Local Moving Job Math Sheet: Pricing, Break-Even & Flat-Rate Quote Template (Google Sheets + Excel)

A flat-rate move can look like good money until helper wages, truck miles, fuel, and the drive to the first address come out of it. Then what's left has to pay you for every hour you were on the truck.

The Local Moving Job Math Sheet does that math for every service on your menu. You type your own numbers into the yellow cells. The formulas do the rest.

For each service it shows:

• Real hourly rate: what the job pays per hour of your time, before and after a tax set-aside.

• Owner compensation and business profit, kept separate: your wage at your target pay, and what the business keeps after paying you.

• Cost floor: the price that only covers costs and pays you $0.

• Break-even price: the lowest price that pays your full target hourly, with $0 left for the business.

• Suggested price: target pay plus your profit goal, rounded up.

• Suggested travel fee: what the drive costs you, if you bill it as its own line, plus 4 distance bands.

• A status flag: LOSES MONEY, BELOW TARGET PAY, BELOW PROFIT GOAL, or ON TARGET.

• Weekend / month-end premium: an optional % on your main move.

Example tab (illustrative). The sample tab is filled with EXAMPLE numbers for a one-truck mover's menu: studio, 1BR, 2BR and 3BR moves, a labor-only load and a piano / heavy item; $2,500 a month in fixed costs over 22 jobs, 2.9% + $0.30 card fees, $0.95 a mile, and a $45/hr target. With those inputs the Studio (2 movers) column at $450 shows about $46.24/hr, a $444.58 break-even, a $500 suggested price and a $65 travel fee (STATUS: BELOW PROFIT GOAL). A 20% weekend / month-end premium turns the $450 studio into $540. Helper pay in the example is $22/hr per helper. The $450 studio and $650 one-bedroom prices sit inside commonly published 2026 local-move ranges (about $350–$800 studio and $500–$1,200 one-bedroom, Bellhop 2026 local moving guide), not a promise. These are example numbers for illustration, not real customer data. Your results depend on what you enter.

Every formula is visible. Formula cells are locked so a stray tap can't break them, and you can unlock them (no password) if you want to change something.

What's included

• Local-Moving-Job-Math-Sheet.xlsx, with 3 tabs:

  ◦ Start Here: short instructions and definitions.

  ◦ Example: filled in with an example menu (6 columns: Studio (2 movers), 1BR apartment (2 movers), 2BR (3 movers), 3BR house (3 movers), Labor-only load (2 movers), Piano / heavy item).

  ◦ My Numbers: blank prices, up to 6 columns with name hints, and 4 travel fee distance bands.

• Local-Moving-Job-Math-Sheet-Quick-Start.pdf: a one-page quick-start guide with the worked example and the formulas.

Works in Google Sheets (upload to Drive, then File > Save as Google Sheets) and Microsoft Excel. No macros, add-ons or subscription.

Who it's for

• Owner-operator movers running one truck with 1-2 helpers who quote flat-rate local moves.

• Owners who want to check whether a move size, a labor-only load, a specialty item or a weekend premium covers their time and costs.

• Not built for payroll, scheduling, inventory, bookkeeping or customer quotes/invoices.

FAQ

Does it work in Google Sheets?

Yes. Upload the .xlsx to Google Drive, open it, and choose File > Save as Google Sheets. It also opens directly in Excel.

Do I need to know spreadsheets?

No. Type only in the yellow cells. The grey and blue cells are formulas.

Can I add more services?

The blank tab has 6 columns. For more, unprotect the tab (no password) and copy a column to the right.

Where do my helpers' wages go?

In the yellow per-job row (helpers × hours × rate, plus any payroll cost). Your own pay comes from target owner pay × your hours, so a bigger crew shows up as cost, not as your pay.

I charge by the hour. Does it still work?

Yes. Make a column with your typical hours and set price = hourly rate × hours. The real hourly line shows what you keep per hour after helpers, truck and fees.

Why do add-on columns sometimes show LOSES MONEY?

Each column still carries a full fixed-cost share when priced alone. When an add-on rides on top of a main job, that share is already covered by the main job.

Is this financial or tax advice?

No. It's a spreadsheet template that does arithmetic on the numbers you enter. The tax set-aside % is a savings rule of thumb, not a tax calculation. Talk to a qualified professional about your own situation.

Will this increase my income?

The sheet doesn't promise any result. It shows what your current prices pay you, based on your inputs. What you charge is your decision.

Are the example numbers real?

No. They're illustrative numbers, not data from a real business.

How do I get support?

Use the "Contact" link on our Payhip store page and we will reply within one business day.

• This is a spreadsheet template for estimates, not financial, tax, or legal advice.

• All example numbers are illustrative, not real customer data.

• AI assistance: AI tools helped draft the spreadsheet, the guide, this listing, and the product images. The formulas were checked with a LibreOffice recalculation against independent calculations.