Moving cost estimator template

Free build guide: Moving cost estimator for WordPress

This guide rebuilds the Moving cost estimator from this site in Gravity Forms: 4 inputs, 4 live results and no submit button. Expect about 24 minutes by hand. The template above is the same form as an import file, and the bundle adds a PDF version of this guide with a screenshot of every setting, plus the stylesheet.

You will end up with:

• Estimated cost
• Full-service estimate
• DIY truck estimate
• Shipment weight (lb)

What you need

• Gravity Forms (any license) — Calculation fields, drop-down values and radio values are in core.

Everything here is core Gravity Forms. No add-ons.

1. Create the form

1. Go to Forms → New Form and name it Moving cost.
2. In Form Settings → Form Layout, set the CSS Class Name to fo-live-only. Step 3 uses it to hide the submit button.
3. Leave the form open in the editor; the fields come next.

2. Add the fields, in this order

Field IDs are assigned as you add fields. If yours come out differently, change the {Label:ID} references in the formulas to match your IDs. Settings not mentioned stay at their defaults.

1. Home size · Drop Down · ID 1

Choices (tick show values and enter each value):

• Studio (about 2,000 lb) — value 2000
• 1 bedroom (3,500 lb) — value 3500
• 2 bedrooms (5,500 lb) — value 5500 (selected by default)
• 3 bedrooms (8,000 lb) — value 8000
• 4+ bedrooms (11,000 lb) — value 11000

2. Distance (miles) · Number · ID 2
Number Format 9,999.99; Default Value 500; Description “Door to door.”.

3. Move · Radio Buttons · ID 3
Custom CSS Class (Appearance tab) fo-segmented.

Choices (tick show values and enter each value):

• Full-service movers — value 1 (selected by default)
• DIY truck rental — value 0

4. Packing · Radio Buttons · ID 4
Custom CSS Class (Appearance tab) fo-segmented.

Choices (tick show values and enter each value):

• Pack it yourself — value 0 (selected by default)
• Movers pack — value 0.25

5. Estimated cost · Number · ID 5
Number Format Currency; Description “A rough planning figure. Get three written in-home or video estimates; the spread between them is often 30%.”; Custom CSS Class (Appearance tab) fo-result; tick Enable Calculation, Rounding 0.

{Move:3} * ( {Weight:1} * 0.35 + {Weight:1} * {Distance:2} * 0.0006 ) + ( 1 - {Move:3} ) * ( {Distance:2} * 1.2 + {Distance:2} / 8 * 4 + 250 ) + {Packing:4} * {Weight:1}

6. Full-service estimate · Number · ID 6
Number Format Currency; Description “Loading, transport and unloading. Packing extra.”; Layout: half width, on the same row as its neighbour (drag the field beside it in the editor; no CSS class needed); Custom CSS Class (Appearance tab) fo-result fo-result--sub; tick Enable Calculation, Rounding 0.

( {Weight:1} * 0.35 + {Weight:1} * {Distance:2} * 0.0006 )

7. DIY truck estimate · Number · ID 7
Number Format Currency; Description “Truck, fuel at 8 MPG, boxes and pads. Your time and pizza for friends not included.”; Layout: half width, on the same row as its neighbour (drag the field beside it in the editor; no CSS class needed); Custom CSS Class (Appearance tab) fo-result fo-result--sub; tick Enable Calculation, Rounding 0.

( {Distance:2} * 1.2 + {Distance:2} / 8 * 4 + 250 )

8. Shipment weight (lb) · Number · ID 8
Number Format 9,999.99; Description “What movers quote on for long distance.”; Custom CSS Class (Appearance tab) fo-result fo-result--sub; tick Enable Calculation, Rounding 0.

{Weight:1}

3. Hide the submit button

The results are live, so nothing needs submitting. Add this filter to your theme’s functions.php or a code-snippets plugin; it hides the button on any form carrying the fo-live-only class:

add_filter( 'gform_submit_button', function ( $button, $form ) {
	return str_contains( (string) rgar( $form, 'cssClass' ), 'fo-live-only' ) ? '' : $button;
}, 10, 2 );

Or with CSS alone: .fo-live-only_wrapper .gform_footer { display: none; }

4. Put it on a page and make it look like this

Add the form to any page with the Gravity Forms block, or the shortcode [gravityform id="X" title="false" ajax="false"]. The form inherits your theme’s styles; the classes you set in step 2 are hooks for the look you see on this site:

• fo-result on a calculation field makes it the big teal result panel.
• fo-result fo-result--sub makes the smaller secondary figures.
• fo-segmented on a radio field turns it into a segmented switch.
• Two fields on one row is the editor’s own column layout: drag a field beside another and the row splits in half. No CSS class is needed, and the old gf_left_half Ready Classes are deprecated.

The bundle includes the two stylesheets that implement those classes, with notes on matching your brand colours. Without them the form still works; it just looks like your theme’s default Gravity Forms styling.

How the maths works is explained under “How it’s calculated” on the live Moving cost estimator.