If you want the short version of movers cost in Surrey BC, here it is: two movers and a truck typically run $140 to $180 an hour, and a one to three bedroom home lands somewhere between $600 and $1,800 all in. The rest of this guide breaks down exactly where that number comes from.
What Movers Actually Charge in Surrey
Two professional movers with a truck cost between $140 and $180 an hour across the Metro Vancouver area, with most companies requiring a two to three hour minimum plus a travel fee to and from the depot. Source: movers.ca Across Canada more broadly, local moves land between $120 and $200 per hour for a two-person crew. Source: WealthNorth
Here’s how that plays out by home size:
- Studio or one-bedroom: 3 to 4 hours, roughly $500 to $900
- Two-bedroom: 4 to 6 hours, roughly $800 to $1,500
- Three-bedroom house: 6 to 9 hours, roughly $1,500 to $2,800
- Four-bedroom or larger: custom quote, often $2,000 and up
If your move is small, a single-item pickup or a studio apartment, our small movers Surrey service is built exactly for that, with a smaller crew and a lower minimum than a full residential job.
The Math Behind Your Quote
Let’s run a real number. Say a two-bedroom apartment takes two movers five hours at $160 an hour. That’s $800 in labour. Add a $70 travel fee and roughly $120 in packing materials if you’re buying your own boxes, and you land around $990 total. Book that same move on a Saturday in July instead of a Tuesday in October, and expect it to climb 15% to 25% higher purely from demand. Source: movers.ca That’s the gap between a $990 move and a $1,200 one, just from picking a different day.
A Regional Comparison Worth Knowing
Surrey pricing tracks closely with the rest of Metro Vancouver, since companies typically serve the whole region rather than pricing city by city. Vancouver itself tends to run at the higher end of the range, often $130 to $200 an hour for a two-person crew, given demand and cost of living. Source: Anytime Moving Vancouver Surrey generally sits close to that same band, though newer, wider streets in growth areas can sometimes mean easier access and slightly faster jobs compared to older, denser parts of the region.
Apartment vs. House Moves
Pricing differs meaningfully between a house move and an apartment move, even at a similar square footage. Houses often involve more furniture volume and outdoor items (patio sets, garden tools, garage contents), while apartments trade that off against stairs or elevator time. Neither is universally more expensive, it depends on your specific home, but it’s worth mentioning your home type clearly when requesting a quote so the estimate accounts for the right kind of complexity.
What’s Included in an Hourly Rate
A standard hourly rate usually covers the truck, fuel within a reasonable radius, moving blankets, dollies, and the labour of loading and unloading. It usually doesn’t cover packing materials, disassembly of large furniture, or long carries where the truck can’t park close to the door. Ask about all three before you sign anything. Our residential moving Surrey page lists exactly what’s bundled into a standard residential quote.
I’ve watched people get a great-sounding phone quote, only to find out stairs, a long hallway carry, and packing materials were all extra. That’s not a scam, it’s an incomplete quote. The fix is asking upfront: does this rate include stairs, carries over 75 feet, and materials? Get the answer in writing.
Where the Extra Fees Come From
A few things reliably add cost to an otherwise straightforward move:
- Stairs beyond the ground floor, especially in walk-up apartments
- Long carries between the truck and your front door
- Bulky or specialty items like pianos, safes, or gym equipment
- Packing and unpacking services if you don’t do it yourself
- Storage, if there’s a gap between move-out and move-in dates
- Peak-season and weekend surcharges
If you want packing handled for you, our packing services typically add $300 to $800 depending on home size, but it also cuts down on damage risk, which is worth factoring in.
Residential vs. Commercial Pricing
Everything above covers a typical home move. Office and commercial jobs price differently, often based on the number of workstations, IT equipment, and whether the move has to happen outside business hours. If you’re relocating a business, our commercial moving Surrey team quotes based on your actual floor plan rather than a generic residential formula.
Comparing Quotes the Right Way
When you’re lining up quotes, make sure you’re comparing the same thing. A $700 quote that excludes materials, stairs, and travel time isn’t actually cheaper than a $900 quote that includes all three, it just moves those costs to a surprise invoice later. Ask each company the same set of questions: what’s the hourly rate, what’s included, what triggers an extra fee, and is there a minimum number of hours. Write the answers down side by side.
Industrial and Warehouse Moves
Not every move is residential. If you’re relocating a warehouse, workshop, or industrial space, pricing and equipment needs look completely different from a home move, often involving forklifts, pallet jacks, and specialized crating. Our industrial and warehouse movers Surrey team quotes these jobs based on the actual equipment and inventory involved rather than a standard residential formula.
DIY vs. Hiring Movers
Renting a truck yourself is cheaper on paper, sometimes 30% to 60% less for a local move. Source: WealthNorth But that number doesn’t account for your time, the physical toll, or the risk of damaging your own furniture or a rental building’s walls and elevator. Weigh the savings against what your weekend and your back are actually worth.
A Feeling Worth Naming
Nobody budgets for “unexpected costs,” but that’s roughly what the average move ends up costing beyond the original quote once you add tips, extra materials, and last-minute add-ons. Getting blindsided by that on moving day, when you’re already exhausted and the truck is half loaded, is its own kind of stress on top of the physical work. A clear, itemized quote up front is the cheapest insurance you can buy against that feeling.
What a Written Quote Should Look Like
Ask for your quote in writing and check that it includes: the hourly rate, the estimated number of hours, what’s bundled into that rate, a list of anything billed separately, and the payment and cancellation terms. A one-line email that just says “$900 for your move” isn’t a real quote. Every reputable company will provide the detail without pushback.
The Honest Risk
Cheap quotes aren’t automatically bad, but a quote that’s dramatically lower than every other one you’ve received is worth a second look. It usually means either the company is missing something (stairs, materials, insurance) or they’re planning to add it back in after your belongings are already on the truck. That’s a bigger financial risk than paying a fair market rate from the start.
Quick Answers
What’s the average moving cost in Surrey? Most local moves fall between $600 and $1,800, based on hourly rates of $140 to $180 for a two-person crew.
Is it cheaper to move on a weekday? Yes, consistently. Weekday, mid-month moves cost noticeably less than weekend or month-end bookings.
Do movers charge for travel time? Most local companies add a modest travel fee separate from the on-site hourly rate. Ask upfront so it’s not a surprise on your invoice.
For a full breakdown based on your actual home size and move date, our Gentle Moving team can put together a written quote that spells out exactly what’s included.
The Bottom Line
Movers cost in Surrey BC generally lands in a predictable range once you know what drives it: home size, distance, access, and timing. The number on a rough phone quote and the number on your final invoice should match closely if you’ve asked the right questions upfront. That’s really the whole game, not finding the absolute cheapest company, but finding one whose quote actually reflects your real move.