What size moving truck do I need for a 3-bedroom house? (cubic feet)
A 26 ft truck: a 3-bedroom house is 5 furnished rooms, 900 to 1,200 cu ft (25.5 to 34 m³) of belongings once 20% is added for loading, and U-Haul's 26 ft truck (1,682 cu ft) is the smallest class that takes the high end in one trip; the 20 ft truck (1,016 cu ft) means 2 trips. U-Haul's own pick for a 3-4 bedroom home is the 26 ft truck. In the UK the same house needs a 7.5 t Luton lorry (42 m³) or 2 loads of a 3.5 t Luton van. Below: every class with its trips, Penske's sizes, the UK vans and a chart from a studio to 5 bedrooms.
Open the moving truck size calculator
How many cubic feet is a 3-bedroom house?
The rule is 150 to 200 cu ft (4.2 to 5.7 m³) of truck space per fully furnished room, plus 20% for loading (Storage Scholars, What Size Moving Truck Do I Need? Complete Guide, read 2026-09-20). A 3-bedroom house is counted as 5 rooms: the bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen (Declared assumption for the per-room rule, read 2026-09-20). That gives 900 to 1,200 cu ft, or 25.5 to 34 m³. The truck size calculator lets you change the rooms and the space per room.
Which U-Haul truck fits it in one trip?
Each class with its published load volume and the trips it would take for the high end of the range (moveBuddha, U-Haul Truck Rental Sizes and Prices, read 2026-09-20). U-Haul’s own pick by home size is in the last column of the chart further down (moveBuddha, U-Haul Truck Rental Sizes and Prices, read 2026-09-20).
| Truck | Load, cu ft | Load, m³ | U-Haul lists it for | Trips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ft truck | 402 | 11.4 | studio or 1 bedroom | 3 |
| 15 ft truck | 764 | 21.6 | 1-2 bedroom home | 2 |
| 20 ft truck | 1,016 | 28.8 | 2-3 bedroom home | 2 |
| 26 ft truck | 1,682 | 47.6 | 3-4 bedroom home | 1 |
What about Penske?
Penske sizes its trucks by rooms rather than bedrooms; a 3-bedroom house at 5 rooms falls in its 22 ft row, which holds 1,200 cu ft, exactly the top of the rule's range, with nothing to spare; the 26 ft leaves margin (Penske Truck Rental, Moving Truck Sizes and Features, read 2026-09-20).
| Truck | Load, cu ft | Load, m³ | Penske lists it for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penske 12 ft | 450 | 12.7 | 1-2 rooms | 450 cu ft, 3,100 lb, up to 12 mpg |
| Penske 16 ft | 800 | 22.7 | 2-3 rooms | 800 cu ft, 4,300 lb, up to 12 mpg |
| Penske 22 ft | 1,200 | 34 | 3-5 rooms | 1,200 cu ft, 10,000 lb, up to 13 mpg |
| Penske 26 ft | 1,700 | 48.1 | 5-7 rooms | 1,700 cu ft, 10,000 lb, up to 13 mpg |
What size van or lorry in the UK?
The same 5 rooms come to 25.5 to 34 m³. Medium wheelbase van: 8.5 m³; 3.5 t Luton van: 17 m³; 7.5 t Luton lorry: 42 m³; 12-18 t removals lorry: 56 m³ (helpmemove.co.uk, Guide to Removal Van Sizes, read 2026-09-20). A 3.5 t Luton van is the largest a category B licence covers, so a 3-bedroom house is 2 Luton loads self-drive, or a 7.5 t Luton lorry with a removal firm.
Moving truck size chart by home size
The same rule for every home size, with the rental company’s own pick beside it. Volumes: 1 m³ = 35 cu ft. For the cost of the rental against movers, see the moving cost calculator; for the boxes that go inside, the 3-bedroom box guide.
| Home | Rooms | Belongings, cu ft | US truck | U-Haul's pick | Belongings, m³ | UK van or lorry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 1 | 180-240 | 10 ft truck | 10 ft truck | 5.1-6.8 | Medium wheelbase van |
| 1 bedroom | 3 | 540-720 | 15 ft truck | 10 ft truck | 15.3-20.4 | 7.5 t Luton lorry |
| 2 bedrooms | 4 | 720-960 | 20 ft truck | 20 ft truck | 20.4-27.2 | 7.5 t Luton lorry |
| 3 bedrooms | 5 | 900-1,200 | 26 ft truck | 26 ft truck | 25.5-34 | 7.5 t Luton lorry |
| 4 bedrooms | 6 | 1,080-1,440 | 26 ft truck | 26 ft truck | 30.6-40.8 | 7.5 t Luton lorry |
| 5 bedrooms | 7 | 1,260-1,680 | 26 ft truck | — | 35.7-47.6 | 12-18 t removals lorry |
Sources: Storage Scholars, What Size Moving Truck Do I Need? Complete Guide, read 2026-09-20; moveBuddha, U-Haul Truck Rental Sizes and Prices, read 2026-09-20; Penske Truck Rental, Moving Truck Sizes and Features, read 2026-09-20; helpmemove.co.uk, Guide to Removal Van Sizes, read 2026-09-20; AnyVan, What Size Removals Van Do I Need?, read 2026-09-20. Load volumes are the rental companies’ published figures; the per-room rule is a published rule of thumb, not a survey.
Frequently asked questions
- How many cubic feet is a 3-bedroom house?
- 900 to 1,200 cu ft (25.5 to 34 m³): 5 furnished rooms (three bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen) at 150 to 200 cu ft each, plus 20% for the gaps a real load leaves (Storage Scholars, What Size Moving Truck Do I Need? Complete Guide, read 2026-09-20). Add a room for a dining room, office, garage or basement.
- Is a 20 ft truck big enough for a 3-bedroom house?
- Only at the low end. The 20 ft truck holds 1,016 cu ft, enough for a lightly furnished 3-bedroom house at 900 cu ft, but the high end of 1,200 cu ft takes 2 trips. U-Haul lists it for a 2-3 bedroom home; the 26 ft truck is the safe one-trip choice.
- Is a 26 ft truck too big for a 3-bedroom house?
- No. The 26 ft truck holds 1,682 cu ft against a high end of 1,200 cu ft, so about 29% stays free for furniture that does not stack; U-Haul lists it for a 3-4 bedroom home and its day rate is $39.95, the same as the 20 ft truck's, mileage aside (moveBuddha, U-Haul Truck Rental Sizes and Prices, read 2026-09-20).
- What size van do I need for a 3-bedroom house in the UK?
- 25.5 to 34 m³ of belongings: a 3.5 t Luton van (17 m³) takes 2 loads, a 7.5 t Luton lorry (42 m³) does it in one but needs a C1 licence, so most households book a removal firm for it (helpmemove.co.uk, Guide to Removal Van Sizes, read 2026-09-20). The hire guides list the 7.5 t for a large house or small office.
- What if the house also has a garage or a home office?
- Count it as one more furnished room: 6 rooms come to 1,080 to 1,440 cu ft, still a 26 ft truck in one trip. Change the rooms in the calculator for a dining room, a basement or a shed.
- How many boxes go in that truck?
- About 134 boxes for a 3-bedroom house with two people and an average amount of belongings (42 small, 39 medium, 23 large), before the furniture. The 3-bedroom box guide lists them by size and by packing style.
More guides
- How much does it cost to move a 2-bedroom apartment? (local vs long distance)
Local movers by the hour, long-distance ranges by distance, what stairs, peak season and packing add, and a rental truck at each distance, US and UK, with sources.
- How many boxes do I need to move a 3-bedroom house?
Boxes by size for a 3-bedroom house at minimal, average and heavy packing, what people and extra rooms change, the tape, paper and bubble wrap, and the truck it takes.
- How many boxes for a 2-bedroom apartment? (by room)
Boxes by size for a studio to a 5-bedroom home, the truck each one takes in cubic feet and m³, and what local movers charge, from published guides with their sources.
Last updated 2026-09-21. Estimates from published moving guides and rate pages, each with its source and date: quotes from movers and rental companies replace them.