Man with a van · Guide
How much does a man with a van cost?
Ask ten firms what a man with a van costs and you will get ten different answers, most of them an hourly rate that quietly balloons on the day. Here is the straight version, with real numbers.
Most "man with a van cost" answers online quote an hourly rate: often £40 to £60 an hour for one person, more for two. That figure is not wrong, but it is only half the story, because an hour of a man and van is not an hour of moving. It includes the drive to you, the loading, the traffic, the stairs, the drive to the drop, and the unload. On an hourly meter, every one of those is your problem. That is exactly why Porta prices the job, not the clock. If you have never booked one, here is how a man with a van works, start to finish.
What a man with a van actually costs in 2026
The honest answer is that it depends on two things above all: how big and awkward the item is, and how far it is travelling. Here are real Porta fixed prices for some of the things we move most, at a local, a regional and a long-haul distance. These are single-item prices, one item, one driver, door to door.
| Item | From | Local (~30 mi) | Regional (~120 mi) | Long-haul (~200 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chest Of Drawers | £32 | £56 | £92 | £124 |
| Washing Machine | £35 | £61 | £106 | £146 |
| Double Wardrobe | £35 | £61 | £106 | £146 |
| Corner Sofa (Three Seater) | £35 | £61 | £106 | £146 |
| Double Bed & Mattress | £35 | £61 | £106 | £146 |
| American Fridge Freezer (kept upright) | £41 | £72 | £117 | £157 |
Fixed prices from Porta, one item, one driver. “From” reflects a shared or backload trip; the distance columns are typical fixed quotes for a direct run. Your exact price is confirmed before you book.
Why a fixed price beats an hourly rate
For reference, the man and van hourly rates you will see quoted everywhere in 2026 run about £35 to £60 an hour for one person and £50 to £90 for two, usually with a two-hour minimum. That is the number the rest of the internet gives you. Here is what it leaves out.
The thing hourly operators would rather you did not dwell on: the meter rewards a slow day. Heavy traffic, a fiddly staircase, a lift that takes an age, a driver who has misjudged the run, all of it lands on your bill, not theirs. Plenty of "£45 an hour" jobs quietly become £150 by the time the van pulls away.
A fixed price flips the risk. You agree one number for the whole job before you book, and that is what you pay whatever the M25 decides to do that morning. It also makes it a fair comparison: an hourly quote and a fixed quote are not the same product, and the fixed one is the one you can actually plan around.
What actually drives the price
Beyond size and distance, a handful of things nudge a man with a van price up or down. Worth knowing before you book, because most of them are in your control:
- Size and weight. A chest of drawers goes in a medium van with one person; a corner sofa or an American fridge needs a Luton van and two. That is the single biggest lever, and what size van you need breaks down what fits in each.
- Distance. Local is cheapest. The further it goes, the more road and fuel time is in the price, which is why the columns above climb. How far a man with a van will travel explains what long runs really cost.
- Access. A ground-floor door is easy. A third-floor flat with no lift, a narrow Victorian staircase, or nowhere to park near the door all add time and sometimes a second person.
- One person or two. Anything heavy or a full small move needs two, which lifts the price but saves your back.
- Notice. Not a surcharge as such, but more notice means more drivers to match to your job, which tends to mean a keener price. Same-day and last-minute covers what is realistic at short notice.
Does a man with a van cost more in London?
With hourly firms, yes: London rates typically run £50 to £80 an hour against £40 to £50 elsewhere, because of congestion, parking and sheer demand. Porta works differently. The fixed price is built the same way wherever you are, so the same single item costs much the same in London as it does across Manchester, Birmingham or Leeds. The one London-specific cost is the ULEZ or Congestion Charge if your pickup or drop sits inside it, and that is built into your quote rather than sprung on the day. No city surcharge, no "London rate", just the honest number for your job.
Single item vs a small move
If you are shifting one big thing, an eBay or Facebook Marketplace sofa, a fridge, a wardrobe, you are in single-item territory and the table above is your guide. This is Porta's home ground: the large, awkward pieces a parcel courier will not touch. A single heavy item can also go on our large item courier service.
A small move, a studio, a student room, a few rooms of furniture, is priced on the items together rather than per piece, and it is still one fixed figure. The quickest way to see it is to list what is going on the man with a van page and get a quote; it takes about ten seconds and there is no obligation. Moving a whole house rather than a few rooms? It is worth weighing up a man with a van vs a removals company before you book.