A reservation is not a completed move
Quotes, deposits, cancellations, unfinished jobs, disputed invoices, claims, refunds, and chargebacks can make the calendar look productive without producing the collected contribution used by the model.
Home services / California / State profileMoving Company
Moving Company
in California.
At the assumed 22 completed local moves per month, this California wage reference calculates approximately $1,898 mature monthly EBIT and $1,865 cash after maintenance before receivable changes. The minimum EBIT activity at the stated resolution is 21 completed local moves per month. 20% less activity changes mature monthly EBIT to -$5,017 in the largest of these one-input effects. Price, paid activity, nonwage costs and the delivery calendar remain planning assumptions. Results include the paid roster, before financing, income taxes and owner distributions.
Planning answer updated . Source periods appear below.
Local household moving company with one straight or box truck, one paid three-person field crew, paid owner-manager and dispatch coverage, ordinary moving equipment, secure overnight parking or storage, and a defined local service area
State benchmarks: May / July 2025 · Page prepared September 21, 2026
State wages and operating decision
Test the assumptionsCan one truck and its paid crew complete enough local moves after travel and claims recovery?
The May 2025 state occupation medians price the same paid roster $1,986 per month above the national medians. Loaded payroll is $19,514 per month, including the assumed 18% employer-cost addition. This comparison changes occupation wages, not rent, achieved prices or paid demand. A wage median is a statistical anchor, not a hiring offer, legal wage floor or credential.
Paid roster and exact wage-source rows
| Paid role | SOC | Person-hours | USD/hour | Source observation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paid driver and moving-crew lead | 53-3033 | 173.33333 | $22.50 | State H_MEDIAN · workbook row 3520 |
| Two paid mover/helpers | 53-7062 | 346.66667 | $21.50 | State H_MEDIAN · workbook row 3548 |
| Paid owner-manager and dispatcher replacement-cost coverage | 11-1021 | 86.66667 | $59.81 | State H_MEDIAN · workbook row 2730 |
Paid hours and the employer allowance are authored assumptions. The preserved source record identifies workbook, sheet, geography and period.
What activity clears the modeled EBIT boundary?
At the stated contribution and paid roster, 21 completed local moves per month produces $326.58 mature monthly EBIT. At the previous activity of 20 completed local moves per month, EBIT is -$1,245.17. This is the minimum at the stated 1-unit resolution; delivery still depends on the workload and collection checks below.
Count one authorized household move once when the stated work is completed. Estimates, deposits and claim visits are separate records. Billed truck time is not paid crew time: a three-person crew consumes three person-hours for each hour worked together. Include loading, travel, waiting, packing, unloading and expected claim recovery at the proposed activity. A collected travel charge adds revenue; it does not create extra truck availability. The model keeps 1.5 days of revenue receivable.
Which assumption has the largest effect in these tests?
20% less activity changes mature monthly EBIT to -$5,017 in the largest of these one-input effects. The comparison below changes one input at a time; it is not a local forecast or a probability range. Each activity test holds the service scope and contribution per unit fixed; altered scope requires a new calculation.
| Test | EBIT | Cash after maintenance | Held-constant basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reference | $1,898 | $1,865 | Exact published input snapshot |
| 20% less activity | -$5,017 | -$5,051 | 17.6 completed local moves per month; same roster and other inputs |
| 10% lower net price | -$1,560 | -$1,593 | Direct-cost share held fixed; same activity and paid roster |
| 25% higher occupancy | $1,273 | $1,240 | $3,125 monthly occupancy; same other inputs |
| 10% higher wage rates | -$53 | -$86 | Same paid hours and 18% employer allowance |
Keep earnings and cash separate. EBIT deducts $1,467 monthly depreciation. Cash after maintenance deducts $1,500 maintenance capital expenditure instead, before changes in receivables. The funding scenario is approximately $274,763: $147,860 opening payments, $48,869 peak operating cash deficit and $78,034 retained buffer, with each displayed amount rounded separately. The buffer is cash held, not another expense or owner income.
Opening allowances, occupancy, price, cost mix, sales ramp and collection timing are reference inputs. For a selected address or service territory, validate the complete scope, paid calendar, supplier terms, applicable authority and dated customer receipts. Use the format-specific checks and source limits.
Financial information disclaimer
Published calculations support planning and education. They are not personalized financial, investment, tax or legal advice and do not guarantee costs, revenue, profit or financing. Confirm the requirements and commitments that apply to the selected operating plan.
What changes for a one-truck mover in California?
For a California one-truck plan, first determine whether every target move remains intrastate and under 100 miles, then price the required BHGS authority, insurance and workers' compensation for the actual vehicle and crew. Test the $1,850 move only after confirming the lawful rate format, visual-inspection workflow, address-specific yard cost and attainable billed hours.
Statewide official wage and regulatory observations applied to the national assumed operating format. The page keeps the same one-truck, paid three-person field crew and paid management-coverage format so the wage effect remains visible. It does not treat statewide population or an industry count as completed-move demand.
Which current state rules affect the operating plan?
- Paid intrastate household moving requires a BHGS license; the general application fee is $500.
- The applicant materials specify PL/PD limits of $250,000/$500,000 bodily injury plus $100,000 property damage, or a $600,000 combined single limit; cargo is $20,000 and a $2,000 bond applies to COD shipments.
- Under-100-mile intrastate moves may be hourly, while longer intrastate moves use weight and mileage; the estimate follows a required visual inspection.
- Quarterly gross-revenue reporting includes the applicable 0.007 and/or 0.001 assessment plus a $15 administrative fee.
What does the wage-only sensitivity show?
| Paid role | SOC | Hourly median |
|---|---|---|
| Paid manager and dispatcher coverage | 11-1021 | $60 per hour |
| Paid driver and crew lead | 53-3033 | $23 per hour |
| Paid mover/helper | 53-7062 | $22 per hour |
With every nonwage input held at the national planning assumption, these wages produce $19,514 in loaded monthly payroll, $1,865 in monthly cash after maintenance and cash break-even at 20.81 completed moves. This isolates the wage change; it does not localize the truck, insurance premium, yard, achieved price, move duration, claims or demand.
How tight is the national one-truck case?
The reference case assumes 22 completed moves per month at $1,850 each. It calculates $40,700 in monthly revenue and $3,851 in cash after maintenance, with cash break-even at 19.55 moves. The assumed physical ceiling is 24 moves, where the paid crew schedule is nearly full. A move count or quoted reservation counts only when the household move is completed and collected under the stated service scope.
The 2023 County Business Patterns file reports 9,436 employer establishments and 102,745 employees in NAICS 484210. Employer-industry structure only. Counts and payroll do not establish local demand, completed-move volume, realized tickets, profitability, or one-truck economics.
Before choosing an address and launch plan:
- Truck and body payment
- Insurance and workers' compensation premium
- Yard or office payment
- Local rate and travel scope
- Completed-move and duration evidence
- Claim frequency and recovery time
BLS May 2025 OEWS · California BHGS applicant requirements · California BHGS permit requirements · California household-moving consumer guide · California household-mover license maintenance · California minimum wage · Approved state research standard
This research supports business planning and education. It is not personalized financial, legal, tax or investment advice and does not guarantee costs, sales, profit, financing or regulatory approval.
How to use this California profile.
This completed planning profile combines checked state wage and population sources with a transparent financial scenario. Use its opening-cost, operating-cost and revenue figures as planning inputs, then replace location-sensitive assumptions when evaluating a specific address or service area.
| Evidence family | Published basis | What to confirm locally |
|---|---|---|
| Opening costs | Published planning inputs — replace with local quotes | premises scope, fitout, equipment, installation freight tax, deposits, preopening training, opening inventory, contingency |
| Operating costs | Published planning inputs — replace with local quotes | occupancy, utilities, insurance, materials, payment fees, marketing, software administration, maintenance |
| Paid labor and employer costs | State wage benchmark used — confirm employer costs | paid roster, wages, wage floor overtime, employer taxes, benefits leave, workers compensation, owner role |
| Revenue and collections | Published planning inputs — validate price and demand locally | realized price mix, demand volume, capacity, industry cross check, launch ramp, seasonality, collections |
| Permissions and fees | Confirm for the selected address | activity address jurisdiction, initial fees, recurring fees |
National equipment prices can support the plan where configuration, delivery and taxes match the intended purchase. Confirm rent, selling prices, demand and permissions for the actual location instead of applying a generic state adjustment.
What changes in California?
39,355,309State population · July 1, 2025
−0.02%Population change · 2024 to 2025
$21.50Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand · state median / hour
The Census estimate for California is 39,355,309 people. It declined by 9,465 between July 2024 and July 2025 (−0.02%). This statewide movement cannot identify a viable service area, completed-move mix or deliverable crew-and-truck schedule.
Using the same paid roster, California occupational wages produce $19,514 of monthly loaded payroll. That is +11.33% relative to the identical roster priced with national occupation medians ($17,527). Only wage benchmarks change in this comparison; it does not measure a state’s overall business attractiveness.
Labor deserves an early local quote. The benchmark differs materially from the national roster. Verify intrastate authority, the exact service area, collected move pricing, paid crew and truck time, access delays, documentation, claims, insurance, parking and cash timing before using statewide population to plan moves.
BLS wage source · Census population source · Exact fields and workbook rows
Which business is being modeled?
Local household moving company with one straight or box truck, one paid three-person field crew, paid owner-manager and dispatch coverage, ordinary moving equipment, secure overnight parking or storage, and a defined local service area. A one-truck local household moving company using a paid three-person field crew, paid dispatch and owner-manager coverage, and a defined service area.
The paid field crew supplies 520.00 monthly crew-hours and the one-truck schedule supplies 180.00 truck-hours. At 22 moves, the authored plan uses 474.60 crew-hours and 162.20 truck-hours after nonjob time and entered claim recovery. The 24-move ceiling uses 98.88% of paid crew-hours and 97.44% of truck-hours. This is a planning ceiling, not observed demand.
| Input | Reference assumption |
|---|---|
| completed local moves per month | 22 |
| Net selling price per completed local move | $1,850.00 |
| Trading days / month | Monthly activity; no daily multiplier |
| Variable cost share | 15% |
| Occupancy / month | $2,500 |
| Other fixed costs / month | $9,200 |
| Employer cost allowance | 18% above base wages |
$140.00 for fuel, tolls, and road cost plus $55.00 for consumables and disposal per completed move, 2.0% for payment and collection, and 2.5% for the entered claim, damage, and service-recovery allowance. The resulting 15.04% variable share excludes paid roster labor, which remains in payroll. Vehicle, general liability, cargo, and business insurance $3,000.00; recurring marketing $3,000.00; dispatch, CRM, phones, and software $650.00; utilities and small-office services $350.00; accounting, legal, licensing, and compliance $700.00; parking security, telematics, and registration $650.00; recruiting, uniforms, and safety $500.00; miscellaneous office and administration $350.00 per month. Occupancy or secure parking and the maintenance reserve are modeled separately. Insurance is an allowance, not a binder quote or statement of required limits.
The reference format excludes interstate line-haul, office and commercial moving, storage, portable moving containers, broker activity, packing-only jobs, long-distance van-line agency work, and a second truck or crew. Subcontracted crews, franchising, and unpaid owner labor require separate treatment. Selling prices exclude collected sales tax. No price or volume above is presented as a market observation for California.
What does the California staffing benchmark imply?
| Role / SOC | Paid hours / month | Wage benchmark / hour | P25–P75 / hour | Base wages / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paid driver and moving-crew lead53-3033 · Light Truck Drivers · State observation | 173.3 | $22.50 | $20.27–$27.33 | $3,900 |
| Two paid mover/helpers53-7062 · Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand · State observation | 346.7 | $21.50 | $18.21–$23.53 | $7,453 |
| Paid owner-manager and dispatcher replacement-cost coverage11-1021 · General and Operations Managers · State observation | 86.7 | $59.81 | $39.24–$89.54 | $5,184 |
Base wages total $16,537 per month. An authored 18% allowance for employer costs adds $2,977, giving $19,514 of loaded payroll. The allowance is a planning shortcut; it is not a state-specific payroll tax calculation or benefits quote for California.
The May 2025 national median wage anchors are $21.57 per hour for the driver or crew lead, $19.35 for mover/helpers, and $50.85 for paid owner-manager and dispatch replacement coverage. These cross-industry observations do not establish company-specific hiring terms, driver eligibility, lawful scheduling, employer obligations, insurance acceptance, or unpaid capacity. Every operating role is paid, including management or supervision. If the owner performs a modeled role, their compensation occupies that role once; no additional owner draw is included in operating profit.
The middle 50% wage interval describes the occupation’s observed wage distribution. It is not a confidence interval for this business’s total payroll. Allocate the aggregate hours across an actual roster and check wage rules, overtime, leave and employer obligations for the chosen location.
At this roster, a 10% increase in wage rates adds $1,951 per month to loaded payroll. At the reference price and variable margin, it needs about 1.2 additional completed local moves per month to offset it. This sensitivity holds staffing hours and other inputs fixed.
How is the opening funding scenario built?
| Use of funds | Cash paid |
|---|---|
| One late-model used box truck and basic moving-body upfit allowance | $70,000 |
| Moving equipment, dollies, pads, straps and ramp or liftgate service allowance | $10,000 |
| Opening packing consumables and cargo-protection stock | $5,000 |
| Yard and small office setup allowance | $8,000 |
| Licensing, insurance deposits, background, exam and professional setup allowance | $12,000 |
| Dispatch, CRM, phones, website and IT setup | $5,000 |
| Launch marketing allowance | $10,000 |
| Uniforms, PPE and training aids | $4,000 |
| Opening contingency | $15,000 |
| Refundable deposit (two months of occupancy) | $5,000 |
| Paid pre-opening training | $3,860 |
| Total payments before opening | $147,860 |
The equipment and premises allowances are the same in all 50 states for this operating format. They are a comparison baseline and must be replaced with local scopes and quotes. Training uses 120 aggregate paid hours at the modeled team’s weighted loaded rate. The refundable deposit is cash tied up, not an operating expense.
$48,869Peak cumulative operating cash deficit · month 5
$78,0342.5 months of fixed cash costs · assumed buffer
$274,763Opening payments + deficit + buffer
The cash schedule tests 60 months, with sales ramping through 40%, 55%, 70%, 82%, 90%, 96%, 100% of the volume assumption. Full payroll and fixed costs begin in month one. The reserve covers the deepest cumulative operating deficit plus the stated buffer. A buffer is retained cash, not spending and not part of project payback twice.
The shared model uses 1.50 receivable days as an authored cash-timing assumption. Keep estimates, deposits, completed work, earned revenue, invoicing, collection, refunds, claims, chargebacks, payroll, fuel, materials, tolls, parking, and vehicle payments in separate schedules. A deposit changes cash timing but is not a second move or immediate earned revenue. Asset purchases are depreciated over 60 months for this scenario. No sale or deposit recovery is assumed at the end.
Can the reference operating month support the format?
The assumed 22 completed local moves per month produces approximately $1,898 mature monthly EBIT after the paid roster and depreciation. At the stated contribution and paid roster, 21 completed local moves per month produces $326.58 mature monthly EBIT. At the previous activity of 20 completed local moves per month, EBIT is -$1,245.17. This is the minimum at the stated 1-unit resolution; delivery still depends on the workload and collection checks below. Additional starting cash changes the funding position; it does not improve contribution per unit or reduce the recurring operating boundary.
| Measure | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $40,700 |
| Variable operating costs | $6,122 |
| Loaded payroll, including management | $19,514 |
| Occupancy assumption | $2,500 |
| Other fixed operating costs | $9,200 |
| EBITDA | $3,365 |
| Depreciation | $1,467 |
| Operating profit (EBIT) | $1,898 |
| Maintenance capital expenditure | $1,500 |
| Mature project cash flow | $1,865 |
EBIT deducts paid operating costs and depreciation. Monthly fixed costs plus depreciation ($32,680.17) divided by contribution per completed local move ($1,571.75) gives approximately 20.792218 completed local moves per month. Amounts are displayed rounded; the calculation uses the full input precision. At the stated contribution and paid roster, 21 completed local moves per month produces $326.58 mature monthly EBIT. At the previous activity of 20 completed local moves per month, EBIT is -$1,245.17. This is the minimum at the stated 1-unit resolution; delivery still depends on the workload and collection checks below. EBITDA operating-cost break-even is approximately 19.859076 completed local moves per month. Cash-after-maintenance break-even is approximately 20.813426 completed local moves per month, before receivable movement; it is not launch payback or owner take-home pay.
| Measure | Months 1–12 | Mature month |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $420,431 | $40,700 |
| Operating profit (EBIT) | -$34,966 | $1,898 |
| Project cash flow | -$37,401 | $1,865 |
Project payback is not reached within the 60-month reference schedule. It measures recovery of actual pre-opening payments from cumulative project cash, with no financing or owner distributions. It does not measure cash paid back to an owner.
Average hours can hide access and inventory
Stairs, elevators, long carries, parking, packing, disassembly, customer readiness, and inventory variance can consume crew and truck time beyond the quoted block.
Test your own California scenario.
Change the assumptions to see how this format responds. The sections above remain the published reference, so you can compare your scenario with the original. Use the browser-local export buttons below to save only the scenario you are working on.
Reference scenario. JavaScript enables editing and exports.
$274,763Opening payments + 60-month cash reserve
$1,898Mature monthly operating profit (EBIT)
20.8Approximate continuous EBIT break-even · completed local moves per month
22 completed local moves per month × $1,850.00 = $40,700 revenue. Loaded payroll: $19,514 per month. Break-even uses 86.6% of capacity.
The download preserves the published scenario and its source references.
The practical opening route in California.
Describe the exact entity, ownership, local or interstate scope, household-goods activity, truck type and weight, drivers, employees, service area, parking or storage, estimates, pricing, minimums, deposits, valuation or liability choices, insurance, customer documents, advertising, claims, and any packing, storage, disposal, freight, commercial, or specialty work. Ask the responsible federal, state, and local offices, insurer, and counsel which carrier, mover, business, driver, vehicle, safety, weight, parking, employment, tax, consumer, estimate, custody, insurance, and claim requirements apply.
| Workstream | Official starting points | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Business and activity | Which entity, name or activity registrations apply, and which local or specialist office also has responsibility? | |
| Tax | Which registrations and treatment apply to the actual goods or services, location and staffing arrangements? | |
| Employers | Which employer accounts, reporting steps and labor obligations apply to the planned paid roster? |
Take the activity, address, proposed equipment and staffing plan to the relevant office. Record applicability, supporting documents, fees, dependencies and renewal terms from the actual official response.
Agency routes were listed on the IRS California directory when retrieved September 5, 2026. Links identify starting offices; they do not verify a permit, tax treatment, fee or opening time for this business. Open the full California opening checklist →
What must be verified before opening in California?
Can completed local moves at the realized crew-and-truck price support the paid roster and opening cash while every move fits both the usable crew schedule and the one-truck schedule after travel, loading variability, ordinary downtime, and claim recovery?
- Define one completed local move and keep estimates, deposits, cancellations, unfinished work, claims, refunds, chargebacks, and uncollected invoices out of the completed-move count.
- Record each move's inventory and access, quoted basis, billable hours, realized rate and charges, discounts, materials, fuel, tolls, paid crew-hours, truck-hours, travel, collection, and claim outcome.
- Reconcile whole crew-and-truck blocks with paid hours and vehicle availability, then test whether the whole-move break-even threshold fits the lower physical capacity before accepting fixed commitments.
Scope and paid demand test
Define a narrow local household scope and service area, then run authorized paid tests. Record completed moves, realized charges, every paid crew-hour and truck-hour, access conditions, direct costs, collection, claims, and work declined.
Authority, insurance, truck, and customer terms
Confirm the entity, local versus interstate scope, carrier or mover requirements, driver and vehicle requirements, insurance, estimates, deposits, valuation or liability choices, parking or storage, and customer documents before accepting work.
Crew-and-truck schedule and opening funding
Build whole job blocks, claim recovery, ordinary downtime, ramp loss, maintenance, and cash buffer without assuming that every inquiry becomes a completed move or that one average move duration fits every inventory and address.
Start with California government and agency contacts and the SBA launch guide. The relevant city, county or state office must confirm the actual activity and address. This page does not publish verified permit fees, legal determinations or approval timelines.
Claims consume cash and future capacity
Damage or loss handling, repeat travel, repair coordination, documentation, refunds, and insurer work belong to the original move and reduce future crew or truck availability.
For a selected address or service area, collect an evidence pack covering premises and equipment quotes, paid demand, staffing, collection terms and the responsible authorities. The state wage and population evidence on this page does not supply those location-specific inputs.
What supports this page?
- BLS: May 2025 state occupational wages (XLSX in ZIP)
State: California, FIPS 06. Cross-industry, ownership 1235. H_MEDIAN supplies an available hourly benchmark; H_PCT25 and H_PCT75 describe the occupational distribution. 53-3033 (Light Truck Drivers), state workbook row 3520; 53-7062 (Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand), state workbook row 3548; 11-1021 (General and Operations Managers), state workbook row 2730. Retrieved September 5, 2026.
- BLS: May 2025 national occupational wages (XLSX in ZIP)
The national comparison uses the same paid roster and these national H_MEDIAN observations: 53-3033, national workbook row 1332; 53-7062, national workbook row 1389; 11-1021, national workbook row 8. Any national value substituted for a suppressed state value is identified separately. National observations do not become state observations.
- Census: Vintage 2025 state population estimates (CSV)
SUMLEV 040; STATE 06; POPESTIMATE2025 and POPESTIMATE2024. July 1 estimates; change and percentage change are calculated within the same vintage. Population is context, not a customer forecast.
- BLS: wage definitions and technical notes
OEWS covers employee jobs across industries. It is a statistical benchmark, not a hiring quote or legal wage floor. Employer benefits and overtime premiums are outside the wage measure; tips can be included.
- USAGov: California government and agencies
An official route to the state government and major agencies. This directory does not confirm the fees, permits or approval times for a particular address or business.
- Reference assumptions and calculation method
All selling prices, demand, paid hours, employer allowance, premises, startup allowances, cost shares, ramp and cash buffer are authored planning inputs. No commercial quote or researched state total is implied.
State wage and population benchmarks are sourced. Confirm premises, demand, selling prices, permits and commercial quotes for the selected location. State Fit and Business Idea Scores are not assigned.
How to read the reference inputs
The stated business format and paid roster define the operating unit. Wage and population observations retain their geography and period. Replace commercial assumptions only with evidence that matches the scope, then reconcile the same inputs across earnings, cash and the dated delivery schedule.
Plan your next evidence check →Continue through the site.
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