Big Apple Moving has been moving New Yorkers since 1979. Most people arrive on this page with two questions: what will this actually cost, and how do I tell a real moving company from a phone number. This page answers both, with the rates we charge and the checks worth running on anyone you are considering.
How Much Do NYC Movers Cost?
Most NYC movers charge by the hour. Our crews start at $150 per hour with the truck included, and larger crews are quoted per job. A typical local one-bedroom move in the five boroughs lands between $600 and $1,100 all in. Big Apple Moving is a licensed and insured New York City moving company, and the rates below reflect what a local move actually costs in 2026.
| Crew size | Best suited to |
|---|---|
| 2 movers + truck | Studio or small one-bedroom |
| 3 movers + truck | One to two bedrooms |
| 4 movers + truck | Three bedrooms, or a walk-up |
| 5 movers + truck | Four or more bedrooms, small offices |
These are market-rate estimates for a local move within New York City, not guaranteed quotes. There is no minimum number of hours, and fuel and tolls are included. Five things move the number more than anything else.
Building access is the biggest one. A fourth-floor walk-up can add two to three hours to the same volume of furniture that would take one hour through a service elevator. If your building requires a reserved elevator window, the crew has to work inside it.
Certificate of insurance requirements come next. Most managed buildings will not admit a crew without a COI naming the building as additional insured. This is free from us, but it has to be arranged before the date, not on the morning.
Long carry and parking distance matter more here than anywhere else. If the truck cannot get within a reasonable distance of the door, everything is carried further, and the clock runs.
Packing is the largest optional cost. A full pack for a one-bedroom typically adds several hours of crew time plus materials. Our packing services page breaks that down separately.
Timing is the one most people can control. The last weekend of the month and the first of the next are the busiest days in the New York moving calendar. A midweek date mid-month is consistently cheaper and easier to book. Full detail on how the hourly clock works, what it covers and how to cut the hours is on our hourly movers page. You can also run the numbers yourself with our moving cost calculator, or see our flat fee movers page if you would rather have the price fixed before moving day.
What Is Included in Every Move
Every Big Apple Moving job includes the following at no extra charge. If another mover quotes you a lower hourly rate, check which of these they bill separately.
Licensed and Insured
We are registered with the New York State Department of Transportation for moves within the state and hold an active USDOT number for interstate work. Cargo and liability coverage applies to every job.
Certificate of Insurance
We issue the COI your building management requires, naming the building as additional insured, at no charge. Send us the building requirements when you book.
Blankets, Wrap and Tape
Furniture protection is part of the job, not an add-on. Sofas, mattresses, dressers and anything with a finish get wrapped before they move.
Disassembly and Reassembly
Bed frames, dining tables, desks and shelving are taken apart at pickup and put back together at delivery. No extra fee, no separate handyman.
Floor and Doorway Protection
Runners on hardwood and carpet, padding on door jambs and banisters. It protects your deposit and the building common areas.
A Written Estimate Up Front
You see the hourly rate, the crew size, the estimated hours and the minimum in writing before anything is confirmed. No verbal numbers.
Moving Services We Offer in NYC
Whichever kind of move you are planning, the same crews, equipment and standards apply. Follow any service below for pricing and detail specific to that move.
Local Moving
Moves within New York City and the surrounding area, billed hourly. The most common job we run. Local moving
Residential Moving
Apartments, brownstones and houses, including walk-ups, elevator buildings and co-ops with strict move-in windows. Residential moving
Commercial Moving
Offices, retail and light industrial, scheduled around your operating hours so the business keeps running. Commercial moving
Furniture Moving
Our crew wraps, disassembles, and reassembles your furniture — from single pieces to full apartment loads across all five boroughs. Furniture moving
Interstate Moving
Moves across state lines with a written delivery window and a single point of contact from pickup to drop-off. Interstate moving
Cross-Country Moving
Coast-to-coast relocations, coordinated end to end so your belongings arrive together and on schedule. Cross-country moving
International Moving
Overseas relocations including freight booking, customs documentation and destination delivery. International moving
We also offer packing services, moving and storage, and specialty handling for pianos, pool tables, art and antiques. The full list is on our services page.
Moving out of a dorm room, or storing one for the summer? Our student movers in NYC cover dorm room pickup, summer storage between terms and autumn redelivery.
Moving from an apartment? Our apartment movers in NYC cover walk-ups, doorman buildings and the building paperwork that goes with them.
How to Choose a Moving Company in NYC
New York has more moving companies than any other city in the country, and the quality range is wide. Four checks separate a real operation from a broker with a phone number.
Whatever you are comparing, check that the company is licensed and insured and can produce a Certificate of Insurance for your building before you book.
NYC Movers in Every Borough
We move across all five boroughs. Each borough has its own building stock, parking rules and access problems, and our crews work in all of them every week.
We also work well beyond the city line. Westchester movers covers the whole county, including White Plains, Yonkers, Scarsdale and the rivertowns, and moves between New York City and Westchester are one of the most common jobs we run.
Manhattan Movers
Doorman buildings, reserved elevator windows, tight streets and strict COI requirements. Manhattan movers
Brooklyn Movers
Brownstone walk-ups, narrow stairwells and stoops, from Williamsburg to Bay Ridge. Brooklyn movers
Queens Movers
The largest borough by area, from high-rises in Long Island City to houses in Bayside. Queens movers
Bronx Movers
Apartment buildings, two-family homes and co-ops across Riverdale, Fordham and beyond. Bronx movers
Staten Island Movers
Houses and townhomes with driveways and garages, plus the ferry and bridge logistics. Staten Island movers
How Your Move Works
NYC Movers – Frequently Asked Questions
Costs, minimums, insurance and booking, answered directly.
If your building requires a certificate of insurance before moving day, see our COI movers page — we issue them at no charge, usually the same business day.
