With everything to consider on moving day (not to mention the days and weeks leading up to it), it’s easy to let little things fall through the cracks. When the moment arrives in which your move is complete, you’re scrawling that final signature and are officially ready for a cool drink and a nap — or to dive right into those boxes and start unpacking, depending on your energy level — a moment of panic arises as the following questions pop into your brain: “Am I supposed to tip movers? And if so, how much?”

Here at Moveline, we’ve overseen more than our fair share of moves, and through those experiences, we’ve realized just how much confusion exists over the topic, as well as the sheer volume of little decisions that can make or break the ease of moving day. So here, we’ve provided a quick primer on how to tip your moving professionals:

Tipping is expected

Just like most service-oriented professions (waitstaff, spa and beauty consultants, delivery people), the moving industry employs workers whose livelihood depends largely on the tips they receive from customers. So, bear that in mind when your movers are hauling your stuff from one home to another.

There’s an industry standard

It’s customary to tip each mover $20 apiece for a satisfactory job, or up to even $100 apiece if they’ve really earned their stripes by maneuvering lots of stairs, funky corridors and less-than-ideal parking situations, as well as if they’ve been responsible for a great deal of breakables and heirlooms that were all handled with great care.

It doesn’t have to be awkward

If there’s a sizeable crew of movers — say, more than three — and you feel strange handing money to each of them individually, it’s standard practice to give the entire sum to the lead mover and ask him or her to divide it evenly among the team.

You don’t have to worry about cash

Here’s a pro tip (pun intended): if you hire your mover through Moveline, you can build the tip into the transaction you make online — it’s not even an issue and will alleviate the awkwardness of figuring out how much to tip and how to hand it out while the movers are standing right in front of you. And the best part is, Moveline itself doesn’t cost you a thing.

BONUS

Excellence should be shared: Lots of folks rely on sites like Yelp to determine not only what restaurants and hotspots to try, but also what service providers to hire. If your moving company did a stellar job, pay it forward and let others know about it with a positive review (and vice versa). Consider it your first act of being neighborly in your new home, even if you never meet the folks you help. If your movers were great, your review just might help them score their next move and save someone else the grief of hiring someone not-so-great.

If you’re planning a move and don’t want to deal with the usual headaches, Moveline can help. We simplify the moving process by using video uploads and chats instead of in-home visits, and we gather fair, accurate quotes from reputable moving companies on your behalf, saving you the spare time, money and stress you probably can’t afford to give away anyway. For your next move, don’t go it alone. Let us help. Start planning a move with us right now.