How much space do your belongings actually take up? Count what you're moving below to get a total cubic footage — a far more useful number than room count alone when you're comparing truck sizes, sizing a storage unit, or checking a quote from movers who price by volume.
Each furniture and appliance type on this page carries a typical cubic-footage figure based on common dimensions for that kind of item — a queen bed, for instance, is estimated at about 30 cubic feet, while a dining chair is closer to 5. When you calculate, the tool multiplies each quantity you enter by that item's typical figure, then adds every category together for your total.
These figures are averages across common sizes and styles, not measurements of the specific pieces sitting in your home. They're built to give you a reasonable planning number quickly, not to replace measuring an individual piece of furniture yourself.
Say you're moving 1 sofa, 2 chairs, 1 dining table, 4 dining chairs, 1 queen bed, 1 dresser, 1 TV, and 15 boxes.
Enter your own quantities above to get a total that matches your actual move.
This calculator assumes one typical size per item type, but actual furniture varies significantly by brand and style — a large sectional sofa can take up two or three times the space of a compact loveseat-style "sofa," and dressers, desks, and tables range widely in footprint and height. It also doesn't account for how efficiently items actually pack together once loaded: real trucks and storage units rarely reach 100% of their rated cubic capacity after you factor in irregular shapes, awkward angles, gaps around furniture legs, and items that can't be stacked directly on top of each other. Treat the total here as a planning and comparison figure — useful for sizing a truck, comparing storage units, or sanity-checking a mover's quote — rather than an exact cubic-footage measurement of your specific belongings.
Each item uses a typical cubic-footage figure based on common dimensions for that type of furniture. They're a solid planning baseline, but any individual piece — especially sofas, sectionals, and storage furniture — can run smaller or larger than average depending on brand and style. Use the total as a working estimate, not an exact measurement.
No. This tool adds up the estimated volume of each item on its own. It doesn't model how furniture actually stacks, nests, or leaves gaps once loaded — real trucks and storage units rarely fit 100% of their rated capacity because of irregular shapes and awkward angles. Treat the result as a comparison figure and leave yourself some buffer room.
Leave it out and add your own rough estimate to the total, or compare it to the closest item on the list by size — for example, a large accent chair is close to the "Chair / Recliner" figure, and a filing cabinet is similar to a small dresser. The goal is a reasonable planning number, not a complete inventory.
Volume is what actually determines whether your belongings fit in a given truck, trailer, or storage unit — home size and room count are rough proxies, but two 3-bedroom homes can hold very different amounts of furniture. Many movers also price by cubic footage or weight rather than a flat rate, so knowing your approximate volume ahead of time makes it easier to sanity-check a quote.
Once you have a volume estimate, compare it against truck capacity with the Moving Truck Size Calculator to see which rental class is likely to fit everything.
Comparing against a storage unit instead? The Storage Unit Size Calculator helps you see what unit size fits the volume you just calculated.
If you'd rather estimate by room and belongings instead of counting furniture piece by piece, try the Moving Box Calculator for a faster, home-size-based estimate.
Planning the full move budget too? The Moving Cost Calculator pulls together labor, transportation, and other costs alongside the volume you just calculated.