Moving Box Calculator
Estimate moving-box quantities and material costs from room counts and packing assumptions.
Last updated · View algorithm, constants and default inputs (JSON)
About this calculator
This is a room-count planning heuristic, not a packing list. The box mix uses fixed shares for medium and large boxes and your chosen small-box share. Actual needs depend on belongings, fragile items and packing choices; count specialty boxes separately.
Worked example
calculated with the default values below
Bedrooms 3 · Living areas 2 · Kitchens 1 · People moving 2 · Share that should be small boxes 30 % · Box cost 2 $ · Tape rolls per 20 boxes 1 · Cost per tape roll 4 $ Boxes needed 77 · Small boxes 23 · Medium boxes 35 · Large boxes 19 · Tape rolls 4 · Box cost 154.00 $ · Total cost 170.00 $
General background references
Disclaimer
These calculators provide planning estimates only. Building codes, wiring regulations and safety requirements differ by country and change over time, and nothing here replaces a licensed professional or a permit. For structural, electrical or gas work, follow local code and have the installation inspected.
Implementation source
This record describes the implementation used by this page. It is not independent validation. External references, when available, support only the stated formula or definition; estimates and custom rules retain their own assumptions.
Formula and variables
N = ceil(B×p/100) + ceil(0.45B) + max(0, round(0.25B)); B = 12b + 8l + 14k + 5u
- N
- total boxes needed
- B
- base box estimate
- b
- bedrooms
- l
- living rooms
- k
- kitchens
- u
- people moving
Room counts use fixed planning ratios; medium and large box shares are fixed at 45% and 25% of the computed total, and small boxes take the remaining share. Tape rolls = ceil(total boxes / 20 × user setting). The model does not estimate wardrobe, TV, or mattress specialty cartons.
Frequently asked questions
Why do kitchens add more boxes to my estimate than bedrooms?
The base count weights each room type differently: bedrooms 12, living areas 8, kitchens 14, and people 5 boxes each. So one kitchen adds 14 to the base while a bedroom adds 12, because kitchens hold many small, heavy items that need their own boxes. Of the total, 45 percent become medium and 25 percent large by fixed shares, while the small-box share is your Small boxes percentage, default 30. Tape rolls follow total over 20 times your rolls-per-20 setting, so a bigger base means more tape.