Loan Moving Box Calculator
The moving-cost estimator prices the truck and crew; this one prices what goes inside your closets. Pick your home size and get small, medium and large box counts, tape, packing paper and what the boxes themselves should cost — before you are standing in a store guessing.
Counts are the standard mover planning kits by home size (small 1.5 cu ft for books and dense items, medium 3 cu ft the workhorse, large 4.5 cu ft for light-and-bulky only — a large box of books is a 70 lb mistake). Prices are labeled planning figures: small $1.50, medium $2.20, large $3.00 at home-center prices; rental and used boxes run less, wardrobe boxes ($10–$15) are counted nowhere here because you only need them if hanging closets travel assembled.
How it works
Start from the standard kit for the home size: studio 20/12/8, one-bedroom 30/18/12, two-bedroom 45/25/15, three 60/35/20, four 75/45/25 (small/medium/large). A serious kitchen adds 5 mediums (dishes are the densest packing job in the house); a book-heavy home adds 8 smalls (books go in smalls, always). Tape = one roll per 15 boxes. Packing paper bundles = one per 10 boxes, plus one. Box cost = smalls × $1.50 + mediums × $2.20 + larges × $3.00.
Formula & worked example
Formula: Base kits (small/medium/large): studio 20/12/8, 1-bed 30/18/12, 2-bed 45/25/15, 3-bed 60/35/20, 4-bed 75/45/25. Serious kitchen +5 medium; book-heavy +8 small. Tape = total boxes ÷ 15, rounded up. Paper bundles = total ÷ 10 + 1. Box cost = small × $1.50 + medium × $2.20 + large × $3.00 (labeled planning prices).
Worked example: A 2-bedroom: 45/25/15 = 85 boxes, 6 tape rolls, 9 paper bundles, $168 of boxes.
When to use this
- You are self-packing and need a store list, not a guess.
- A mover’s supply quote needs a quantity check.
- You are comparing cardboard against rented bins on equal counts.
- You are budgeting the whole move and supplies are the missing line.
How to use it, step by step
- Pick the home size closest to yours.
- Flag a serious kitchen or book-heavy rooms honestly — they are the two big adjustments.
- Read boxes by size, then tape and paper.
- Buy two weeks out with a returns-friendly 10% cushion.
What the inputs mean
| Input | What it is | Typical values |
|---|---|---|
| Home size | Sets the base kit of small/medium/large | 2-bed: 45/25/15 = 85 boxes |
| Kitchen flag | Adds 5 mediums for dish-dense kitchens | Full cook’s kitchen = yes |
| Books flag | Adds 8 smalls for shelf-heavy homes | More than 2 bookcases = yes |
Another worked example
A studio with serious books: 28 small, 12 medium, 8 large = 48 boxes, 4 tape rolls, and boxes around $113. Studios punch above their size in box counts precisely because everything in them is dense — books, kitchen gear, no linen closet of airy larges to balance the mix.
Frequently asked questions
How many boxes does a 2-bedroom home need?
The standard kit: 45 small, 25 medium, 15 large — 85 boxes total, 6 rolls of tape, 9 bundles of packing paper, about $168 of boxes at home-center prices. It sounds like a lot standing in the store; it stops sounding like a lot on day two of packing.
Why so many small boxes?
Weight discipline. A small box of books is about 35 lb — carryable. The same books in a large box would be 90+ lb and a torn bottom waiting to happen. Smalls are for books, tools, canned goods and records; larges are for pillows, linens and lampshades only. The mix in the kit is the lesson, not just the count.
What does a book-heavy household change?
Eight more smalls: the studio example goes from 20 to 28 smalls, 40 boxes to 48 total. Books are the single most underestimated category in home packing — a standard bookcase is roughly 6–8 small boxes by itself. Count your shelves before you doubt the number.
Is it cheaper to rent plastic bins or buy cardboard?
For a local move with a tight timeline, rented bins (delivered stacked, picked up empty) often beat buying cardboard plus tape plus disposal time. For a long-distance or storage move, cardboard wins — bins must be returned. Either way, this count is your quantity base: order bins by the same total.
How much tape and paper do I really need?
Tape at one roll per 15 boxes covers bottom-sealing, top-sealing and the inevitable re-tape — the 85-box example needs 6 rolls. Paper at a bundle per 10 boxes covers dish and glass wrapping; kitchens with full china and glassware should double the paper line, because running out mid-dish-pack is the classic day-two stall.
What about wardrobe, dish-pack and picture boxes?
Specialty boxes solve specific shapes: wardrobe boxes ($10–$15) if hanging clothes must travel assembled, dish packs ($8–$12 with cell kits) for a serious china set, picture/mirror boxes for anything framed over 24 in. Most homes need 0–4 specialty boxes — budget them as a separate line after the main count.
When should I buy the boxes?
Two weeks out, and buy 10% more than the count if the store takes returns on unused bundles — return distance beats mid-move store runs. Running out of boxes on the last evening is how garages get packed into garbage bags. Start with smalls and mediums; larges are the ones stores run out of last.