How Much to Tip Movers

$20–40 per mover (half day)

Tip movers about $20–40 per mover for a half-day local move and $40–80 per mover for a full day. For long-distance moves, 5–10% of the total split among the crew is common. Cold drinks and lunch are appreciated extras, not replacements.

Typical: $20–$40 per mover (half day).

Tip$90.00

Per person figures assume you split the tip evenly.

Tipping movers: situation by situation

SituationTypical tip
Half-day local move (4 hrs)$20–40 per mover
Full-day move (8 hrs)$40–80 per mover
Long-distance move5–10% of the bill
Stairs, piano, heavy safe+$10–20 per mover
Loading/unloading only$10–20 per mover

Worth knowing

  • Tip each mover directly in cash if you can, rather than one lump to the foreman.
  • Tip both the loading crew and the unloading crew if they differ.

Questions people ask

Is $20 per mover enough?

For a small job of a few hours, yes. For a full day of heavy lifting, $40–80 each is more typical.

Should I tip movers if the company charges a lot?

Company pricing goes largely to the business. The crew doing the lifting still generally expects a tip.