A Personally Procured Move (PPM), still called a DITY move by most people in uniform, lets you move your own household goods and get paid an incentive by the government. Since 2020 that incentive has been 100% of what the government would have paid a moving company for the same weight, up from the old 95% (Army.mil). If you move for less than that, you keep the difference, minus taxes.
Hampton Roads is a PCS hub, with orders flowing in and out of Naval Station Norfolk, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, and the region’s other installations every week. This guide covers how PPMs work, the paperwork that trips people up, and where local help fits. If you are still building your overall timeline, start with our PCS move timeline for Hampton Roads families.
PPM vs Government Move vs Partial PPM
You have three ways to move on orders, and you can mix them.
| Option | Who moves your goods | How you are paid | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government-arranged move | A DoD-contracted moving company | No incentive; the government pays the mover | You want the least work and the strongest claims protection |
| Full PPM | You, or movers you hire | Up to 100% of the Government Constructed Cost (GCC) | Your load is small or you can move it efficiently |
| Partial PPM | Government moves most; you move part | Same 100% incentive on the weight you move | You want to carry valuables, a few rooms, or a short-notice load yourself |
The Air Force PPM page defines a partial PPM as moving “part of your household goods” while the government moves the rest. In MilMove, you set up the government shipment first and then add the PPM as a second shipment.
How the PPM Incentive and Advance Work
Your incentive is 100% of the GCC for the weight you actually move, capped at your rank’s weight allowance (Military OneSource). Weight above the allowance is not paid. In 2022, DoD also changed how the GCC is calculated so it tracks what the government actually pays movers, which the Army said raised payouts by up to 30% on average (Army.mil).
- Advance: Some branches allow an advance operating allowance of up to 60% of the estimated incentive. Overestimate your weight and the overpayment gets collected later.
- Taxes: The incentive is taxable. Your receipts for the truck, fuel, tolls, packing materials, weight tickets, and hired labor offset the taxable portion. IRS Publication 3 covers how excess moving payments land on your W-2.
- Not included: Meals, hotels, and repairs to your own vehicle are not PPM expenses.
Weight allowances by grade, from NAVSUP:
| Grade | With dependents (lb) | Without dependents (lb) |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 to E-3 | 8,000 | 5,000 |
| E-4 | 8,000 | 7,000 |
| E-5 | 9,000 | 7,000 |
| E-6 | 11,000 | 8,000 |
| E-7 | 13,000 | 11,000 |
| E-8 | 14,000 | 12,000 |
| E-9 | 15,000 | 13,000 |
| O-1/W-1 | 12,000 | 10,000 |
| O-2/W-2 | 13,500 | 12,500 |
| O-3/W-3 | 14,500 | 13,000 |
| O-4/W-4 | 17,000 | 14,000 |
| O-5/W-5 | 17,500 | 16,000 |
| O-6 to O-10 | 18,000 | 18,000 |
Pro-gear is weighed separately and does not count against the allowance: up to 2,000 lb for the member and 500 lb for a spouse (af.mil).
Step-by-Step: How a PPM Works
Get counseling before you rent a truck or book a crew; a PPM that was never approved can cost you the incentive.
- Start your move online. Begin at the DPS landing page through MilitaryOneSource.mil/PersonalProperty. Most moves are now created and closed out in MilMove; confirm with your shipping office which system applies to you.
- Get counseled and approved. Your transportation office confirms your weight allowance, estimated incentive, and whether you qualify for an advance.
- Plan the load. Decide what you move and what the government moves if you are doing a partial PPM. Book a truck or a moving crew early; summer PCS season fills calendars fast.
- Get your empty weight ticket. Weigh each vehicle empty, with a full tank and no passengers.
- Load and get your full weight ticket. Weigh again fully loaded. Repeat for every vehicle and every trip.
- Keep every receipt. Truck rental, fuel, tolls, packing materials, scale fees, and any hired labor contract.
- Submit your closeout. Upload weight tickets and receipts. Navy and Marine Corps members generally have 45 days; check your branch’s deadline.
Weight Tickets: Where Most PPM Claims Go Wrong
No valid weight tickets, no incentive. Without certified tickets you are paid only your actual costs, capped at the GCC, according to the Air Force PPM guidance. “Manufactured weights, estimates or on-line weights are not acceptable.”
A ticket that holds up usually shows:
- The weighmaster’s signature and the date
- Your name and the identifier your branch asks for (last four of SSN, or rank and EDIPI)
- What was weighed, such as “truck with trailer”
- A trip number when you make several runs
- A date on or after the date your orders were issued
Certified truck scales like CAT Scale are widely used, and CAT publishes DITY move tips on filling in the ticket fields. CAT itself tells members to verify their branch’s requirements, so confirm with your shipping office before you drive to the scale.
If you tow a trailer, weigh it attached to the vehicle both times, and bring the registration or title for any personal vehicle or trailer you use.
Hampton Roads Specifics
The local shipping offices are your first call for anything about entitlements:
| Installation | Office (per Military OneSource) | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Naval Station Norfolk | Navy Personal Property Office Regional (Household Goods), 7920 14th Street, Bldg 336, Norfolk | 855-444-6683 |
| Joint Base Langley-Eustis | Transportation Management Office, 45 Nealy Ave, Suite 209, Langley AFB | 757-764-7868 |
Navy members can also use the NAVSUP Household Goods program line at 855-HHG-MOVE.
A few local realities that affect a PPM:
- Tunnels and bridges. Crossing between the Southside and the Peninsula means the HRBT or the Monitor-Merrimac, and a loaded truck in tunnel traffic burns hours. Plan routes around rush hour, and keep receipts for any tolls you pay, such as the Downtown and Midtown Tunnels between Norfolk and Portsmouth.
- Peak season. Summer orders stack up across every base at once, so trucks, scales, and crews all get busy. Book early.
- Base housing check-out. Leave time for your housing inspection; a loaded truck idling at the curb is not a plan.
- Weather. Afternoon thunderstorms and tropical systems can stall a self-move. Our hurricane season moving guide covers backup planning.
Hiring Movers Inside a PPM
You can hire a moving crew and still do a PPM, and the labor cost is a claimable expense. The Marine Corps PPM handout lists hired packing, loading, and unloading help as allowable, with the mover’s contract and paid receipt in your claim package. The Navy asks for moving company contracts “paid in full.”
A common setup in Hampton Roads: you rent the truck and drive it, and a local crew, such as our movers in Virginia Beach, handles the heavy loading on one end and unloading on the other. You keep most of the incentive and skip the back injury. Our loading and unloading service is built for exactly this, and our packing team can box the house the day before.
Two cautions from DoD:
- A mover you hire for a PPM does not come with the protections of a government-arranged move, so check that the company is properly registered. Military OneSource has a fact sheet on PPMs and rogue operators.
- If the hired mover’s truck carries your goods, that mover must provide the weight tickets.
Our guide to red flags when hiring movers applies here too. Tidal Town Moving is locally owned and does the work with its own crews, not a broker.
Common PPM Mistakes
- Starting before approval. Load first and counsel later, and you risk the incentive.
- Forgetting an empty ticket. Every vehicle needs both an empty and a full ticket for every trip.
- Weighing with passengers. Your family should not be in the cab on the scale.
- Overestimating weight for a bigger advance. The overpayment is collected from your pay later.
- Mixing pro-gear into the main load. Weigh and document it separately so it does not eat your allowance.
- Losing receipts. Fuel, tolls, tape, and labor receipts reduce the taxable part of your incentive.
- Missing the closeout deadline. For Navy members who took an advance, a missed deadline means the advance is collected from pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a DITY move the same as a PPM?
Yes. DITY (Do It Yourself) is the old name; the official term is Personally Procured Move.
How much do you get paid for a PPM?
Up to 100% of the Government Constructed Cost for the weight you move, capped at your weight allowance. Whatever you do not spend is profit, but it is taxable.
Can I do a partial PPM?
Yes. The government moves most of your goods and you move part yourself, with the same 100% incentive on your portion.
Can I hire movers and still get the PPM incentive?
Yes. Hired labor is a claimable expense when you keep the contract and paid receipt.
Where can I get certified weight tickets near Norfolk?
Any certified public scale your branch accepts. Truck stop scales such as CAT Scale are common; use the CAT Scale locator and confirm with your shipping office.
Can Tidal Town Moving help with my PPM?
Yes. We can pack, load, unload, or do all three around the truck you rent. Call (757) 716-9286 or request a free estimate. For moves out of the area, see our long-distance moving service.