What Is a Cube Sheet?

What a Cube Sheet Is and How It Works

A cube sheet — also called an inventory sheet, volume estimate form, or cube tally — is the primary data collection tool for moving estimates. Every piece of furniture, appliance, and large item gets its own line with a pre-assigned cubic footage value based on its category and size.

Estimators work through each room systematically, checking off items against the standardized list and adding custom items where needed. When complete, the cube sheet gives the total shipment volume — the foundation for pricing, truck selection, and crew size.

For interstate moves, the cube total is typically converted to a weight estimate (using a density ratio of 7–9 lbs per cubic foot for household goods), since FMCSA binding and non-binding estimates are tied to shipment weight rather than volume.

How Estimators Fill Out a Cube Sheet

A thorough cube sheet survey follows a room-by-room process. The estimator walks through each room, visually inventories every item, and records quantities against standard item categories. The process includes:

• Confirming item quantities for multi-item categories (chairs, boxes, lamps)
• Noting item size variants — king vs. queen bed, 2-seater vs. sectional sofa
• Flagging heavy or specialty items: piano, gun safe, exercise equipment
• Counting estimated box quantities by room
• Noting items to be packed by movers vs. self-packed
• Confirming what's NOT moving to avoid over-estimating

Cube Sheet vs. Weight Ticket

The cube sheet is used during the estimate phase to predict shipment size. The weight ticket is the official measurement taken at a certified scale — before and after loading — on the day of the move for long-distance interstate moves.

A binding estimate locks in the price regardless of actual weight — making the cube sheet's accuracy even more important, since underestimating the shipment means the mover absorbs the cost difference. See: Binding Estimate.

Common Items and Their Cube Values

Industry-standard cube sheets use a predefined item library with assigned cubic footage values. These values are based on standard manufactured dimensions and serve as a consistent reference across estimators.

Reference values only — actual volumes vary by specific item dimensions.

Digital Cube Sheets and Video Surveys

The clipboard cube sheet has been largely replaced by digital survey tools that automate the item inventory and volume calculation. Virtual survey software guides customers or estimators through a room-by-room video walkthrough, automatically identifying items and populating cube values from the standardized library.

AI-powered video surveys take this further by analyzing video footage to estimate item counts and sizes — reducing the time required for a full estimate from 45–60 minutes to under 15 minutes, while improving accuracy compared to phone-based estimates.

The output is the same: a complete cube tally linked to the estimate, stored digitally and accessible for review. Related: Video Surveys, Bill of Lading.