How Much Do Removalists Cost in Melbourne? (Worked Examples)
By Move Near Me team ·
Short answer: Removalists in Melbourne cost around $105 an hour for 2 movers and a 4.5 tonne truck, plus a 30-minute call-out. A 2-bed apartment usually works out at 4.5–6 billable hours including the call-out ($472.50–$630 + GST before extras); a 3-bed house with 3 movers and an 8 t truck at $170/hour usually 4.75–6.25 hours ($807.50–$1,062.50 + GST). Saturday moves cost $10 extra per hour, Sundays $20, and public holidays $35. Stairs ($30 a flight), long carries ($30), difficult parking ($25) and lift bookings ($20) are added per address.
Here’s how it adds up.
Base rate
- 2 movers + 4.5 t truck: $105/hour
- 2-hour minimum (labour charge, not including the call-out)
- 30-minute call-out: $105 × 0.5 = $52.50 (depot to first address and back)
- Billed in 15-minute blocks after the minimum
All prices are AUD, excluding GST. GST is added on top.
Truck upgrades
| Truck | Cost per hour |
|---|---|
| 4.5 t (standard) | Included in base |
| 8 t | +$20/hour |
| 10 t | +$40/hour |
For bigger homes, a larger truck can mean fewer trips. We recommend a truck size in the quote form based on the size of your home.
Day-of-week surcharges (per hour on top)
| Day | Cost |
|---|---|
| Monday–Friday | No surcharge |
| Saturday | +$10/hour |
| Sunday | +$20/hour |
| Public holiday | +$35/hour |
Extra movers
Each mover beyond the first two costs $45/hour.
A 3-mover team moves faster (about 28% faster), so a 6-hour 2-mover job might take 4–4.5 hours with 3 movers. The extra mover saves time and is worth it for larger homes.
Access fees
| Factor | Cost |
|---|---|
| Stairs (per flight, at each address) | $30 |
| Long carry (25+ metres from truck to door) | $30 |
| Lift booking (if required) | $20 |
| Difficult parking (no legal parking near the door) | $25 per address |
Special items
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Upright piano | $150 fee, on top of the hourly labour |
| Grand piano | Quoted by hand |
| Pool table | $150 |
| Heavy item (safes, gym equipment, 100+ kg) | $80 each |
| Disassembly/reassembly (per item) | $25 |
Packing
- Packing labour: $55 per packer-hour
- Cartons: $4 each
- Port-a-robe hire: $15
- Mattress covers: $10
Rubbish removal
From $90 per load. If your move produces a trailer-load of unwanted furniture or boxes, we’ll quote a price per load.
How the hours are counted
Billable time runs from when the crew arrives at your first address until the last item is unloaded, plus the fixed 30-minute call-out, all at the team rate. The team rate is $105/hour for 2 movers and a 4.5 t truck, plus $45/hour for each extra mover, plus any bigger truck, plus any weekend or public holiday surcharge (a flat amount per hour for the whole team). Fixed extras like stairs are added on top.
The examples below use a weekday 10–25 km move and a realistic finishing time inside the range our quote form shows.
Worked example 1: 2-bed apartment, weekday
Property: 2-bed apartment in Fitzroy, lift that needs booking at the new building, a 35 m carry from the truck to the lift. Our form estimates 4.5–6 billable hours. Say it takes 5 hours including the call-out.
| Item | Calculation | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Movers and truck (incl. call-out) | 5 hrs × $105 | $525.00 |
| Long carry | 1 × $30 | $30.00 |
| Lift booking | 1 × $20 | $20.00 |
| Subtotal (ex GST) | $575.00 | |
| GST (10%) | $57.50 | |
| Total | $632.50 |
The form’s range for this move is $522.50–$680 + GST.
Worked example 2: 3-bed house, weekday, 3 movers and an 8 t truck
Property: 3-bed house in Footscray, 2 flights of stairs at pickup and 3 at the new place, a bed and a wardrobe to take apart. We recommend 3 movers and an 8 t truck, so the team rate is $105 + $45 + $20 = $170/hour. The form estimates 4.75–6.25 billable hours. Say it takes 5.5 hours.
| Item | Calculation | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Movers and truck (incl. call-out) | 5.5 hrs × $170 | $935.00 |
| Stairs (5 flights) | 5 × $30 | $150.00 |
| Disassembly and reassembly | 2 × $25 | $50.00 |
| Subtotal (ex GST) | $1,135.00 | |
| GST (10%) | $113.50 | |
| Total | $1,248.50 |
The form’s range for this move is $1,007.50–$1,262.50 + GST.
Worked example 3: the same move on a Saturday
The Saturday surcharge is $10/hour for the whole team, so the team rate becomes $180/hour.
| Item | Calculation | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Movers and truck (incl. call-out) | 5.5 hrs × $180 | $990.00 |
| Stairs (5 flights) | 5 × $30 | $150.00 |
| Disassembly and reassembly | 2 × $25 | $50.00 |
| Subtotal (ex GST) | $1,190.00 | |
| GST (10%) | $119.00 | |
| Total | $1,309.00 |
Moving on Saturday adds $55 + GST to this move. On a Sunday (+$20/hour) it would add $110 + GST.
How the quote works
Our online quote form shows an instant estimate. We call back within 2 business hours to confirm the price, discuss access issues (stairs, lifts, parking), and lock in the date. You can cancel free up to 48 hours before the move.
Why the estimate might change
- More or fewer items than described: we scale the time
- Stairs, lifts or parking we didn’t know about: we add access fees
- Longer drive than expected: driving between your two addresses is part of the billable time, so a longer drive takes longer (the quote form allows for distance; moves over 80 km are quoted by hand)
- More fragile items: may require more care and time
- Weight: if you’ve packed tightly or have unusually heavy items, it takes longer
Regional and long-distance moves
Moves over 80 km are quoted by hand. We’ll still call you within 2 business hours.
Interstate moves
For moves to NSW, QLD or anywhere outside Victoria, we provide a hand quote. See interstate removals.
FAQ
Q: What’s the cheapest time to move? Weekday mid-month moves (not around school holidays or semester end) are quietest. Avoid mid-June, late November, Christmas–January, and school holidays.
Q: Do you move pianos? Yes. An upright piano is a $150 fee on top of the hourly labour (minimum 2 hours plus the call-out), so a weekday upright piano move with no stairs starts at $412.50 + GST. Grand pianos are quoted by hand depending on the staircase and route. See our piano removals service.
Q: What if my move takes longer than estimated? You pay for the actual time, in 15-minute blocks after the 2-hour minimum, at the rate we confirmed. If the move turns out to be materially different from what you described (for example many more items or extra stairs), we’ll tell you before we continue and agree any change with you first.
Q: Do you take rubbish? Yes. If your move produces furniture or boxes you don’t want, we’ll quote removal per trailer load, starting from $90.
Ready to move? Get a free quote, see our full pricing, or contact us to discuss your move.