Moving Box Calculator
The question every mover asks on the phone: how many boxes? This gives you the count by size, the supplies list, and the truck that fits.
| Total boxes | — |
| Small (book) boxes | — |
| Medium boxes | — |
| Large boxes | — |
| Wardrobe + dish packs | — |
| Tape (rolls) / wrap (rolls) | — |
| Truck that fits | — |
| Supplies cost (buy it self) | — |
Cost assumes ~$1.70 per box bought new, tape $6/roll, shrink wrap $12/roll. Used boxes run half price, and movers sell bundles near these numbers.
How the math works
Per-room standard (mover industry planning figures): master 20 boxes, second bedroom 15, kid/guest 12, kitchen 25, living 15, dining 10, bath 5, office 15, garage 20, basement/attic 20, patio/tools 12.
Furnish multiplier: sparse ×0.8, normal ×1.0, full ×1.25.
Size split: 50% small, 33% medium, 17% large, with wardrobe boxes at 1 per 6 ft of rod and dish packs at 1 per 8 kitchen plates.
Truck fit: boxes ≈ total × 1.3 cu ft average; 10 ft ≈ 400, 16 ft ≈ 750, 20 ft ≈ 1,100, 26 ft ≈ 1,700 usable cu ft with furniture.
Frequently asked questions
How many boxes do I need to move a 3 bedroom house?
Industry movers quote 95 to 125 boxes for a typical 3-bedroom home, which works out to 3 boxes per square foot at 1,500 square feet. A sparse apartment needs fewer, a full family house lands near 110.
What sizes of moving boxes should I buy?
Rule of thumb: half small (book-boxes), a third medium, a sixth large, plus wardrobe and dish packs for the specialty items. Heavy stuff in small boxes, light bulky stuff in large. Most people overbuy large boxes and underbuy small ones.
How many boxes fit in a 16 foot truck?
A rental 16-foot box truck holds roughly 400 cubic feet, about the load of a 2-bedroom apartment, around 70 boxes plus furniture. A 26-foot truck takes a 3 to 4 bedroom house (about 1,500 cubic feet).
How much tape do I need for moving?
Plan on one roll per 15 to 20 boxes, so a 100-box move needs 5 to 7 rolls. You also want a tape gun, corner protectors for furniture, and 2 to 3 rolls of shrink wrap for upholstery and mattresses.