💵 Packing Material Cost Calculator

Add up your packing supply costs — boxes, tape, and cushioning material — to budget for your move.

Number of boxes

Cost per box ($)

Tape rolls

Cost per tape roll ($)

Bubble wrap/paper rolls

Cost per roll ($)

Three lines, one total

Each material is a quantity multiplied by its unit price, and the three subtotals are added:

boxes     = box count × cost per box
tape      = tape rolls × cost per roll
cushion   = cushion rolls × cost per roll
total     = boxes + tape + cushion

The opening figures — 50 boxes at $1.50, five tape rolls at $3.00 and two cushioning rolls at $10.00 — give $75, $15 and $20, a total of $110. That works out at $2.20 a box once tape and wrap are shared across the load.

Getting the quantities right

Mixed box prices go in as an average. Twenty free cartons from a supermarket plus thirty bought at $2.50 is $75 over 50 boxes, so $1.50 each — exactly the default.
Tape runs out first. A 55 yd roll is 165 ft, and taping a medium carton top and bottom in an H pattern uses roughly 8 ft, so plan on one roll per 20 boxes and buy a spare.
The cushioning row is whatever you buy. Paper is cheaper by volume and fine for plates and glassware; bubble wrap earns its price on screens, lamps and framed art. Price the one you will actually use.
Markers, labels, mattress bags and furniture blankets have no row here. Fold them into the cushioning line if you want them counted.

Nothing is added for sales tax or delivery, and an empty box is read as zero rather than an error. Most suppliers refund unopened flat boxes, so over-ordering costs less than a mid-pack shortage.

Frequently asked questions

How much do packing supplies cost for a 2 bedroom home?

Around 90 boxes at $1.50, eight tape rolls at $3.00 and four cushioning rolls at $10.00 comes to $199: $135 of boxes, $24 of tape, $40 of wrap.

How many rolls of tape do I need for 50 boxes?

Three standard 55 yd rolls will do it, and five is the safer buy. Heavy kitchen cartons take a double strip along the base, which nearly doubles the tape those boxes use.

Are free supermarket boxes worth using?

For linen, clothes and toys, yes. Avoid them for books and crockery: the board has usually been through one damp delivery already, and a base that splits on the stairs costs more than the carton saved.