sometimes only inside the city.

Québec’s consumer protection office puts it simply: “In most cases, you will have to pay for the travel time between the warehouse and your residence.” It suggests choosing a mover located near your home if you can (OPC).

Ask whether travel counts toward the minimum hours, or is billed on top of them. It changes the total.

Minimum hours

Most movers set a minimum: you pay for that many hours even if the job takes less. In most cities in our data, it’s 2 or 3 hours of work. Toronto’s range is wider, from 1 to 4 hours, with 3 the most common. In Montréal and Québec City, movers often state it as hours of work plus 1 hour of travel.

That’s why a very small job costs more per hour of work. For a few items, look for a shorter minimum: some movers publish 1 or 2 hours. More on small moves.

Stairs

Stairs are charged in one of three ways, or not at all:

• Included. Often the case in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.
• A fee per flight. In Toronto and Ottawa, movers that charge for stairs list $30 or $45 a flight.
• Extra time. In Montréal and Québec City, stairs are usually billed as time. In Montréal, that’s about 30 minutes to an hour per floor.

Tell the mover about stairs, elevators and the distance to the truck when you ask for a quote. Québec’s consumer office notes that you’ll get a more accurate estimate (OPC). If your building has an elevator, book it ahead.

Busy dates

Many movers charge more at month-end, on weekends and in summer. In Toronto, that’s often about $5–$10 more an hour at month-end and on weekends. In Montréal and Vancouver, weekends and holidays can cost about 10% more. In Québec, July 1 is the most expensive day of the year.

Some movers also give a discount on mid-month weekdays. Our guide to the cheapest time to move has each city’s busy dates and discounts.

Fuel

In most cities in our data, fuel is included in the hourly rate or the truck fee. A trip outside the city can cost more: in Halifax, fuel outside the municipality is often charged per km.

What the law says about fees

Ontario. A moving contract worth more than $50 must be in writing and include “an itemized list of prices” and the total you’ll pay. And “by law, the mover cannot charge you more than 10% above the estimate in your contract unless you need additional supplies or services and agree to an increase” (Ontario.ca).

Québec. The contract must clearly list every fee the mover could charge, such as travel fees, the hourly labour rate and fees for overweight items, so you know in advance what you could be asked to pay. A clause that lets the mover change the price on its own isn’t allowed (Office de la protection du consommateur, June 27, 2025, in French). A mover “cannot demand a price that is higher than the one indicated in the contract” (OPC).

Across Canada. The Competition Act has a rule on “drip pricing”: “the making of a representation of a price that is not attainable due to fixed obligatory charges or fees constitutes a false or misleading representation”, unless those charges are only amounts set by law, such as taxes (Competition Act, s. 74.01 (1.1)).

So ask each mover, in writing, which fees every customer pays and whether they’re in the price you were quoted. If you think a price was advertised without fees everyone must pay, you can report it to the Competition Bureau (complaint form). For a dispute over your own bill, contact your province’s consumer protection office.

Questions to ask before you book

• Do you bill travel as time or as a flat fee? How much?
• What’s your minimum, and does travel count toward it?
• Do you charge for stairs, an elevator or a long walk to the truck?
• Is fuel included?
• Is my date a busy date? What would a mid-month weekday cost?
• Which fees does every customer pay, and are they in this price?
• Will you put all of this in the written contract?

Then compare the quotes side by side: is my moving quote fair? explains how, and the quote checker shows where a quote sits against what movers in your city publish.