Whether you’re moving from Columbus, Ohio, or New York City, ensuring you’re prepared is essential. One key factor is having the right amount of packing boxes. Knowing exactly how many moving boxes and packing materials you need can be quite difficult and may result in a few trips to the store. However, our experts have provided the most accurate packing supplies calculator so you can get a very good idea of how much you need.

We were named a local expert on ApartmentGuide. Read the full article here: How to Move Out of State on a Budget: Your Comprehensive Guide. ApartmentGuide is a subsidiary of Redfin.com

Our free calculator tool will give you an accurate estimate of the number of packing boxes and packing supplies you may need.

DISCLAIMER: Numbers may not be exactly what you need for your move and the purpose of this tool is to provide an estimate. Everybody’s home is different and the amount of packing supplies and boxes needed will vary.

Important considerations when calculating how many boxes and supplies you will need for YOUR home.

Every move is different and everybody has a different amount of stuff in different rooms. Here are a few additional things to consider when calculating the amount of boxes and packing supplies you will need for your home.

• • How dense is your garage/basement with items? Your garage/basement is usually the place where you have stored and accumulated the most amount of stuff over the years and each one is more or less dense than the other. When calculating the number of supplies you need, take a good look to see how many boxes you may need to pack this room in your home.
  • How large is your kitchen? Again, no matter what size your home is, the kitchen is usually a different size no matter how many bedrooms you have. You can have a 3 bedroom home that has a larger kitchen than a 5 bedroom home. The kitchen is the most important place that you will need to pack your fragile items and use dish pack boxes, so make sure you take this into consideration.
  • Will a lot of your items need packing paper/cushioning material? In the calculator, we have provided an estimate of how much packing paper you need. But how many breakable items do YOU have? Some will have large amounts and others will have small amounts.
  • Are you packing your boxes efficiently? – If you are a professional packer, you will likely use fewer boxes than if it is your first time.

Best places to get packing materials?

The best places to get packing supplies are from your Moving Company, stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s, Uhaul, or Walmart. You can also buy them online in the moving supplies section on Amazon. If you are looking to find cheap supplies, you can get them used from others who are moving into your area on sites/apps like Offerup, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace.

Want to make your move easy? Get your supplies from your moving company.

Most moving companies provide FULL-SERVICE moving and packing, as well as the packing materials. They will also be able to get the best sense of how many boxes and packing supplies you will need since they will be giving you a quote for the move anyways. Plus, when you are hiring movers and get everything from the moving company, you won’t have to worry about overbuying or underbuying packing materials because you only pay for what you use.

How does this work?

If you want a true “Full Service” move, the moving company will bring all the packing materials necessary and pack all your goods for you either on the move day, if you have a small move, or a day prior if you have a large move. You only pay for what you use. This will typically cost more than if you pack yourself, but if you’re a busy person or cannot pack yourself, it will likely be worth it. If you have any questions about moving, always ask your moving company.

How Much Do Moving Boxes and Packing Supplies Cost?

You can get great, affordable materials at the department stores (Home Depot, etc.), but the other supplies (tape, packing paper) are a bit more expensive and might be a better choice on Amazon.

Here is what you can roughly expect to pay for your moving supplies:

• • Small Boxes – ~$1 (Home Depot), ~$2 (Amazon)
  • Medium Boxes – ~$1.50 (Home Depot), ~$2.80 (Amazon)
  • Large Boxes – ~$1.70 (Home Depot),  ~$3.75 (Amazon)
  • Dish Pack Boxes – ~$1.70-$3.60 (Home Depot), ~$5-$10 (Amazon)
  • Wardrobe Boxes – ~$15-$20 (Home Depot), ~$10-$15 (Amazon)
  • Packing Paper – ~$.12 per sheet (Home Depot), ~$.08 per sheet (Amazon)
  • Bubble Wrap – ~$.40 per foot (Home Depot), ~$.56 per foot (Amazon)
  • Tape – ~$3.50 per roll (Home Depot), ~$2.50 per roll (Amazon)
  • Tape Dispenser – ~$14 per unit (Home Depot), ~$11 per unit (Amazon)
  • Mattress Bags – ~ $9 per unit (Home Depot), $9 per unit (Amazon)

How can I save money during my move?

Here are a few moving tips:

• • Donate items you no longer need. These charities offer free donation pickup for items you no longer want.
  • Get used boxes on sites like Offer up and Craigslist. There is a good chance that someone in your area is looking to get rid of some leftover moving supplies that are taking up space in their garage.
  • Use what you already have. If you have towels and linens, consider using them as cushioning for fragile items instead of packing them into boxes. This will help you save on boxes as well as packing paper. Also, if you know you are moving, begin to collect cardboard boxes months before the move.

Always remember that every move is different. Although we try out best in providing the most accurate estimates in our moving boxes calculator, you’ll have to use it according to how much stuff you actually have. If you need a moving estimate, you can fill out our free estimate form here.