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Tell us about your move
Start with the quote form: date, origin, destination, home size, access details, and the main items you are moving.
Moving costs, explained
Price guide
How much do movers cost in the Triangle?
A straight, no-games guide to what a move actually costs around Raleigh, Cary, and Durham — typical local and long-distance ranges by home size, what changes your price, and how to get a real number you can trust.
Real Royalty trucksLicensed & InsuredUSDOT 3289527MC 1108791$1M liability coverageFamily-owned since 2012Not a broker, our own crewTriangle + East Coast corridor4.8 stars / 142 Google reviews
What a move really costs
Real ranges, honestly framed
“How much do movers cost?” is the first thing everyone wants to know, and most moving sites either dodge it or bait you with a low number that changes on move day. We'll do it differently: below are honest planning ranges for the Raleigh–Cary–Durham area so you can budget, plus exactly what moves the number up or down.
Two quick rules of thumb. Local moves around the Triangle are usually billed by the hour for a crew and a truck. Long-distance moves — like the New Jersey and New York to North Carolina corridor — are priced on how much you're moving and how far it's going.
These are general planning ranges for the NC Triangle, not a Royalty quote. Every move is different, so the real number is a free written estimate after we see your inventory by photo or a quick video walkthrough. We won't fake a price online just to win the click.
Local moves
Typical local move estimates
Within the Triangle — Cary, Raleigh, Durham, Apex, and nearby — local moves are billed by the hour. These ranges assume a standard crew and truck with normal access.
Local move — planning estimate (by home size)
Studio / 1-bedroom
A 2-person crew, a few hours.
$400 – $800
2-bedroom
2–3 movers, most of a morning or afternoon.
$700 – $1,400
3-bedroom
3 movers, often most of a day.
$1,200 – $2,400
4-bedroom+
Larger crew, full day, sometimes two trucks.
$2,000 – $4,000+
Long-distance & corridor
Typical long-distance estimates
East Coast corridor moves — the Northeast or Florida to North Carolina and back — are priced on volume and distance, not the hour. Ranges widen with mileage and how much you're moving.
Long-distance / corridor — planning estimate (by home size)
1-bedroom
Priced on volume and distance, not the hour.
$1,800 – $3,800
2–3 bedroom
The most common corridor relocation size.
$3,500 – $7,500
4-bedroom+
Large household, longer haul, more crew.
$6,000 – $11,000+
Moving a specific route? See our NJ & NY ↔ NC corridor, Florida → NC, South Carolina → NC, and Georgia → NC pages.
Add-ons
Common extras and what they add
The base move covers the crew, truck, wrapping, and careful handling. These optional or situational extras change the total.
Add-ons — planning estimate
Full packing
Whole home, materials included; scales with size.
$400 – $1,500+
Partial packing (kitchen + fragiles)
We pack the breakables, you do the rest.
$150 – $500
Stairs / walk-up
A common industry add for long carries.
~$50 – $75 per flight
Specialty item (piano, safe, gym)
Extra hands and special handling.
$150 – $600 each
These are general planning ranges for the NC Triangle, not a Royalty quote. Every move is different, so the real number is a free written estimate after we see your inventory by photo or a quick video walkthrough. We won't fake a price online just to win the click.
What changes your price
The six things that move the number
Whether it's local or long-distance, these are the honest levers behind every estimate.
Home size
The single biggest driver. A studio and a four-bedroom need different crews, trucks, and hours.
How much you're moving
More boxes and furniture means more time (local) or more volume (long-distance). Decluttering is the easiest way to save.
Stairs & access
Walk-ups, elevators, long carries, and tight streets add time and crew on either end of the move.
Distance & route
Across town in Cary is hourly. Raleigh to New Jersey or Florida is priced on volume and mileage.
Packing level
Pack yourself, or add full or partial packing. Packing costs more but removes the hardest part of moving.
Timing
Summer, weekends, and month-end book up first and cost more. Flexible, mid-week, mid-month dates often save.
How your free estimate works
A walkthrough first, then a real written estimate
No instant gimmick number that changes on move day. Tell us the basics, choose a quick video call or in-home visit, and we put the number in writing.
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Choose video or in-home walkthrough
We do a quick walkthrough your way: a short video call or an in-home visit, so we can see exactly what is moving before we write the estimate.
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Get a real written estimate
The price you are quoted is the price you plan around. No vague phone number that changes after the truck is loaded.
Local movesPriced on crew and time
A move inside the Triangle is billed by how big the crew is and how long the job takes, plus a small travel fee. Home size, how much you are moving, and access (stairs, elevators, long carries) are what move the number. We give you an honest estimate up front so there is no surprise at the end.
Long-distance movesPriced on volume and distance
A corridor move is priced on how much you are moving and how far it is going, not by the hour. Packing level, stairs or elevators on either end, specialty items, and your dates factor in. You get a real written estimate after a quick walkthrough, so the number you are quoted is the number you plan around.
The written estimate is the real number. For interstate moves the law requires a written estimate after a survey, and we follow it. We do a quick virtual or in-home walkthrough, see what is actually moving, and put the number in writing. No vague phone quote that jumps on move day.
Good questions
Moving costs, answered
Local moves around Cary, Raleigh, and Durham are usually billed by the hour for a crew and a truck, so the total comes down to how big the home is and how much you're moving. As a rough planning range, a one-bedroom often lands in the few-hundred-dollar range and a larger home can run into the low thousands. These are estimates to help you budget — your real number is a free written estimate after we see your inventory.
Because an honest number depends on details a calculator can't see: your stairs, your access, how much is actually going, and your dates. A too-low online number that jumps on move day is exactly the broker game we don't play. We give a free written estimate after a quick photo or video walkthrough, and that's the number we stand behind.
Long-distance and East Coast corridor moves (like New Jersey or Florida to North Carolina) are priced on the volume or weight of your shipment plus the distance, not by the hour. Access on both ends, packing, and your timing still factor in. Because we run the route ourselves with our own crew, there's no broker markup added on top.
Packing is the biggest optional add — full packing costs more but saves you the hardest part of a move. Stairs and walk-ups add time on either end, and specialty items like a piano, gun safe, or gym equipment need extra hands and care. Tell us about these up front so your estimate is accurate and nothing changes on move day.
Declutter before move day so you're not paying to move things you don't want, pack what you can yourself, and stay flexible on dates — a mid-week, mid-month slot is often easier to book and cheaper than a summer weekend. Ask about our bobtail rate too: if our truck is already heading your way on the corridor, we can sometimes pass along a better price.
Want your real number?
Skip the guesswork. Tell us what you're moving and where, and we'll send a free written estimate — the number we actually stand behind.
Get a real estimate, not a guess
Free written quotes for local and long-distance moves across the Triangle and the East Coast corridor.
4.8 from 142 Google reviewsLicensed & insured