Is My Moving Quote Fair? How to Compare Quotes

Why quotes for the same move differ

A local move is priced as an hourly rate times the hours the crew works, plus travel time and fees. Two movers can charge the same rate and still send very different quotes, because each one guesses the hours differently.

Here is a 2-bedroom move in Toronto with 3 movers at the typical rate of $180 an hour:

Same rate, different estimate: a 2-bedroom move in Toronto
Quote	Hours estimated	Rate	Quote before tax
Mover A	5 hours (incl. 1 h travel)	$180/h	$900
Mover B	7 hours (incl. 1 h travel)	$180/h	$1,260

Same rate, a $360 gap. Neither quote is wrong: both hour counts fall within what movers plan for a 2-bedroom home. The cheaper quote only stays cheaper if the move really takes 5 hours.

So compare the hours, not just the rate. Ask each mover how many hours it expects, and what it bases that on.

What a fair quote includes

Before you compare totals, make sure each quote lists:

Crew size and truck size
Hourly rate for the whole crew. Québec’s consumer office warns about ads that show a per-mover rate as if it were the crew rate (OPC).
Minimum hours, and whether travel counts toward them
Travel time or a truck fee
Every extra charge: stairs, long walks to the truck, heavy items, packing materials, fuel
Tax, and the total you’ll pay
Payment terms: deposit, payment method and when the balance is due

In Ontario, a moving contract over $50 must be in writing, with itemized prices, the total, the dates and the payment terms (Ontario.ca).

Fees movers charge, city by city

These are the fee rules movers publish on their own websites, from our October 2026 price audit.

Published fees in 4 cities (MoverDash price data, October 2026)
Fee	Toronto	Montréal	Vancouver	Calgary
Minimum booking	From 1 to 4 hours. Three hours is the most common minimum.	Usually 2–3 hours of work plus 1 hour of travel. One mover has a $500 local minimum.	Usually 2–3 hours. One mover asks for 4 hours, one has no minimum.	2 hours for 2 movers and 3 hours for bigger crews is the norm.
Travel or truck fee	Often an extra hour of travel time, or a flat truck fee of $100–$160. A few include travel in the rate.	Almost all add 1 hour of travel at the crew rate on the island; longer trips can be 1.5 hours.	Mostly 1 hour at the crew rate, 1.5–2 hours from Surrey or Langley. One adds a $150 truck fee; one charges no travel.	Most add 1 hour at the crew rate. Flat truck fees run $99–$149; one mover charges $150–$400.
Stairs	Stairs are often free; where they are charged, about $45 a flight.	Usually billed as extra time: about 30 minutes to an hour per floor. Some movers charge nothing for stairs.	Most movers charge no stair fee; a few raise the rate when there are stairs.	Usually not charged separately.

Each city’s moving cost page lists movers by name, with the rate and fees each one publishes.

How long your move should take

Movers’ own planning tables give these working hours for a local move. Add about 1 hour of travel time on top.

Typical working hours by home size
Home	Usual crew	Working hours
Studio	2 movers	2–3 hours
1 bedroom	2 movers	3.5–5 hours
2 bedrooms	3 movers	4–6 hours
3 bedrooms	3 movers	6–8 hours
House, 4+ bedrooms	4 movers	8–10 hours

Stairs, a long walk to the truck and boxes that aren’t packed yet all push a move toward the high end. If one quote is far below this range, ask what it assumes.

When the price can change

An hourly quote is an estimate, so the final bill follows the real hours. What a mover can’t do is raise the agreed price on its own:

In Ontario, a mover can’t charge more than 10% above the estimate in your contract. Extra services or supplies you agree to are the exception (Ontario.ca).
In Québec, a mover can’t charge more than the price in the contract (OPC).

A price that jumps once your things are on the truck is a warning sign. Our guide to moving scams in Canada explains what to do.

Check your quote

Enter the hourly rate, crew size and hours from your quote. The MoverDash quote checker compares them with what movers in your city publish and flags anything unusual. It runs in your browser, and nothing is stored.

Questions people ask

Do movers charge for travel time?

Most do. In the cities we audited, the usual practice is about 1 hour of travel at the crew rate, or a flat truck fee instead. A few movers include travel in the rate. Check which one your quote uses.

Do movers charge more on weekends or at month-end?

Often, but it varies by city. Toronto: Month-end and weekends cost more: about $5–$10 more per hour. Montréal: Several movers give about 10% off mid-month weekdays; weekends and holidays can cost about 10% more. Vancouver: Weekends and holidays can cost about 10% more. Calgary: Weekend and month-end surcharges are rare here; some movers give up to 15% off mid-week.

Should I get an in-person estimate?

For anything bigger than a small move, yes. The Competition Bureau notes that legitimate companies send someone to assess what you’re moving, so the quote is detailed and complete (Competition Bureau). A video walk-through or a detailed list of your items also helps.

What changed

October 13, 2026: First published.

Is my moving quote fair? How to compare quotes