Moving Truck Size Calculator
Find out what size moving truck you need, from a cargo van to a 26 ft truck, based on bedrooms and square footage, for furniture and boxes or boxes only. How it works
Use the Moving Truck Size Calculator
About the Moving Truck Size Calculator
A 2 bedroom home of about 950 sq ft needs a 15 ft moving truck (764 cu ft): its load comes to 713 cu ft. The calculator’s rule of thumb is 0.75 cu ft of load per square foot of home, 10% less for a studio or 1 bedroom and 10% more for 4 or more bedrooms (2 and 3 bedrooms are not adjusted), and it picks the smallest vehicle on its list, from a 246 cu ft cargo van to a 26 ft truck, that holds the total.
Truck sizes this calculator uses
| Truck | Capacity | Home size (2 to 3 bedrooms, with furniture) | Typical home | Inside L × W × H | Max load |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo van | 246 cu ft | Up to 328 sq ft | A few rooms of things or a dorm | 9'6" × 5'7" × 4'8" | 4,030 lb |
| 10 ft | 402 cu ft | 329 to 536 sq ft | Studio or 1 bedroom | 9'11" × 6'4" × 6'2" | 2,850 lb |
| 15 ft | 764 cu ft | 537 to 1,019 sq ft | 1 to 2 bedrooms | 15' × 7'8" × 7'2" | 6,385 lb |
| 20 ft | 1,016 cu ft | 1,020 to 1,355 sq ft | 2 to 3 bedrooms | 19'6" × 7'8" × 7'2" | 5,700 lb |
| 22 ft | 1,200 cu ft | 1,356 to 1,600 sq ft | 3 bedrooms | 21'11" × 8'1" × 8'1" | 10,000 lb |
| 26 ft | 1,682 cu ft | 1,601 to 2,243 sq ft | 4 or more bedrooms | 26'2" × 8'2" × 8'3" | 12,859 lb |
The cargo van and the 10, 15, 20 and 26 ft rows are U-Haul’s listed volumes, inside sizes and maximum loads; U-Haul has no 22 ft truck, so that row is Penske’s. Both pages checked 23 October 2026. U-Haul’s page gives a second inside size for the 10 ft truck (9'11" × 6'3" × 6'1"). Max load is a weight limit, separate from volume: the 20 ft truck is rated for less weight than the 15 ft one, so a load of books or tools can reach it before the truck is full. Other companies’ vehicles of the same name differ (Penske’s cargo van is 404 cu ft and 3,500 lb; its 26 ft truck is 1,700 cu ft), so check the figures for the one you book.
Estimated load and truck for each home-size preset
| Preset | Home size | Furniture and boxes | Truck | Boxes only | Truck for boxes only |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 400 sq ft | 270 cu ft | 10 ft | 189 cu ft | Cargo van |
| 1 BR | 650 sq ft | 439 cu ft | 15 ft | 307 cu ft | 10 ft |
| 2 BR | 950 sq ft | 713 cu ft | 15 ft | 499 cu ft | 15 ft |
| 3 BR | 1,350 sq ft | 1,013 cu ft | 20 ft | 709 cu ft | 15 ft |
| 4 BR | 1,750 sq ft | 1,444 cu ft | 26 ft | 1,011 cu ft | 20 ft |
Load = square feet × 0.75, then × 0.9 for a studio or 1 bedroom, × 1.1 for 4 or more bedrooms, and × 0.7 when moving boxes only.
Frequently asked questions
- What size moving truck do I need for a 2 bedroom apartment?
- Usually a 15 ft truck (764 cu ft). The 2 BR preset of 950 sq ft comes to 713 cu ft, and an 800 sq ft apartment to 600 cu ft. From 1,020 sq ft the load passes 764 cu ft and the calculator moves up to a 20 ft truck (1,016 cu ft). Moving boxes only from 950 sq ft, the load drops to 499 cu ft, still a 15 ft truck.
- What size moving truck do I need for a 1 bedroom apartment?
- A 15 ft truck (764 cu ft) for most. The 1 BR preset of 650 sq ft comes to 439 cu ft, more than the 402 cu ft of a 10 ft truck. A 1 bedroom of 550 sq ft or less fits a 10 ft truck, as does a 400 sq ft studio (270 cu ft), and boxes only from the 650 sq ft preset come to 307 cu ft. At 350 sq ft or less a studio or 1 bedroom comes to at most 237 cu ft, which fits a cargo van (246 cu ft), and so do the boxes alone from a 400 sq ft studio (189 cu ft).
- What size moving truck do I need for a 3 bedroom house?
- A 20 or 22 ft truck. The 3 BR preset of 1,350 sq ft comes to 1,013 cu ft, just inside the 1,016 cu ft of a 20 ft truck. At 1,400 sq ft it is 1,050 cu ft and a 22 ft truck (1,200 cu ft); from 1,601 sq ft it is a 26 ft truck.
- What size moving truck do I need for a 4 bedroom house?
- A 26 ft truck (1,682 cu ft). The 4 BR preset of 1,750 sq ft comes to 1,444 cu ft. At 2,050 sq ft with 4 or more bedrooms the load is 1,692 cu ft, more than one 26 ft truck holds. The calculator says so and by how much, so plan a second trip or a second truck.
- Does the number of bedrooms change the truck size?
- Only at the ends of the range. The load is 0.75 cu ft per square foot, cut by 10% for 0 or 1 bedroom and raised by 10% for 4 or more; 2 and 3 bedrooms use the square footage as it is. So 1,000 sq ft gives 750 cu ft with 2 or 3 bedrooms, 675 cu ft with 1 bedroom and 825 cu ft with 4.
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