Dislocation allowance is a flat payment for the miscellaneous costs of setting up a new household during a PCS. The 2026 rate runs from $1,018.96 (E-1, no dependents) to $6,385.58 (O-7+, with dependents). It is paid once per move.

How many TLE days am I allowed?

Up to 21 days for CONUS moves. Overseas moves fall under different temporary lodging rules (up to 60 days). The daily rate follows the locality per diem, so enter your own rate in the calculator.

Is PPM profit taxable?

Generally yes. Reimbursement above your actual documented moving costs counts as taxable income. Keep receipts for everything, because only documented costs offset the reimbursement.

What is the PPM reimbursement rate per pound?

It varies by distance, weight, and current government contract rates, roughly 95 percent of what a government move would cost. That is why the calculator asks you to enter it rather than using a fixed figure. Your transportation office can quote your move.

Can I do a partial PPM?

Yes. The government moves part of your household goods and you move the rest yourself, collecting PPM reimbursement on the portion you move. It is a popular low-risk option.

What paperwork does a PPM require?

Certified empty and full weight tickets for each vehicle or trailer, plus receipts for rental, fuel, and packing materials. Without weight tickets, the shipment cannot be paid.

Does DLA depend on distance?

No. DLA is a flat rate by rank and dependent status, the same whether you move across town or across the country. Distance affects the PPM rate, not DLA.

PCS Move Calculator: DLA, TLE, PPM Profit

Add up your PCS move entitlements: dislocation allowance (DLA), temporary lodging expense (TLE), and your personally procured move (PPM) profit.

The three payouts in a PCS move

A permanent change of station comes with three separate entitlements, and this calculator adds all of them. DLA (dislocation allowance) is a flat payment that helps cover the miscellaneous costs of setting up a new household. TLE (temporary lodging expense) reimburses lodging and meals while you are between homes. A PPM (personally procured move), formerly called a DITY move, pays you to move your own household goods instead of using government movers, and any gap between the reimbursement and your actual costs is yours to keep.

Total entitlements = DLA + (TLE days x daily rate) + (PPM weight x rate per lb)
PPM profit = (PPM weight x rate per lb) - actual moving costs

DLA: 2026 rates

DLA is paid as a flat amount based on rank and dependent status, and it does not depend on how far you move. The published 2026 endpoints are $1,018.96 without dependents and $2,361.00 with dependents for an E-1, rising to $5,187.33 without and $6,385.58 with dependents for O-7 and above. The calculator pre-fills the with-dependents E-1 figure of $2,361 as a starting example, but you should replace it with the exact DLA on your orders, since the rate steps up with each pay grade.

TLE: lodging and meals between homes

TLE reimburses temporary lodging and meal expenses, up to 21 days for moves within the continental US (60 days outside it, under TLA rules instead). The daily rate is tied to the locality per diem, so it varies by location and family size. Because per diem tables change, this calculator asks you to enter your own daily rate rather than guessing one for you. Keep every receipt: TLE is a reimbursement, and finance will want documentation.

PPM profit: where the money is made

In a PPM you hire the truck, rent the trailer, or pay friends with pizza, and the government reimburses you at its own rate per pound, roughly 95 percent of what a government-contracted move would have cost. The rate per pound is the critical variable: it depends on distance, weight, and current contract rates, so the calculator leaves it as a user-entered field flagged as variable. Your profit is the reimbursement minus everything you actually spent. Weigh tickets are mandatory: certified empty and full weight tickets for every vehicle or trailer, or the shipment does not count.

Worked example

An E-5 with dependents PCSing CONUS runs these numbers:

DLA: $2,361.00 (with-dependents rate, confirm on orders)
TLE: 10 days x $180/day = $1,800
PPM: 5,000 lbs x $1.50/lb = $7,500 reimbursement
PPM actual costs: $4,500 (truck rental, fuel, packing supplies)

PPM profit: $7,500 - $4,500 = $3,000. Total entitlements: $2,361 + $1,800 + $7,500 = $11,661. One tax warning: PPM profit above your actual costs is generally taxable income, reported to you after the move. Budget for the tax hit instead of spending the whole profit.

How this is calculated: TLE is days times your daily rate, capped at 21 days for CONUS moves. PPM gross reimbursement is shipment weight times your entered rate per pound. PPM profit is the gross reimbursement minus your actual costs (it can be negative if the move cost more than the reimbursement). The total is DLA plus TLE plus PPM gross reimbursement. The DLA and per-pound rate are user-entered because they vary by rank, grade, and move; the 2026 published DLA endpoints above are reference figures only, not your rate.

Tips for a profitable move

Consider a partial PPM. You can let the government move the heavy furniture and PPM a few thousand pounds of dense, easy goods yourself, collecting reimbursement on the part you move. It is the lowest-risk way to pocket PPM money.

Move in the off season if you have a choice. Summer is peak PCS season, when truck rentals and labor cost the most. An off-season move stretches the same reimbursement further.

Document everything. Certified weight tickets, fuel receipts, rental agreements, and packing material receipts all support your settlement. Missing weight tickets are the most common reason PPM payouts shrink.