⚡ Quick Summary
Hourly Rate: Standard for most local moves. You pay for the crew and truck by the hour, so cost depends on how smoothly the day goes.
Fixed Rate: Standard for long-distance and cross-province moves. One firm price agreed in advance, based on volume and distance.
The Risk: A too-good-to-be-true hourly rate over the phone is the classic setup for hidden fees on moving day.
The Action: Ask for a written, itemized quote before you book, whichever pricing model applies to your move.
Table of Contents
How Hourly Pricing Works
For a local move, most companies, us included, quote by the hour. You’re paying for a crew size and a truck for as long as the job takes, usually with a minimum number of hours built in.
This model makes sense for local moves because nobody can predict exactly how long loading and unloading will take until they see your home, your stairs, and your parking situation. A well-run hourly move rewards good planning: the more organized you are before the truck shows up, the less time, and money, the move takes.
A trustworthy hourly quote should still tell you the crew size, hourly rate, minimum hours, and any travel or fuel charges up front, in writing, before moving day.
How Fixed-Rate Pricing Works
For long-distance moves, the standard shifts to a fixed, or binding, price agreed on before the truck ever leaves the driveway. This is typically based on the estimated weight or volume of your shipment and the distance being traveled.
A fixed rate gives you budget certainty on a move where hourly billing would be impractical, since a Montreal-to-Toronto or Montreal-to-Halifax trip involves driving time, not just loading time. The tradeoff is that the estimate needs to be accurate, so an honest in-home or video survey before you get a fixed number matters a lot.
Which One Applies to Your Move?
As a simple rule: local moves within the same city are usually hourly, and long-distance or interprovincial moves are usually fixed rate. If you’re moving across Montreal, from an apartment in Rosemont to a house in Laval, expect hourly billing. If you’re relocating to Quebec City, Toronto, or Ottawa, expect a fixed quote.
Some companies also offer a fixed rate for local moves once they’ve done a proper in-home estimate. If budget certainty matters more to you than the possibility of a shorter, cheaper day, it’s worth asking if that option is available.
Red Flags in a Quote
Be cautious of a rock-bottom hourly rate quoted over the phone with no in-home or video assessment. It’s one of the most common ways movers lure customers in, only to pile on stair fees, long-carry fees, and fuel surcharges once your belongings are already on the truck.
A trustworthy quote, hourly or fixed, should be detailed in writing and shouldn’t require you to guess what extra charges might show up later.
Questions to Ask Before You Book
Ask what’s included in the base rate, whether stairs or long carries cost extra, what the cancellation policy is, and what happens if the job runs longer than expected. Ask how travel time between their depot and your home is billed, since that varies by company.
A company that answers these questions clearly and puts the answers in writing is generally one you can trust with your move.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is hourly or fixed rate cheaper?
Neither is universally cheaper. Hourly rewards an efficient day and can cost less for a small, well-organized move. Fixed rate gives certainty regardless of how the day goes.
2. Why are long-distance moves priced differently than local ones?
Because driving time and distance make hourly billing impractical for a multi-hour or multi-day trip, so a fixed price based on weight and distance is the industry standard.
3. What should be included in a written quote?
Crew size, rate, minimum hours or fixed price, any stair or long-carry charges, fuel or travel fees, and the cancellation policy.
4. Can I get a fixed rate for a local move?
Some companies offer this after an in-home estimate. Ask directly if budget certainty matters more to you than potential savings from a fast hourly job.
5. What is a common red flag in a moving quote?
An unusually low hourly rate given over the phone with no in-home or video assessment, which often leads to add-on fees later.
