Estimate packing costs for your move, from boxes and tape to optional professional labor. The materials bill for a full house surprises most people, which is why sourcing free boxes is worth the afternoon it takes.
Estimate only. Box counts run higher for heavy readers, collectors, or a full kitchen.
A packing budget splits into two very different pieces: materials (boxes, tape, paper) and, optionally, professional labor. The calculator estimates a box count for your home size, prices the materials, then adds labor only if you ask for it.
Boxes, tape, packing paper, and bubble wrap for a 3-bedroom house run $200 to $350 when bought new from a store. Grocery stores, liquor stores, and local Buy Nothing groups give away the same boxes for free, which can cut the material line to near zero with a bit of legwork.
Full-service packing for a 3-bedroom home typically adds $1,000 to $2,500 to the move bill, the larger of the two cost lines by far. It earns its keep when you have a lot of fragile items, a short window before the truck arrives, or simply no time to box a household yourself. For a standard home with an average amount of stuff, it is a convenience rather than a necessity.
Price the truck or the crew next, packing is only one piece of the total.
The calculator opens on a studio at $4 per box, no professional labor: 25 boxes times $4 comes to $100 in supplies, and since pro packing is off, that $100 is the whole estimate. Switch the home size to a 4-plus bedroom and the box count jumps to 70, pushing supplies to $280 at the same per-box rate. Turn professional packing on and the calculator adds a flat $400 labor line on top of whichever supply total you land on, so a 4-plus bedroom home with pro packing lands near $680 before any discount for partial packing.
A studio typically needs 20 to 30. A 3-bedroom home runs 45 to 60. A 4-plus bedroom home can clear 70 without breaking a sweat. These counts assume you are not packing the furniture.
$100 to $200 for a small move, $250 to $350 for a full house, when buying new from a box store. Sourcing used boxes drops this to very little.
Worth it if you have a large china collection, artwork, or a deadline that leaves no time for the job. For a standard household with average fragility, it is a convenience, not a necessity.
No. Material costs vary by retailer and region, and labor rates differ by market. Treat this as a planning figure, not a contract number.