The Real Costs of Starting a Moving Franchise

Starting a moving franchise is both exciting and rewarding. But the first thing any good investor wants to know is how much it’s going to cost. How much does a moving franchise cost?

Most moving franchises cost anywhere from $60,000 to $500,000, with most moving franchises starting at around $200,000. These costs cover things like moving equipment, moving trucks, real estate, and franchise fees.

But that’s quite the price range. In the rest of this article, we’ll explain the costs associated with starting a moving franchise.

One of the most expensive aspects of starting up your own moving franchise is the first purchase of your truck (or trucks).

Depending on the truck’s size requirements set by your company, the range of your first moving truck will vary.

On the lower end of costs, trucks can be around $20,000. But these trucks are typically smaller, used, and have a lot of miles on them.

On the higher end of costs, trucks can be as much as $300,000. These are your newer trucks with low or zero miles. My opinion is to hold off on purchasing these new trucks until you’ve been an established franchise for a few years.

But the good news is that you can eliminate the need for this cost if you go with a moving franchise like Two Guys, No Truck.

Our franchise is exactly what it sounds like - a moving company that only provides the labor, not the truck.

Another expensive item in the list of starting up a moving franchise is the real estate cost.

Some moving franchises require a physical location, while others do not (Two Guys, No Truck doesn’t require a physical location).

If the franchise you’re looking at requires a physical location, you’ll be looking at purchasing a place or leasing a place. And unless you’re paying in cash, there will be a monthly payment.

$1,500 - $10,000 a month is the range most investors are looking at for a physical location of a moving franchise.

The price range varies quite a bit due to the location of the building and what utilities are needed.

There might be slight differences in what is required from business to business, but most of the moving equipment you’ll need to start up your moving franchise is pretty standard.

And the good news is that a lot of this equipment is a one-time purchase or a once-a-year purchase.

These are the most common pieces of moving equipment that are needed when starting up a moving franchise:

• Moving dollies
• Moving straps
• Moving blankets
• Gloves
• Box cutters
• Furniture sliders

Most moving franchises will have you invest around $8,000 - $10,000 for moving equipment costs.

But some of the things that can influence these costs are how many employees you have and the volume of jobs you’re planning on performing.

Every company needs to get the word out about its business, so it needs to set aside a marketing budget.

I’ve seen moving franchises have their initial marketing budget as low as $1,000, while I’ve seen some set it as high as $30,000.

Some factors that influence advertising costs for moving franchises include:

• Website (if one is not provided)
• Location of the business
• Type of ads (digital, video, print, etc).
• Marketing strategy set by the business

Licensing and permit fees are typically renewed on a yearly basis, but the exact licenses and permits needed will vary between cities and states and whether you’ll be moving stuff across state lines.

Most moving franchises will spend between $300 - $3000 for license and permit fees, depending on local regulations.

If you’re planning on moving stuff across state lines, then you’ll need a USDOT number and a motor carrier number, which is $300 as of 2025.

Moving companies will need insurance for workers’ compensation, vehicles, cargo, and general liability.

Depending on the rules in your state, insurance can cost anywhere between $500 - $5,000 a year.

Some things that can impact insurance cost are:

• Number of vehicles
• Number of employees
• Location
• Types of insurance needed

Costs for registering your company will be between $50-$250, depending on which state you’re registering in.

Once registered, most states have a yearly fee that needs to be paid to maintain your business. But that also varies between states.

For example, Colorado has a registration fee of $50 for an LLC. Then, once a year, a $25 fee is due.

Unless you’re planning on moving everything by yourself (which I don’t recommend), you’ll need employees to help.

$12 - $25 per hour is a standard employee rate for most moving companies.

Every business is unique, and your franchisor can help you determine employee wages.

A franchise fee is a one-time payment that is made at the beginning of a franchise deal.

This franchise fee allows a franchisee to use the company’s brand, operating procedures, and proprietary system. This fee usually covers the franchisee’s initial training.

Each franchise is different in what they charge, but I’ve typically seen moving franchises charge anywhere from $25,000 - $100,000.

If you’re looking at the breakdown of the costs of owning a moving franchise, you’ll probably see a line item that says something like “Additional Funds”.

Additional funds are kind of a miscellaneous fund that is used to cover unexpected costs and help keep the business running for the next six months or so.

Additional Funds can be as low as $5,000 and as much as $75,000.

The amount needed will depend on how much overhead a business needs to operate on a monthly basis.

With a total investment of just $56,500 - $65,000, owning a Two Guys, No Truck franchise is one of the most budget-friendly ways to start your own business!

We’re a different kind of moving company - we handle the muscle, not the trucks. That means no vehicles to buy, no storefront to maintain, and no complicated logistics.

It’s as simple as scheduling moving help, showing up, and getting the job done.

Interested in learning more? Fill out our quick franchise interest form to start a conversation with our owner!