Moving Box Calculator: How Many Boxes Do I Need?
Most 2 bedroom apartments need about 44 boxes (37 to 51) at an average amount of belongings: 8 small, 18 medium, 13 large, 2 wardrobe and 3 dish-pack. Pick your home below to get counts for yours, plus the tape, paper and truck to go with them.
Estimated boxes
44 boxes
Range 37 to 51 (−15% / +15%)
| Box type | Boxes |
|---|---|
| Small1.5 cu ft: books, tools, heavy items | 8 |
| Medium3 cu ft: kitchen items, decor, toiletries, shoes | 18 |
| Large4.5 cu ft: linens, pillows, light bulky items | 13 |
| Wardrobe10 cu ft: hanging clothes | 2 |
| Dish-pack5 cu ft: plates, glasses, fragile kitchen items | 3 |
Supplies
- 3 rolls of packing tape
- 41 lb packing paper
- 68 ft bubble wrap
- 2 stretch wrap rolls
- 3 markers
- 2 mattress bags
- 12 furniture blankets (for the suggested truck)
(optional, paid, not open yet)
How many boxes by home size
These totals come from the calculator with default rooms for each home type. The last column is the range people usually quote for an average-belongings move, and every row sits inside it. Treat the middle column as the planning number.
| Home type | Minimal | Average | Full | Typical range (average) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 18 | 22 | 31 | 15 to 25 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | 27 | 33 | 45 | 25 to 40 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | 35 | 44 | 59 | 40 to 60 |
| 3 bedroom house | 55 | 71 | 94 | 60 to 90 |
| 4 bedroom house | 79 | 103 | 136 | 90 to 120 |
| 5+ bedroom house | 96 | 125 | 165 | 115 to 150 |
Which box for what
Mixing sizes is what keeps boxes liftable. Heavy things go in small boxes, light things in large ones.
| Box | Size | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 1.5 cu ft | books, tools, heavy items |
| Medium | 3 cu ft | kitchen items, decor, toiletries, shoes |
| Large | 4.5 cu ft | linens, pillows, light bulky items |
| Wardrobe | 10 cu ft | hanging clothes |
| Dish-pack | 5 cu ft | plates, glasses, fragile kitchen items |
How we estimate
We count boxes room by room, scale by how much you own, and round up. Open the table to see every number, so you can check our work or change your own plan.
Show the exact numbers we use
Every estimate here is a rule of thumb, not a measurement. Boxes are counted room by room at an average amount of belongings, then multiplied by your furniture level (minimal ×0.75, average ×1, full ×1.3), added up by box type, and rounded up. The range shown is −15% to +15% of the total.
| Room | Small | Medium | Large | Wardrobe | Dish-pack | Furniture cu ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedroom (each) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 55 |
| Bathroom (each) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Living room (each) | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 85 |
| Kitchen, small | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 12 |
| Kitchen, standard | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 25 |
| Kitchen, large | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 40 |
| Dining room | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 55 |
| Home office | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| Garage or storage, half | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
| Garage or storage, full | 4 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 80 |
| Per person | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Furniture volume is also multiplied by your furniture level. A studio counts as 0.7 of a bedroom for furniture, because it still has a bed and dresser.
| Home type | Bedrooms | Baths | Living | Kitchen | Dining | Office | Garage | People | Typical boxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 0 | 1 | 1 | small | no | no | none | 1 | 15 to 25 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | 1 | 1 | 1 | standard | no | no | none | 1 | 25 to 40 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | 2 | 1 | 1 | standard | no | no | none | 2 | 40 to 60 |
| 3 bedroom house | 3 | 2 | 1 | standard | yes | no | half | 3 | 60 to 90 |
| 4 bedroom house | 4 | 2 | 2 | large | yes | yes | half | 4 | 90 to 120 |
| 5+ bedroom house | 5 | 3 | 2 | large | yes | yes | full | 5 | 115 to 150 |
| Box type | Volume (cu ft) |
|---|---|
| Small | 1.5 |
| Medium | 3 |
| Large | 4.5 |
| Wardrobe | 10 |
| Dish-pack | 5 |
Optional toggles
- I'm a book lover: +40% of small boxes, and never fewer than 2 extra.
- Lots of kitchenware: +40% of dish-pack boxes, and never fewer than 2 extra.
- Lots of clothes: +40% of wardrobe boxes, and never fewer than 2 extra.
Supplies
- Tape: one roll per 17 boxes, at least 1.
- Packing paper (lb per box): dish-pack 5, small 0.5, medium 1, large 0.25.
- Bubble wrap (ft per box): dish-pack 8, medium 2, small 1.
- Stretch wrap: one roll per 12 large furniture pieces, at least 1.
- Markers: one per 40 boxes, plus a spare. Mattress bags: one per bed.
- Furniture blankets by truck: cargo van 6, 10 ft truck 8, 15 ft truck 12, 20 ft truck 16, 26 ft truck 24.
Cubic feet and trucks
Cubic feet = (boxes volume + furniture volume) ÷ 0.8, because you can only fill about 80% of a truck's space. A truck counts as a fit when its typical capacity is at least 10% above that load. If nothing fits, we show the number of trips.
| Truck class | Typical capacity (cu ft) | Fits up to (cu ft) |
|---|---|---|
| Cargo van | 250 | 227 |
| 10 ft truck | 400 | 363 |
| 15 ft truck | 750 | 681 |
| 20 ft truck | 1,000 | 909 |
| 26 ft truck | 1,600 | 1,454 |
Packing tips that save boxes and backs
- Start with the rooms you use least, such as the garage, spare room and storage, and pack the kitchen last.
- Fill each box to the top but do not bulge the lid. Fill gaps with towels or paper so nothing shifts.
- Keep a small box of essentials for the first night: chargers, toiletries, a change of clothes, scissors and tape.
- Order about 15% more small boxes if you read a lot, and more dish-packs if you cook. Spare boxes are easier to return than a missing one is to find at 9 pm.
- Write the room on two sides of every box, or use printable box labels with a color and number for each room.
Questions people ask
How many boxes do I need to move a 2 bedroom apartment?
About 44 boxes, with a range of 37 to 51, if you have an average amount of furniture and belongings. That is 8 small, 18 medium, 13 large, 2 wardrobe and 3 dish-pack boxes. With minimal belongings it drops to about 35, and with a full home it rises to about 59. Set your own rooms in the calculator above for a number that fits your home.
How many moving boxes do I need per room?
A standard kitchen takes about 12 boxes, a bedroom about 6 (linens and decor) plus clothes boxes for each person, a living room about 8, a bathroom about 2 and a home office about 8. Each person adds about 5 boxes for clothes and personal items. These are averages at normal belongings; the calculator scales them up or down.
What size boxes should I use for books, kitchen and clothes?
Put books and other heavy things in small boxes (1.5 cubic feet), because a big box of books is too heavy to lift. Use dish-pack boxes (5 cubic feet) for plates, glasses and other fragile kitchen items. Hang clothes in wardrobe boxes (about 10 cubic feet) and fold the rest into medium or large boxes. Linens, pillows and other light bulky things belong in large boxes (4.5 cubic feet).
How much tape and packing paper do I need?
For a 2 bedroom apartment, plan about 3 rolls of tape and about 41 lb of packing paper, plus 68 feet of bubble wrap for fragile items. As a rule, buy one roll of tape per 17 boxes, and tape every box with an H pattern on the bottom, since a weak bottom is the usual way a box fails.
Is this calculator accurate?
It is an estimate built from simple rules you can read, not a measurement of your home. Real totals usually land within 15% of the number shown, which is why we show a range. People with a lot of books, kitchenware or clothes need more, and people who sell or donate before moving need fewer. The exact constants are in the "How we estimate" table on this page.