Is a PPM/DITY Move Worth It? (2026 Real Numbers)

If you've got PCS orders, you've probably heard someone in your unit swear they made a few thousand dollars on a "DITY move" — and someone else call it the most stressful month of their life. Both are usually telling the truth. A PPM can be genuinely worth it, but the answer depends on numbers specific to your move, and on whether the work and the tax bill are worth the payoff to you. Here's how to find your number.

What a PPM actually is

A PPM (Personally Procured Move), formerly known as a DITY (Do-It-Yourself) move, means you move some or all of your household goods yourself instead of having the government contract a moving company. In exchange, the government reimburses you at roughly what it would have paid a commercial mover to do the same job. The gap between that reimbursement and what you actually spend — truck rental, fuel, packing supplies — is your net proceeds, and you keep it.

One detail that catches people off guard: those net proceeds are taxable income. That changes the math, so it's covered below.

The part most people get wrong

Here's the misconception that trips up a lot of first-time movers: they think they're choosing between their PCS entitlements or PPM money. You're not.

Your core PCS entitlements — DLA, mileage (MALT), per diem, and TLE — are paid to you the same way regardless of which move type you pick. The PPM net proceeds come on top of all of that. So the real comparison isn't "government-move money vs. PPM money." It's "the entitlements you get either way, plus an extra chunk if you PPM."

A real example: E-6, Fort Campbell to JBLM

Take an E-6, married with two dependents, moving from Fort Campbell, KY to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA — about 2,200 miles, one POV, six travel days, and 20 days of combined TLE, at 2026 rates.

The entitlements paid either way:

• DLA (Dislocation Allowance): $3,548
• MALT (mileage, 2,200 mi × $0.205): $451
• Per diem — member (6 days): $985
• Per diem — 2 dependents: $1,477
• TLE (20 days): $3,580
• Total paid regardless of move type: $10,041

The PPM piece, on top:

• Gross reimbursement (11,000 lbs at the government's commercial cost): $23,100
• Estimated move costs (truck, fuel, supplies): −$4,500
• Gross proceeds: $18,600
• After tax (~22%): about $14,508

So this E-6 collects the same $10,041 in entitlements either way — and by choosing a PPM, keeps roughly $14,508 more after taxes. That's the headline number people remember. The rest of this comes down to whether that number holds up for your move.

When a PPM is worth it — and when it isn't

The math swings on a few things.

It tends to pay off more when:

• You're moving well under your weight allowance. The reimbursement is based on the government's cost to move your authorized weight, but your actual costs scale with how much you really haul. Lighter load, similar reimbursement, lower costs — bigger margin.
• You have the labor. Family help, time, and the physical ability to load and drive change the equation. If you'd have to hire labor at both ends, that eats into the proceeds.
• It's a CONUS move with a reasonable driving distance and affordable truck rental.

It's less attractive when:

• Your household is large and close to (or over) your weight allowance — more to move, higher costs, and any overage comes out of your pocket.
• The move is OCONUS, where different rules apply (TLA instead of TLE, shipping logistics, and more).
• You're on a tight timeline or can't do the physical work, and would have to pay to replace your own labor.

Don't forget the tax bill

PPM net proceeds are taxable income. The example above applies a rough 22% to illustrate, but your actual rate depends on your filing status and total income. The practical takeaway: keep every receipt — truck rental, fuel, packing materials, and weight tickets. Documented moving expenses reduce the taxable portion of your proceeds, so those receipts are worth real money.

How to find your number

That example is one rank, one route, one weight. Yours will be different. The fastest way to see your actual figures is to run them: the PCS Cost Estimator lets you enter your rank, dependents, distance, and move type, and shows your government-move entitlements and your estimated PPM net side by side — so you can see the real gap for your situation before you commit.

A few things to confirm as you plan:

• Your reimbursable mileage is the official DTOD distance, not what your GPS shows.
• A partial PPM is an option — the government ships most of your goods and you self-move a portion for additional reimbursement, a lower-effort way to capture some of the upside.
• Final entitlements and PPM rates are approved by your installation's Transportation Office (TMO) and Finance Office. Confirm your specifics with them before making decisions.

A PPM isn't automatically the right call, and it isn't automatically a windfall — but for a lot of CONUS moves, especially under-weight ones, the extra few thousand dollars is real money for a few weekends of work. Run your numbers first, decide with the actual figures in front of you, and keep your receipts.