U-Haul vs Home Depot Truck Rental: Cost Calculator
Home Depot rents trucks by time with no mileage fee; U-Haul charges a daily rate plus mileage. Enter your miles to see when Home Depot is cheaper.
Home Depot is cheaper than U-Haul when you can get the truck back quickly, because Home Depot charges by time while U-Haul charges a daily rate plus mileage. Enter your mileage and rates below and the calculator tells you the break-even time: return the Home Depot truck before then and you've beaten U-Haul's price.
For example, with the default numbers (50 miles at $0.79 a mile plus $19.95), U-Haul costs $59.45. A Home Depot flatbed at $19 for the first 75 minutes plus $7.25 per 15 minutes reaches $55.25 at 2 hours 30 minutes, so if you'll be done in under 2.5 hours, Home Depot wins.
Truck Rental Cost and Break-Even Calculator
This calculator assumes you already know which size truck you need and how far you'll drive. It shows how long you could keep a Home Depot truck for the same money you'd spend at U-Haul.
Preset Options:
U-Haul Fees
Home Depot Fees
Assumptions and Notes
- Driving Distance should be calculated: (only U-Haul charges mileage fees)
UHaul Address → Loading Address → Unloading Address → UHaul Address
- Fuel costs are omitted because they will be similar for both U-Haul and Home Depot.
- Taxes are omitted because the tax rate is the same regardless of the rental option chosen.
- Refundable deposits are omitted because... they're refundable.
- Home Depot's rentals are only available in 15-minute increments.
- If you need a truck larger than 12ft, Home Depot's in-store rentals are not an option, as the biggest it offers is a 12ft box truck. U-Haul rents 10ft, 15ft, 20ft and 26ft trucks.
Home Depot vs U-Haul Truck Rental Rates
These are the rates behind the calculator's presets. The Home Depot numbers come from the rate sheet posted at my local store when I wrote this in December 2024 (photo at the bottom of this page), and the U-Haul numbers are typical in-town quotes.
| U-Haul (in-town) | Home Depot | |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Daily rate + per-mile fee | Time only, no mileage fee |
| Small vehicles | Pickup, cargo van or 10ft truck: $19.95/day + mileage | Flatbed: $19 first 75 min, then $7.25 per 15 min, max $129/day |
| Van: $19 first 75 min, then $8.25 per 15 min, max $139/day | ||
| Larger box truck | 15ft: $29.95/day + mileage | 12ft box: $29 first 75 min, then $7.50 per 15 min, max $149/day |
| Per-mile fee | Usually $0.79-$1.09/mile | None |
| Biggest truck | 26ft | 12ft |
As of September 2026, U-Haul still advertises cargo vans and pickup trucks from $19.95 plus mileage, but it doesn't publish a single per-mile rate. Mileage varies by location, truck and date, so plug in the number from your own quote. Home Depot's prices also vary by store, so check the rate sheet at the rental counter and update the calculator's fields to match.
Moving Tips That Save Money
- Protect your furniture. If you're comparing trucks, you're probably moving furniture. Protect it with some cheap covers.
- Own your moving blankets. U-Haul charges to rent moving blankets, but you can buy your own once and reuse them.
- Bring straps. Neither U-Haul nor Home Depot provides ratchet straps and tie-downs, and you'll absolutely want them.
- Consider buying a dolly. Renting one can cost $7-$15 per day. Buying one for about $30 might be cheaper if you'll use it again.
- Stock up on tape. Nothing derails moving day faster than running out of tape.
Don't forget all your moving supplies! Check out these deals on Amazon.
Moving out of a rental? Make sure you get your deposit back. Here's how I sued my landlord for my security deposit and won.
Sample Home Depot Truck Rental Rate Sheet
Frequently asked questions
- Is it cheaper to rent a truck from Home Depot or U-Haul?
- It depends on time versus distance. Home Depot charges by time with no mileage fee, and U-Haul charges a daily rate plus mileage. With the calculator's default numbers (50 miles at $0.79 a mile), U-Haul costs $59.45 and a Home Depot flatbed is cheaper if you return it within 2 hours 30 minutes.
- How much does a Home Depot truck rental cost?
- On the rate sheet I photographed at my store in 2024, flatbeds were $19 for the first 75 minutes, then $7.25 per 15 minutes up to $129 a day; vans were $19, then $8.25 per 15 minutes up to $139 a day; and the 12-foot box truck was $29, then $7.50 per 15 minutes up to $149 a day. Rates vary by store.
- How much does U-Haul charge per mile?
- U-Haul advertises in-town rentals from $19.95 plus mileage, but it doesn't publish one per-mile rate. The rate depends on the location, truck and date, and it shows up in your quote. The calculator defaults to $0.79 a mile and lets you enter yours.
- Does Home Depot charge for mileage on truck rentals?
- Not on its in-store time-based rentals; you pay by time. U-Haul is the one that adds a per-mile charge, which is why the calculator only asks for miles on the U-Haul side.
- What should I count as driving distance for U-Haul?
- The whole loop: U-Haul location to your loading address, to your unloading address, and back to U-Haul. That's every mile you'll be charged for.
