--- title: Load Planner: Estimate the Size of Your Move url: https://obriensmoving-storage.com/tools/load-planner/ business: O'Brien's Moving & Storage address: 2277 Glendale Ave, Sparks, NV 89431 phone: 775-359-6683 (toll-free 1-800-253-7814) hours: Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm licenses: U.S. DOT No. 30611, MC-109375, Nevada CPCN 1070; interstate agent for Bekins Van Lines since 1955 type: Moving and storage company, family owned since 1941 --- - [Home](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/) - [Moving resources: guides, checklists, tools and data](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/resources/) - [Moving tools](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/tools/) - Load Planner: estimate your move size (no prices) # Load Planner: how big is your move? Add the bedrooms, living areas, garage and special items in your home, and the Load Planner shows a trailer filling up with a rough move size and a carton range. It is a planning guide only, and your estimator confirms the real size at the free in-home visit. or call [775-359-6683](tel:+17753596683) [4.3 on Google · 71 reviews](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/reviews/) Family owned since 1941 [U.S. DOT No. 30611](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/about/licenses-and-authority/) ## Not sure how big your move is? Count your rooms and big items and watch the trailer fill. No prices here: your estimator walks through everything in person. Bedrooms 2 Living / family rooms 1 Dining room 1 Home office 0 Garage (bays) 1 Patio / yard set 0 Big or special items Piano Pool table Hot tub Chest freezer Gym equipment Art or antiques Packing You pack I pack A mix About a 2-bedroom load Cartons, roughly: 40 to 60 Your first 10 free heavy-duty boxes come with the in-home estimate. ## How to use the Load Planner - Set your rooms. Use the plus and minus buttons for bedrooms, living or family rooms, dining rooms, home offices, the garage and the patio or yard. - Tick the big or special items. Pianos and organs, pool tables, hot tubs, upright freezers, gym equipment, fine art and a vehicle all change how a move is planned. - Choose who packs. Pick whether the O'Brien's crew packs, you pack, or a mix of both. This changes the carton range you see. - Read the result. The trailer fill, the size label, the carton range and the list of special items appear as you type. - Send the list. One button copies your summary into the estimate request so the estimator arrives already knowing your rooms. Most people picture a move as a number of rooms. A crew sees it as a volume of furniture and cartons that has to fit a truck. The Load Planner bridges the two. You tell it what is in the home you are leaving, and it draws a trailer that fills as you add rooms, so a three-bedroom house looks different from a studio before you ever pick up the phone. ## What the result tells you The size label and the filled trailer show how large your move is compared with a typical household. The carton range tells you roughly how many boxes to expect if packing is part of the job. The special-items list is the most useful line for planning, because a piano or a hot tub calls for a different crew approach than a bedroom of clothes. ## What the Load Planner cannot tell you It cannot see inside your closets, your attic or your garage shelves. Two homes with the same number of rooms can differ by a full truckload. It shows no prices on purpose. A price comes from an itemized written estimate, which an O'Brien's estimator prepares after walking through your home. For how that number is built, read [binding and non-binding estimates](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/guides/binding-vs-non-binding-estimates/). ## Why the planner asks who packs A fully packed move has a different shape from one where you bring cartons to the truck. Full packing adds cartons and crew time on the packing day, and a partial or box-only job sits between the two. The pages on [full packing](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/packing/full-packing/) and [partial packing and box packing](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/packing/partial-packing/) explain how each level works, so you can pick the one that fits your schedule. ## Make the estimate visit count The planner list is a good start for the in-home visit, which is free and carries no obligation. Walk through each room before the estimator arrives and decide what stays, what goes to storage and what gets donated. Every item you remove before the visit is an item that never shows up in the estimate. You also receive 10 free heavy-duty boxes with the estimate, yours to keep. If you want a longer list, the [home inventory builder](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/tools/inventory-builder/) goes item by item. ## Where the planner fits in the process Think of it as step one of three. The planner gives you a rough size. The in-home visit gives you a firm, itemized figure. The written estimate and the inventory become the paper trail for move day. Call the Sparks office at 775-359-6683, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, if you want to talk through your list before you send it. ### Sources (checked October 18, 2026) - [FMCSA, Ready to Move? Tips for a Successful Interstate Move](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/ReadytoMoveBrochure_2022Update.pdf) - [FMCSA, Protect Your Move](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move) ### Free in-home estimate - An O'Brien's estimator walks through your home - A written, itemized estimate - 10 free heavy-duty boxes, yours to keep [How our estimates work](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/how-our-estimates-work/) ### Visit or call the office 2277 Glendale Ave, Sparks, NV 89431 [775-359-6683](tel:+17753596683) | Monday to Friday | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm | | --- | --- | | Saturday and Sunday | Closed | [Get my free estimate](#estimate) ### Related - [Free in-home moving estimate (plus 10 free heavy-duty boxes)](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/free-estimate/) - [Packing calculator: how many boxes you need](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/tools/packing-calculator/) - [Home inventory builder](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/tools/inventory-builder/) - [Local moving in Reno, Sparks and Carson City](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/local-moving/) More tools ## Other planning tools - [### Packing calculator: how many boxes you need](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/tools/packing-calculator/) - [### Storage vault sizer](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/tools/storage-vault-sizer/) - [### Moving checklist generator](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/tools/moving-checklist/) - [### Route lookup: distance and drive time to Reno](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/tools/route-lookup/) - [### Home inventory builder](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/tools/inventory-builder/) - [### Cost-of-living compare: Reno vs your city](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/tools/cost-of-living-compare/) - [### Military PCS helper](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/tools/military-pcs-helper/) Answers ## Questions people ask Still have a question? Call [775-359-6683](tel:+17753596683), Mon-Fri 8-5, or see the [moving FAQ](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/faq/). ### Is the Load Planner a quote? No. It is a size guide. Your estimator confirms the size and prepares a written estimate at the free in-home visit. ### Does it work for long-distance moves? Yes. The size of the household matters on any move. Long-distance moves through the Bekins network are priced by weight, and your estimator works out the weight from the in-home survey. See [long-distance moving](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/long-distance-moving/). ### What should I do about items I am unsure of? Tick them. A larger list at the estimate visit is easier to trim than a surprise on move day. ### Does it save my answers? Your list is kept in your own browser so you can come back to it. You choose whether to send it with an estimate request. ## 4.3 stars from 71 Google reviews What customers say about O'Brien's [Read more reviews](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/reviews/)[See them on Google](https://maps.google.com/maps?cid=17335326057105140938) J Jessica D. February 14, 2023 I have always had a really good experience with Obriens delivery service. I've been a girl scout volunteer for 6 years now and they are always very friendly and helpful. Thank you for all you do!! ### Owner's reply Jessica, thank you so much for the kind words. We love the Girl Scout cookie distribution time. It gives us the chance to interact with you ladies that are out there making a difference in our community every day! Thank you for everything you do. A Ami M. February 7, 2023 O'Brien's is great! They made my move easy. They were responsive, professional and accommodating. Trusting them with my move was one less thing I had to worry about. ### Owner's reply Ami thank you so much! It was a pleasure to assist you with your move and knowing that we were able to lessen any stress you may have had with the moving process, makes us so happy!! If you need anything in the future please let us know. M Mike K. August 30, 2019 The best customer service ever! ### Owner's reply Thanks Mike we sincerely appreciate you and your business! ## Get your free, in-home moving estimate An estimator visits, walks through everything and gives you a written, itemized estimate. Rather talk? [Call 775-359-6683](tel:+17753596683) Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm Our estimators: Sean, Luke, Christa and Janet. 2277 Glendale Ave Sparks, NV 89431 [4.3 on Google · 71 reviews](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/reviews/) Family owned since 1941 U.S. DOT No. 30611 · MC-109375 · Nevada CPCN 1070