Moving & storage
Moving Storage Cost Calculator
Prices storage during a move, where storage in transit and self storage are different arrangements.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Hours times crew times rate, plus storage as a material cost and the call-out. The two arrangements differ in more than price. Storage in transit is held by the carrier as part of the move, the goods stay in their care and liability, and it has a time limit after which it converts to permanent storage on different terms. Self storage means the goods are delivered to a unit you rent, which ends the carrier's involvement and their liability, and getting them out later is a separate move to arrange and pay for.
What moves the number
- Storage in transit against self storage, which differ in liability and in cost.
- Duration, since storage in transit converts to permanent terms after a limit.
- Whether the goods are handled twice, which adds cost and damage risk.
- Access charges, if the facility makes retrieval difficult or chargeable.
Where this one goes wrong
Double handling is the hidden cost and the hidden risk. Goods going into storage and out again are loaded and unloaded twice as many times, which is more labour to pay for and more opportunities for damage. Where a short gap between properties can be bridged another way, it is usually cheaper. Liability is the other thing to settle in writing: in storage in transit the carrier's liability normally continues, while in a self storage unit it does not and the goods are generally your responsibility to insure. Many people assume cover continues and it does not.
Before you quote
- Establish whether the carrier's liability continues during storage.
- Confirm the time limit before storage in transit converts to permanent terms.
- Count the double handling into both the cost and the risk.
Where the rules come from
Questions
About this calculator
What is storage in transit?
Storage held by the carrier as part of the move, with the goods remaining in their care and normally under their liability, up to a time limit after which it converts to permanent storage on different terms. It differs from renting your own unit, where the carrier's involvement and liability end at delivery.
Are my goods covered while in storage?
In storage in transit the carrier's liability normally continues. In a self storage unit you rented, it does not, and insuring the contents is generally your responsibility. That difference surprises people, and it is worth settling in writing before choosing the cheaper option.
Why does storage add so much to a move?
Because the goods are handled twice as many times: loaded, unloaded into storage, loaded again and delivered. That is more labour to pay for and more chances for damage. For a short gap between properties, other arrangements are often cheaper than a storage cycle.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 6 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $165.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $90.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 6 h |
| People needed | 1 |
| Labour rate charged | $165 |
| Parts and materials | $90 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $1,175 |
| Labour | $990 |
| Before tax | $1,175 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $1,175: $990 of labour, $90 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $83 | $683 |
| $124 | $929 |
| $165 example above | $1,175 |
| $248 | $1,673 |
| $330 | $2,165 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 6 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $165.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $90.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.