Pods Moving Cost: Average Prices & Cost Factors

PODS is a company that delivers a portable storage container to your address, lets you load it at your own pace, and then moves it to your new home or into a storage facility. A local PODS move typically costs $456 – $783, with $582 as the typical figure according to HireAHelper.

Distance changes the price more than anything else. Moving across town and moving across the country are different products with very different totals. The figures below separate them, along with container size and the monthly charge for keeping a container.

Local moves, usually under 50 miles, are the least expensive. Costs rise with mileage, and the jump from regional to long-distance is large.

The ranges reflect different container sizes, routes, and seasons. Prices are quotes for specific addresses, so the only reliable number for your move comes from PODS.

Containers come in several sizes, and the one you choose affects the price. The figures below are for local moves.

A smaller container costs less, but only if everything fits. If you underestimate, you may need a second container, which can cost more than a larger one would have. Many people size up by the number of rooms in the home. Ask the company how much a given container holds before you choose.

For moves of 1,000 miles or more, container size matters even more because transport is billed over a long route.

Delivery and pickup are one part of the bill. Storage is the other. Most quotes include a set period for loading and unloading, and keeping a container longer is billed monthly. A container can stay at your property, where local rules allow it, or be stored at a PODS facility.

The monthly price depends on size and where the container sits. A facility is a secure location but costs more than on-site storage. If you will need a container for a long time, compare these rates with those of a traditional storage unit.

The sources below do not agree because they use different definitions. One is a company-stated range for local moves, and the others are third-party estimates built from different samples.

A third-party average helps with planning. Local moves in particular depend on the location, the season, and demand for containers on your dates.

The process has a few steps, and each one can add to the bill. You request a quote and pick a container size and delivery date. The container is delivered, and you load it over a set number of days. PODS then picks it up and either delivers it to your new address or stores it at a facility until you are ready. At the destination you unload it, and the empty container is collected.

Because the steps are separate, so are the costs: delivery, the transport itself, any storage between them, and the final pickup. When you read a quote, check whether these are bundled into one price or listed individually. Ask what happens if you need more loading time than the quote allows.

• Distance. Mileage is the largest cost driver.
• Container size. Larger containers cost more, though not always in direct proportion.
• Time of year. Late spring and summer are busy moving seasons, and prices may reflect that.
• Storage time. Extra months are billed separately.
• Location and access. Some cities limit street placement, and a permit may be needed. Check local rules and your homeowner association before you book.
• Add-ons. Insurance, protective coverage, and moving supplies may be extra.
• Loading and unloading. You do the work, or you hire labor.

Containers sit between renting a truck and hiring full-service movers. With a truck, you drive and often pay by mileage and fuel. With full-service movers, a crew does the loading and driving. A container removes the driving and the deadline, and you load at your own speed. The tradeoff is that you still do the heavy lifting, unless you hire loading help, and container placement needs space and sometimes a permit.

Other container companies exist, so request quotes from more than one on the same dates and route.

Check that your driveway or street can take a container. It needs flat, clear space, and some neighborhoods restrict how long a container can sit outside. Book early if you are moving in summer or at the end of the month. Keep valuables, documents, and daily necessities with you rather than in the container. Pack heavy items low and toward the front, and use straps so the load does not shift during transport.