Heavy Appliance Moving Cost Guide

Fridges, washers, dryers and freezers aren't fragile the way a piano or aquarium is — the challenge is pure weight and awkward balance. Movers price them mostly by weight class and stairs, not by distance the way lighter items are, and some models (French-door and side-by-side fridges especially) must stay upright the whole trip or risk compressor damage.

Typical cost by appliance

Appliance	Typical weight	Local move
Chest freezer	150–250 lb	$90–$125
Standard fridge	250–350 lb	$110–$155
French-door / side-by-side fridge	300–400 lb	$135–$190
Washer & dryer pair	400–500 lb combined	$155–$215

These are national ballparks for a local move with no stairs. Use the calculator for a number adjusted to your city and stairs.

Why stairs cost more here than for most items

A 2-flight walk-up adds roughly $60–$70 to a standard fridge move ($110–$155 → about $160–$225) — a bigger relative jump than most other items on this site, because the weight has to be carried, not rolled, once stairs are involved. If your building has an elevator, say so when booking: it changes the crew size and time a mover quotes.

What actually drives the price

Disconnection — water lines (fridge, washer) and gas or 220V electrical (dryer) need to be safely disconnected before the appliance can move, and reconnected at the destination.
Door and track protection — French-door and side-by-side fridges have hinges, ice makers and glass shelves that need tape, padding or removal so nothing shifts or cracks in transit.
Staying upright — most fridges must ride upright, not on their back or side, or refrigerant oil can pool in the compressor lines. This limits how a mover can pack the truck around it.
Weight class — a washer & dryer pair is lighter individually than a large fridge but counts as two separate lifts, which is why it's priced closer to the top of this list.

Long-distance heavy-appliance moves

For cross-country moves, an upright fridge typically rides in the truck strapped against a wall the entire way rather than getting crated — plan for it to be one of the last things loaded and first things unloaded, and budget a longer lead time than a local move for scheduling around that.

How to keep the cost down

Disconnect water/gas/power lines yourself in advance if you're comfortable doing so — most movers discount for this, and some require it as a condition of insurance coverage.
Empty and defrost fridges/freezers at least 24 hours before move day — a mover won't move a unit that's still full or actively defrosting.
Mention stairs, elevators and doorway widths when booking — this is the single biggest source of quote revisions for heavy appliances specifically.

See our full methodology for how these ranges are modeled.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to move a fridge or other heavy appliance?

A chest freezer typically costs $90–$125 to move locally, a standard fridge runs $110–$155, a French-door or side-by-side fridge runs $135–$190, and a washer & dryer pair runs $155–$215 combined.

Do stairs really add that much to the cost?

Yes — a 2-flight walk-up adds roughly $60–$70 to a standard fridge move (about $160–$225 total), a bigger relative jump than most other items, because the weight has to be carried rather than rolled once stairs are involved.

Do I need to disconnect and empty the appliance myself?

Most movers require water, gas and power lines disconnected before they'll move a fridge, washer or dryer, and won't move a fridge or freezer that's still full or actively defrosting — empty and defrost at least 24 hours before move day.