Tipping is optional, it is never expected, and every tip goes 100% to your movers. It is also the most direct way to tell a crew that carried your sofa up front steps in August that the work was noticed. On a $500 move, the industry standard tip is $20–$25 per mover. That means a 2-person crew typically receives $40–$50 total. Below I break it down from the owner's side: what customers commonly do, what should move the number up or down, how to hand it over, and the thank-yous that cost nothing.
The Tipping Breakdown
Tipping is optional and there's no rule. The ranges below are what customers commonly use as a starting point, and the factors in the next section matter more than any single figure. Here's what most customers tip on a $500 move — and how to adjust up or down based on how the job went.
On a $500 move, a tip of $20–$25 per mover is the industry standard for a job done well. For a 2-person crew, that's $40–$50 total. The crew showed up on time, kept a steady pace, wrapped the furniture and put every piece in the room you asked for.
Stairs, a narrow staircase, heavy furniture like a piano or safe, elevator holds, or extreme heat — these make a move significantly harder. If the crew pushed through a difficult job without complaint, $30–$50 per person reflects that effort.
Small studio, ground-floor unit, not much furniture, a short job with an easy load — a tip of $15–$20 per mover is perfectly appropriate. The move was easy, but the professionalism and reliability still deserve recognition.
If the crew went beyond the job, like reassembling a bed you planned to do yourself, making room for a piece that didn't fit the plan, or staying calm when the elevator broke, a bigger thank-you fits. Crews remember the customers who notice.
Factors That Change the Number
A $500 move can be a breezy 2-hour job or a grueling 4-hour haul up three flights of stairs. These are the things crews notice most, and the ones worth weighing when you decide.
What Our Customers Say
Word for word from our Google Business Profile, where AD Movers is rated 4.8★ across 115 reviews. A review that names your crew is one of the best thank-yous there is.
“Prompt, courteous, took good care in moving this heavy china cabinet.”
“These guys worked for 5.5h, in the. New Orleans heat! They were awesome, and even though I was way off in how long I thought it would take, the estimate they gave me was exactly right. They did a great job.”
“The duo that helped us were fantastic! Very communicative team, timely, great service. Quick, efficient, and kind. Moving is a pain, these guys will ease the burden!”
How It Works
The tip comes at the end. First comes the price: see your ballpark online in about 60 seconds, pick your date, and the crew handles the rest.
Fill out the short form or use the calculator. Include stairs and any specialty items, and the ballpark shows in about a minute. The final price is confirmed before move day.
Pick a date and start time. Morning and afternoon starts run seven days a week at the same rate, with no weekend surcharge. In summer, ask for an early start.
The crew arrives with blankets, dollies, straps and door protection. When it's done, tipping is up to you, and nobody on the crew will ask.
The Crew Behind Every Move
AD Movers crews are background-checked employees who answer to the owner, not day laborers picked up that morning. A tip is a thank-you on top of their pay, never part of the price, and every tip goes 100% to the movers on your job. We work in New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, Mandeville, Chalmette, Gretna and across the metro.
Get Your Instant Quote →
Fully Transparent Pricing
Some companies add a fuel surcharge or a "crew fee" at the end that feels like a required tip under another name. AD Movers local moves are hourly with no fuel surcharge and no weekend surcharge, and your final price is confirmed before move day. Nothing on the bill is a tip in disguise, so anything you give the crew stays theirs.
Call 504-237-0855 →Other Ways to Say Thanks
Areas We Serve
Same crews, same rules on tips across the metro: optional, never asked for, and 100% to the movers. Pick your area for local moving details.
Common Questions
The industry standard is $20–$25 per mover for a job done well. On a $500 move with a 2-person crew, that's $40–$50 total. If the job involved stairs, heavy items, extreme heat, or exceptional service, tip toward $30–$50 per mover. For a quick, easy studio move, $15–$20 per mover is appropriate.
No. Tipping is optional, it is never expected, and every tip goes 100% to the movers who worked your job. Many customers tip when the crew worked hard, and many say thanks in other ways, like cold drinks, lunch on a long day or a Google review that names the crew. The price of your move is the same either way.
Tip per person. A 2-person crew that each did hard work deserves individual recognition. Handing $20 total to a 2-person crew is $10 each — which is below the standard. Calculate your tip per mover and hand it to each crew member individually, or give the lead mover a total and let them split it.
After the move, once everything is in place and you have walked through the new home. That way the tip reflects the whole day, including the unload, which is often the harder half when the new place has stairs. If the crew splits up during the day, hand it to each person before they leave.
No. A tip is a thank-you, not an obligation. If something went wrong, like a late arrival with no call or a piece that wasn't handled with care, skip the tip and call the office at (504) 237-0855 so the owner hears about it directly. Crews answer to the owner, and that conversation is how problems get fixed.
Cash is the simplest, because each mover can take their share on the spot. If you'd rather not carry cash, ask the office before move day how a tip added to a card payment reaches the crew. Either way, the tip goes 100% to the movers on your job.
It's never expected, but it's always noticed, especially from June through September. A cooler of cold water or sports drinks by the door helps on a hot day. On a long job, lunch or a pizza around midday gives the crew a real break. Ask before ordering, since some crews would rather keep working and finish sooner.
The same rules apply: optional, and 100% to the movers. On a long-distance move you may see the crew twice, once when they load in New Orleans and again when they unload at the other end. Many customers thank the crew at each end for the work they did that day, or give it all at the delivery.
Tips are optional and never expected. No one on an AD Movers crew asks for one, and a tip never changes the price of your move. When you do tip, 100% of it goes to the movers who did the work. That's how we have run things since 2013, across 1,000+ moves and a 4.8★ rating on Google.
Ready to Move?
Enter your home size and both addresses, and the calculator shows a ballpark price for your move in about 60 seconds. Licensed by the LPSC, #8127, and every full move is insured.
AD Movers is a licensed & insured New Orleans moving company providing local and long-distance moving across the areas we serve.
