Rent a U-Haul or Hire Movers? What's Cheaper in Austin
By the Round Rock Affordable Movers crew · October 20, 2026 · 5 min read
Renting a truck and moving yourself usually costs less in cash, but adds fuel, mileage, equipment, and a full day of heavy lifting. Hiring movers costs more upfront but is faster and safer. The middle option: rent the truck yourself and hire movers by the hour to load it, unload it, or even drive it.
What a DIY U-Haul move really costs
The price you see online for a rental truck is just the starting point. When you add it all up, a do-it-yourself move usually includes:
- ✓The truck rental itself, plus a per-mile charge
- ✓Fuel (rental trucks are thirsty, especially on I-35 traffic)
- ✓Dollies, furniture pads, and straps, often rented separately
- ✓Optional damage coverage
- ✓Pizza and drinks for the friends helping you
- ✓Your time: often a full day, plus the next day sore
What hiring movers costs
With an hourly mover, your price is simple: hours worked times your crew's hourly rate. At Round Rock Affordable Movers, that's from $100 per hour for 2 movers on easy moves (no stairs, short distance, not many items), with most moves running $120–$150 per hour and a 2-hour minimum. If your move needs our moving truck, there's a flat $100–$150 truck fee.
Moving pads, tape, and furniture wrapping are included. So is the experience: a trained crew loads a truck tighter and faster than most of us can, and they know how to get a couch around a tight corner without taking the doorframe with it.
Side-by-side comparison
| DIY rental truck | Hire movers | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cash | Lower | Higher |
| Hidden costs | Fuel, miles, equipment | Truck fee only if needed |
| Your time | All day | A few hours |
| Heavy lifting | You and your friends | Our crew |
| Risk of damage or injury | Higher | Lower, and we're insured |
The middle option most people miss
You don't have to choose all or nothing. Lots of Austin and Round Rock customers rent their own truck or POD and book us only for the hard parts:
- ✓Labor-only loading or unloading, with no truck fee
- ✓Loading and unloading at both ends
- ✓We drive your U-Haul too, so you never have to steer a 26-foot truck down MoPac
So which should you pick?
If it's a small move, you have strong friends, and you're comfortable driving a big truck, DIY can save money. For anything bigger, anything with stairs, or if your time is worth something, hiring movers by the hour usually wins once you count fuel, equipment, and your whole Saturday. And if you want the best of both, rent the truck and let us handle the lifting.