HOW TO HIRE · REMOVALS & STORAGE · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire a professional packer in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
A packing & unpacking service in Ireland costs €30–€90 per hour, typically around €50. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring a professional packer in five steps
- Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers professional packer work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — specialised Packing — for valuable or delicate items, specialised packing services use custom materials.
- How does volume of items change the price?A bigger group takes longer to work through. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does distance of the move change the price?Rural call-outs carry a travel charge of their own. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does level of service required change the price?The choice of style changes the skill the job needs. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- What is not included?Inventory Management — many packing services offer inventory management, where they list and track items being packed and unpacked — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a professional packer job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
No register applies
NO LICENCE APPLIES TO REMOVALS FIRMS. The protection is the insurance, and the word to listen for is GOODS IN TRANSIT — public liability does not pay for your own property being damaged in their van. Trade membership of the Irish Association of Movers is voluntary and brings a complaints route.
Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.
What to check instead
GOODS IN TRANSIT cover and its limit per item and in total — a €10,000 total on a four-bedroom move is not cover, it is a gesture; Whether the limit falls for items you pack yourself, which it usually does; A written inventory before loading, signed by both of you; How a claim is made and within what deadline — often days, not weeks; Whether the crew on the day are employees or casual labour; For storage, who insures the goods while stored and against what.
Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.
Insurance
Expect goods in transit and public liability, with the limits named. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.
Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
VAT
VAT at 23%, the standard rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
A good answer: No register covers professional packer work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — specialised Packing — for valuable or delicate items, specialised packing services use custom materials.
A good answer: A bigger group takes longer to work through. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Rural call-outs carry a travel charge of their own. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: The choice of style changes the skill the job needs. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Inventory Management — many packing services offer inventory management, where they list and track items being packed and unpacked — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a professional packer job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
A good answer: Expect goods in transit and public liability, with the limits named — unpacking and Setup — once you reach your new location, unpacking services help arrange your items in the desired layout.
A good answer: A written scope and a price before the professional packer starts, and an itemised invoice after — storage Packing — packing items specifically for long-term storage, focusing on preservation and protection.
Getting the quote right
- Volume of items — a bigger group takes longer to work through.
- Distance of the move — rural call-outs carry a travel charge of their own.
- Level of service required — the choice of style changes the skill the job needs.
- Condition of your belongings — the first visit after a long gap is always the slowest.
- In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
- What is NOT included, named
- Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
- The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register
Walk away if
- They will not talk about it: volume of items — a bigger group takes longer to work through
- They will not talk about it: distance of the move — rural call-outs carry a travel charge of their own
- They will not talk about it: level of service required — the choice of style changes the skill the job needs
- A price for the professional packer before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
- Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
- No written quote, or one that moves once the professional packer has begun
What a professional packer costs: €30–€90 per hour
Most professional packers quote the job rather than the hour; the hourly rate is what the small jobs are priced from. Full packing service and Fragile item packing each carry their own band. Packing & Unpacking Service price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Professional packers near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.
- Look firstVolume of items — a bigger group takes longer to work through — that is what the professional packer is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneDistance of the move — rural call-outs carry a travel charge of their own — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfLevel of service required — the choice of style changes the skill the job needs — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherCondition of your belongings — the first visit after a long gap is always the slowest — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the professional packer is still there.
- What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, access challenges — height work needs equipment that a ground-floor job does not.
- Unpacking and Setup
- Once you reach your new location, unpacking services help arrange your items in the desired layout.
- Inventory Management
- Many packing services offer inventory management, where they list and track items being packed and unpacked.
- specialised Packing
- For valuable or delicate items, specialised packing services use custom materials.
- Fragile Item Packing
- Specialised packing of delicate items, using appropriate materials to prevent damage.
- Unpacking Service
- Unpacking boxes and arranging items in your new home according to your preferences.
- Partial Packing Service
- Packing only selected items, such as kitchenware or valuables, while you manage the rest.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring a professional packer: questions people ask
The cost is influenced by the volume of items, the distance of the move, and the level of service required. Additional services like packing materials or specialised packing for fragile items can also increase the price.
The duration depends on the size of your home and the amount of belongings. A small apartment may take 4-6 hours for packing, while a larger house could require a full day or more.
Generally, a general professional is sufficient for packing and unpacking. However, if you have valuable or delicate items, it might be wise to hire specialists with experience in handling such goods.
Yes, many companies offer package deals that combine packing, moving, and unpacking services. This can often lead to savings compared to booking each service separately.
Most packing services do not handle hazardous materials, perishable goods, or items of extreme value like cash or important documents. It's essential to check with the service provider for specific exclusions.
NO LICENCE APPLIES TO REMOVALS FIRMS. The protection is the insurance, and the word to listen for is GOODS IN TRANSIT — public liability does not pay for your own property being damaged in their van. Trade membership of the Irish Association of Movers is voluntary and brings a complaints route.
MORE GUIDES