Last updated: August 2026
Moving costs in Dallas, TX
Dallas local moves are almost always billed hourly. This page collects named Dallas carriers' published totals you can check on their sites, plus a Moving Company HQ Texas planning model from the statewide hub. It does not present a Dallas citywide average.
Statewide Texas model (not a Dallas survey): local typical $700–$2,300; a typical 2-bedroom around $1,500 — Moving costs in Texas.
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Named Dallas published totals (cited spread)
These are one company's published planning figures on the date fetched — not a metro survey and not a quote for your addresses.
| Home size | Cheetah Moving | Firefighting's Finest | Later Neighbor | Moving Company Guys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio / 1BR | $250–$500 | 1BR apt $650–$900 (2 movers, 4–5 hrs) | $400–$800 | Studio / 1BR apt $400–$650 (2 movers, 3–4 hrs) |
| 2 bedrooms | $450–$850 | $900–$1,500 (2–3 movers, 5–6 hrs) | Apt $600–$1,200 · House $900–$1,600 | $700–$1,300 (3 movers, 4–6 hrs) |
| 3 bedrooms | $750–$1,400 | $1,500–$2,200 (3–4 movers, 6–8 hrs) | House $1,200–$2,800 | $1,300–$2,000 (3–4 movers, 6–8 hrs) |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,200–$2,000 | $2,200–$3,200 (4–6 movers, 8–10 hrs) | House $1,800–$3,500 | 4BR+ $2,000–$3,200 (4–5 movers, 8–10 hrs) |
| 5+ bedrooms | $1,800+ | $3,200+ | $2,500–$5,000+ | — |
Firefighting's Finest labels its table "planning estimates, not a quote" and "standard local-move range across all of our Texas markets, Dallas included." Cheetah labels its home-size figures a "standard local move under normal conditions." Later Neighbor frames figures as Dallas ranges from quotes they have given.
On 2026-08-26, TxMCCS Truck Stop listed White Oak Brands LLC DBA Later Neighbor Moving, TxDMV 009982077, USDOT 4034369, certificateStatus expired. Re-check Truck Stop before hiring. This page does not call Later Neighbor licensed. Moving Company Guys' column is also website rates; USDOT 3918729 returned zero TxMCCS rows on the same lookup date.
Moving Company Guys' homepage also prints "Starting at $369 for 1-bedroom local moves. $599–$825 for 2-bedroom moves. $1,125–$2,100 for 3-bedroom homes" (movingcompanyguys.com). Treat that as a second published menu from the same company.
Why 2-bedroom numbers disagree
There is no Dallas household survey in the sources used here. A 2-bedroom job can sit in several published bands at once:
- • Cheetah Moving: 2BR $450–$850 (cost page). That band sits below several other Dallas carriers' published 2BR totals. Treat it as Cheetah's own range, not a metro floor.
- • Firefighting's Finest: 2-bedroom apartment or home $900–$1,500 (1 truck, 2–3 movers, 5–6 hrs) (Dallas page).
- • Later Neighbor: 2-bedroom apartment $600–$1,200; 2-bedroom house $900–$1,600 (2026 page). TxMCCS certificateStatus expired on 2026-08-26 (White Oak Brands LLC, TxDMV 009982077, USDOT 4034369). Re-check Truck Stop; this page does not call Later Neighbor licensed.
- • Moving Company HQ Texas model: 2 bedrooms $700–$2,300, typical around $1,500, assuming 3 movers and about 7 hours (Texas cost hub).
Those ranges overlap, but they are different publishers with different assumptions. Inventory, stairs, elevator waits, warehouse mileage, packing, and date will move a written proposal inside — or outside — any of them. Use them to sanity-check quotes, not as a substitute for a binding or not-to-exceed proposal.
Moving Company HQ Texas model (statewide; not Dallas-primary)
Copy these only as Moving Company HQ Texas planning-model estimates from movingcompanyhq.com/moving-costs/texas. They are not a Dallas survey.
- Local typical: $700–$2,300
- Typical 2BR: $1,500
| Move size | Crew / hours (MCHQ assumption) | Planning range |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 2 movers · ~4 hrs | $325–$1,100 |
| 1 Bedroom | 2 movers · ~5 hrs | $475–$1,575 |
| 2 Bedrooms | 3 movers · ~7 hrs | $700–$2,300 |
| 3 Bedrooms | 4 movers · ~9 hrs | $1,075–$3,575 |
| 4 Bedrooms | 4 movers · ~11 hrs | $1,425–$4,725 |
| 5+ Bedrooms | 5 movers · ~13 hrs | $1,925–$6,325 |
Exact quotes depend on inventory, access, date, and services.
Hourly menus named Dallas companies have published
TxDMV does not set the hourly rate (Don't Make a Move). Examples you can check:
Moving Company Guys (Dallas cost page): 2 movers + truck $135/hr, 3 movers $185/hr, 4 movers $225/hr, plus a flat $99 travel fee and a 2-hour minimum. Labor-only (2 movers) $135/hr. Piano $299–$599 flat; single heavy item from $149. Company states USDOT 3918729; a Truck Stop search for that USDOT on 2026-08-26 returned zero rows. Ask for a TxDMV certificate and re-check Truck Stop before hiring.
Later Neighbor (2026 page): 2-man $130–$170/hour, 3-man $195–$255/hour; travel/service fee often $25–$75 plus $1.50–$2.50 per mile round trip from the warehouse; usually a 2–3 hour minimum. Peak May–August 15–25% higher; weekdays typically 10–20% less than weekends. On 2026-08-26, Truck Stop listed White Oak Brands LLC DBA Later Neighbor Moving, TxDMV 009982077, USDOT 4034369, certificateStatus expired. Re-check before hiring. This page does not call Later Neighbor licensed.
Cheetah Moving (cost page): 2 movers $120–$180/hr, 3 movers $160–$230/hr. Packing add-on they publish: $150–$350 for a 2-bedroom apartment.
Big Tex Moving LLC (residential): $150/hr Monday–Sunday for two movers and a 26-foot truck; $50/hr additional mover; 2-hour minimum; $3.00/mile round trip; 3.5% debit/credit surcharge. Fetched pages did not print a USDOT or TxDMV number. On 2026-08-26, TxMCCS Truck Stop listed Big Tex Moving LLC, TxDMV 009735774, USDOT 2984590, certificateStatus expired (Garland / Richardson). Re-check Truck Stop before hiring. This page does not call Big Tex licensed.
Einstein Moving Company (pricing explainer): "Base hourly rate $200/hr" / "Actual hourly rate $200/hr." The Dallas location page does not print a Dallas-only locked hourly number. $200/hr is a company pricing-explainer example, not a Dallas tariff. Dallas FAQ on that location page: "Moves in Dallas take either 2.5 hours minimum or 7 hours on average."
Firefighting's Finest publishes totals (table above), not a public hourly rate (Dallas page). Included: crew, truck, load/unload, pads, dollies, basic disassembly/reassembly, Texas released-value at $0.60/lb. Packing, fuel/travel, specialty items, and Full Value Protection are billed separately.
Planning arithmetic (labeled; not a survey)
Using only Moving Company Guys' published formula ($135 / $185 / $225 + $99 travel + 2-hour minimum) from their Dallas cost page:
| Stated hour assumption | Formula | Planning total |
|---|---|---|
| 2 movers, 2-hour minimum | ($135 × 2) + $99 | $369 |
| 2 movers, 4 hours | ($135 × 4) + $99 | $639 |
| 3 movers, 5 hours | ($185 × 5) + $99 | $1,024 |
| 3 movers, 7 hours (MCHQ 2BR hour assumption) | ($185 × 7) + $99 | $1,394 |
| 4 movers, 8 hours | ($225 × 8) + $99 | $1,899 |
| 4 movers, 9 hours (MCHQ 3BR hour assumption) | ($225 × 9) + $99 | $2,124 |
Hour assumptions are planning inputs. These products ignore stairs, elevator waits, packing, and rush-hour drive time unless those hours are already inside the assumption.
Long-distance: named-company figures only
No Dallas-wide long-distance average is used here. These are named companies' published numbers:
Later Neighbor 2–3 bedroom estimates (2026 page; TxMCCS certificateStatus expired on 2026-08-26 — re-check Truck Stop; not a license claim): Dallas to Houston (240 mi) $3,500–$7,000; Dallas to Austin (195 mi) $3,000–$6,500; Dallas to San Antonio (275 mi) $3,800–$7,500; Dallas to Denver $6,000–$12,000; Dallas to Los Angeles $9,000–$18,000+; Dallas to New York $9,500–$20,000+; Dallas to Chicago $7,000–$14,000.
Firefighting's Finest representative quotes from Dallas (Dallas page): Dallas to Austin $3,800; Houston to Dallas $4,000; Dallas to San Diego $13,500; Dallas to Fresno $14,000; Dallas to San Jose $15,500; Dallas to San Francisco $17,500.
Moving Company Guys homepage long-distance table (homepage): Dallas to Austin 195 miles $1,200–$8,500; Dallas to Houston 240 miles $1,400–$13,000; Dallas to San Antonio 275 miles $1,500–$14,000; Dallas to Fort Worth 30 miles $500–$3,000. Route chips on the same page: Dallas to Denver 1,020 mi $3,200+; Dallas to Chicago 920 mi $3,000+; Dallas to Waco 100 mi **$800+.
Star Van Lines Dallas page (Dallas) lists long-distance base prices: Houston $851 (240 miles on that page); Denver $1,362; Atlanta $1,382; Chicago $1,538. Those "base" figures are far below Later Neighbor's and Firefighting's Finest full-service Dallas-to-Houston numbers. Star Van Lines labels them as starting points that scale with inventory. Do not mix them with full-service tables.
A Dallas local move that never leaves Texas is TxDMV rules. If either address is outside Texas, FMCSA rules apply (Protect Your Move).
Texas paperwork, $0.60/lb, and claims
Before loading an intrastate Texas move, a licensed mover must give you a written binding or not-to-exceed proposal stating the maximum you could pay for listed services, a moving services contract, and Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move in Texas (TxDMV; brochure PDF; 43 TAC §218.56). Hourly jobs still need a stated maximum.
Default cargo liability is $0.60 per pound per article unless a higher limit is agreed in writing (43 TAC §218.53). TxDMV example: 50-lb TV → $30. File a written claim with the mover within 90 days of delivery (43 TAC §218.61). Helpline (888) 368-4689.
Check the license in TxDMV Truck Stop. Search by name, TxDMV #, or USDOT. City and household-goods filters that appeared on older lookup screens are gone. An "Active" certificateStatus is the license check TxDMV describes. Re-check before hiring. This page does not call expired carriers licensed.
Lookup snapshot (2026-08-26): White Oak Brands LLC DBA Later Neighbor Moving, TxDMV 009982077, USDOT 4034369 — expired; Big Tex Moving LLC, TxDMV 009735774, USDOT 2984590 — expired; MoveStar Inc, TxDMV 000533526, USDOT 2050969 — expired; Moving Company Guys USDOT 3918729 — zero TxMCCS rows.
Interstate: written estimate (no verbal), bill of lading, inventory, and the federal booklet (FMCSA tips; booklet PDF). Released value is 60 cents/lb only if you waive Full Value Protection in writing. Do not assume Texas's 90-day claim clock on an interstate job. FMCSA (800) 832-5660.
Dallas–Fort Worth scale, congestion, and tolls
Dallas: 1,326,093 residents; 339.7 square miles; city limits in five counties (Census Reporter, ACS 2024). Metro: 8,344,032 people; 8,676 square miles (Census Reporter). Firefighting's Finest treats local as generally 50–100 miles (Dallas page). Later Neighbor: DFW over 9,000 square miles; Frisco to Fort Worth 50+ miles; a 15-mile rush-hour hop can take 45+ minutes, billed hourly (2026 page).
Published road miles (routing sites, not official truck times): Dallas–Plano ~19–21 miles; Dallas–Frisco ~27 miles; Dallas–Irving ~12–16 miles; Dallas–Arlington ~18–20 miles; Dallas–Fort Worth ~32 miles; Dallas–McKinney ~32 miles; Dallas–Houston 239 miles (drivedist.com; Arise Transit; Star Van Lines also lists Houston 240 miles). Live conditions: TxDOT Dallas ITS.
Woodall Rodgers Freeway is Texas #3 most congested (TTI/TxDOT 2025 Top 100, data year 2024): delay 1,399,098 hours; annual cost $52,174,747 (Spectrum 2025-11-25; TTI press release). DFW has 41 of the statewide Top 100 segments. Full list: TxDOT Top 100.
NTTA rates July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2027 (official tables PDF): Dallas North Tollway Wycliff Main Lane 3-axle TollTag $3.88 (2-axle TollTag $1.94; 3-axle ZipCash $7.76). A box truck is often three or more axles. Calculator: ntta.org/toll-calculator. TEXpress is dynamically priced to hold 50 mph; I-635 East TEXpress scheduled late 2026 (TxDOT DFW toll-roads). Ask whether DNT / PGBT / TEXpress appear on the written proposal.
High-rises, curb rules, and heat
COI and freight windows
Stonebriar's Uptown checklist (updated 2026-04-23): named Uptown towers require a Certificate of Insurance before the freight elevator is released; submit at least one week out; most Uptown high-rises cap the reservation at 3–4 hours; resident move-in fees typically $250–$500 (sometimes a refundable deposit), paid by the resident, not the mover (Uptown essentials). Star Van Lines: Uptown/Oak Lawn freight elevators often 2–4 hour windows (Dallas page). Firefighting's Finest: 26-foot trucks need 13 feet of clearance across 8 feet and a surface rated 26,000 pounds — many Uptown/Downtown garages fail that test (Dallas page). One World: managers often need 48–72 hours to approve COIs (2026-05-18 guide). Confirm with that building.
No city household moving-truck permit
Dallas Code §28-80 and §28-81 allow commercial / over-1½-ton vehicles in residential areas for expeditious loading or unloading. Council adopted the On-Street Parking & Curb Management Policy on May 22, 2024 (policy PDF; hub). That document is not a move permit. Meter hooding (request ≥ 2 business days) and loading-zone permits (annual $50; temporary $12.50) are the tools that exist (parking permits).
Heat
NWS DFW 1991–2020 normals: July high 95.6°F, August 95.8°F; 20.2 days per year with max ≥ 100°F (NWS). Later Neighbor: peak May–August 15–25% higher (2026 page). Published practice: start 7 or 8 a.m. in summer (One World; Firefighting's Finest; Star Van Lines). Thunderstorm-day peak is May (7.7 days).
Neighborhood planning questions (not building facts)
Highland Park and University Park have Dallas mailing addresses but are separate towns (Firefighting's Finest). Ask the property; do not treat mover checklists as facts about a specific building.
- Uptown / Downtown / Victory Park / Oak Lawn: Ask COI additional-insured wording, freight-elevator window length (often 3–4 hours), dock height, weekend rules, and the resident move-in fee.
- Deep Ellum: Ask where a box truck can stand without blocking a lane; check loading-zone signs; weekday vs weekend.
- Bishop Arts / North Oak Cliff: Ask truck-size limits, alley vs street staging, elevator reservation, COI; weekday mornings vs weekend restaurant traffic.
- Lakewood / East Dallas: Descriptions differ by block (truck-friendly vs canopy/alleys). Send photos of trees, alley width, and stairs.
- Preston Hollow / North Dallas: Ask HOA hours, truck size, gate width, staging.
- Plano / Frisco / McKinney: Ask how travel time and DNT/US 75 tolls are billed and where the crew is dispatched from.
- Irving / Arlington: Ask gated access and whether SH 183, PGBT, or I-30 TEXpress time is in the proposal.
Compare these planning figures with a written quote
Cost ranges help you budget. A Texas mover still owes you a binding or not-to-exceed maximum before loading. Use the quote steps above (Move Details / Contact / Confirmation), then verify the performing carrier in Truck Stop or FMCSA.
See also: Moving costs in Texas, movers in Texas, movers in Fort Worth, movers in Arlington, movers in Plano, movers in Irving, and movers in Garland.
Sources
- Moving Company HQ: Moving costs in Texas
- Moving Company Guys Dallas cost page
- Moving Company Guys homepage
- Later Neighbor Dallas 2026
- Cheetah Moving Dallas cost
- Firefighting's Finest Dallas
- Big Tex Moving residential
- Einstein straightforward pricing
- Einstein Dallas location
- Star Van Lines Dallas
- TxDMV Don't Make a Move
- TxDMV Truck Stop search
- TxDMV HHG brochure (PDF)
- 43 TAC §218.53
- 43 TAC §218.56
- 43 TAC §218.61
- FMCSA Protect Your Move
- FMCSA tips
- FMCSA booklet (PDF)
- Census Reporter Dallas
- Census Reporter DFW metro
- NWS DFW normals
- TxDOT Top 100
- TTI 2025 press release (PDF)
- Spectrum Top 100 recap
- NTTA 2025–2027 toll tables (PDF)
- NTTA calculator
- TxDOT DFW toll roads
- Dallas Code §28-80
- Dallas Code §28-81
- Adopted May 2024 curb policy (PDF)
- Dallas curb management hub
- Dallas parking permits
- Stonebriar Uptown essentials
- Stonebriar high-rise checklist
- One World high-rise guide
- One World summer tips
- drivedist.com Dallas
- Arise Transit point-to-point
Compare movers in Dallas
Cost ranges are a starting point. Compare licensed local and long-distance movers before you book.