🧰 Packing Supplies Calculator

Enter your estimated total box count to calculate how much packing tape, bubble wrap, and other supplies you'll need.

Total Number of Boxes

Four ratios off one box count

tape rolls    = ceiling(boxes / 8)
bubble wrap   = boxes x 3 ft
packing paper = boxes x 0.5 lb
markers       = ceiling(boxes / 20)

Forty boxes therefore returns 5 rolls of tape, 120 ft of bubble wrap, 20 lb of paper and 2 markers. Tape and markers never come back as zero - the code floors them at one - so an empty move still suggests a roll and a pen, while the wrap and paper honestly go to nothing.

How generous each ratio is

Tape. A 55 yd roll is 165 ft, and an H-taped carton uses 6 to 8 ft top and bottom, so one roll really seals about 20 boxes. Eight is a deliberate buffer for dispenser waste and re-taping.
Bubble wrap. 120 ft is one 175 ft roll, or two of the 100 ft ones. Three feet a box only holds if the fragile items are spread out.
Paper. 20 lb is roughly one bundle of newsprint. It is a flat average over boxes that need none - books, clothes, linen - and the two or three kitchen cartons that will swallow half the bundle on their own.

The list stops at consumables. Not counted: the boxes themselves, a tape gun, a box cutter, mattress bags, furniture pads, stretch wrap for drawers and sofas, dish and glass dividers, or wardrobe boxes. On a two-bedroom move those cost more than everything the calculator lists.

Frequently asked questions

How much packing tape do I need for 40 boxes?

The tool says five rolls. Two or three standard 55 yd rolls will physically do it, so treat the extra as insurance - running out at 11pm the night before is the expensive outcome.

How much bubble wrap do I need to move?

About three feet per box, which is 120 ft for a 40-box move. Buy it as one 175 ft roll rather than two short ones, and save it for glass, screens and ceramics - paper is cheaper for everything else.

Is newspaper as good as packing paper?

It cushions the same but the ink transfers, so it ruins white china, upholstery and anything porous. Use it for garage and garden items and buy clean newsprint for the kitchen.