PPM Calculator: How Much You’ll Really Make on a DITY Move
TL;DR: A PPM (DITY) move pays you 100% of what the government would have paid a mover, and you keep whatever you don’t spend — often a few thousand dollars on a decent-sized move. Run the PPM calculator on this page for a realistic estimate, then confirm the exact figure with your transportation office, because the official rates that build it aren’t published anywhere public.
Every family weighing a DITY move asks the same question first: can I actually make money doing this myself? Usually, yes. How much comes down to three things — your weight allowance, how far you’re moving, and how cheaply you can pull the move off. Plug in your rank, weight, and distance, and the calculator handles the first pass for you.
2026 rates – Free – No login
PPM / DITY Move Calculator (2026)
Will moving yourself actually put money in your pocket? A Personally Procured Move (PPM, the old “DITY”) pays you what the government would have paid a mover — and you keep the difference. Run your real numbers below. It’s your money; know it before finance does.
Built on official 2026 DoD figures — not guesses
Every weight, DLA, and mileage figure here comes straight from the government’s own published tables. Don’t take our word for it — check any number yourself at the source:
JTRDFASDTMOmove.mil No weigh tickets yet? Roughly 1,000–1,500 lbs per room is a planning ballpark. Use your official DTOD distance, not Google Maps, for your voucher. The GCC is what DoD would pay a carrier to move your billable weight. Your TMO’s figure from the DPS counseling worksheet is the real number — our estimate is for planning only. Your out-of-pocket move costs Your estimated PPM outcome Estimated net profit after tax $0 Enter your weight and distance to run the numbers. Weight allowance for your grade— Billable weight (capped at allowance)— Government Constructed Cost (GCC)— Your PPM incentive (100% of GCC)— Your out-of-pocket costs— Pre-tax profit— Taxable income (set aside for taxes)— Estimated tax set-aside— Estimated net profit after tax— ⚠️ This profit is taxable income. DFAS automatically withholds 22% federal tax on your PPM profit (no Social Security or Medicare). State tax may also apply, so we suggest setting aside about 25%. Your DLA and mileage below are separate and are not taxed. PPM vs. government move You do a PPM $0 net profit after tax — you pack, haul, and keep the difference. Advance up to $0 (60% of GCC) available up front. Government moves you $0 profit — movers handle everything, zero out-of-pocket, zero taxable income. The right call if time, distance, or a big/valuable load makes DIY not worth it. Paid either way — not part of your PPM profit Dislocation Allowance (DLA)— Mileage (MALT @ $0.205/mi)— You receive DLA and mileage whether you PPM or let the government move you. DLA is a flat rate by grade and dependents (tax-free); MALT is the official distance × $0.205 × vehicles. Per diem and TLE for travel days aren’t shown here — see our PCS Calculator for full entitlements.
How we estimate the GCC (and why it’s only an estimate)
The real GCC uses the DoD’s “Best Value” contract rates — zip-to-zip linehaul, seasonal factors, packing, and accessorial charges that aren’t published as a simple formula. No public tool can reproduce it exactly. Our planning estimate builds the number from your billable weight and distance: a flat packing/handling charge of about $55 per 100 lbs, plus a linehaul charge per 100 lbs per mile that tapers with distance (about 5.5¢ for the first 500 miles, 4.5¢ through 1,500, and 3.5¢ beyond). We then show a range of roughly ±30% because real quotes swing with season and lane.
The only number that determines your actual payment is your TMO’s GCC from the DPS counseling worksheet. Request it before you commit, and enter it above for a precise result. Your DTS / finance office is always the authoritative source. Reimbursement is 100% of the constructed cost for 2026; the temporary 130% rate applied only from May 15 to September 30, 2025.
Start your free PCS PLAN → Get your VA Home Loan Snapshot Keep planning your move Read the full DITY / PPM guide Estimate all your PCS entitlements Look up your 2026 BAH Understand mileage reimbursement Estimates only — not official entitlements. Rates: JTR 2026 Table 5-37 (weight), DTMO CY2026 (DLA & $0.205 MALT), JTR par. 051502 (100% PPM). Verify every figure with your TMO and finance office before making money decisions. Free from PCS Pay It Forward — 127,000+ military families across 115+ installations.
What a PPM (DITY) move actually is
A Personally Procured Move — the official name for what most people still call a DITY — means you arrange your own move instead of letting the government hire a contractor. You handle the truck, the boxes, and the driving (or you pay a container service to do part of it), and the government reimburses you for what it would have spent to move you. Come in under that amount and the difference is yours. For the full step-by-step — eligibility, paperwork, and pack-out — our complete DITY move guide walks through the whole process. This page stays locked on one thing: the money.
How PPM reimbursement works: 100% of GCC
The government pays you based on the Government Constructed Cost, or GCC — what it would have paid a contracted mover to haul your household goods, at your authorized weight, over your distance. For 2026, a member-elected PPM pays 100% of that GCC. Move for less than the GCC and you pocket the gap. Spend more and you eat the difference.
You may have heard about a 130% rate. That was real, but temporary. Between May 15 and September 30, 2025, the DoD bumped reimbursement to 130% of GCC to offset contractor problems during the Global Household Goods Contract rollout. However, that authority expired on September 30, 2025. Moves starting after that date are back to the standard 100%. The rules that govern all of it live in the Joint Travel Regulations, published by the DTMO.
Your weight allowance drives the whole number
Here’s the lever most families underestimate: weight. Your GCC is calculated on the lesser of what you actually move or your authorized allowance. As a result, your rank and dependent status set the ceiling on what you can be paid.
| Pay grade | With dependents | Without dependents |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 to E-3 | 8,000 lbs | 5,000 lbs |
| E-4 | 8,000 lbs | 7,000 lbs |
| E-5 | 9,000 lbs | 7,000 lbs |
| E-6 | 11,000 lbs | 8,000 lbs |
| E-7 | 13,000 lbs | 11,000 lbs |
| E-8 | 14,000 lbs | 12,000 lbs |
| E-9 | 15,000 lbs | 13,000 lbs |
| O-1 / W-1 | 12,000 lbs | 10,000 lbs |
| O-2 / W-2 | 13,500 lbs | 12,500 lbs |
| O-3 / W-3 | 14,500 lbs | 13,000 lbs |
| O-4 / W-4 | 17,000 lbs | 14,000 lbs |
| O-5 / W-5 | 17,500 lbs | 16,000 lbs |
| O-6 to O-10 | 18,000 lbs | 18,000 lbs |
Weight allowances from JTR Table 5-37, verified July 2026. Confirm your exact allowance with your transportation office before you schedule.
Pro-gear (PBP&E) sits outside these numbers — 2,000 pounds for the member and 500 pounds for an employed spouse — as long as it’s declared and weighed separately. Go over your allowance, though, and the government stops paying at the cap. Every pound above it is on you. Therefore the game is simple: move as much of your allowance as you legitimately can, as cheaply as you can. Run your rank and estimated weight through the PPM calculator on this page to see how the allowance changes your ceiling.
The honest part: only your TMO can give you the exact number
This is where we’ll be straight with you in a way most calculators aren’t. Nobody outside the government can hand you an exact GCC. The rates that build it come from the Defense Transportation System and the Global Household Goods Contract — carrier pricing that isn’t published anywhere the public can see. So every “PPM profit” figure online, including the estimate on this page, is a planning approximation, not a settlement calculation.
Your official number comes from your transportation office through MilMove counseling — and for a member-elected PPM, that pre-approval is required before you move. You can pull a pre-move incentive estimate in MilMove and talk it through with your TO. Use the calculator here to plan, budget, and decide whether a PPM is worth it. Then let your TO confirm the real figure. That workflow is the one that keeps you from banking on a number that turns out to be off — and being upfront about it is exactly why 127,000+ military families across 115+ installations trust our tools.
Getting paid: the three things that trip families up
Reimbursement isn’t automatic. Miss one of these and you leave money on the table.
Certified weight tickets (empty and full)
No tickets, no payment. You need certified weight tickets — one empty before loading, one full after — from a certified scale. Most truck stops with a CAT scale will do it for about $15. Skip them and the government falls back to a constructive-weight method that usually pays less. Keep the originals.
You can get up to 60% upfront
You don’t have to float the entire move on a credit card. Through your transportation office, you can request an Advance Operating Allowance of up to 60% of your estimated incentive before you move — cash toward the truck, fuel, and supplies. The balance arrives after you file your weight tickets and receipts. Just hit your settlement deadline, or the advance can be recouped straight from your pay.
Mileage uses DTOD, not your odometer
If you drive, your mileage is paid at the 2026 MALT rate of $0.205 per mile for up to two authorized vehicles. Notably, it’s calculated on the official Defense Table of Official Distances (DTOD), not the miles on your dash — so the scenic route doesn’t pay more. For how MALT stacks with per diem on your travel days, our PCS mileage reimbursement guide breaks it down.
Your PPM profit is taxable: plan for the 22% bite
Here’s the one that ambushes first-timers at tax season. Your PPM profit is taxable income. Specifically, DFAS treats the settlement as supplemental wages and withholds a flat 22% for federal tax at payout — no Social Security or Medicare.
The taxable amount is your profit: the GCC payment minus your documented, allowable expenses. Truck rental, fuel and tolls for the rental, packing materials, hired labor, weighing fees — keep every receipt, because any expense you can’t document gets taxed as profit. At filing, you reconcile the real numbers, often on Form 3903, per IRS guidance for the Armed Forces. In plain terms: a $6,000 GCC payment is not $6,000 in your pocket. Budget for the withholding, keep clean records, and your net stays realistic.
The mistakes that cost families the most money
- Blowing past your weight allowance. Over the cap, you pay the overage, and it isn’t cheap. Purge before pack-out.
- Skipping certified weight tickets. No empty-and-full tickets, no full payment. This is the number one way families lose money.
- Forgetting the profit is taxable. Plan for the 22% withholding so tax season isn’t a gut punch.
- Using your odometer instead of DTOD. Mileage pays on official distances — never budget off your dashboard.
- Leaving the expense column blank. Undocumented expenses get taxed as profit. Receipts are money.
Also remember your PPM incentive isn’t your only PCS money. DLA, per diem, MALT, and TLE stack on top of it — our PCS entitlements calculator covers those, and together they paint the full picture.
Once you’ve run your PPM estimate, the next move is a plan for everything else: housing, neighborhoods, schools, and timeline at your next base. Start your free PCS Plan and you’ll be paired with a military-connected Ambassador who has done this move themselves. And if buying is on the table at your next duty station, some families roll PPM profit straight into closing costs or a down payment — your free VA Home Loan Snapshot shows what your BAH covers.
PPM Calculator FAQ
How much can you make on a DITY (PPM) move?
It varies with your weight allowance, your distance, and how cheaply you move. Many families net a few thousand dollars on a mid-size move, and larger or longer moves can pay more. Because the exact GCC comes from your transportation office, treat any online figure — including ours — as a planning estimate and confirm it with your TO.
How is PPM reimbursement calculated?
The government pays 100% of the Government Constructed Cost (GCC), which is what it would have paid a contractor to move your authorized weight over your distance. You keep the difference between the GCC and what you actually spend. The temporary 130% rate from summer 2025 expired on September 30, 2025.
Is PPM (DITY) money taxable?
Yes. Your profit is taxable income, and DFAS withholds a flat 22% for federal tax at payout. The taxable amount is the GCC payment minus your documented allowable expenses, so keeping receipts directly lowers your tax.
Do I need weight tickets for a PPM move?
Yes. Certified empty and full weight tickets are required to get paid. Without them, the government uses a constructive-weight method that usually pays less. A CAT scale at most truck stops runs about $15.
Can I get money before the move?
Yes. You can request an Advance Operating Allowance of up to 60% of your estimated incentive through your transportation office. File your final paperwork on time so the advance isn’t recouped from your pay.
What weight am I allowed to move?
Your allowance is set by rank and dependent status under JTR Table 5-37 — for example, an E-5 is authorized 7,000 pounds without dependents and 9,000 with. Pro-gear is separate and doesn’t count against it. Confirm your exact number with your transportation office.
Key Takeaways
- You keep what you don’t spend. A PPM pays 100% of the GCC; move for less and the difference is yours.
- Weight is the biggest lever. Your JTR allowance sets the ceiling, so move as much of it as you legitimately can, as cheaply as you can.
- Only your TMO has the exact number. Every online figure is a planning tool; MilMove counseling produces your official GCC.
- Protect your payment. Certified weight tickets, DTOD mileage, and documented receipts decide whether you keep your profit or lose it.
- Plan for taxes. Budget for the 22% withholding and your net stays honest.
Run the PPM calculator on this page to size up your move, then start your free PCS Plan to line up everything else.