Moving Box Calculator

Your moving-box shopping list

Planning range: – boxes. This allows about 20% either way; it is not a guarantee.

Small boxes

Books, tools and other heavy items.

Medium boxes

Kitchen items, toys and general belongings.

Large boxes

Light clothing, linens and lampshades.

Extra-large boxes

Bulky but light bedding and pillows.

Wardrobe boxes

Hanging clothes; check closet rail length before buying.

Packing supplies

Packing tape rolls

50 metres / about 55 yards per roll.

Tape includes a 15% handling allowance. Reinforcing used boxes may require more.

• Clean packing paper for dishes and glassware; judge the quantity from your fragile inventory.
• Bubble wrap or other cushioning for items that need extra protection.
• Markers and room labels. Keep essentials separate for your first night.

This list includes the suggested total, not additional spare boxes. Subtract sturdy boxes you already own by size. Consider buying in stages if unopened boxes cannot be returned.

How it works

This is a planning estimate, not an inventory of your belongings. Regular-box baselines for a studio through six bedrooms are 20, 30, 45, 60, 80, 100 and 120. Add 5 per person above bedrooms + 1, plus 10 for some extra storage or 25 for lots. Multiply by 0.7 for minimal, 1 for average or 1.4 for heavy belongings, then round up.

Regular boxes are divided approximately 40% small, 35% medium, 20% large and 5% extra-large, with whole-box rounding that preserves the total. Add one wardrobe box per person, adjusted for belongings and rounded up. Without wardrobes, add two regular boxes per person, adjusted and rounded up, instead. Tape assumes 4 metres per box plus 15% waste, rounded up to 50-metre rolls.

Assumptions and useful information

Household contents vary substantially. These coefficients and the planning range are RockUtility assumptions, not a validated moving-company formula. Spare rooms, collections and crowded closets can change the list considerably. Measure hanging clothes against the wardrobe box rail size. Ordinary folded clothes are included; wardrobe boxes cover hanging clothes.

Use small boxes for heavy contents and large boxes for light items. Furniture, appliances, TVs, artwork, dish packs and other specialty protection need separate planning. Heavy collections or multiple packed storage areas deserve a room-by-room inventory.

Background packing guidance: U-Pack box-size guide and U-Haul box-buying guide. These inform box uses, not the formula above.