Most Melbourne removalists charge between $140 and $180 per hour for two movers and a truck on a weekday. A two-bedroom apartment typically lands somewhere between $700 and $1,000. A three-bedroom house usually runs $1,000 to $1,500.
That’s the short answer. But it’s also why two quotes for the same house can come back $800 apart, and why so many people end up paying more than they were told.
Removalist pricing in Melbourne isn’t really about how much stuff you own. It’s about time, and a dozen things you’d never think of can quietly add hours to your move. This guide breaks down what the numbers actually are in 2026, what pushes them up, and where you can genuinely save.
Melbourne removalist rates in 2026
Hourly rates by crew size
Hourly is the standard pricing model for local moves in Melbourne. Rates vary by operator, day and season, but the market sits in a fairly narrow band:
| Crew | Weekday rate | Weekend / public holiday |
| 2 movers + truck | $140–$180/hr | $170–$220/hr |
| 3 movers + truck | $180–$220/hr | $210–$260/hr |
| 4 movers + truck | $220–$280/hr | $260–$320/hr |
Budget operators advertise from around $110/hr, and premium services reach $200/hr or more. Marketplace data from Muval, which aggregates real Melbourne bookings, puts the average at roughly $78 per half-hour, about $156/hr, with a typical 17m³ move taking around 4.4 hours. Airtasker’s national figures show a similar $111–$200 spread across Australian cities.
The extras that sit on top of the hourly rate
- Weekend and public holiday premiums: commonly 20–30% more. Saturday typically adds $10–$40 per hour; public holidays can push rates far higher.
- Minimum booking: most Melbourne companies require a 2–3 hour minimum, even if your move takes 90 minutes.
- Travel or call-out time: there are three models in the Melbourne market: depot to depot (you pay for the truck’s drive out and back), a flat call-out fee, or a fixed travel charge such as a set half hour. This is the single most common source of quote confusion, and the difference between models can be an hour of billing. Always ask which one applies. Ours is a flat half hour.
- Depot distance: a removalist based in Dandenong doing a Footscray job is charging you for that drive one way or the other. Choosing a company near your route genuinely reduces cost. We’re based in Spotswood in the inner west, which keeps travel time down across Melbourne’s western and inner suburbs.
What a Melbourne move actually costs by home size
| Home size | Typical volume | Typical hours | Typical total cost |
| Studio | 8–14m³ | 2–3 hrs | $380–$450 |
| 1 bedroom | 15–22m³ | 3–4 hrs | $450–$700 |
| 2 bedroom | 22–32m³ | 4–6 hrs | $700–$1,000 |
| 3 bedroom | 25–40m³ | 6–8 hrs | $1,000–$1,500 |
| 4+ bedroom | 42–55m³ | 8–10+ hrs | $1,500–$2,300 |
These assume a local move, reasonable access, and a household that’s properly packed before the crew arrives. Change any of those and the numbers move.
Where the hours actually go
Here’s a realistic two-bedroom apartment move in Carlton, billed at $160/hr:
| Stage | Time |
| Travel fee (flat half hour) | 30 min |
| Walkthrough, floor protection, lift padding | 15 min |
| Disassembling bed and dining table | 30 min |
| Loading (lift, 4th floor) | 100 min |
| Drive to new address | 30 min |
| Unloading | 80 min |
| Reassembly and placement | 30 min |
| Total | ~5.25 hrs → approx. $840 |
Look at that breakdown and one thing stands out: only about half the clock is spent actually carrying things. The rest is access, setup, driving, and assembly. That’s exactly where a well-prepared move saves money and where a badly-prepared one bleeds it.
The seven things that change your price
1. Access: the biggest single variable
Stairs, no lift, long carries from truck to door, tight streets. Industry-wide, difficult access adds 30–50% to the time, which, at an hourly rate,e is a straight 30–50% cost increase.
The one thing people forget is the truck itself. If your building’s loading dock is too low for a standard 3.5–4.3m removalist truck, the crew has to trolley everything in from the street — 30 to 90 minutes of billable time you didn’t budget for. It’s worth checking your building’s loading dock clearance before you book anyone.
2. Day and time of month
End of month is peak season in Melbourne because that’s when most leases turn over. Weekends are peak because that’s when people are free. Combine both the last Saturday of the month and you’re paying top rate on a day when every good crew is already booked.
Mid-week moves (Tuesday to Thursday), mid-month, are typically 10–15% cheaper.
3. Distance
Both the distance between your two addresses and the distance from the removalist’s depot. Moves beyond about 30km sometimes attract a travel fee of $80–$150 on top of the hourly rate.
4. Volume and bulky items
Pianos are the classic: $150–$600 depending on type and stairs. Also worth flagging in advance: fridges, treadmills, pool tables, fish tanks, large safes, and oversized wardrobes.
5. Packing
Professional packing runs $75–$92 per hour per packer. A full pack costs roughly $560 for a one-bedroom and up to $1,440 for a four-bedroom. Materials are usually extra.
6. Furniture disassembly and reassembly
Most professional movers will dismantle and rebuild beds, wardrobes and dining tables. Some charge extra. We include our crews carry a toolkit and power drill on every job, and dismantle at pickup and reassemble at delivery as standard.
7. Insurance
Not all cover is equal, and this one deserves its own section.
Fixed price or hourly — which is cheaper?
| Hourly | Fixed price | |
| Best for | Small, local, well-prepared moves | Complex access, tight budgets, long distances |
| Upside | You only pay for time used; transparent | Certain: the number can’t move |
| Downside | Delays cost you directly | Usually priced with a buffer built in |
| Risk sits with | You | The removalist |
Neither is universally cheaper. Hourly wins when your move is straightforward, and you’re organised. Fixed wins when there are unknowns: stairs, a long carry, a building that might delay you, because you’re transferring that risk to the removalist.
We offer both, and we’ll tell you honestly which suits your move. You can see the current rates and quote options here.
Why the cheapest quote usually isn’t
A $110/hr crew sounds like a $50/hr saving over a $160/hr crew. On a five-hour job, that’s $250.
Except the cheap crew often isn’t a five-hour crew. Under-equipped teams without proper trolleys, straps, or a second dolly move slower. Inexperienced movers take longer on stairs and awkward pieces. A truck too small for your load means a second trip, rarely under an hour in Melbourne traffic, and you’re paying for all of it.
Two extra hours at $110 costs more than the $250 you saved.
Then there’s damage. Which brings us to the thing almost no cost guide explains properly.
Public Liability vs Marine Transit insurance
These are not the same, and plenty of operators carry only the first one.
- Public Liability covers damage the movers cause to property: a scraped wall, a cracked floor tile, a damaged lift. It does not cover your furniture.
- Marine Transit (also called transit or goods-in-transit insurance) covers your belongings while they’re in the truck. Typical cover runs $10,000–$30,000, often with an excess around $500.
If a removalist only holds Public Liability and your dining table is damaged in transit, you may have no claim at all. Ask every company you quote: “Do you carry Marine Transit insurance, and can you send me the certificate of currency?”
We carry both, and can supply certificates to building management, which many Melbourne apartment buildings require before they’ll release a lift booking. Details are on our FAQs page.
It’s also worth checking whether a company is accredited by the Australian Furniture Removers Association (AFRA), the industry’s peak body. AFRA members are audited on vehicles, equipment, training and insurance.
Nine ways to cut your moving cost
- Move Tuesday to Thursday, mid-month. The easiest 10–15% you’ll ever save.
- Be completely packed before the crew arrives. The clock starts whether your kitchen is boxed or not. This is the highest controllable cost in any hourly move.
- Declutter first. Every item you sell, donate, or bin is volume you’re not paying to transport.
- Disassemble what you can. Even doing the bed frames yourself saves 20–30 minutes.
- Sort parking and permits early. A truck circling for a space, or parked 80m away, is billable time. Inner-Melbourne councils, including the City of Melbourne, require around five clear business days’ notice for a reserved parking permit.
- Book your lift slot in writing. A blocked or double-booked goods lift can idle a crew for an hour.
- Empty and defrost the fridge the night before. Movers can’t load a full or wet fridge.
- Book three to four weeks ahead. Last-minute bookings mean fewer options and higher rates.
- Get an itemised quote in writing. Your best defence against surprises.
What a proper Melbourne quote should include
Hold every quote you receive against this list. If a company won’t put these in writing, that tells you something:
- Hourly rate or fixed price, stated clearly
- Crew size
- Truck size in cubic metres
- Whether travel/depot time is billed, and how
- Minimum hours
- Insurance type and cover amount, both Public Liability and Marine Transit
- Equipment included (blankets, straps, trolleys, tools)
- Whether disassembly and reassembly are included or extra
- GST included or on top
- Deposit, cancellation and rescheduling terms
What we charge
We publish our rates rather than making you ring for them, and we offer both fixed-price and hourly options.
| Monday–Thursday | Friday–Sunday | |
| Rate (2 movers + 24m³ truck) | $160/hr | $190/hr |
| Minimum booking | 2 hours | 3 hours |
| Travel fee | Half hour | Half hour |
| Minimum total spend | $400 | $665 |
That’s the whole rate card. No call-out fee, no fuel levy, no stair surcharge, no charge for disassembly and reassembly.
A note on the travel fee, because this is where quotes get slippery. Ours is a flat half hour 30 minutes added to your booking, regardless of where in Melbourne you are. Many operators instead bill depot to depot, meaning you pay for the drive out and the drive back. On a job across town, that can easily be an hour or more of billing that never appears on the quote. Ask every company you’re comparing which model they use.
Our weekend loading is also lighter than the market. Most Melbourne removalists add 20–30% for Friday to Sunday; ours is $160 to $190, a little under 19%.
Two other things worth knowing. Our truck is 3.1m high, low enough for most Melbourne apartment loading docks, which avoids the long-carry charges that catch people out in high-rise moves. And we back an on-time guarantee: if we arrive after your three-hour arrival window, you get 5% off.
Get a free, no-obligation quote here, or call 1300 746 587 and we’ll size it up over the phone.
FAQ
How much do removalists cost per hour in Melbourne?
Between $140 and $180 per hour for two movers and a truck on a weekday in 2026. Weekend and public holiday rates typically run 20–30% higher. Three-mover crews start around $180–$220 per hour.
How much does it cost to move a 2-bedroom apartment in Melbourne?
Usually $700 to $1,000, based on four to six hours of work. Stairs, no lift access, or a long carry from the truck can push it toward $1,200.
Do removalists charge for travel time?
Most do, but the models differ enormously. Some bill from when the truck leaves the depot until it returns on a cross-town job that can be an hour or more of billing that never showed on your quote. Others charge a flat call-out fee. We charge a flat half hour, the same wherever you are in Melbourne. Always confirm which model applies before booking.
Is it cheaper to hire a truck and move yourself?
Sometimes, for a studio or a very small load. Once you factor in truck hire, fuel, your own time, the risk of damage with no transit insurance, and the near-certainty that it takes longer than you think, DIY stops being cheaper for most one-bedroom-and-up moves. You also can’t drive anything over 4.5 tonnes GVM on a standard car licence.
What’s the cheapest day to move in Melbourne?
A Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday in the middle of the month. Avoid the last weekend of any month; that’s when the majority of Melbourne leases turn over, and every crew is booked.
Do removalists charge extra for stairs?
Not usually as a separate fee, but stairs add significant time, and on an hourly rate that’s the same thing. Difficult access commonly adds 30–50% to the total.
How far in advance should I book a removalist?
Three to four weeks for a standard move. Six weeks if you’re moving at the end of the month, on a weekend, or over summer. Last-minute bookings are possible, but you’ll have fewer options.
Why are removalist quotes so different for the same house?
Usually because they’re not quoting the same thing. Different crew sizes, different travel policies, different minimum hours, different insurance levels, and different truck sizes. Compare the inclusions, not just the headline rate.
The bottom line
Budget $140–$180 per hour for two movers and a truck on a Melbourne weekday, and expect a two-bedroom apartment to land between $700 and $1,000.
Then focus on the things that actually move that number: be packed before the crew arrives, move mid-week, sort your parking and lift booking early, and check that the truck can physically reach your building.
And when you compare quotes, compare what’s inside them. The cheapest hourly rate and the cheapest move are very often not the same company.
Get a free quote for your Melbourne move, fixed price or hourly, with no hidden fees. Or browse our full range of moving services to see what’s included.
One Response