Moving a refrigerator costs $220 on average, depending on the size. Most spend between $100 and $300.
When you buy a new refrigerator or want to switch up your kitchen layout, you may run into a heavy hurdle when it comes to relocating your refrigerator. While it’s possible to move it yourself with the right equipment and some helping hands, you'll save yourself the risk of injury and damage to your home by calling in moving professionals. The average cost to professionally move a refrigerator is $220. Let’s take a look at what you can expect to pay to move a refrigerator.
Whether you’re moving your fridge to another home or to another room, there are several cost factors to consider. Keep in mind that your refrigerator size may impact the difficulty level of moving this type of appliance.
Moving services will calculate their rates differently, and some have minimum fees regardless of how many items you’re moving or how long the job takes. Typically, companies will charge you by the fridge weight or per hour for this type of job.
If your movers calculate their moving costs by weight, they may have set prices for different weight ranges. Most refrigerators weigh between 100 and 400 pounds, with an average weight of 250 pounds. You can expect to pay an average of $200 to move a refrigerator that weighs 250 pounds or less, while a heavier fridge can cost $275 to $300 to move.
Some types of moving companies charge hourly rates to move heavy objects like a fridge. Hourly moving rates for moving a fridge can range from $50 to $130 per moving crew member, with at least two crew members required to move the fridge safely.
If you’re moving your fridge on your own, you’ll need to rent a large hand truck, which costs an average of $10 to $20 per day. If you’re planning to hire movers to complete this task, they will come equipped with their own moving materials, so you won’t need to account for this cost. However, if you’re moving the refrigerator to another location, you’ll need to rent a moving truck, which costs an average of $1,000.
If you’re hiring a professional moving company, the total cost of labor depends on the number of hours it takes or the weight of the refrigerator. The cost of hiring local movers is typically $25 and $50 per hour for one to two professional movers. However, the cost increases to $75 to $150 per hour for three movers and around $100 to $200 per hour for four movers.
If your fridge includes an ice maker or dispenses water, you’ll need an attached water line for those features to function. The average cost to move kitchen plumbing more than three feet is $500 to $1,000 per appliance.
You’ll need an electrical outlet close enough to the refrigerator that you won’t need to rely on dangerous, unsightly extension cords for power. The cost to install an electrical outlet is $140 to $300.
If you hire professional movers to help relocate your refrigerator, you should expect to tip them for their services. Consider tipping your movers $4 to $10 per hour, $10 for half day moves and $20 for full day moves per mover.
The typical homeowner doesn’t have the equipment or experience needed to lift and move heavy appliances safely, especially when it comes to maneuvering narrow stairs and tight turns. To minimize your chance of physical injury and ensure that your fridge and walls are not damaged during the moving process, you should hire a local moving company.
Not sure whether you need to pay for a professional moving team to relocate your fridge? You’ll save $100 to $300 on labor costs if you move the refrigerator rather than hire a moving company, but this decision comes with other costs. You’ll need at least one other person to assist you, and if you don’t own an appliance hand truck, you’ll need to rent one at an average rate of $10 to $20 per day from a tool rental or moving equipment store.
Ensure the hand truck has a wide, steep deck, a wrap-around strap, and skids on the back for tilting and sliding down carpeted stairs. The strap should not push on any exposed coils, so protect them by placing a scrap of plywood or several boards between the fridge and the deck.
If you’re completing a move to another home, you’ll likely need help moving other large, heavy items in addition to the fridge. Consider hiring professional movers to assist with relocating the following items:
Moving a piano: $250–$600
Moving a grandfather clock: $400–$4,000
Moving a pool table: $250–$2,000
While there are some unavoidable costs that come with moving a refrigerator, there are ways to cut down on unnecessary spending. Here are a few helpful tips to save a bit of cash while moving your refrigerator.
Get price quotes from multiple moving companies. Make sure to provide the weight of your fridge for the most accurate price estimate.
Prepare your fridge before the pros arrive. Emptying and cleaning out the refrigerator ahead of time will make for a quicker job, which can also lower your final cost.
Make sure you clear a path to the door so movers can easily move the refrigerator to its new location.
For a DIY move, ask family and friends if they have equipment you can borrow. They may also be willing to assist you with the move for only the price of your gratitude (and maybe a pizza after the job is done).
You can lay a refrigerator down to move it with a lot of padding underneath, but it’s best to transport it upright to keep the cooling refrigerant and compressor oil in place. These elements can cause blockages if not given time to settle before turning the fridge on.
If you need to lay the fridge down to move it, position the fridge door hinges so that doors won’t open while moving.
If you move your fridge upright, you can turn it on right away without letting it settle. If the fridge was laying down during transport, check its manual to find out how long you should let it settle before turning it on again. Usually, it’s safest to wait about 24 hours. If you don’t allow the refrigerant and compressor oil to settle, you may end up needing refrigerator repair.
Determine whether you have any other heavy, bulky, or oddly-shaped items you’d like to relocate, such as a washing machine or other appliance. Since many professional moving companies may charge minimum fees for their services, you could end up paying the same cost to move a refrigerator as you would to move the fridge and a second or third item.
