How much does my stuff weigh?

How this works

Each item has a typical size in cubic feet, the same sizes our truck size calculator uses. They're added up, then 15 percent is added for the gaps nobody can pack, which gives the truck space your things take.

That space is multiplied by 7 pounds a cubic foot. The Federal Travel Regulation uses exactly that figure, "7 pounds per cubic foot of properly loaded van space," as a constructive weight when a household load can't be put on a scale (41 CFR 302-7.13). It's a rule for federal relocations, not a law about what any mover must charge, but it's the published federal yardstick for turning space into pounds.

The range shown, 6 to 8 pounds a cubic foot, is our own estimate of how far real homes stray from it: a home full of books, tools or solid wood runs heavy, one of light modern furniture runs light. Every number here is an estimate, not a weight.

What to do with the number

• Long-distance moves are often priced by weight, so the pounds on an estimate drive the price. Compare the mover's number with yours.
• If their weight is well below your range, ask how they worked it out and whether the estimate is binding. A low weight can make a quote look cheaper than the final bill. Our quote checker reads a quote for other warning signs.
• Before you book an interstate mover, look up its federal record with our mover check, and read the federal consumer guide, Protect Your Move.
• The fastest way to lower the number is to leave things behind. Our take it or leave it check helps decide piece by piece.

Moving for the federal government?

The Federal Travel Regulation caps what a relocating federal civilian employee may ship or store at government expense at 18,000 pounds net, with 2,000 pounds added for packing on uncrated or van line shipments and no shipment over 20,000 gross pounds; overweight costs are the employee's to repay (41 CFR 302-7.2). Military moves follow separate rules, so check with your transportation office.

Sources

• 41 CFR 302-7.13, Federal Travel Regulation: constructive weight of 7 pounds per cubic foot of properly loaded van space when scales aren't available (Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School).
• 41 CFR 302-7.2, Federal Travel Regulation: maximum household goods weight at government expense (Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School).
• Protect Your Move, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: consumer guide to interstate moves.
• Item sizes, the 15 percent for gaps and the 6 to 8 pound range are our own labeled estimates. Check the law and your own paperwork before relying on any number here.