How are you billed after the 3-hour minimum?
Once your move passes the 3-hour mark, time is prorated in 15-minute intervals rather than full hours. You pay for the quarter hours the crew actually works, at one quarter of your crew's hourly rate.
The longer answer
Cost of each 15 minutes
| Crew | Hourly | Per 15 minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 2 movers | $145 | $36.25 |
| 3 movers | $175 | $43.75 |
| 4 movers | $235 | $58.75 |
Worked examples with three movers
- 3 hours exactly: the minimum, $525.
- 3 hours 15 minutes: $525 + $43.75 = $568.75.
- 4 hours 30 minutes: $525 + 6 x $43.75 = $787.50.
- 6 hours: 6 x $175 = $1,050.
These are labor and truck only. Any boxes, mattress covers or other materials used get added after, and a card payment carries a 3% processing fee.
How the time is tracked
The clock starts when the crew arrives at your pickup and stops when the last item is placed at the drop-off. The drive to reach your pickup in the morning and the trip back after your drop-off are not on your bill. If the two addresses are more than 10 minutes apart, the road time between them counts twice under California's double drive time rule, still at your normal hourly rate. Since the rate is fixed and the increments are even, checking the quarter hours yourself takes a minute with a calculator.
Keeping the extra quarter hours down
Small prep steps shave time. Have boxes sealed and stacked near the door, drawers emptied, and a parking spot sorted out for the truck. If a building requires an elevator reservation, book it, since waiting on an elevator counts as job time. Our local moving page and the cost guide have more on what drives total hours.
Questions people ask next
More questions people ask
Do you round up to a full hour after three?
No. After the minimum, billing is prorated in 15-minute intervals, not whole hours.
What is a quarter hour worth with four movers?
$58.75, which is one fourth of the $235 hourly rate.
Does time spent on the road count?
Driving between pickup and drop-off counts, doubled if the locations are more than 10 minutes apart. Travel to your first address does not.