Moving box calculator
Estimate how many boxes your move actually needs. Change anything and it recalculates instantly.
0boxes estimated
| Box type | Qty |
|---|---|
| Small (1.5 cu ft)Books, tins, tools — heavy things | 0 |
| Medium (3.0 cu ft)The workhorse — most of your kitchen and closets | 0 |
| Large (4.5 cu ft)Bedding, pillows, lampshades — bulky but light | 0 |
| WardrobeHanging clothes, straight off the rail | 0 |
| Dish pack / cell kitGlassware and crockery | 0 |
| Packing tapeRolls | 0 |
| Packing paperUnprinted newsprint | 0 |
How this is calculated: a per-room box profile (bedroom 3 small / 5 medium / 4 large / 2 wardrobe; kitchen 5 small / 8 medium / 3 large / 4 dish packs; living room 4 small / 6 medium / 4 large; bathroom 2 small / 2 medium; office 6 small / 4 medium / 2 large; garage 4 small / 6 medium / 4 large), scaled by how much you own (minimalist ×0.75, average ×1.0, keep-everything ×1.35). Tape is 1 roll per 12 boxes; paper is 0.6 lb per box. These are planning estimates from typical households — your real count depends on your actual inventory.
Self-Pack Customer Guide
How Many Boxes Will I Need?
A simple way to estimate your boxes — so there are no surprises on moving day. Use our calculator below, or download the printable guide.
8
Box sizes covered
25–130+
Boxes per home
4 pages
Printable guide
Interactive Box Calculator
Tell us about your home — we’ll estimate the boxes you’ll need.
Live estimate
Bedrooms 2
Bathrooms 2
Home Office
Garage / Basement / Storage
How much stuff?
You’ll need approximately
Small / Book
15
Medium
23
Large
9
Wardrobe
4
Dish Pack
4
Picture / Mirror
2
Total boxes57
A range, not a guarantee — pack densities vary. Call 844-396-6839 for a confirmed quote.
Why this matters: Your moving estimate is based on how much there is to load. When you pack it yourself, the number (and size) of boxes is the biggest variable. A few minutes here gives you a realistic count up front — so the price you’re quoted matches the truck we fill.
Know your boxes — what each one holds
| Box type | What it’s for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Small / “Book Box”1.5 cu ft (≈16×12×12 in) | Heavy things: books, records, CDs/DVDs, canned & jarred food, hand tools, small dense items. | Rule of thumb: heavy items go in small boxes. Keep each under ~40 lbs. |
| Medium (all-purpose)3.0 cu ft (≈18×18×16 in) | Your workhorse: pots & pans, toys, board games, small electronics, pantry goods, shoes, folded clothes. | You’ll use more of these than any other size. |
| Large4.5 cu ft (≈18×18×24 in) | Light & bulky: bedding, blankets, pillows, towels, linens, lampshades, stuffed animals, plastic ware. | Don’t load these with heavy items — they’ll be impossible to lift. |
| Extra-Large6.0 cu ft | Big but light: comforters, duvets, oversized pillows, large lightweight décor. | Great for “fluffy” items that take up room but weigh little. |
| Wardrobetall, with hang bar | Clothes straight from the closet, still on hangers. | Holds about 2 ft of packed closet rod. The bottom fits 4–6 pairs of shoes. |
| Dish Pack / China Box5.2 cu ft, double-wall | Kitchen fragiles: plates, bowls, glasses, stemware, mugs (use dividers/packing paper). | One dish pack ≈ the dishes & glassware from about 1–2 cabinets. |
| Picture / Mirror Boxadjustable | Framed art, wall mirrors, glass tabletops, flat-screen TVs (if you don’t have the original box). | Flat, fragile items only. |
| Lamp Boxtall | Lamp bases. | Lampshades travel in a large box, nested and padded. |
Tip: When in doubt, go one size smaller for anything heavy. A box you can’t lift isn’t saving you anything — and it’s the #1 cause of breakage.
Prefer not to pack it all?
- Full pack: we bring the boxes & materials and pack your whole home.
- Partial pack: we handle just the kitchen, fragiles, or whatever you’d rather skip.
- Fragile-only: you pack the easy stuff, we protect the breakables.
A few supplies make it easy
- Sturdy moving boxes in a few sizes (small, medium, large).
- Quality packing tape and a tape gun.
- Packing paper and thick bubble wrap for fragiles.
- A marker to label every box by room.
Rough counts — by room & by home size
Typical boxes per room
Kitchen 8–12 boxes
Mostly dish packs + mediums; a few smalls for canned goods.
Living / Family Room 5–8 boxes
Smalls for books & media, mediums for décor/electronics, 1–2 picture boxes.
Each Bedroom 6–10 boxes
2–3 wardrobes, 3–4 medium/large for folded clothes & bedding, 1–2 small.
Kids’ Room / Playroom 6–10 boxes
Mediums for toys, smalls for books, a wardrobe for clothes.
Home Office 4–8 boxes
Smalls for books & files, mediums for supplies; picture box for monitors.
Bathroom (each) 1–2 boxes
Mediums; wrap anything breakable.
Closets (linen / coat / hall) 2–4 boxes
Mediums for folded items, wardrobes for hanging coats.
Garage / Basement / Storage 8–15 boxes
Smalls for tools & hardware, mediums for the rest.
Averages for a typical household. Minimalists pack fewer; long-time, fully-furnished homes pack more.
Whole-home quick estimate (all sizes combined)
Studio / 1-Bedroom
25–35
boxes
2-Bedroom
40–60
boxes
3-Bedroom
60–90
boxes
4-Bedroom +
90–130+
boxes
Handy conversion rules
- Hanging clothes: measure your closet rod in feet and divide by 2 = wardrobe boxes.
- Books & records: about 1 small box per 1.5–2 ft of shelf (they’re heavy!).
- Kitchen fragiles: about 1 dish pack per 1–2 cabinets of dishes & glassware.
- Folded clothes: one dresser drawer ≈ one medium box.
A simple packing timeline
3+ weeks out
Start with what you rarely use — off-season clothes, books, décor, the garage, storage areas and guest rooms. Label as you go.
2 weeks out
Work room by room through the things you only use occasionally. Order any boxes or supplies you’re still short on.
Moving week
Pack everything except daily essentials. Save the kitchen for last — it’s the slowest room.
Last 24 hours
Pack your “Open First” essentials box and anything you used that morning. Confirm your box totals with us.
Pack smart & tally your boxes
Tips that keep your count (and price) accurate
- Heavy in small, light in large. Books in a big box = a box no one can lift.
- Fill every box to the top and pad gaps — half-empty boxes get crushed.
- Keep boxes under ~50 lbs so they’re safe to carry and stack.
- Tape top and bottom in an H-pattern with quality packing tape.
- Label every box with the room and a few contents — number them.
- Pack an “Open First” essentials box (chargers, toiletries, snacks).
- Use real moving boxes. Grocery/liquor boxes weaken and can fail.
Surprises that drive the count up
- Books, tools, pantry and the garage are always more — and heavier.
- Junk drawers, closets and under-bed storage hide a surprising amount.
- Fragile kitchens need extra dish packs and paper, not regular boxes.
- Décor, picture frames and electronics each need their own box.
- Loose, un-boxed items take far longer to load — box everything.
Live box tally sheet
Type your boxes in as you pack — totals update automatically.
My box totals
| Room | Small | Medium | Large | Wardrobe | Dish Pack | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | 0 | ||||||
| Living / Family | 0 | ||||||
| Bedroom 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Bedroom 2 | 0 | ||||||
| Bedroom 3 | 0 | ||||||
| Office | 0 | ||||||
| Bathroom(s) | 0 | ||||||
| Closets | 0 | ||||||
| Garage / Storage | 0 | ||||||
| Other | 0 | ||||||
| COLUMN TOTAL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Grand total0
Almost done? Send us your totals before moving day and we’ll confirm your estimate — no guesswork, no surprises. Snap a photo of a tricky item and text it to 844-396-6839.
Keep these WITH you — don’t load the truck: cash & jewelry, important documents (IDs, passports, closing papers), medications, keys, chargers, a change of clothes, and anything irreplaceable.
Packing fragile items the right way
If you’d rather we pack the fragiles, just ask — but if you’re self-packing, here’s exactly how the pros do it.
Flat items — TVs, mirrors, framed art & glass tabletops
- Wrap the whole item in thick bubble wrap — go all the way around 5 times so every edge and corner is padded.
- Go around once with tape to hold the wrap in place. Tape the bubble wrap — never the screen or glass itself.
- Cut two cardboard panels slightly larger than the item.
- Tape one panel over the front and one over the back — a rigid cardboard sandwich.
That’s all you do. When our crew arrives we finish it — each piece gets wrapped in a quilted moving blanket for the truck, so you don’t need to buy blankets.
Stone tops & glass inserts — “soft crating”
- Lay down a first layer of bubble wrap larger than the piece.
- Cut cardboard strips and fold/tape them into a frame around every edge — edges are where stone & glass break.
- Set the piece on the bubble wrap and fit the cardboard edge-frame snug around it.
- Add a second full layer of bubble wrap over the top — bubble before and after.
- Sandwich with cardboard panels front and back and tape the whole bundle.
Carry & store stone or glass tops on their EDGE (standing up) — never flat. Laid flat, a panel can crack under its own weight.
Other fragiles, quick reference
| Item | How to pack it |
|---|---|
| Dishes & glassware | Use a double-wall dish pack. Wrap each piece in packing paper — no glass touching glass. Stand plates on edge like records, heaviest on the bottom, fill every gap with paper. |
| Stemware & mugs | Wrap individually, fill the bowl with paper, and use cell dividers in the top layer of the dish pack. Mark the box this-side-up. |
| Lamps & shades | Remove the bulb and harp. Bubble-wrap the base. For the shade, pad the outside only — one shade per box where possible. |
| Electronics | Photograph the cable setup before unplugging. Use the original box if you have it; otherwise bubble-wrap and place snug in a padded box. |
| Pictures & mirrors (small) | For smaller framed pieces, an adjustable picture/mirror box with bubble wrap works great. |
| Artwork & large mirrors | Tape an X across the glass, add corner protectors, then bubble-wrap and box. Always stand on edge — never lay flat. |
| Chandeliers & fixtures | Remove bulbs, wrap each arm and crystal individually, then nest in a box with plenty of padding. |
| Wine & bottles | Use a dividered (cell) box, stand bottles upright, and pad the top. Keep the box small. |
| Antiques & heirlooms | Pad generously and tell your crew — we’ll add blanket-wrap and extra care. Ask about custom crating for priceless pieces. |
Golden rules for fragiles: box everything (never loose) • cushion every corner & edge • fill all empty space so nothing moves • tape top & bottom • mark FRAGILE and which way is UP.
Questions on a tricky item? Text us a photo.
A Plus Moving & Storage · US DOT 3006268 · MC 00026730
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