In this guide
Booking the wrong moving service costs Montrealers real money. Pay for full-service packing you did not need and that is $400 of labour you could have done yourself. Book a labour-only crew with no cargo insurance and a dropped dresser is your loss, not theirs. The trick is matching the right service to your move before you book, not after. This guide covers every moving service available in Montreal in 2026, what each one costs, and how to tell which you actually need.
“Moving services” is a catch-all. In Montreal it stretches from a two-person crew carrying a 3½ up a spiral staircase to a full office relocation done overnight. Most people only need one or two of these services, but they get quoted for a bundle, or for the wrong thing entirely. Knowing what each service is, and when it is worth paying for, is how you avoid overpaying.
Quick estimate: See what your move should cost with our free Montreal moving cost calculator, off-peak vs the July 1 peak.
What “moving services” covers in Montreal
Every moving service is some combination of four things: labour (the crew), transport (the truck), protection (insurance, padding, equipment), and add-ons (packing, storage, specialty handling). A “full-service” move includes all of them. Cheaper options strip some out. The more you hand off, the more you pay, and for some moves that trade is worth it while for others it is money wasted.
The core moving services, one by one
Local moving
The everyday Montreal move: a crew and truck moving you within the Greater Montreal area, billed by the hour with a minimum. This is what most people mean by “movers.” Best for apartment and home moves across the island and the near suburbs.
Long distance moving
Moves out of the Montreal region, to Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto, or across the country. Usually priced by weight or volume instead of by the hour, often sharing truck space with other shipments. Timelines are longer and quotes vary widely, so this is a service where vetting matters most.
Packing and unpacking
The crew boxes your belongings, supplies the materials, and can unpack at the other end. Full packing is the biggest add-on cost, but it is the one that saves the most stress for a busy household or a fragile, high-value home. Partial packing (just the kitchen and breakables) is the middle-ground most people actually want.
Storage
When your move-out and move-in dates do not line up, a real moving company stores your belongings in a warehouse, short or long term, and redelivers when you are ready. This matters in Montreal, where July 1 closing gaps are common. Avoid anyone storing your things in a trailer in a yard.
Commercial and office moving
Relocating a business: desks, IT, inventory, sometimes after hours or over a weekend so the company does not lose a working day. This is a specialized service with its own crews and insurance, not a scaled-up apartment move.
Specialty items
Pianos, safes, gym equipment, large appliances, and anything heavy or awkward. These carry a surcharge because they need the right crew and gear. A $150 piano fee is cheaper than a cracked soundboard or a hole in your wall.
Labour-only and loading help
A crew that loads and unloads while you rent and drive the truck. Good value for a small apartment with easy access, or for loading a rental truck or storage container you have already booked. The catch is that labour-only operators often carry little or no cargo insurance, so damage in transit is on you.
What each service costs in 2026
Rough 2026 ranges for the Greater Montreal area. Local moves are the base; everything else is an add-on or a different pricing model.
| Service | Typical 2026 cost |
|---|---|
| Local move (2-person crew + truck) | $110 to $185 per hour, 3-hour minimum |
| Full packing (whole home) | $300 to $900 depending on size |
| Storage (per month) | $90 to $250 by volume |
| Piano / specialty item | $100 to $300 surcharge |
| Long distance | priced by weight/volume, get a written quote |
These are starting points, not promises. Stairs, distance, season, and access all move the number. Our 2026 Montreal moving price guide breaks down every surcharge.
Which service do you actually need?
Match the service to the move, not the marketing:
- Studio or 3½, easy access, you can lift: labour-only, or a basic local crew. Skip packing.
- 1 or 2 bedroom, stairs or appliances: full-service local move. This is the sweet spot for hiring movers.
- Family home or anything fragile and valuable: local move plus partial or full packing.
- Dates do not line up: add storage.
- Leaving the Montreal region: long distance, and get everything in writing.
- Office or business: commercial moving, booked well ahead.
Not sure how to size it? Our complete guide to choosing a Montreal mover walks through the questions that pin down exactly what your move needs.
The Montreal factors that change every service
No matter which service you book, four local realities shift the price:
- July 1. Half the city’s leases turn over at once. Every service costs more and books out 8 to 12 weeks ahead. Moving even a few days off the peak saves real money.
- Exterior spiral staircases. Common in the Plateau, Rosemont, and Villeray, they add time and a per-flight fee to any crewed service.
- Borough parking permits. Many boroughs require a free temporary permit for a moving truck. Skip it and the ticket lands on your bill.
- Lease transfers (cession de bail). A Montreal staple. If you are transferring a lease, your timing can be tighter than a normal move, so book the service early.
How we get you the lowest price
Here is the honest version of how MontrealMoving.co works, because the industry rarely tells you. We are not a giant directory and we are not a “fill out a form and get bombarded by ten callers” site. We work with a small, hand-picked roster of Montreal movers, and we check every one: trucks verified, crews verified, and quality kept under watch. Because the roster is limited and vetted, there is no bad option on it.
Tell us about your moveYour date, size, and the service you need. One short form.
We find your priceWe pull the lowest rate from our hand-picked, vetted movers for that date.
You book. Done.No shopping around, no ten callers. One vetted mover, the lowest price.
So you do not shop around or compare a stack of quotes. You tell us your move and the service you need, and we give you the lowest price available from that vetted group for your date. We earn a commission from the mover, we take a smaller cut than the big comparison sites, and if you send a bigger job our way, like your employer’s office move, we share more of that back with you. No shopping around, we vetted the movers, you get the lowest price for moving day.
What to confirm before booking any service
Whichever service you choose, four things protect you, and they take one phone call to confirm:
- A CTQ licence number. Any carrier running trucks over 3,000 kg must hold one, and a real company gives it to you in seconds. Verify it on the Commission des transports du Quebec register.
- A detailed written quote. Verbal numbers mean nothing. A written estimate also triggers Quebec’s 10 percent cap under the Consumer Protection Act, so the final bill cannot run more than 10 percent over it without your consent.
- Real cargo insurance. Quebec’s default liability is often just $0.60 per pound, which covers almost nothing. Ask the insurer, the coverage amount, and whether declared value is available, especially for packing and long distance.
- How travel time is billed. Included, a flat hour, or portal to portal are the honest answers. Anything vague means the quote is not standardized.
The advantage of a vetted roster is that these four are already checked before a mover ever reaches you. That is the whole point of not booking blind.
Frequently asked questions
What moving services do most Montrealers actually need?
For most apartment and home moves, a local crew and truck billed by the hour is enough. Packing, storage, and specialty handling are add-ons you only pay for when the move calls for them.
Is full-service packing worth it?
For a busy household or a home full of fragile, valuable items, yes. For a small, simple move, partial packing (just breakables) usually makes more sense than paying to box everything.
Do moving companies in Montreal offer storage?
The real ones do, in a warehouse, short or long term. It is common around July 1 when move-out and move-in dates do not line up. Avoid anyone storing belongings in a yard trailer.
How are long distance moves priced?
Usually by weight or volume rather than by the hour, often sharing truck space. Always get a detailed written quote, because this is where prices vary the most.
How does MontrealMoving.co make money if it is free for me?
We earn a commission from the mover you book, and we take a smaller cut than other comparison sites. It costs you nothing, and because our roster is vetted, you still get the lowest price for your date.
Get the lowest price from a vetted Montreal mover
Tell us about your move and the service you need, and we give you the lowest price from our hand-picked roster of vetted, CTQ-licensed, insured Montreal movers. No shopping around, no obligation.
Related Montreal moving guides
Guide published June 2026. Prices and rules can change; verify on ctq.gouv.qc.ca and opc.gouv.qc.ca before your move date.
