Quick Answer: Merc Movers‘ current London pricing starts at $129/hour for a Small Move and $189/hour for a Residential Move, with larger moves quoted individually. These are starting rates, not a guaranteed total. What you actually pay comes down to billable time, your inventory, access at both properties, travel terms, packing, and any specialty items, all of which belong in your written estimate.
If you’re moving in London, Ontario, the fastest way to a realistic budget is connecting the hourly rate to the work your move actually involves. A four-hour job and a seven-hour job can share the same rate and still land on very different bills, so the rate alone only tells you half the story.
This guide walks through current pricing, turns it into real-dollar examples, and shows exactly what pushes a quote up or down. You’ll get the rates, cost examples, and quote details you need to compare moving companies in London without relying on the hourly rate alone.
Current Merc Movers Pricing in London, Ontario
Here are Merc Movers, our starting rates for London are –
| Move type | Current starting price |
|---|---|
| Small Move (best for studios and one-bedroom homes) | $129/hour |
| Residential Move (two- and three-bedroom homes ) | $189/hour |
| Large Move (larger homes and commercial jobs) | Custom quote |
Rates and inclusions can change, so treat this table as a starting reference – the written estimate for your specific move is always the final word.
1. Small Move – $129 per hour
This rate is a starting point, not a promise that every compact apartment takes the same number of hours. A lightly furnished home with clear access can move quickly; the same size home with a storage locker, stairs, a long hallway, or a few bulky pieces can take noticeably longer.
If you already have transportation sorted and just need lifting, loading, or unloading, labour-only moving help is often the better fit than booking a full moving service.
2. Residential Move – $189 per hour
This rate works best as a budgeting reference for a household move with a larger inventory and more loading and unloading involved. The billable hours and what’s written into the estimate still decide the final number. If you’re weighing the scope of a full household relocation, residential moving services are a useful place to see exactly what can be included.
3. Large Move – Custom Quote
Larger moves are priced one at a time, and for good reason: a four-bedroom house with a lightly furnished basement is a different job entirely from one with a packed garage, workshop, patio furniture, and heavy packing needs. A custom quote lets the crew, schedule, and scope match the real property rather than forcing it into a flat rate.
Turning the Hourly Rate Into a Real Number
Once you know the rate, the next step is simple math: multiply it by the hours your move will realistically take. The table below shows subtotals only, before HST and before anything else your written estimate lists separately.
| Billable time | Small Move at $129/hr | Residential Move at $189/hr |
|---|---|---|
| 3 hours | $387 | $567 |
| 4 hours | $516 | $756 |
| 6 hours | $774 | $1,134 |
| 8 hours | $1,032 | $1,512 |
So four billable hours at $129/hour comes to $516, and the same four hours at $189/hour comes to $756. These are arithmetic examples, not guaranteed totals – the real variable is always how many hours your move actually needs, which is exactly what the next section covers.
1. Why Billable Time Matters More Than the Headline Rate
A $20 gap in hourly rate can matter far less than a two-hour gap in moving time. That’s why a trustworthy quote ties the rate to an expected crew size, inventory, and access plan, never just a number on its own.
2. Don’t Forget HST When You Compare Quotes
Ontario’s HST rate is 13% on taxable supplies, and before you compare two quotes side by side, check whether tax is already folded into the number or still to be added.
For reference: a $516 subtotal becomes $583.08 after 13% HST, and $756 becomes $854.28. Your written quote should spell out exactly how tax applies to your booking.
What Actually Changes the Cost of a Moving Company?
The hourly rate is only one piece of the puzzle. What really drives the final number is how much work the crew has to do — and the good news is that most of the biggest cost factors are things you can describe and plan for well before moving day.
1. Your Real Inventory, Not Just the Bedroom Count
Bedroom count is a convenient shorthand, but movers work with physical inventory. A one-bedroom apartment with a bed, sofa, and twenty boxes is a completely different job from one with a sectional, king mattress, home office, exercise equipment, and a full storage locker.
When you request a quote, mention everything like garages, basements, lockers, sheds, and outdoor furniture included. Leaving inventory out doesn’t make the job smaller; it just makes the estimate less accurate.
2. Crew Size and Workflow
A smaller crew usually costs less per hour, but that doesn’t guarantee a lower final bill. On a move with multiple floors, long carries, or heavy furniture, a properly sized crew can often finish faster overall. The number that matters is crew size multiplied by realistic time, not the crew size alone.
3. Stairs, Elevators, Parking, and Long Carries
Access can change your workload without changing the distance between addresses at all. A third-floor walk-up, a fixed condo elevator window, or a long corridor all add repeated carrying time that adds up fast. For condo and apartment moves, sharing your elevator reservation, loading dock rules, and parking restrictions before the estimate is finalized genuinely helps.
London’s Traffic & Parking By-law PS-114 governs parking and loading conditions across the city, including designated loading zones. For a downtown or tight-access move, confirm legal truck access ahead of time so moving day doesn’t start with a parking scramble.
4. Packing Readiness and Packing Services
A well-packed home simply loads faster than one where ordinary belongings are still loose. If packing isn’t part of your booking, getting routine boxes done before the crew arrives keeps your paid moving time focused on the move itself, not the prep work.
Want help with a room, some fragile pieces, or the whole home? Professional packing services can be added to the scope; just make sure both labour and materials are clearly spelled out when comparing quotes.
5. Heavy, Fragile, or Specialty Items
Pianos, safes, antiques, oversized mirrors, large glass pieces, and exercise equipment often need extra protection or a different handling plan. Mention them upfront, at the estimate stage, not when the crew is already at the door.
For anything that can’t be handled like ordinary furniture, it’s worth reviewing specialty moving services before booking.
6. Distance, Route, and Travel Terms
For a local London move, ask how travel time is treated in the quote. For anything outside the city, distance, route planning, and delivery timing carry more weight. Every company handles travel a little differently, so read the written terms rather than assuming all hourly quotes start the clock at the same point.
Moving Cost by Home Size and Why Bedroom Count Only Gets You So Far
Searches for a one-bedroom moving cost or a three-bedroom house moving price are a good starting point, but bedroom count alone can’t capture how much furniture is in the home or how tricky the access will be.
Our current London fleet guidance uses a 20 ft truck as the reference point for one- to two-bedroom moves, and a 26 ft truck for three- to four-bedroom moves. Think of that as separate from the hourly pricing — the final crew and vehicle plan still needs to match your actual inventory.
1. One- to Two-Bedroom Moves
The 20 ft truck is the current planning reference here. A lightly furnished apartment can be straightforward, while the same bedroom count with a storage locker, home office, and a large sectional can take meaningfully more time.
2. Three- to Four-Bedroom Moves
The reference for this size is a 26 ft truck. What tends to change the job the most is the inventory outside the bedrooms. Basements, garages, sheds, patios, and workshops can add real volume that a bedroom count doesn’t show.
Before planning a full house move, it’s worth walking the entire property and including those areas in your quote request.
3. Larger or More Complex Homes
Once the inventory or layout goes beyond a typical residential move, a custom quote makes far more sense than squeezing the job into a bedroom-based price. The goal, at every size, is matching labour and vehicle planning to the real workload.
Student Moving Prices Near Western University and Fanshawe College
London’s student-moving market is a big one, especially around Western and Fanshawe. Our current London pricing includes two dedicated student packages:
One-Bedroom (1 BHK) Student Special: $500 / Two-Bedroom (2 BHK) Student Special: $900
These are defined student offers, not average prices for every one- or two-bedroom home in the city — so confirm eligibility, included services, and any inventory limits before booking.
If you need help beyond the student package itself, see our student moving services for the broader moving options available to students.
Why a Student Package Can Look Different From a Regular Quote
Student moves often have a smaller, more predictable inventory than a fully furnished household, but that doesn’t mean they’re always simple — a strict residence move-in window, several flights of stairs, or a storage locker can complicate things fast. The package should match the actual move, not just the student label.
For more details on how academic-season demand can affect student moving availability and pricing, see our guide to student moving demand and pricing.
When Storage Becomes Part of the Budget
If your move-out and move-in dates don’t quite line up, the real cost of the relocation can go beyond the storage rate itself. Belongings may need to be loaded, placed into storage, handled again, and then delivered to the new property.
Where you already know there’s a gap between homes, build temporary storage into the quote from day one. It gives you a realistic door-to-door budget instead of an unpleasant surprise partway through.
How to Compare Moving Quotes Without Being Misled by the Lowest Rate
A quote comparison only really works when every company is pricing the same move. If one estimator knows about the storage locker, the elevator, and the piano and another only heard “two-bedroom apartment,” the two numbers aren’t telling you the same story.
Once you have the estimates in hand, our guide on how to read a moving company quote can help you compare the pricing details and service terms line by line.
1. Give Everyone the Same Scope
Share the same addresses, inventory, move date, access conditions, packing needs, and specialty items with each mover you’re comparing. Then look at the expected total — not just the hourly rate on its own.
2. Get the Estimate and Contract in Writing
Under Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act, a moving contract worth more than $50 must be in writing and include the mover’s contact details, a description of the service, itemized prices, the total, start and end dates, and payment terms.
That Act also protects you further: once an estimate is part of the contract, the mover generally can’t charge more than 10% above it unless you ask for extra or different services and agree to the increase. It’s one more reason an accurate original scope pays off.
3. Ask the Questions That Actually Move the Total
Before signing anything, make sure you can answer each of these:
- What hourly rate or pricing method is being used?
- How many movers are planned for the job?
- How much billable time is estimated?
- How is travel handled?
- Are stairs, elevators, and long carries already accounted for?
- Who’s responsible for packing and packing materials?
- Are heavy or specialty items identified?
- Does the estimate include HST, or is it added afterward?
- What specific changes could increase the final amount?
A clear answer to each of these is worth far more than a vague promise that everything’s “included.”
How to Reduce Moving Costs Without Cutting Corners
The most reliable savings almost always come from cutting avoidable work, not from chasing the lowest headline rate.
1. Declutter Before the Final Estimate
Everything you sell, donate, or dispose of beforehand is one less thing to pack, carry, load, and unload. This makes the biggest difference in basements, garages, and storage spaces, where things tend to quietly pile up over the years.
2. Finish Routine Packing Before Moving Day
If packing isn’t part of your booking, have the ordinary boxes closed, labelled, and ready to go. Loose belongings slow down rooms that would otherwise move quickly.
3. Confirm Elevators and Loading Access Early
Reserve building elevators, confirm the loading area, and flag any time limits to the crew in advance. A well-planned access route stops the same small delay from repeating itself all day.
4. Flag Difficult Items Before the Quote, Not After
A quick photo and a rough measurement go a long way for oversized furniture or narrow staircases. Solving a handling problem at the estimate stage is almost always easier — and cheaper — than solving it once the crew has already arrived.
5. Choose a Lower-Demand Move Date
When you move can matter as much as how much you move. Demand in London tends to peak between May and September, on weekends, and at the end and start of each month when most leases turn over. Student move-in and move-out periods around Western and Fanshawe add to the rush. If your dates are flexible, moving on a weekday in the middle of the month gives you better availability and more room to schedule the crew and truck you actually need. For a closer look at timing, see our guide to the cheapest day to hire movers in London.
If you’re still deciding whether to hire a crew at all, compare the full cost of renting a truck, buying supplies and doing the lifting yourself before you book. Our guide on DIY vs. hiring a moving company walks through that trade-off.
Frequently Asked Questions About Moving Company Costs in London, Ontario
How much would four hours of movers cost?
At $129/hour, four billable hours comes to $516 before HST and any separately agreed services. At $189/hour, four billable hours comes to $756 on the same basis. These are calculations, not guaranteed quotes.
How much would six hours of movers cost?
Six hours at $129/hour comes to $774. Six hours at $189/hour comes to $1,134. The actual number of hours depends on your inventory, access, crew plan, and how ready the property is to move.
What size truck is used for a one- or two-bedroom move?
Merc’s current London fleet guidance uses a 20 ft truck as the planning reference for one- to two-bedroom moves. The actual vehicle plan should still reflect the inventory and access conditions.
What size truck is used for a three- or four-bedroom move?
The London fleet guidance is a 26 ft truck for three- to four-bedroom moves. Bedroom count is only a starting point; garages, basements, and storage areas can materially change the inventory.
How much are Merc Movers’ student packages?
The current London pricing lists a $500 1-BHK Student Special and a $900 2-BHK Student Special. These are student packages, not universal apartment prices, so confirm eligibility and inclusions when booking.
Do stairs and elevators increase moving costs?
They can — the crew may need to carry items farther, wait for an elevator, or work within a fixed building window. Tell the estimator about access conditions before the quote is finalized.
Does HST apply to moving services in Ontario?
Yes. Ontario’s HST rate is 13% on taxable supplies. Ask whether your moving quote already includes HST or whether it will be added to the subtotal.
How do I get the most accurate moving quote?
Provide both addresses, the move date, a realistic inventory, stairs or elevator information, parking and loading conditions, packing needs, storage requirements, and any heavy or specialty items. The quote is only as useful as the scope behind it.
Final Cost Check: What Should You Budget for Your London Move?
Start with the published rate, then connect it to the move you actually have. For Merc Movers, that means $129/hour for a Small Move, $189/hour for a Residential Move, and a custom quote for anything larger.
The real budget comes from combining that rate with realistic billable time, your inventory, access, travel terms, packing, specialty items, storage, and applicable tax. Once those details are written into the estimate, you have a number worth trusting — not just a headline price with unanswered questions behind it.
To price your actual move, request a moving quote from Merc Movers or call 519-900-1661. Our London office is at 714 York St, London, ON N5W 2S8.