Moving cost
Moving from San Francisco to Austin: modeled cost
Moving a 3-bedroom home the 1,740 mi from San Francisco to Austin models at $7,950, inside a $6,950 to $9,250 range. That is the 97th percentile for its distance band. Our pricing model produces that from published assumptions; a surveyed quote can land outside it.
Below is what our model produces for this corridor and, more usefully, why it produces it: this route prices above comparable-distance routes, and the reason is identifiable. The inputs are a 8,150 lb weight profile, 1,740 mi of modeled road, and labour indices of 1.26 and 1.00.
Estimated full-service moving cost · 3 bedroom
$6,950–$9,250
Estimated range. Our model’s midpoint for this profile is $7,950.
- Distance
- 1,740 mi est.
- Transit
- 4 to 8 days
- Shipment
- 6,800–9,500 lbs
- Method
- Full service
The modeled numbers for this corridor
| Measure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Modeled range, 3-bedroom | $6,950–$9,250 | Full service, off-peak, no packing |
| Midpoint | $7,950 | 1,740 mi, 8,150 lb assumed |
| Cost per mile | $4.57 | Cohort median $4.74 |
| Transit window | 4 to 8 days | Shared-trailer scheduling assumption |
| Line haul | $6,100 | 77% of the total |
| Crew time, both ends | $1,250 | 16% of the total |
| Transport and handling | $600 | 8% of the total |
What decides the price on this route
The $6,300 median for this length sits $1,650 below this corridor, placing it at the 97th percentile of 776 modeled comparisons.
Mileage is what the cohort equalises, which leaves the two labor indices — 1.26 and 1.00 — carrying the whole of the difference.
In budgeting terms that is $0.95 a mile of error if a figure from another route of this length is reused, so a quote above the band median is not by itself evidence of overpricing.
What your own labour is worth here
Full service to rental truck is a $4,850 decision on this corridor — larger than the $1,000 peak-season adjustment and larger than the $2,700 step to a four-bedroom load. It is therefore the first choice to make, before comparing carriers.
| Method | Modeled midpoint | Against full service | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full service | $7,950 | — | Carrier loads, drives, unloads |
| Container | $5,050 | −$2,900 | You load; carrier drives |
| Rental truck | $3,100 | −$4,850 | You load and drive |
The size curve on this corridor
The curve spans $10,650 from studio to five bedrooms, and the single 3-to-4 step is $2,700 of it. Compared with the $1,000 peak-season adjustment on this route, shipment size is the input with the larger consequence — which is why an honest inventory at survey matters more than the date.
| Home size | Modeled midpoint | Step from previous |
|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $3,650 | — |
| 2 BR | $5,450 | +$1,800 |
| 3 BR | $7,950 | +$2,500 |
| 4 BR | $10,650 | +$2,700 |
| 5+ BR | $14,300 | +$3,650 |
The two labour markets
The two ends do not price alike: 1.26 in San Francisco against 1.00 in Austin. San Francisco is the dearer crew market by 26.0%, which is where an extra hour of access trouble costs the most.
Price your own San Francisco to Austin move
San Francisco to Austin: your details
Step 1 of 3
Free quotes · No obligation
Related routes
What this corridor raises
Why does this route model higher than other moves of the same distance?
Against 776 comparable long-haul move models the midpoint here sits around the 97th percentile, about 26.2% above the $6,300 median. Distance is held roughly constant in that comparison, so the difference comes from the labor indices we hold for San Francisco (1.26) and Austin (1.00).
What is the cost per mile on this route?
About $4.57 per mile at the modeled midpoint, against a median of $4.74 across comparable long-haul move models. Per-mile figures are only useful for comparing corridors — within a single move, weight moves the total far more than mileage does.
How much more is a 4-bedroom move than a 3-bedroom on this route?
$2,700 more at the midpoint, $7,950 against $10,650 — a 34% step. Home size enters our model as a weight profile, so the step is really about the extra 3,100 lbs the larger profile assumes, not about the room count.
How much does shipping less weight actually save here?
Line haul on this route models at $6,100 for 8,150 lbs, roughly $750 per 1,000 lbs across 1,740 miles. Service and transport do not fall at the same rate, so cutting weight is a partial saving rather than a proportional one.
Is a moving container cheaper than a full-service move on this route?
Yes in dollars: $5,050 against $7,950, a modeled saving of $2,900 or 36%. You take on the loading and unloading at both ends in exchange, which our home-size profile puts at roughly 18 person-hours for a 3-bedroom shipment.
What this estimate cannot see
Our model does not know your stairs, your elevator reservation, your real inventory, or a carrier's capacity on your date. Use the range as the figure to check written quotes against, and read the method behind it in our pricing methodology.
Modeled with pricing pricing-v1.0. Reviewed 2026-08-31.