How the moving calculators work
Assumptions version 2.0. These are transparent planning models, not measured household averages or provider guarantees. Arithmetic is tested; real-world prediction accuracy has not been established.
Box counts
Add the room starter counts below, multiplied by fullness. Light = 0.65, typical = 1, full = 1.4. Each room rounds to a whole box. A known box count, including zero, replaces that room’s estimate.
| Room | Starter boxes |
|---|---|
| bedroom | 10 |
| kitchen | 12 |
| living | 8 |
| bathroom | 3 |
| closet | 6 |
| dining | 5 |
| garage | 14 |
| other | 8 |
The range is 80–120% of the total, rounded outward. The starting size split is 35% small, 15% large, and the remainder medium. This is a shopping-list assumption; it does not model each possession. Tape starts at one roll per ten boxes, paper at one pack per twenty. Product sizes vary. Specialty boxes start at zero and must be added or substituted.
Truck and container capacity
Convert each selected example furniture envelope from cubic inches to cubic feet (length × width × height ÷ 1,728). Add boxes at an illustrative average of 3 cu ft per box. Add a 10–35% gap allowance, then round each end up to 25 cu ft. An empty inventory returns zero, with no minimum charge or artificial load.
For measured-volume mode, the same gap allowance applies to the volume you enter. Furniture shape, disassembly, nesting, loading skill, payload, and access are not simulated. Choose measured volume when the example furniture does not resemble yours.
| Example item | Dimensions in inches | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Sofa | 84 × 36 × 34 | Three-seat example; measure your own sofa. |
| Mattress | 80 × 60 × 12 | Queen mattress example, without bed frame. |
| Dining table | 60 × 36 × 30 | Assembled table; disassembly can reduce space. |
| Desk | 48 × 24 × 30 | Assembled desk example. |
| Dresser | 60 × 20 × 36 | Wide dresser example. |
| Bookcase | 36 × 12 × 72 | Tall bookcase example. |
| Appliance | 30 × 30 × 36 | Compact appliance example; check weight separately. |
| TV | 54 × 8 × 34 | Protected screen example. |
| Other | 36 × 36 × 36 | Placeholder only. Use measured volume for unusual pieces. |
The truck comparison selects the smallest published example volume covering the upper bound. Those examples come from one provider, not a universal specification for vehicles of that length. A container count divides each bound by the usable capacity entered and rounds upward.
Furniture fit
Test all six ways to assign width, depth, and height to an opening. Add the selected clearance to both sides of both opening dimensions. An upright match keeps the furniture height vertical; other matching orientations are labeled as requiring rotation.
This is a rectangular opening test only. Diagonal maneuvers, wall depth, turns, ceiling height, handles, compressibility, and space to rotate are excluded. Inches and centimeters use the same units throughout the comparison; conversion uses 2.54 centimeters per inch.
Budget arithmetic
Amounts are converted to cents, summed, and rounded at the cent level. Contingency is a percentage of entered expected costs. Remaining = expected costs + contingency − payments, floored at zero. Payments above the total appear separately. Blank entries mean not entered; no default market prices are supplied.
Checklist dates
Tasks use suggested calendar-day offsets from moving day. Dates are calculated independently of daylight saving time. A missing date keeps relative time windows. Task wording and dates do not establish legal deadlines; consult your agreement, building, provider, or relevant agency.