DITY/PPM Move 2026: Weight Allowance and Reimbursement
A DITY move, now officially called a Personally Procured Move (PPM), lets a service member move their own household goods instead of using a government contractor, and get paid for it. For a full PPM the military reimburses up to 100% of the Government Constructed Cost (GCC): what it would have spent to move you. Here is how the weight allowances, rates, and reimbursement work in 2026.
DITY and PPM: same move, new name
"DITY" (Do-It-Yourself) is the old name. The program is now the PPM, but the idea is unchanged: you handle some or all of the move yourself, document the weight and your costs, and the government pays you for it.
- Full PPM: you move everything yourself and are paid an incentive based on your authorized weight.
- Partial PPM: the government moves part of your household goods and you move the rest. This is common when you only want to carry the valuable or fragile items yourself, or when you are over your weight limit and want to control what ships.
How the PPM payment is calculated
The government works out a Government Constructed Cost (GCC) - the amount it would have paid a contractor to move your authorized weight over that distance. For a full PPM you are paid up to 100% of the GCC. Your profit is the GCC minus what you actually spend.
Here is a simplified example. Say you are an E-5 with dependents and your GCC for the move comes out to $6,000. If you rent a truck, buy supplies, and hire a little help for $2,500, you keep roughly $3,500 (before taxes). Move heavier or farther and the GCC rises; move cheaply and you keep more.
How much you actually get paid
- The incentive is taxable income and is reported on a W-2. You can offset it with documented moving expenses.
- You can request an Advance Operating Allowance (AOA) - historically up to 60% of the estimated incentive - to cover trucks, boxes, and fuel up front so you are not paying out of pocket and waiting.
- Active-duty PCS moving expenses remain deductible on IRS Form 3903, even after the 2018 tax law suspended that deduction for civilians.
2026 weight allowances by rank
Your authorized weight comes from the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) and depends on your pay grade and whether you have dependents. The figures below are the long-standing CONUS household-goods (HHG) allowances in pounds. Always confirm the current table for your situation at travel.dod.mil before you move.
| Pay grade | No dependents | With dependents |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 to E-3 | 5,000 | 8,000 |
| E-4 | 7,000 | 8,000 |
| E-5 | 7,000 | 9,000 |
| E-6 | 8,000 | 11,000 |
| E-7 | 11,000 | 13,000 |
| E-8 | 12,000 | 14,000 |
| E-9 | 13,000 | 15,000 |
| W-1 / O-1 | 10,000 | 12,000 |
| O-3 | 13,000 | 14,500 |
| O-5 | 16,000 | 17,500 |
| O-6 | 18,000 | 18,000 |
What counts toward your weight (and what does not)
Your household goods count against the limits above. Two things to know:
- Pro-gear is separate. Professional Books, Papers, and Equipment (PBP and E) of up to 2,000 lbs for the member and 500 lbs for a spouse is allowed on top of your HHG limit and is not counted against it - but you must weigh and document it separately, or it gets lumped into your regular weight.
- Overage is on you. If you ship more than your authorized weight, you pay the cost of the excess pounds out of pocket. This is why an accurate estimate before you load matters.
Step by step: how to run a PPM
- Get counseling through Military OneSource or your installation Transportation Office (TMO), and set up the PPM in MilMove (move.mil) before you move a single box.
- Get a certified empty weight ticket for your truck or trailer, then a certified full weight ticket after loading. The net weight is what you are paid on.
- Keep every receipt - truck rental, fuel, boxes, tape, moving pads, tolls, and hired labor.
- Submit your claim with the weight tickets and receipts through MilMove.
- Receive your reimbursement and incentive, then settle the taxes at filing time.
PPM vs a government (HHG) move: which to pick
- Choose a PPM if you want the cash incentive, you can move efficiently for less than the GCC, and you do not mind doing the work and the paperwork.
- Choose a government HHG move if you want movers to handle everything, you have a large or heavy household, or your schedule does not allow a hands-on move. You can also do a partial PPM to get the best of both.
Common mistakes that cost money
- Losing or skipping a certified weight ticket - without both empty and full tickets, your claim gets cut.
- Exceeding your weight allowance and paying for the overage.
- Failing to separate pro-gear, so it eats into your HHG limit.
- Throwing away receipts you could have used to offset the taxable incentive.
PPM timeline: start early
Give yourself room. The biggest PPM mistakes come from rushing, so work backward from your report date:
- 60 days out: request counseling and start your PPM application in MilMove. This is also when you confirm your authorized weight and decide full vs partial.
- 30 days out: reserve your truck or trailer and equipment, and locate certified scales near both your origin and destination.
- Moving week: weigh empty, load, weigh full, and keep both certified tickets plus every receipt in one folder.
- After arrival: submit your claim promptly. The sooner you file complete paperwork, the sooner your incentive and any advance are settled.
One more way to protect your payout
Weigh your vehicle the way it will be at the scale - empty of passengers and removable gear for the tare weight, then fully loaded for the gross weight. Do not include people or fuel you will burn off later, and never guess. If the finance office cannot reconcile your tickets, the safe assumption they make is the one that pays you less. Clean documentation is, in dollars, the most valuable part of a PPM.
Frequently asked questions
Is a DITY (PPM) move worth it?
Often yes, if you can move for less than the government's constructed cost. Many members net a few hundred to a few thousand dollars on a typical PCS, but the incentive is taxable, so weigh the cash against the time and effort.
How is the PPM incentive calculated?
It is based on the Government Constructed Cost (GCC) for your authorized weight and distance. A full PPM pays up to 100% of the GCC; you keep whatever is left after your real expenses.
Do I need certified weight tickets?
Yes. You need a certified empty weight and a certified full weight from an approved scale. The difference is your net weight, which the payment is based on.
What is the weight allowance for an E-5 with dependents?
About 9,000 lbs of household goods under the JTR, plus pro-gear on top of that. Confirm your exact figure at travel.dod.mil.
For the full picture of orders, entitlements, and timelines, see our military PCS moving guide, estimate your costs with the moving cost calculator, and read how to pack for a move before you load. Timing your move off-peak can stretch your incentive further - see the best time of year to move.