You’re past the point of doing a DIY move, and you’re ready to book the best local movers in town. But what exactly does that entail?
“I have a three-bedroom house. How many movers should I hire—and how big should their truck be?”
This is one of the first questions people ask when they’re planning a move and need to reserve their moving day on the company’s calendar. And while starting with the number of bedrooms is smart, it doesn’t tell the whole story. You need to look at the big picture, with your total square footage, the logistics and layout of your home, all of your unique belongings, and where your movers are headed.
Colt Moving recommends approximately one 26-foot moving truck and two movers for every 1,500 square feet of home being moved.
However, that baseline does not include garages, patios, or specialty items—and other factors can change the recommendation, too.
Take a lightly furnished three-bedroom townhouse in downtown Indianapolis vs a fully furnished three-bedroom home on the northside, where you have a basement, plus a garage and patio. Those are two completely different moves.
So how do you know what you actually need? Start with the size of your home, then look at everything else you’re moving. Two movers might be exactly right for one home. But a larger or more complicated move could be more efficient with four or even six movers. It’s about finding that scheduling sweet spot—where you get exactly what you need to keep your moving day on-track and budget-friendly.
The right truck and crew for your move will depend on the logistical conditions of both homes and what’s actually being moved. These are some general planning tips, but please don’t take them as guarantees. Every job is different.
| Home Starting Point | Recommendation | Logistics to Consider |
|---|---|---|
| Studio / 1-bedroom apartment | 1 truck with 2 movers | Stairs, elevators, long hallways, storage spaces |
| 2-bedroom apartment / small home | 1 truck with 2 movers | Garage storage, heavy furniture, access for parking / loading |
| ~1,500 sq. ft. home | 1 truck with 2 movers | How much you own, specialty items |
| ~2,000–3,000 sq. ft. home | 2 trucks with 4 movers | Your basement, garage, furniture volume, specialty items, long carries to the truck |
| 4-bedroom / larger home | 2+ trucks with 4–6 movers | Multiple living areas indoors / outside, storage spaces, specialty items |
| 5+ bedroom / large home | Multiple trucks and larger crew | Total inventory, floorplan / layout, basement, outdoor living areas, deep storage |
There’s no universal answer—because this is where your square footage and inventory matter more than the bedroom count.
A new 3-bedroom townhouse or starter home might be a one-truck, two-mover job. A larger 3-bedroom with a basement, garage, and patio could be closer to a two-truck, four-mover job. The difference isn’t the label “3-bedroom.” It’s everything inside it.
A basement with a large sectional and a staircase will change the labor involved. And a packed garage might add hours to the job. The details can change the crew, number of trucks, and time your move requires.
Picture a reasonably furnished room. You’ve got a bed and a dresser. Maybe a large sofa and TV, with a couple of club chairs and a coffee table. Or there’s a standard dining table set, then a box packed up for every kitchen cabinet or two.
For plenty of moves, one truck and two movers might be the right call. But you can’t go off square footage or bedroom count alone. Access will matter just as much as the amount of furniture. That’s why you need to consider your move from a few different angles.
Remember: Smaller spaces don’t automatically mean quicker moves.
Apartment buildings can come with some of the biggest logistical challenges. Some renters might need to reserve an elevator for when their movers come. Or they might be at the end of a long hallway or have multiple flights of stairs in the building.
Think about how far the movers will have to carry everything. A first-floor apartment with a truck parked outside the door is very different from a third-floor apartment with a long hallway and no elevator. You’ll likely still be fine reserving one truck, but the amount of time it takes to actually do the move can fluctuate based on your setup.
Remember: You have to be realistic about your belongings.
A single 26-foot truck with two movers is probably enough in these scenarios, but maybe you have a garage or storage unit that’s full of bins. Or a treadmill plus a couple of bikes. And that large sectional—all of those items take up truck space. You can’t always estimate your move by bedrooms alone.
Remember: You need to consider everything outside the main living spaces.
Square footage is a useful starting point. The catch, though, is that it’s not a substitute for looking at what you actually own.
Imagine a 1,500-square-foot ranch with three bedrooms, one living room and a relatively modest amount of furniture. That’s one scenario. Then take the same-size house with a packed garage, a finished basement, home office, kids’ playroom, patio furniture and a treadmill. Same square footage. Completely different move.
Our rule of thumb is to schedule one 26-foot truck and two movers for 1,500 square feet of living space. Then plan for roughly six to eight hours to get the job done. For heavily-furnished homes, though, adding a third mover might be the smarter call.
Remember: When a move gets larger, add the right crew.
In this range, two trucks and four movers tends to be a reasonable starting point. But the important thing is to match the crew size and number of trucks to the actual workload.
That doesn’t mean every 2,000-square-foot home needs exactly that setup. A sparsely-furnished home won’t necessarily need the extra movers that a heavily-furnished 3,000 square-foot home requires.
Remember: Two homes can have the same number of bedrooms, but dramatically different amounts of furniture.
You’ve got multiple bedrooms, a family room, basement, dining furniture, a home office, several bathrooms, the garage, outdoor furniture and a bunch of boxes filled with your kitchen gear. Consider looking at two trucks and four movers as your starting point—with the possibility of adding additional movers depending on the amount of furniture and specialty items.
The address might look similar on paper. The move won’t. For larger homes, think in terms of total volume + crew + truck capacity, instead of just counting bedrooms.
Remember: A move of this size will often require two trucks and four or more movers.
Since your movers are going to handle all of your furniture and belongings, don’t get fixated just on the bedroom sets.
Some couples live in a house for two years and don’t accumulate a lot of furniture. Other times we’re working with a family who’s lived at their property for 20 years and have a fully-furnished basement, three bedrooms for the kids, a home gym, packed garage, and a patio full of furniture. Details matter.
Remember: The larger the move, the more important it is to plan.
At this point, you may be looking at multiple trucks and a crew of four—or even six or more movers. By going with the “two movers and one 26-foot truck per 1,500 square feet” formula, you can begin to calculate the best course of action with your local moving company.
Along the way, your level of preparation will make a major difference. Get all of your boxes packed and labeled, and create clear pathways for your movers so they can work quickly to get everything out the door and on the truck.
Some belongings require more planning than others. If you have something unusually heavy, oversized or difficult to handle, be sure to mention it when you’re scheduling your move. Don’t wait until the truck arrives.
At Colt Moving, we treat these as specialty items and charge a $100 fee because each item comes with additional risk and liability during transport:
Too few movers can make a large job unnecessarily slow. Too many movers can take up loads of space and keep everyone from working efficiently. The goal is balance—and experience matters more than you might think.
At the end of the day, it’s not about getting “the cheapest crew.” You want to feel good knowing that the crew you hire will be well-equipped to be productive on the job and protect everything you own. Whether the specifics of your move would be better handled by two professional movers, three, four, or more—each one should be trained to get the job done with the highest level of care.
You don’t necessarily need the largest crew around, but you do need guys who know how to work hard so your day goes smoothly. Colt Moving can help.
From our baseline of two movers and one truck, to adding multiple movers when you need to speed up your timeline for a larger home, our goal is to give you a stress-free moving day from start to finish. Tell us what you need for your property, and we’ll take care of the rest!
Our save-time estimates let you skip the hassle of a site visit. Because we outline our pricing model online, you’ll have all the information you need upfront to plan your budget and understand the likely time involved.
When you consider all of the factors of your home, what you’re taking with you, and any logistics or specialty items that might add to your bottom line, you can get an affordable, streamlined move with the Colt Moving team.
If you have questions, you’re always welcome to talk with a scheduling manager. Call us at (317) 476-3762 to strategize with us. Then we’ll get your move on the calendar!
