A man and van around Leeds cost a median of £40 an hour for one person and a van (range £35 to £60) and £57.50 an hour for two people (range £55 to £110), based on the rates published by the 5 West Yorkshire firms (one person) and 4 firms (two people) that print an hourly rate on their own websites (collected 23 September 2026). What moves your price above or below that is mostly time: stairs, lifts, parking and how the firm charges for the first hour.
Below: the published rates and where Leeds sits against the national guides, what common jobs cost, how first-hour charges change a 3-hour bill, the Leeds-specific things that add time (city-centre flats, Headingley and Hyde Park permit streets, the student changeover), and how to get a fixed price instead of an open-ended hourly one.
- Published West Yorkshire rates, collected September 2026: median £40 an hour for one person and a van (5 firms, range £35–£60) and £57.50 for two (4 firms, range £55–£110).
- Local medians sit below Checkatrade's UK guide averages of £64 an hour for one person and £78 for two (page marked last updated May 2024).
- Watch the first hour. A £75 first hour then £40 an hour makes a 3-hour job £155, not £120.
- In Leeds, lifts, loading bays and long carries from permit streets add more to a bill than the drive does.
- The student changeover (tenancies ending 30 June, new ones starting 1 July, then September) is the peak time to book in Headingley and Hyde Park.
How much is a man and van per hour in Leeds?
Among Leeds and West Yorkshire firms that publish a rate, the median is £40 an hour for one person with a van and £57.50 for two. Few firms put prices online at all (only 5 of the dozens checked print a one-person hourly rate), so treat the medians as indicative.
| Source (date) | 1 person and a van | 2 people and a van |
|---|---|---|
| West Yorkshire firms' own websites (collected 23 Sep 2026) | £35–£60 an hour, median £40 (5 firms) | £55–£110 an hour, median £57.50 (4 firms) |
| AnyVan Leeds page (updated May 2026; AnyVan labels these a UK-wide average) | £35 an hour, average job £86 | £50 an hour, average job £124 |
| Compare The Man And Van (31 Mar 2026) | Leeds: £30–£40 an hour (crew not stated) | Not given for Leeds |
| Checkatrade UK guide (page marked last updated May 2024) | £35–£93 an hour, average £64 | £50–£105 an hour, average £78 |
Two things stand out. First, Leeds looks cheaper than the UK picture: the local medians and Compare The Man And Van's Leeds range both sit below Checkatrade's national averages, although those date from 2024. (AnyVan's Leeds table is footnoted as a UK-wide average from over 518,000 bookings, so it says more about AnyVan than about Leeds.) Second, the local range is wide at the top. The £60 one-person rate and the £110 two-person rate both come from Leeds firms, and the two-person one is roughly double every other published rate. None of the firms we checked says whether its hourly rate includes VAT, so ask.
- WY firms, 1 person + van£35–£60
- WY firms, 2 people + van£55–£110
- AnyVan Leeds page (UK avg)£35–£50
- Compare The Man And Van, Leeds£30–£40
Source: rates published by 5 (1 person) and 4 (2 people) West Yorkshire firms on their own websites, collected 23 September 2026; AnyVan Leeds page (May 2026, 1 to 2 people, footnoted as a UK-wide average); Compare The Man And Van (March 2026).
Our own man and van service in Leeds works differently: you get a fixed price for the whole job before we set off, rather than a meter running by the hour. More on that below.
Why the first hour matters more than the hourly rate
The headline hourly rate doesn't tell you what a job will cost, because many firms charge the first hour at a higher rate or set a minimum booking. Compare The Man And Van says most UK man and van services have a minimum of around two hours, and on one national booking marketplace, all ten West Yorkshire driver listings checked in September 2026 had a 2-hour minimum. Here is what the published pricing structures come to for the same 3-hour job:
| How it's charged (published in West Yorkshire, Sept 2026) | 3-hour job | Works out per hour |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person, flat £40 an hour (the median) | £120 | £40 |
| 1 person, £75 first hour then £40 an hour | £155 | £51.67 |
| 1 person, flat £60 an hour (highest published) | £180 | £60 |
| 2 people, flat £57.50 an hour (the median) | £172.50 | £57.50 |
| 2 people, £100 first hour then £55 an hour | £210 | £70 |
| 2 people, £120 first hour then £110 an hour | £340 | £113.33 |
- 1 person, £40/h flat£120
- 1 person, £75 then £40/h£155
- 1 person, £60/h flat£180
- 2 people, £57.50/h flat£172.50
- 2 people, £100 then £55/h£210
- 2 people, £120 then £110/h£340
Source: pricing structures published by West Yorkshire man and van firms on their own websites, collected 23 September 2026. Totals are our arithmetic for a 3-hour job, before any VAT.
The same logic works the other way on a very short job. A one-hour collection from a firm with a 2-hour minimum costs two hours. When you compare quotes, compare the total for your job, not the hourly figure. Our guide to hourly versus fixed-price man and van quotes goes into when each suits you.
What common jobs cost in Leeds
For whole jobs, the evidence is thinner because most local firms only publish "from" prices, which are the cheapest version of each job rather than the typical one. Read these as a floor. Figures are from West Yorkshire firms and national networks' West Yorkshire pages, collected 23 September 2026, unless another source is named.
| Job | Published prices | What it's based on |
|---|---|---|
| Single item or a few items, local | From about £30 to £40 | 3 providers' "from" prices |
| Student single room across Leeds | £75–£115 (1 person) | One provider's student price list |
| Studio or 1-bed flat move | From £130 to £210, median £190 | 5 providers' "from" prices |
| 2-bed move | From £180 to £600, median £307.50 | 6 providers; the £600 is a removal company's average |
| 3-bed move | From £250 to £450, median £365 | 4 providers' "from" prices |
The lowest flat and house figures (£130, £180 and £250) come from one Leeds firm's student price list for small flats and house shares, not family homes. At the other end, one Leeds firm's 1-, 2- and 3-bed prices (£210, £320 and £430) are simply its two-person hourly rate multiplied by roughly 3, 5 and 7 hours, which shows how long that firm expects those moves to take with two people.
Man and van or a removal company?
For a full family house, the national publishers' Leeds figures are for removal companies, which usually means more movers and a lorry. reallymoving puts a Leeds 2-bed at £626 and a 3-bed at £939 (prices updated February 2025), and Konnect You gives £701 and £1,233 from its local move data. AnyVan's Leeds removals figures are lower, but they are identical to its Bradford page, so they reflect its national marketplace rather than Leeds. A man and van is usually the cheaper choice for flats, house shares and smaller houses that fit in one or two van loads; a 4-bed with a garage full of kit is removal-company territory.
What makes a Leeds move cost more (or less)
Almost everything that raises a Leeds price does it by adding time. The drive across the city matters far less than what happens at each door: access, stairs, parking and, as Compare The Man And Van notes, long carries and month-end dates. In Leeds, they show up like this.
City-centre flats: lifts, loading bays and height barriers
A flat in the city centre, Leeds Dock, Holbeck or the Arena Quarter is rarely a kerbside job. The van usually stops in a loading bay or on the street, not under the building, because a medium-roof long wheelbase Transit is about 2.4 to 2.5m tall (Ford's Transit brochure gives 2,411–2,530mm for the L3 H2), so it won't clear a typical 2.1m car park barrier. Then everything goes through a fob door, along a corridor and up in a lift that residents are also using. A booked lift and a short route from the loading bay make a real difference to how long the job takes. Ask your building manager about lift booking and where vans can stand before you ask for quotes. Our Leeds flat removals page has more on moving in and out of blocks of flats.
Headingley, Hyde Park and permit streets
The good news on permit zones: Leeds City Council's parking policy states that "Removal vans do not require a dispensation" in residents-only parking zones. The catch is space. Terraced streets around Headingley, Hyde Park, Woodhouse and Burley are often full, so the van may stop further away, and every extra metre of carry is paid for in time. On yellow lines, the council's loading rules allow "a maximum of up to 20 minutes" and only as long as necessary, which is not enough for a whole house. Where a suspension is needed, Leeds charges per bay per day (not on Sundays) but does not publish the fee. Our guide to parking for removal vans in Bradford and Leeds has the full rules.
Back-to-backs and narrow stairs
Back-to-back terraces in areas such as Armley, Harehills and Beeston often have steep, tight staircases and no rear access, so existing flat-pack wardrobes and bed frames come apart before they come down. That is time, and it's why an honest quote needs photos of the stairs as well as the furniture.
Student changeover dates
Demand in Leeds peaks around the student changeover. Unipol's Leeds house hunting guide notes that many tenants who move in on 1 July "have only just moved out the day before on 30th June", and September brings the university intake. Around those dates vans book up across Headingley, Hyde Park and Woodhouse. If your dates are flexible, a mid-week slot outside the last days of June and mid-September is easier to get. For shared houses, our student removals in Leeds guide has more on planning a house-share move.
Travel charges from the firm's base
Some West Yorkshire firms add mileage or charge from their yard once a job is more than a few miles away; one published rate is 60p a mile beyond 5 miles. Check whether a quote includes travel to you. We're in Bradford, about 10 road miles from Leeds, and Leeds is in our core area, so a Leeds job is priced on the job itself.
How our fixed prices for Leeds work
We quote a fixed price for the whole job, agreed before we set off, so a slow lift or a long carry from a permit street doesn't land on your bill. Loading and unloading are always included, and so are blankets, straps, a trolley and dismantling and reassembly of beds and existing flat-pack. It's one driver and one Ford Transit long wheelbase van (about 11 cubic metres), and an upright piano can be moved with notice.
What to send us for a fixed price
- Both postcodes, including the Leeds one.
- Photos or a short video of what's moving, including anything that needs taking apart.
- The floor at each end, and whether there's a lift (and whether it needs booking).
- Where the van can stop at each end: the street, a loading bay or a car park, and roughly how far from the door.
- Your date and how flexible it is, especially around 30 June, 1 July or mid-September.
How to keep a Leeds man and van cheap
The cheapest move is the one with the least waiting around. These make the biggest difference:
- Be ready before the van arrives. Everything boxed, taped and near the door; loose items are slow to load.
- Book the lift and the loading bay in a city-centre block, and tell your mover where they are.
- Take beds and flat-pack apart the night before if you're on an hourly rate (with our fixed price, dismantling beds and existing flat-pack is part of the job).
- Avoid the peak dates if you can: the last days of June, 1 July, mid-September, and Fridays and weekends at month end.
- Have everything packed and boxed before the van arrives, so the time goes on loading.
- Compare totals, not hourly rates, and check VAT, minimum hours and travel charges are included.
Moving from Bradford? Our guide to moving from Bradford to Leeds covers the route between the two cities.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a man and van per hour in Leeds?
The rates West Yorkshire firms published in September 2026 had a median of £40 an hour for one person and a van (5 firms, range £35 to £60) and £57.50 for two (4 firms, range £55 to £110). Compare The Man And Van puts Leeds at £30 to £40 an hour. Check for a higher first hour or a 2-hour minimum, which can add £35 or more to a short job.
How much does a small move cost in Leeds?
One Leeds provider lists a student single room across the city at £75 to £115 with one person, and single items start from about £30 to £40. Stairs, the carry and how many movers the job needs decide where you land. Studio and 1-bed moves from West Yorkshire firms are published from £130, with a median "from" price of £190.
Do I need a parking permit for a removal van in Headingley?
No dispensation is needed in Leeds residents-only zones: the council states that removal vans do not require one. It doesn't reserve you a space, though, and loading on yellow lines is limited to what's necessary, up to 20 minutes. If the street is always full, ask neighbours, or ask Leeds Parking Services about a bay suspension.
Is a man and van cheaper than a removal company in Leeds?
For flats, house shares and smaller homes, usually yes. Published Leeds removal-company figures for a 2-bed are £626 (reallymoving) and £701 (Konnect You), while West Yorkshire firms' published 2-bed "from" prices range from £180 to £600 (median £307.50 across 6 providers, September 2026). For a large family house, a removal company with more movers and a lorry may work out better.
Do you charge extra to come to Leeds from Bradford?
No. Leeds is inside our core area. A Leeds move is priced on the job itself: what's moving, the access at each end and the time it takes. Send photos and both postcodes and we'll give you a fixed price agreed before we set off.
Published rates tell you the going rate; your price depends on your stairs, your lift and your street. Send us photos and both postcodes on WhatsApp or call 07856 457501, 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, or get a fixed quote online. For a bigger home, see our house removals in Leeds page.