How Much Do Movers Cost in Montreal? The 2026 Price Guide

If you’re reading this in early 2026 and planning a move in Montreal, here’s the short answer: most local moves in the city land between $700 and $3,000 depending on home size and when you book, and the single biggest variable isn’t your apartment size. It’s the date you’re moving.

This guide breaks down what Montreal moving companies actually charge in 2026, by crew size, home size, and season. Numbers are sourced from current rate sheets published by Montreal-area movers and from cross-industry data on the city’s 395+ active moving companies. Every figure has been cross-checked against at least two independent sources.

No upsells, no “call for pricing.” Just the numbers.

The quick answer

These are total costs for a local move within the Montreal area (Island + South Shore + Laval). Not included: packing services, long-distance transport, storage, or specialty items like pianos and gun safes. More on those below.

How Montreal movers price a job

Most Montreal companies bill by the hour. The hourly rate covers the crew, the truck, fuel, and basic moving equipment (dollies, furniture pads, straps). In early 2026, the market rates look like this:

• Two-person crew, one truck: $135 to $140 per hour. Median is $140/hour for an off-peak booking at an established company.
• Three-person crew, one truck: $165 to $250 per hour depending on season. Median is $170/hour off-peak, rising to $235/hour in June.
• Four-person crew, larger truck: $220 to $300 per hour (rare, used for 4-bedroom or warehouse-size moves).

A three-person crew sounds more expensive on paper, but they typically finish the same job 40 to 50 percent faster than a two-person crew. For anything larger than a 1-bedroom apartment, the three-person option usually comes in cheaper after you add up the hours.

Most companies apply a minimum charge of 3 or 4 hours. If your studio move only takes 2 hours, you’ll still pay for 3. Ask before booking.

Travel fees, the hidden line item

For a local move in Greater Montreal, travel is billed one of three ways depending on the company:

• One hour of the hourly rate added on. Most common at major Montreal companies. On a 2-person off-peak crew at $140 per hour, that is another $140 added to the bill.
• By distance, at a per-kilometre rate. Typically $0.75 to $2.00 per km, depending on the mover. A 15-km move across town at $1.25 per km adds about $19 each way.
• Portal to portal. The clock starts when the truck leaves the depot, stops when it returns. You pay for depot-to-pickup, pickup-to-delivery, and delivery-back-to-depot. This is the most expensive structure for long-crosstown moves.

Companies in the Montreal Moving matching network bundle travel into the quoted total so there is no surprise at the end. When you get quotes on your own from individual movers, ask how travel is billed before you sign. A difference of one travel-billing structure can be a $100 to $300 gap between two otherwise identical quotes.

What affects the final bill

Six things drive your total cost up or down:

1. Home size and volume. More rooms means more hours.
2. Staircases, especially exterior spirals. Montreal’s iconic outdoor staircases add $75 to $150 per flight at most companies. A fourth-floor walk-up can add $300 to the base price.
3. Elevator availability. Buildings without an elevator bill the same as a walk-up. Buildings with an elevator that has to be reserved can add an hour of idle time.
4. Parking distance. If the truck can’t park in front of your door, every extra 15 metres adds to the hourly clock.
5. Heavy or oversized items. Pianos typically add $200 to $500. Hot tubs, safes, and industrial appliances are quoted separately.
6. Time of year and day of week. This is the single biggest factor. Which brings us to:

The July 1 premium (and how to avoid it)

Quebec’s Civil Code historically set residential lease terms to end on June 30. That convention survives today: on or around July 1, roughly 100,000 Quebec households move on the same day. Montreal alone absorbs tens of thousands of those moves in a 48-hour window.

Every mover in the city is booked. Rates surge. Trucks and crews that charge $140/hour in November can go for $250 to $350 per hour at the major Montreal companies on July 1. A 2-bedroom move that typically runs $900 to $1,200 off-peak regularly clears $1,500 to $2,200 on June 30 or July 1.

If your lease isn’t tied to July 1, these dates will save you money:

• November, December, February: cheapest months. Savings of 20 to 40 percent vs. summer.
• Mid-month weekdays: 10 to 15 percent cheaper than weekends.
• Avoid: June 25 to July 5 (peak surge window), last weekend of August, last weekend of September (smaller rushes tied to school and academic leases).

If you are moving on July 1, book at least 6 to 8 weeks in advance. Three weeks out is considered late; two weeks out, most quality companies are fully booked and you’ll end up with whoever has a truck left.

Packing, boxes, and supplies

Pricing for packing is separate from the hourly move rate. Three common options:

1. You pack, they move. Cheapest. You handle boxes and wrapping. Movers show up, load, drive, unload.
2. Partial packing. Movers pack the kitchen and fragile items, you pack everything else. Adds $150 to $400 to a 2-bedroom move.
3. Full packing. Movers pack everything. Adds $400 to $1,200 to a 2-bedroom move depending on how much stuff.

Boxes and supplies: a 2-bedroom move typically needs 25 to 40 boxes, 2 rolls of packing tape, 1 large roll of bubble wrap, and 10 to 15 sheets of packing paper. Buying new from a mover costs $100 to $180. Free boxes from liquor stores, grocery stores, or the Facebook Marketplace cost zero dollars and a few hours of pickup time.

Tipping Montreal movers

Tipping isn’t mandatory in Montreal, but it’s strongly expected for a move that went well. The going rate in 2026:

• Half-day move (under 4 hours): $20 to $40 per mover
• Full day (4 to 8 hours): $40 to $80 per mover
• Long, difficult, or stair-heavy moves: $60 to $100 per mover, or roughly 10 percent of the total bill divided by crew size (on a $1,200 move with 3 crew, that’s about $40 per mover)

Cash is preferred. Some crews pool tips, some keep them individually. If you’re happy with specific movers, you can hand them cash directly and they’ll appreciate the gesture.

What Quebec regulation requires

Two consumer protections specific to Quebec are worth knowing:

1. CTQ licensing. The Commission des transports du Québec (CTQ) regulates moving companies that operate heavy vehicles (trucks over 3,000 kg). Licensed companies are listed in the CTQ’s public register. Ask for the license number before you book and verify it matches.
2. Written contract required. Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act requires movers to provide a written contract before the move begins, detailing services, rates, payment terms, and insurance. A verbal “we’ll figure it out” quote doesn’t protect you if something breaks or the final bill balloons.

The Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC) publishes a checklist for choosing a mover, and it’s the right first step before committing to any company. It’s also the place to file a complaint if something goes wrong.

Insurance: what’s actually covered

Basic liability is included in every moving quote in Montreal, but it’s not what most people expect. Basic liability typically pays $0.60 per pound per item if something is damaged. A 50-pound TV that breaks in transit pays out $30, not the replacement value.

Three better options exist:

• Declared-value coverage from the mover (usually 2 to 4 percent of declared value, minimum around $150)
• Homeowner or tenant insurance — many Quebec policies include in-transit coverage up to a limit. Call your insurer before the move and confirm.
• Third-party moving insurance (MovingInsurance.com, Baker International, etc.) if the mover’s options and your policy don’t cover enough.

If you own anything worth more than $1,000, declared-value or third-party coverage is cheaper than replacing it if it breaks.

How to cut your bill

Five tactics that reliably save money on a Montreal move:

1. Move off-peak. A mid-month Wednesday in November vs. a June 30 Saturday is the single biggest lever. 20 to 40 percent cost difference for the exact same move.
2. Downsize before the move. Every extra hour of loading is $110+. If you haven’t used it in a year, selling, donating, or discarding it costs less than moving it.
3. Pack yourself. Full packing service on a 2-bedroom is $400 to $1,200. Doing it yourself over two weekends costs the price of boxes.
4. Get at least 3 quotes. Pricing varies 40 percent across Montreal companies for the same job. Most consumers stop at one or two quotes.
5. Book early but not blindly. Four to six weeks out for off-peak, 6 to 8 for peak. Booking earlier gets better rates. Booking without comparing gives movers leverage.

Frequently asked questions

Are movers in Montreal cheaper than in Toronto or Vancouver?

Yes. Montreal’s established 2-person crew rate of $135 to $140/hour off-peak is on par with Toronto ($135 to $160/hour) and competitive with Vancouver ($140 to $170/hour) for comparable service. Long-distance moves from Montreal are priced competitively as a result.

Do movers work on Sundays?

Most companies in Montreal do, for the same hourly rate as Saturdays. Some smaller operators take Sundays off. Sundays in June are the hardest day of the year to book outside of July 1 itself.

How long does a 2-bedroom move actually take?

With a 3-person crew, most 2-bedroom moves within Montreal finish in 4 to 6 hours from arrival to unload. Add an hour for travel. Add more if you have a 3-flight walk-up or a lot of boxes not yet packed when the crew shows up.

Can I pay by credit card?

Most established Montreal movers accept credit card, Interac, and cash. Some apply a 2 to 3 percent surcharge on credit. Ask before the move and get the method in writing on the contract.

What happens if the movers damage something?

File a written claim with the company within their stated window (usually 7 days to 60 days from the move). Keep photos. Basic liability rarely covers full value, so your recovery depends on the coverage you chose before the move. This is why reviewing insurance options matters before booking, not after.

Is tipping included in the hourly rate?

No. Tipping is separate and discretionary. If a company tells you “tips are included,” ask where that’s written in the contract. Most of the time it isn’t, and you’d be tipping twice.

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Pricing data current as of April 2026. Hourly and total costs vary by company, season, and move complexity. The numbers above reflect what the biggest established Montreal movers charge; individual quotes will differ. For the most accurate estimate, request quotes from three or more movers and compare line items, not just headline rates.

Sources consulted for this guide include current-year rate sheets from 12 Montreal-area moving companies, Boxly’s February 2026 aggregate data across 395 local movers, the Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC) Quebec consumer guide, and the Commission des transports du Québec (CTQ) licensing register.