Moving supplies calculator
This free moving supplies calculator turns your home size and how much you own into real quantities — how many rolls of tape, bundles of packing paper, rolls of bubble wrap, mattress bags, and furniture pads to buy. No account, nothing to purchase here. Adjust the details, then print or save your supply list.
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How this works
- Pick your home size and add the rooms you're actually packing.
- Set how much you own, how many people live there, and how fragile your things are.
- Choose your move type — local, long-distance, or into storage.
- Read the supplies panel: tape, paper, bubble wrap, stretch wrap, markers, labels, mattress bags, furniture pads, and bags, each with a quantity.
- Tick off what you already have, then print or save the list to take shopping.
Packing tips
- The quantities move with your fragile setting. Dishes, glassware, and framed art are what drive packing paper and bubble wrap up, so set that honestly rather than leaving it low.
- Tape is the item people underbuy. The calculator assumes roughly one roll per 15 boxes plus a spare — buy the full count, because running out mid-move stops everything.
- You get one mattress bag per bedroom by default. If you're storing or moving long-distance, keep them on the list; for a short local hop across town, some people skip them.
- Furniture pads and stretch wrap are sized for the soft, scratchable pieces in your bedrooms, living room, and dining room. If your furniture is mostly IKEA-flat or already wrapped, you can trim these.
- Packing paper is sold by the bundle (about 25 lb) and newsprint-style paper is cleaner than newspaper, which leaves ink on dishes. The calculator gives you bundles, not sheets.
- Reuse what you can — grocery totes, laundry baskets, and suitcases don't show up as boxes here, but they cut how much you actually need to buy.
Frequently asked questions
What supplies does this calculator actually count?
Packing tape (rolls), packing paper (bundles), bubble wrap and stretch wrap (rolls), markers, printable labels, mattress bags, furniture pads, trash/donation bags, and zip bags for hardware. Each line shows a quantity based on your home. Boxes are counted separately in the main box calculator.
How does it decide the quantities?
It starts from a typical amount of stuff for your home size, then scales for how much you own, how many people live there, how fragile your things are, and your move type. Fragile items and kitchen boxes push paper and bubble wrap up the most; tape and markers scale with the total box count.
Why is my bubble wrap or paper number so high?
Those two are driven almost entirely by fragile things — dishes, glassware, mirrors, and framed art. If the number looks large, it's usually because your fragile setting is high or you have a full kitchen and dining room. Lower the fragile level and the amount drops.
Should I buy exactly what it says?
Treat it as a solid shopping target, not a hard limit. It's better to have one extra roll of tape than to stop packing at 9 p.m. to find a store. Tape, paper, and markers are cheap to over-buy; mattress bags and furniture pads are the ones worth trimming if you're moving a short distance.
Can I get quantities without adding every room?
Yes. Pick your home size and the calculator gives you a reasonable full-home list. Adding or removing rooms just makes the numbers match your actual move more closely — for example, dropping a garage or dining room you don't have.
Do I really need mattress bags and furniture pads?
For long-distance moves and storage, yes — they keep beds clean and stop furniture from getting scratched or scuffed. For a quick local move you're loading and unloading the same day, some people skip mattress bags and reuse blankets as pads. The calculator includes them by default so nothing gets missed.
Can I print or save the supply list?
Yes. You can print the list to take to the store, or save it in your browser so it's still here when you come back. There's no account and nothing to buy on this page.