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Imagine a situation. You finally finish your difficult moving day with tons of boxes and packs. You’re happy with the day since the moving company that you’ve chosen met all the expectations starting from packing to the behavior of a crew. After the move, you pay according to the agreement, but you’re confused. Are movers supposed to be tipped? How much should you tip movers? You don’t know how to tip movers or if there is a standard tip for movers. As a result, a fantastic moving crew, which helped you with extreme professionalism and dedication, is left without tips. You’ve missed a chance to show your gratitude.
To avoid such situations, it’s better to search the question beforehand. After you find a good moving company, take your time to learn more about tipping in the moving service industry and a suggested tip for movers.
Do You Have to Tip Movers?
No matter if you hired movers or DIY, you may have uncertainty about tipping in the moving industry at least once in your life. Of course, tipping movers and packers is not required but it’s always highly appreciated. A usual day for a moving crew is always exhausting and physically tense. Professional movers take all the relocation moments into their hands allowing you to feel peace and safety. That’s why it’s a common practice to provide an appropriate tip for movers to show gratitude for their level of service.
How Much Should You Tip Movers: Factors You Should Consider
A tip amount for movers depends on many things that compose an overall picture of a moving day. Speaking about typical tip for local movers, it usually refers to:
- Half-day move (4 hours) – $20-$30 per mover
- Full-day move (8 hours) – $30-$40 per mover
When you have a long-distance move (more than 100 miles), it’s likely to have either one or multiple moving crews (pickup and delivery). If you have multiple crews, take your time to think about tipping according to the scope of work accomplished by each one. Also, take into account typical tips for long-distance movers:
- Full-day move (8 hours) – $40-$50 per mover
- 12 hours or more – $50-$60 per mover
However, many factors can either increase or decrease an average tip for movers. When calculating tip percentage for movers, take into account how difficult was the job that refers to:
- Size of your home
Every move is individual and when one person plans to move out of a one-bedroom apartment, someone needs to move out of a great 4-bedroom house. Of course, the size of your house or apartment matters and influences the scope of services that should be provided by a moving crew. So you could tip your movers more in case you realize that the scope of work that they’ve covered is huge. - If they are moving your items upstairs/downstairs
If you have an apartment or house with multiple stories or maybe a building has no lift, the movers have to do a really great job to accomplish the task. It requires more time, effort, and an even higher number of movers. No matter whether moving items upstairs/downstairs is included or not included in the moving cost, you can highlight it when calculating movers tipping. - If you have oversized heavy items to move
Of course, all the stuff that you need to move also plays a role in a suggested tip for movers. If you have heavy items like a piano, sporting equipment, plasma TV, or even both heavy and fragile items, a moving crew should be extremely attentive, careful, and dedicated. Of course, reputable companies offer moving insurance and you can use it to feel safe in case of any unpleasant situation, but you expect a smooth and pleasant move regardless of any difficulty. That’s why tipping etiquette for movers is usually implied in such cases. - How many hours they are moving
Basically, you have estimates that guide you on an approximate time of a move. But if it actually takes more time and it’s not because movers work slowly or they are not involved in the process mentally, the scope of work appears to be greater than expected. If you see that a moving crew works hard and covers more hours than expected, tipping movers and packers is appreciated. - Weather conditions
Unfortunately, when you book your movers in advance, you can’t predict the weather, so rain, snow, or extreme heat can happen. It makes the whole process more complicated and requires more effort and additional preparation from movers. It includes appropriate clothes, extra supplies for protecting belongings, covering the floor, etc. For example, in SOS Moving Company, we work in the rain and use unlimited shrink wraps to wrap and protect clients’ belongings.
In addition, the distance between origin and destination could also take more time than was originally planned by a moving crew. Before a moving day, check the forecast and if there’s a high risk of bad weather conditions, discuss the route with a crew and take into account possible delays and extra pay. Obviously, since such moving usually takes more time and effort, it’s suggested to show your gratitude with the help of tips.
So, evaluate the overall service to estimate all move components. Take into account the behavior and manners of a moving crew. Were they kind and friendly with your family? Or did they do special things to make a move easier for you and your children? Think about all the things to decide how to tip movers.
When Should You Tip Your Movers?
If you’re stuck with the question of when you should tip movers depending on the type of move and provided services, consider the following issues:
- Tipping your local movers
Actually, in case of a local move, you can tip movers anytime you want either during a move or after. You can wait till the end of a move to ensure you’re satisfied or tip local movers in the process to motivate them. It’s totally up to you. - Tipping your long-distance movers
If you have a long-distance move, a moving crew on a packing stage could differ from movers who will deliver and unpack everything in a new space. Besides, you could have different impressions from different movers according to the scope of work and their performance. In that case, it’s better to contact a company to find out how many crews will accomplish a move. In that case, you could know time frames, evaluate the performance of both crews, and plan tipping movers and packers when it’s appropriate. - Tipping movers for other moving services
Some moves require special moving services like commercial moving, packing, or white glove moving that assures extra care. For example, SOS Moving Company can even disassemble and reassemble furniture if needed. So you can show gratuity for movers and packers who provide additional services either in the process or after their work. - Do You Tip on Both Ends?
When you have a long-distance move, you can have two moving crews: one packing all the things and the other one relocating all the stuff and unpacking it. So it’s better to find out how many crews will be involved in the process to know the scope of work division and plan your time for tipping movers ahead.
Methods for How to Tip Movers
The best way to tip your movers is good old cash. It’s better to give tips to every mover separately to assure that a foreman won’t split the money unfairly. In this way, you can give extra money to those who worked the hardest.
In case you forgot to go to the bank or ATM, consider the following options:
- If you found a trustworthy legitimate moving company that carries out long-distance moves, it usually has an additional line in the bill where you can add tips and pay the whole sum.
- If you want to document to the IRS about paying tips as part of moving services for a tax deduction, you can use a credit card.
- Also, you can tip movers with a check. Of course, it’s inconvenient to pay every mover with a separate check, but you can have one check for the whole crew.
- Ask a moving company if it accepts digital payment services like PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle.
Additional Ways to Show Appreciation
Alongside a standard tip for movers, there are other ways to show your gratitude. It refers to food, drinks, and some snacks. Movers can work all day long without breaks, so such basic things will be appreciated by them for sure. But don’t give beer to your movers since the majority of companies prohibit drinking alcohol on the job.
Besides, a good way to show appreciation is by leaving positive reviews on such platforms as Google or Yelp. Try not to be limited with a 1-sentence review but leave detailed feedback about everything you liked in the process. Positive 5-star reviews influence movers’ reputation and future orders, so it’s a good form of tipping as well.
Reasons You May Not Want to Tip Your Movers or Decrease the Amount
Although tipping etiquette for movers is a common practice in the moving industry, it isn’t required. Here is a list of negative factors that influence tipping decision:
- Poor communication
- Late arrival without explanation
- Aggressive handling of delicate items
- Damage to your stuff
- Unprofessional appearance
Are Tips Tax Deductible?
Following the IRS, when your move is for work purposes, moving expenses (plus tips) can be deductible. You can learn more about Form 3903: Moving Expenses form and check whether your move meets the criteria for moving expense deduction.
So are you supposed to tip movers and what is a suggested tip for movers? Actually, there are no requirements. But after learning some information about tipping etiquette for movers, you can better analyze the scope of work, pay attention to important details, and prepare everything so as not to miss the moment to show your gratitude.
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