Written by: Nathan Steele
Date:

Movers are a crucial part of any successful moving story. Without professional movers, every moving story would be a disaster. If it wasn’t like that, here at Verified Movers we wouldn’t have hundreds of people daily asking us for movers’ recommendations. And because movers are so important, it’s good practice to tip them well. However, you also have your own interest to worry about. So then how much to tip movers? What is the right amount? Let’s discuss.

Is it mandatory to tip movers?

The short answer is – No. Just like any other tipping, tipping your movers is also optional. It’s completely up to you whether you feel like you should. However, it’s perhaps important to mention that tipping is considered good practice in most service industries – The moving industry included. So basically, if you, for example, hire one of the top Movers in San Diego and you end up really liking them, it would probably be a good idea to tip them. Of course, as mentioned above, you don’t really have to do it. It would just be nice of you and probably highly appreciated.

A mover throwing a moving box to a client.
It’s good practice to tip movers since they do so much.

The more you spend the more you should tip

Tipping is usually percentage-based. Of course, there are some instances where there’s a flat rate for tipping. And that is also true for the moving industry. However, it’s always best to base your tip on the price of our move. For example, if you hire one of the top movers in San Antonio for a cross-country move to NYC, you should tip more than if you were to hire the same movers for a local move just around the corner. Of course, if you’re spending your last dime on this relocation, this doesn’t have to be the case. Still, if you can afford it, it would be nice of you to tip your movers generously and in accordance with your original price.

So how much should I tip movers then?

The unwritten rule is to tip $4 to $5 per hour per mover or to tip somewhere between 5% and 10% of the total price. For example, let’s say that you hired top Movers in Phoenix to move to San Jose. That particular move takes about 12 hours and let’s imagine that it costs $3000. So you could either tip $48 to $60 dollars per person. Or, you could tip $150 to $300 for the whole team. Of course, the first method seems more affordable since this doesn’t include anything aside from the moving day. Depending on what services you choose, your movers of choice might spend a lot more time with you.

A man taking money out of his wallet because he's decided how much to tip movers.
If you’re unsure of how much to tip movers, it’s best to follow the rules.

Be kind and generous

Expert movers train long and hard to get to where they are. Plus, all great movers invest tons of time and energy in every single client. That’s why it’s important for you to show how much you appreciate them and their effort. So how much to tip movers – Well, that’s completely up to you. Just remember that there are many benefits of hiring movers especially when you hire true experts that treat their clients kindly. So you should try and show your gratitude with a small token of appreciation.