Full-Service vs. Self-Pack Movers

A true full-service move includes everything: materials (boxes, paper, tape, custom crates), packing labor for every room, furniture disassembly, loading, transport, unloading, furniture reassembly, and (optionally) unpacking and debris removal on the back end. Packers typically arrive 1–2 days before the moving crew on larger moves. For a 3-bedroom home, plan on a 2-person packing team for one full day plus a 3–4 person loading crew the next.

Expect packing to add $1,500–$4,500 to a 2–3 bedroom move and $5,000–$8,000+ for a 4-bedroom home with china, art, glass, electronics, and a fully equipped kitchen. Custom crating for art or stone tops is billed per crate ($120–$400 each). Unpacking at destination — boxes opened, contents placed on surfaces, packing material removed — typically adds another $1,000–$3,000. The full-service path roughly doubles the invoice for a typical interstate move.

Partial-pack (sometimes called fragile-only or kitchen-pack) is what most experienced movers actually recommend for non-luxury households. The mover packs the kitchen, china, glassware, art, and electronics — the items most likely to break and most painful to claim — and you pack everything else. The add is typically $400–$1,200. You save the bulk of the packing cost while keeping the highest-risk items under full carrier valuation.

You source boxes (Home Depot, Lowe's, U-Haul, or used from neighborhood "buy nothing" groups), pack everything yourself over 3–6 weekends, and the moving crew arrives on move day with just labor and the truck. Material cost runs $150–$500 depending on home size. Plan on 30–80 hours of your own time for a 3-bedroom home. This is the right path for budget-driven moves where you have lead time and you trust your own packing.

This is the part most customers don't know about: federal rules and every carrier tariff distinguish between Carrier Packed (CP) and Packed By Owner (PBO) boxes. CP boxes are covered for internal damage under your valuation — break a plate, claim a plate. PBO boxes are only covered if there is external evidence that the box was dropped, crushed, or wet. If you packed a box of stemware and three glasses arrive shattered with no external damage to the box, the carrier will typically deny the claim. This is the single best reason to spring for partial-pack on kitchen and fragile items.

Rough rule of thumb: Full-service for executive relocations, high-value households, anyone with health constraints, or moves with less than two weeks of lead time. Partial-pack for most middle-income moves where time matters but every dollar still counts. Self-pack with mover loading for budget-driven moves with 4+ weeks of lead time. Pure DIY (you rent the truck) only for local moves — you cannot legally cross state lines hauling someone else's household goods without FMCSA interstate authority.

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