Packing,Done So Nothing Breaks
Packing is the one part of a move that is entirely under your control, and the one that decides whether the claim form ever gets filled in. These guides cover counts, materials, technique and what it costs to have someone else do it.
- Boxes, 2-bed home
- ≈61
- 18 small, 22 medium, 12 large, 5 wardrobe, 4 dish packs
- Supplies, 4-bed home
- $350–$500
- everything bought new
- Packer's hourly rate
- $40–$50
- per packer, plus materials
- Broken 40 lb TV, released value
- $24
- 60 cents per pound
Start here
Start with the count. A studio needs about 27 boxes, a two-bedroom home about 61 (roughly 18 small, 22 medium, 12 large, 5 wardrobe and 4 dish packs), and a four-bedroom house about 120. Bought new, the supplies run about $100–$150 for the studio and $350–$500 for the four-bedroom; free boxes cut that for everything except the dish packs and wardrobe cartons, which you should buy.
Then the technique, which is mostly about weight and voids. Heavy things go in small boxes; every box is filled to the top so the stack does not crush; fragile items are wrapped individually and stood on edge, never flat. Under released value liability a broken 40 lb television pays $24, which is the strongest argument there is for packing it properly or declaring its value.
If you would rather pay someone, packing is billed at the same hourly labor rate as loading: $40–$50 per packer per hour in our model, plus materials. A full pack of a family home is a day for a crew; a kitchen-only pack is a couple of hours and takes the highest-risk room off your list.
Packing Tips guides
4 guides in this section, every figure from the published model.
7 min readNewest
How to Pack Fragile Items: Dishes, Glasses, TVs and Art
Under released value a broken 40 lb TV pays $24, so pack it right: dish packs, plates on edge, TV cartons, taped mirrors and corner protectors.
Sep 24, 2026
7 min read
Packing Services Cost: Full, Partial and Materials-Only
Movers bill packing at the same $40–$50 per packer-hour as loading, plus materials: about $100–$150 for a studio and $350–$500 for four bedrooms.
Sep 24, 2026
What to know before you start
The five things that decide most of the outcome in this part of a move, in the order you will meet them.
- 1
Small boxes for heavy things
Books, tools, canned food and paperwork go in small boxes only. A large box of books is the most common way to break both the box and the mover's back, and a crushed box at the bottom of a stack takes everything above it with it.
- 2
Fill every box to the top
Half-empty boxes collapse under load. Fill voids with paper, towels or linens so the lid is flat and the box supports weight. Then tape the bottom seam twice.
- 3
Dish packs and wardrobe boxes are worth buying
Double-walled dish packs with cell dividers are how plates and glasses survive a truck. Wardrobe boxes let clothes travel on hangers. Use free boxes for everything else.
- 4
Label for the unloading end
Room and contents on two sides of every box, and a number that matches an inventory list. The crew unloads by room; you check the count at the door; a missing box is noticed on the day rather than a month later.
- 5
Pack the essentials box last, unload it first
Medications, chargers, documents, basic tools, a change of clothes, toilet paper and the kettle travel with you, not on the truck.
Packing Tips: questions people ask
How many boxes do I need to move?
About 27 for a studio, 61 for a two-bedroom home and 120 for a four-bedroom house, from the box calculator's baseline. Buy about 10% more than the estimate; unused flat boxes are easy to return and running out mid-pack is not.
How much do packing services cost?
Movers bill packing at their hourly labor rate, $40–$50 per packer per hour in our model, plus the materials. A kitchen-only pack is a couple of hours; a full pack of a family home is a crew for most of a day. Ask for it as a separate line on the estimate.
How do I pack dishes and glasses so they do not break?
Wrap each piece individually, stand plates on edge in a double-walled dish pack with a cushioned base, put glasses in cell dividers with paper inside them, and fill every void. Mark the box fragile and this side up, and tell the crew which boxes they are.
Will movers pack for me?
Full-service movers offer full or partial packing as an add-on, billed by the hour plus materials. Container and freight services do not; you pack, or you hire a labor-only crew for the day.
What will movers not pack or carry?
Hazardous items: propane, gasoline, paint, aerosols, fireworks, pool chemicals. Most will also decline perishable food, plants on long-distance moves, and irreplaceable items such as cash, jewelry and documents, which should travel with you anyway.
More guides
All 14 topics →How this section is written. Every cost figure on this page and in these guides is generated from the same published model that powers the calculator, and every carrier figure comes from the federal register with the snapshot date shown. We do not operate trucks, we collect no customer reviews, and no company pays for placement.