Dallas is one of the cheaper big cities to move in, and for a small apartment a full-service quote can come close to labor-only. We triangulate the 2026 numbers, show where splitting the truck from the labor pays, and explain the written maximum price Texas requires.
How much does it cost to move in Dallas? Less than you'd think, for a city this size. moveBuddha says Dallas movers average $60 an hour, 55% below the national average. Great Guys Moving's 873 Dallas customer reports average $942 a move. HireAHelper puts the local full-service average at $873, barely different from the Texas average of $865. Those numbers don't agree with each other, and one of them is a lot lower than anything we'd plan around. We sorted them out below.
Spoiler alert: we're Undergrads Moving, and labor-only moving is our whole business, so this guide is in part a shamelessly self-promotional tactic. However, we did run the numbers and do our research here. Dallas is also the market where we'll tell you that a full-service mover is sometimes a fine deal. Read below, and make up your own conclusions.
What Dallas movers charge per hour
moveBuddha's Dallas page tracks 278 licensed movers and lists a $60 hourly average with a $120 two-hour minimum (November 2026). The same page also lists $83 to $227 an hour per crew member, which can't both be right. Thumbtack shows Dallas movers at $45 to $99 an hour. Dallas movers that list on HireAHelper mostly price a two-person crew at $90 to $150 an hour with a two-hour minimum, and one of them adds 20% for same-day jobs.
Our read: the $60 figure looks like a per-mover rate, not a crew-and-truck rate. A realistic 2026 planning number for a truck and two movers in Dallas is $90–$150 an hour, and you'll see quotes at both ends of that.
The Undergrads comparison: our Dallas crews run $112 an hour for two movers, locked before the move starts, with no stair fees or fuel surcharges. You rent the truck. HireAHelper's own Dallas average for that kind of labor-only help is $112.74 an hour, so we're priced right at the market.
Average moving cost in Dallas by home size
| Home size | moveBuddha typical (full-service) | Labor only (HireAHelper avg) | Labor only (Great Guys est.) | Triangulated full-service range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $264 | n/a | $154 | ~$250–$500 |
| 1-bedroom | $347 | $295 | $246 | ~$350–$650 |
| 2-bedroom | $528 | $360–$362 | $553 | ~$530–$950 |
| 3-bedroom | $1,153 | $429–$430 | $784 | ~$1,150–$1,600 |
| 4-bedroom | $1,314 | $493 | $1,475 | ~$1,300–$2,000 |
We set the triangulated ranges above moveBuddha's typicals on purpose. Great Guys' typical Dallas move runs $668 to $1,285, and HireAHelper's full-service average is $873. Those are real customer bills, and they say moveBuddha's by-size numbers sit at the low end of what people pay.
Studio and 1-bedroom moves
Full-service runs about $264 for a studio and $347 for a one-bedroom per moveBuddha, more like $350 to $650 once a two-hour minimum, travel time and a realistic crew rate are in. On a move this size, the minimum is a big share of the bill no matter who you hire.
Labor-only moving with Undergrads: studio and 1-bedroom moves with our crews typically run $170–$350. Add a 10- or 15-foot U-Haul (advertised from $19.95 and $29.95 a day, plus mileage) and you're close to what a lower-priced full-service crew charges. That's the part of the Dallas market where we tell people to get one full-service quote too, and compare.
2-bedroom moves
moveBuddha's typical two-bedroom is $528, from $343. HireAHelper's labor-only average is about $360, and Great Guys estimates the labor alone at $553. Customer reports put a full-service two-bedroom closer to $700 to $950.
Labor-only moving with Undergrads: 2- and 3-bedroom moves with our crews typically run $450–$550, plus a 15- or 20-foot truck (from $29.95 or $39.95 a day). The savings over full-service here is real but not huge. What you get for it is control: you pick the truck, the day and the start time, and with us you get licensed and insured movers, along with a full support team if your plans change.
3-bedroom houses and up
Full-service doubles at three bedrooms: $1,153 typical per moveBuddha, up to $1,314 for a 4-bedroom, $1,994 for five. HireAHelper's labor-only averages stay flat by comparison: $429 for a three-bedroom house, $493 for a four-bedroom. That gap, around $700 to $800, is where labor-only earns its keep in Dallas.
Labor-only moving with Undergrads: bigger homes are billed at $56 per mover per hour with a larger crew, plus a 26-foot truck (from $49.95 a day; 26 feet is the largest truck you can rent without a commercial license). If your house won't fit in one 26-footer, or you're leaving Texas, hire a full-service mover. moveBuddha puts Dallas long-distance moves of 100+ miles at $1,500 to $8,500 and up.
What Texas law gives you
Texas doesn't cap mover rates, but it does police the paperwork. Every in-state mover needs an active TxDMV certificate, and its trucks have to show both the TxDMV and USDOT numbers. Before anything gets loaded, the mover has to hand you TxDMV's "Your Rights & Responsibilities When You Move in Texas" brochure and a written proposal that states the maximum you can be required to pay, either binding (an exact price) or not-to-exceed. A Dallas mover that won't put a maximum number in writing is out of compliance.
Two more things worth knowing. Liability is whatever you agree to in writing; Texas lets a mover offer 60 cents per pound per item, which makes a 50-pound TV worth $30, so read that line before you sign. And if something goes wrong, you have 90 days after delivery to file a claim, the mover has 23 days to acknowledge it, and TxDMV runs free mediation at (888) 368-4689.
Dallas-specific costs
Drive time. The Metroplex is big, and full-service crews bill for the drive. A move from Oak Cliff to Frisco or from Uptown to McKinney puts the truck on the highway for a long stretch, and on an hourly contract you pay the crew for every minute of it. Ask how travel is billed before you compare hourly rates.
Heat. The average first 100-degree day at DFW is July 1 and the last is August 27 (National Weather Service, 1991–2020 normals). Summer crews slow down in the afternoon, and an hourly bill notices. Book a morning start.
Spring storms. North Texas hail season peaks in spring; this past April, the Weather Service logged hail up to teacup size in northeast Dallas County. Ask any mover what happens to your booking if a storm warning lands on move day; cancellation policies sometimes aren't as flexible as ours.
High-rises. Uptown and Downtown buildings usually want a certificate of insurance from your mover and a reserved elevator window. Ask the management office early; month-end slots go first.
SMU's calendar. SMU moved new students in August 14–15 this year. Halls close for winter break December 17 at 10 a.m., spring move-in is January 14, and last spring's move-out ran May 15 to May 18. Expect University Park and the M Streets to be busy those weeks.
Same-day surcharges. At least one Dallas mover adds 20% to same-day jobs, and some don't refund unused minimum time. Read the fine print on rush bookings.
How to save on a Dallas move
- Get a written not-to-exceed proposal from every full-service mover. Texas law requires it, and it makes quotes comparable.
- For a small apartment, price a full-service quote against labor-only plus a truck. In Dallas, the two can come out close.
- For a house, split the truck from the labor. That's where the $700-plus gap shows up.
- Start early in the day from June through August, and keep the crew out of the afternoon heat.
- Get free boxes from liquor stores (closed Sundays in Texas), Nextdoor, and the Dallas County board on Trash Nothing.
The bottom line
Dallas is one of the cheaper big cities in the country to move in. Plan on $90 to $150 an hour for a truck and two movers, $350 to $650 for a full-service one-bedroom, and $1,150 or more once you're moving a three-bedroom house, with drive time across the Metroplex as the cost that sneaks up on you. Labor-only saves the most on houses and the least on small apartments, and Texas law makes every mover put its maximum price in writing.
If labor-only fits your move, our Dallas movers work at $112 an hour for two, with university-student crews, the rate locked before we start, $1,000 damage protection and a $50 Show-Up Guarantee. $5 holds your date. Need a crew this week? We take last-minute Dallas moves too.
Want a number for your own move? Our Dallas Moving Calculator gives a quick estimate, and it's a good way to check a quote you already have.
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