The short answer
On a modeled 1,000-mile move, full packing adds about $450 to a 1-bedroom shipment, $600 to a 2-bedroom, $900 to a 3-bedroom and $1,150 to a 4-bedroom — roughly 16–18% of the transport-only total at every size. Partial packing, covering fragile items only, runs between a third and just over two-fifths of the full-packing figure (33–42% across our profiles).
The reason the percentage stays steady while the dollars grow is that our packing component scales with assumed shipment weight, the same driver as the line haul. Carriers price packing from their own tariffs, usually by materials plus labor, so a written quote itemises differently — but the shape of the cost, rising with the size of the household, is the same.
Moving Cost Advisor model data
Modeled packing adjustment by home size on a 1,000-mile move
Swipe the table sideways to see every column
| Home size | Transport only (you pack) | Partial packing added | Full packing added | Full-packing total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Bedroom | $2,550 | $150 (+6%) | $450 (+18%) | $3,000 |
| 2 Bedroom | $3,750 | $250 (+7%) | $600 (+16%) | $4,350 |
| 3 Bedroom | $5,450 | $350 (+6%) | $900 (+17%) | $6,350 |
| 4 Bedroom | $7,250 | $450 (+6%) | $1,150 (+16%) | $8,400 |
MCA model output. Our packing component scales with assumed shipment weight and covers materials plus packing labor at origin. Individual carriers publish their own packing schedules, container rates, and material pricing, so a written quote will itemise differently.
Moving Cost Advisor model data
What optional services add at the median corridor (1,530 miles, 3 bedroom)
| Scope | Modeled midpoint | Added versus base |
|---|---|---|
| Transport only, you pack | $7,000 | Base |
| Partial packing (fragiles) | $7,350 | $350 · 5% of the base total |
| Full packing | $7,900 | $900 · 13% of the base total |
MCA model output. These are modeled service components, not a fee schedule from any carrier; a real quote itemises its own accessorial charges.
Full packing, partial packing, and what sits between them
Full packing means the crew boxes the entire household, including the kitchen, the closets, and the miscellany that consumes the last two days of a self-packed move. Partial packing normally covers fragile and high-risk categories: dishes, glass, art, mirrors, and electronics.
Our model reflects that split directly — the partial component is materially smaller than the full one at every size, as the table above shows. What our model does not do is price a per-box schedule, because there is no single one: materials and labor rates are set in each carrier's tariff.
A third option exists on most interstate jobs: you pack everything except fragiles, and the carrier packs those. That is the scope our partial figure represents, and it is the one that most changes the damage-claim picture, because carrier liability for owner-packed cartons is treated differently from cartons the crew packed.
- Full packing: whole household, crew-packed, maximum liability coverage on cartons.
- Partial packing: fragiles and high-value items only.
- Owner-packed: cheapest, and the category where damage claims are hardest to pursue.
When packing is worth buying
Packing is priced against your time and your risk tolerance. A 3-bedroom household is assumed at 8,150 lbs in our model with a 6–8 hour load day; the packing that precedes it is measured in days, not hours. Against a modeled $900 on a 1,000-mile 3-bedroom move, the question is whether those days are available.
There are three situations where the calculation usually resolves in favour of paying. Compressed timelines, where the packing days simply do not exist. Fragile-heavy households, where a claim on an owner-packed carton is the weakest position to be in. And moves where someone else is paying — relocation packages commonly cover full packing, and declining it saves the employer money, not you.
The opposite case is equally clear: a light, flexible, low-fragile household with weeks of lead time is the cheapest possible self-pack, and the modeled saving is real.
How packing interacts with the rest of the estimate
Packing changes the weight as well as the labor. Materials — cartons, paper, tape, wardrobe boxes — travel with the shipment, and on an interstate move that weight is priced in the line haul. Professional packing that uses more, denser materials than a self-pack can add weight on a job priced per hundredweight.
It also interacts with the estimate type. Packing performed at origin is a service actually performed, so it is billable on top of a non-binding estimate; the binding versus non-binding guide explains what each estimate type does and does not cap.
Finally, packing is separate from crating. Specialty crating for art, marble, or a piano is a distinct service, and none of the figures above include it.
Deciding your packing scope
- 01Count the packing days honestly against your actual calendar.
- 02List the fragile and irreplaceable categories separately — those are the partial-packing candidates.
- 03Ask each carrier to price full and partial as separate line items on the same estimate.
- 04Check how carton liability differs between owner-packed and crew-packed on your paperwork.
- 05Confirm whether materials are billed separately from packing labor.
- 06Decide crating for specialty items independently of the packing scope.
Regulatory and external sources
What the rules say
Services actually performed, including packing at origin, are reflected on the bill of lading and in the final charges for an interstate move.
49 CFR Part 375 — Transportation of Household Goods
Limits of this analysis
- Our packing component is a modeled adjustment scaled to assumed shipment weight, not a carrier tariff.
- Carriers publish their own materials and labor schedules; not all price packing the same way.
- Specialty crating, unpacking, and debris removal are excluded from these figures.
- Modeled totals assume a national-baseline corridor and off-peak scheduling.
Put this into a number
Use the moving cost calculator to see how these mechanics change your own estimate, or read the pricing methodology for the exact inputs we apply.
Related, and deliberately separate
Hidden Moving Fees
Covers: accessorial and add-on charges that appear after the headline quote.
Binding vs Non-Binding Moving Estimates
Covers: which interstate estimate type protects the consumer.
How Much It Costs to Move a 3-Bedroom House Long Distance
Covers: what a 3-bedroom household costs to move over interstate distances.
Questions
How much do movers charge to pack a 3-bedroom house?
Our model adds about $900 for full packing on a 1,000-mile 3-bedroom move, roughly 17% of the transport-only total. A carrier prices it from its own tariff, as materials plus packing labor, so compare the line item rather than the percentage.
Is partial packing worth it?
It concentrates spend on the categories where damage is most likely and claims are hardest to win on owner-packed cartons. In our model it costs 33–42% of the full-packing figure, depending on home size.
Does packing add weight to the shipment?
Yes. Cartons and materials travel with the goods, and interstate line haul is priced on weight, so a heavily materialised pack shows up twice: in the packing line and in the transport line.
Can I pack some rooms myself and have movers do the rest?
That is the standard partial arrangement. Agree the room-by-room split in writing before the crew arrives so the estimate and the bill of lading match.