How to Tip Movers in LA – A Complete Guide

By Alex Rogers

August 31, 2021

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Contents

Reading Time: 8 minutes

If you’re relocating with a professional Los Angeles moving company soon and wonder how to tip movers in Los Angeles, it is natural that you feel confused, especially if this is your first time relocating. But there is no need to stay uninformed when you can easily get all the tips here. Keep reading and find out what you can do to make yourself and your team happy.

Should You Tip Movers From a Moving Company in Los Angeles?

As for any other services, you’ll pay an assigned price for this one as well – the same way you pay for your food in the restaurant, but we all know the manners. The more you’re satisfied with the service, the bigger the reward you’ll give – if you can, of course. You should know that you’re not obligated to do this – as we mentioned, you already paid for these services, and if you’re on a budget, there is no need to spend extra. You probably need a lot of money for buying or renting a new home, even in the most affordable suburb of LA, so these expenses are also something you must consider.

There are some other ways you can show gratitude to your helpers. If, on the other hand, you still want to reward them in cash, you might be wondering what’s the minimum amount that you should give them in order to show your appreciation without offending them. We’ll provide you with all the answers to these and similar questions, so don’t forget to take notes for your relocation expenses checklist.

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How to Decide How Much Do You Tip Movers?

The difficulty of your relocation can depend on many factors, which you’re probably already aware of. Extreme weather conditions such as heavy rain or unbearable heat might be some of the negative factors. If you add relocating a heavy piano and other large items, numerous flights of stairs, and narrow hallways – you get an extremely challenging situation even for the most experienced movers in Los Angeles, so consider that when tipping. Complicated conditions and potential disruptions require bigger effort, and bigger effort usually means a bigger tip. Tight deadlines and relocating in a hurry might be stressful for your team the same way it causes moving stress to you. Try to understand that working under pressure isn’t very pleasant for anyone.

Movers in Los Angeles doing their job
Tipping is not mandatory, but you should follow some of the basic rules if you wish to do it

How Much to Tip Local Movers – Is Percentage Tipping the Best Option?

You probably heard of this method before – and it works basically the same as in restaurants or for similar services. People usually offer from 5 to 20%, and that’s considered acceptable and generous. The final price of provided services is calculated based on several factors. You can move your belongings just a few blocks away but have a lot of heavy belongings that require extra engagement from your crew. That’s why you should consider these factors as well once you’ll decide how much you’re going to reward your crew at the end. If you request a free quote in advance, that might help you get an idea of how much you’ll pay in the end and then see if the percentage-based tipping option is doable with your budget.

Professionals organizing boxes for storage
It’s professionals’ job to follow specific rules, but you should also consider some of them when tipping

How Much Do You Tip Depending on the Number of Working Hours – The Recommended Price Ratio

Although there are no strict rules when it comes to this, it’s understandable that you want some concrete answers, especially if you’re relocating for the first time. You need to get an approximate idea of how much is acceptable and reasonable for these situations. For example, in most cases, this would be a time-money ratio that you should consider when tipping:

  • $10 to $20 per person for 4 hours of work,
  • $20 to $40 per person for 8 hours of work,
  • $40 to $60 per person for 12 hours of work.

You’d agree that this amount is totally reasonable if the job was done well and timely. If you have many people helping you out, you can set the final amount and split it evenly between them.

Mover taking a break
If you think one mover worked harder than others, you don’t have to give them all the same amount

Most Important Advice on How to Tip Movers: Don’t Forget to Have Enough Cash on the Big Day

We get that you might be distracted by the craziness of apartment hunting in LA and probably have a lot on your mind and many things to do before relocating. Such as changing the address and deciding where to live, but there is one thing you mustn’t forget about. It is essential that you have cash when you want to reward your helpers, especially if you paid for their services with a credit card. Maybe they won’t agree on tips over credit cards if their company’s policy doesn’t allow them, and you’ll end up disappointed that you haven’t thought about this sooner – especially if you are very happy with their assistance.

To prevent this, go to the closest ATM and take the approximate amount you believe you’re going to need judging by the previous tips. For example, if you already know that you’ll have two people helping you relocate a piano for an hour or two, if traffic in LA gets crazy, you’ll need from $20 to $40 to reward them. Many also wonder how much do you tip mover driver? Of course, you shouldn’t skip the driver. It is recommended that you give them $4 or $5 for each hour of driving.

Give a Reward to Each Member of the Moving Crew

It is important that you show your appreciation to every mover individually. Sometimes, people get distracted with many things they need to do after moving once they get to their new home around some of the best places in LA. Don’t be this person, and remember that giving the full amount to one team member doesn’t mean that he or she is going to share it evenly with other coworkers.

That’s why it’s always recommended to avoid potential problems and reward everyone according to your wishes and possibilities. This is also good if you want to reward a specific person who you believe helped you more than others. Do you tip movers when they load or unload? There is no particular rule on this – basically, you can reward them whenever you want during the process, but, usually, people give tips at the end of the service.

Satisfied client with a professional mover
Relocating to a new home is much easier with professional assistance

What to Tip Movers? Offering Various Beverages Is One of the Best Ways to Show Gratitude

Yes, giving tips is awesome, and we’ll be lying if we said that workers don’t like getting them, but there are some other ways to show your appreciation as well. Offering lunch to your helpers might be an even more kind way to say thank you. That doesn’t have to be much, especially if you’re having a lot of helpers and many things to do, but even a quick break with sandwiches can mean a lot to a crew that’s been carrying heavy boxes around all day long. You can also set up a spot in your kitchen where they can take some snacks – chips, fruit, or anything else you find convenient.

You should also have some drinks prepared. Whenever physical activities are involved, people need to take more fluids. If you don’t want to serve just water, making lemonade for your helpers might be a good idea. Don’t forget to offer them some coffee as well – everyone will appreciate your kindness, even if you don’t offer them the biggest reward of their lifetime.

Try to Be Understanding and Think Before You Order Pizza

If your team is helping you all day long and you really feel like you need to give them something nice to eat, try skipping pizza or other standard fast food options. This is something that everyone likes for sure, but professional movers probably get pizza every day. If you want to amaze them and offer lunch as a way to show them gratitude, you should at least be more creative and offer them something different. Ask them if they want to try delicious Thai food from a local restaurant around the corner, and huge smiles will show up on their faces right away.

Avoid Offering Alcohol to Your Los Angeles Movers 

One thing that shouldn’t be on your to-do list is offering your helpers beer while they are on duty. The same thing applies to other alcoholic drinks. It is not very smart to get your helpers tipsy, especially when they are carrying heavy furniture or packing your fragile objects. They can easily get distracted, and this is the period where they need to be completely focused. Professional moving companies in Los Angeles usually have rules against consuming alcohol during a job, so you shouldn’t push them to break them.

Boxes with food for movers in Los Angeles
Ask your assistants what kind of food they like before they are done with the job f you want to reward them later

Is it Acceptable Not to Tip a Crew if You Aren’t Satisfied With Their Services?

Of course, it is acceptable. There is no reason to pay extra money for the service you aren’t satisfied with. Don’t forget that while being professionals, movers in Los Angeles are humans too, and mistakes can happen. You shouldn’t be too harsh on them either, but here are some situations where it is acceptable not to reward your helpers:

  • They are late or don’t respect your time by taking too many breaks,
  • They are prolonging work on purpose if they charge by hours,
  • They damaged your belongings during the process,
  • They lost some of your belongings,
  • They are disrespectful or rude to you or your family members in any way,
  • They didn’t fulfill the agreement on particular services,
  • You have been a part of a relocation scam.

To ensure everything is there, one of the most important relocation tips is to go through your inventory and check if everything got to your new home in one piece.

Person giving a reward in cash
You aren’t obligated to reward anyone if you’re not satisfied

If You Hire All In Moving You Definitely Won’t End Up Disappointed

If you want to avoid potential relocation-related problems, it is essential that you find a trustworthy moving company in Los Angeles, and your first choice for that should be All In Moving. We’re one of the best-rated moving companies in Los Angeles for a good reason – thousands of satisfied clients, affordable services, and an experienced team of movers – what more could you possibly ask for? If you need to relocate your household belongings, a residential relocation service should be your first choice.

Commercial relocation service is another option, but more suitable for relocating a business company or office. Our offer also includes additional packing assistance for those who can’t pack fragile objects on their own and labor relocation for those who need manpower for heavy duties and relocating large furniture. If you want to relocate your storage inventory, you can contact us and request in- and-out-of storage relocationEverything is much easier with our services, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us – we’re sure that you’ll be pleased enough to reward our team according to standards you now know everything about.

Alex Rogers

Written by

Alex Rogers

Alex Rogers, a seasoned expert in the moving industry, brings a wealth of knowledge and firsthand experience to her writing, offering practical tips, insightful advice, and in-depth guides to make your moving journey as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Alex Rogers

Alex Rogers

Alex Rogers, a seasoned expert in the moving industry, brings a wealth of knowledge and firsthand experience to her writing, offering practical tips, insightful advice, and in-depth guides to make your moving journey as smooth and stress-free as possible.

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