How much to tip packers when moving

It’s no secret that packing a house for a move is the most time-consuming and physically demanding task when moving from one home to another. Basically, the packing job can take as many as several weeks to complete when you’re packing your stuff on your own.

Only, you won’t always have so many days to pack up your things by yourself and you may be feeling pretty worried about whether or not you’ll be able to pack all your fragile items and furniture pieces in such a way as to guarantee their safety during the relocation.

One excellent way to solve both these problems (insufficient time and safety worries) is to hire a full-service moving company that will offer you the add-on service of packing. And so, should you choose to hire professional packers to protect your possessions in the best possible way, then you won’t have any worries at all… except one:

Should you tip your packers?

And if yes, how much to tip your packers?

You shouldn’t worry too much. Just read on to learn how much to tip professional packers, if at all.

Why tipping packers and movers is such a delicate matter

That’s right – tipping movers and packers has proved to be a pretty sensitive issue.

On one hand, people are not sure whether they should tip their packers or not. In most cases, they don’t really understand if they have to do it regardless of the packing service they have received, or if they themselves should decide whether or not their packers deserve to be tipped.

On the other hand, the question of how much to tip packers can be even more confusing for the majority of people who have hired professional packers. Here’s the usual dilemma: they don’t want to tip their packers too much simply because they’re already paying the company more than enough.

At the same time, those people don’t wish to be labeled as stingy and ungrateful if they happen to hand their hired workers too little money as a reward for their efforts.

Must-read: Should you hire professional packers?

Are you supposed to tip packers?

The short answer to this question is: YES, you’re expected to tip your packers but you’re NOT obliged to do it.

So, do you tip your packers or not? The right answer is simpler than you think.

The real question is: are YOU satisfied with your packers’ work?

If yes, then there’s no good reason why you shouldn’t express your gratitude by handing out some money to each worker. The thing is, a job well done should always be rewarded as a form of encouragement and appreciation.

If not, then you shouldn’t tip your packers at all. The thing is, they probably won’t expect to be tipped either since they should know they’ve done a poor job packing up your things.

Here’s how to know if your packers deserved to be tipped when you’re unsure whether or not you’re happy with their work:

DO tip your packers when

• they have arrived at your home on time;
• they have been polite, friendly, and respectful;
• they have acted in a professional way from start to finish;
• they have handled all your possessions with care;
• they have taken proactive measures to avoid property damage of any kind;
• they have worked hard protecting and packing your items as is expected from true professionals.

 Do NOT tip your packers when

• they have arrived hours late without apologizing for the delay or explaining why they were late;
• they have been rude, unfriendly, and disrespectful from the start;
• they have handled your items carelessly and have not put any real effort into protecting your fragile possessions for transport;
• they have caused some property damage due to apparent negligence and complete lack of experience;
• they have used every single opportunity to take a long break and have done all in their power to work as slowly as humanly possible.

So, now that you are familiar with the above pointers, you should know for sure whether the professional packers you’ve hired are worthy of proper tips.

See also: Do you REALLY need to tip movers?

How much to tip packers

While there are suggested tips for packers (see below), there is no universally accepted amount of money that you should hand out to your packing crew after they’re done packing your stuff.

In other words, you should use your best judgment to figure out a proper amount to tip your packers. Of course, your decision will also depend on your moving budget – that is, how much money you can afford to give your packers as a reward for their excellent job.

Basically, you’ll need to choose between

• Generous tips. When your packers have done a great job packing your possessions, especially when it comes to protecting fragile items such as kitchen plates, glasses, lamps, electronic devices, pieces of artwork, mirrors, and of course – pieces of furniture as well.
• Standard tips. When your packers have done a satisfactory job protecting your things for the road ahead. You may not be truly impressed by their work but they have done (almost) nothing wrong either.
• No tips. When your packers have done a really poor job packing your stuff, have handled some of them roughly, or even damaged some of them in the process. Also, when the pros have been surprisingly rude and utterly disrespectful.

So, how much should you tip your packers?

• $5 per hour per packer. A standard tip for packers and movers is about $5 per hour per packer when you’re satisfied with their work. For example, if a packing team of 2 packers works for 8 hours on the job, then you should tip each worker $40 when the job is complete. Bear in mind that this tip amount is standard and appropriate, so you shouldn’t worry about whether the sum is enough.
• $8 per hour per packer. This is a generous tip for packers and movers and you should consider it when you’re really happy with the way your packing team has handled the task. For instance, if a team of 2 packers works for 8 hours to protect your belongings, then you should consider rewarding each worker’s effort by giving them a tip of around $70.
• More than $8 per hour per packer. If you can afford it and you’re extremely satisfied with your packers’ work, feel free to give them higher tips for a job well done. After all, hard work, true professionalism, and professional skills should always be appreciated and rewarded in some way or another.

When tipping packers and movers, you should always tip each worker individually. This is really important to remember because it’s a mistake to give the entire sum (lump sum) to the foreman of the packing crew who often happens to be the truck driver too.

And now that you no longer have to worry about whether to tip packers or not, feel free to hire one of the best packers and movers in your area – licensed, experienced, and reputable.

Read also: How much does it cost to hire packers?