Guide on How Much to Tip for Movers in CA

It is customary to tip movers and most movers expect to be tipped. We interviewed 20 professional movers from different local moving companies that operate in Los Angeles County and asked them questions “How much clients usually tip movers in Los Angeles County?”, “What factors affect movers tips size?” and “What are your expectation and level of satisfaction with the tip?”. We summarized feedback and here are some general practices and key factors to determine for tipping local movers:

• Standard practice: The standard movers tip in Los Angeles County is about 15-20% of the total cost of services. This can be a guide, especially if you are satisfied with the quality of service.
• Complexity of the task: If the move was particularly difficult due to a large amount of items, complex items, or other difficulties, an increase in the amount of how much do you tip movers may be appropriate.
• Number of movers: If there is a whole team of workers, it is important to consider that the tips can be divided among them. However, this should not be taken as a reason to reduce the total amount of a moving tip. All the workers contribute effort and they will appreciate your generosity.
• Number of hours: Some customers prefer tip movers based on the number of hours they spend at work. For example, to tip $20 per hour the crew of 2-3 employees will be exactly what they expect.

• Own discretion: In addition to the standard percentage, you can tips a mover at your discretion. This can be especially useful if you want to express special gratitude or to accommodate special circumstances.
• Quality of service: If the crew provided exceptional service, were friendly, attentive and professional, you may want to consider an increase in movers tips as a token of appreciation for their efforts.
• Regional differences: Different regions may have different expectations regarding how much to tip movers. For example, movers tip may be slightly higher in large cities than in smaller towns.
• Gifts: In addition to cash tips, you can also consider giving the workers gifts such as food, drinks, or items you don’t plan to transport and want to throw away.

How much to tip the movers is your expression of appreciation for a job well done.

Even a small tip can go a long way in creating a positive experience for movers and strengthening their motivation to continue providing quality service.

When The Movers Push for Tipping – What to Expect

There are some unfair practices when movers can try to increase the chance of being tipped. Such behavior may include:

1. Whole crew pressure. After the end of the move, the whole team waits for the contract signing near the customer, and after crew foreman announces the expectation of a tip. Thus, the team is trying to put some pressure on the client making it more difficult for some clients to refuse several people at once.
2. Adding tips amount to the contract. Crew foreman writes the tip amount into the contract without notice and consent of the client. Such actions can be acceptable only by the initiative of the client side.
3. Calls and text messages with tips requests. After the end of the move, moving company representatives can try to reach a client with suggestions and reminders to transfer tips.

Remember that do you tip movers or not, they should be polite, careful with your belongings and provide high quality service. Tipping movers is the personal voluntary decision of the client and cannot be mandatory.