Cardboard boxes feel like the default — but once you add up tape, supplies, and the post-move cleanup, bins cost about the same. Except bins are delivered to your door and picked up when you're done.
See Our Packages & BookA typical 2-bedroom move (~30 boxes). Prices based on Home Depot / U-Haul supply costs and our rental pricing.
For a standard 2-bedroom move, cardboard boxes cost $150–$230 once you factor in tape and supplies. Our 30-bin rental is $132 for 7 days — delivered and picked up, no tape, no assembly, no disposal.
Prices based on Home Depot / U-Haul retail. Doesn't include fuel or time to pick up supplies.
Delivered & picked up within our service area. Free delivery on orders $150+.
How cardboard boxes and plastic moving bins stack up beyond just price.
| Feature | Moving Bin Rental (Bin There Storage Guys) |
Cardboard Boxes (New, from store) |
|---|---|---|
| Tape required | ✓ No tape needed — snap lids | ✗ Multiple rolls of tape required |
| Assembly time | ✓ None — bins are ready to fill | ✗ Every box must be folded & taped |
| Delivered to your door | ✓ We deliver before your move | ✗ You drive to the store and haul them home |
| Picked up after move | ✓ We pick up — you do nothing | ✗ You break down, recycle, or haul to the curb |
| Stackability | ✓ Rigid walls stack uniformly | ~ Stacks when flat-sided, but can collapse |
| Moisture / rain resistance | ✓ Waterproof plastic | ✗ Cardboard weakens when wet |
| Eco-friendly | ✓ Reusable — used hundreds of times | ✗ Single use; ends in landfill or recycling |
| Dolly / hand truck | ✓ Included free with every rental | ✗ Must rent or buy separately (~$20–$35) |
| Labels included | ✓ Dry-erase labels on every bin | ✗ You buy markers/labels separately |
| Consistent bin size | ✓ Uniform size — easy to load a truck | ✗ Mixed sizes make loading awkward |
| Risk of box failure mid-move | ✓ Rigid plastic — no blowouts | ✗ Bottoms can give way under heavy loads |
| Reusable after your move | — We take them back | ~ You own them, but storage is a hassle |
Estimated total cost for buying cardboard boxes vs. renting bins — for a 7-day move window.
| Home Size | Bin Rental (7 days) | Cardboard Boxes (est. total w/ supplies) | Savings w/ Bins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio / 1 Bedroom (~20 boxes) | $95 — 20 bins, delivered & picked up | ~$90–$110 (boxes + tape + supplies) | Comparable — plus delivery & pickup |
| 2 Bedroom (~30 boxes) | $132 — 30 bins, delivered & picked up | ~$135–$165 (boxes + tape + supplies) | ~Same or cheaper + no hauling |
| 3 Bedroom (~40 boxes) | $176 — 40 bins, delivered & picked up | ~$175–$230 (boxes + tape + supplies) | Comparable — save hours of work |
| 4–5 Bedroom (~50 boxes) | $198 — 50 bins, delivered & picked up | ~$230–$310 (boxes + tape + supplies) | $30–$110 cheaper with bins |
Cardboard estimates based on Home Depot / U-Haul retail prices for new boxes + 4 rolls tape + packing paper. Used/free boxes not included. Bin rental pricing for North DFW. Delivery fee may apply — free on orders $150+.
Even when the cost is nearly identical, here's why renters consistently prefer plastic bins over cardboard.
No driving to Home Depot, loading boxes into your car, and hauling them home. We deliver bins straight to your door before your move.
Cardboard boxes have to be folded and taped before every use. Plastic bins are ready to fill the moment they arrive — no tape, no folding.
After a cardboard move, you're stuck breaking down dozens of boxes. With rental bins, we schedule a pickup and take everything back. You're done.
Moving in Texas heat — or the occasional storm? Cardboard gets soft and weak when wet. Plastic bins protect your belongings regardless of conditions.
Mixed box sizes make loading a moving truck a puzzle. Uniform plastic bins stack cleanly and maximize truck space — making your move faster.
Each rental bin gets used hundreds of times. A 2-bedroom move uses ~30 cardboard boxes — most of which end up in the recycling bin after one use.
Every bin comes with a dry-erase label. Write the room, wipe it off, reuse. No buying markers or Sharpies — and no digging through unlabeled boxes later.
Most cardboard movers end up renting a dolly separately. Ours comes free with every rental — stacked bins load fast and save your back.
Answers to what people actually ask when comparing moving options.
For a 2-bedroom move, it's comparable — or cheaper. New cardboard boxes, tape, packing paper, and labels run about $135–$165 for a 2-bedroom move. Our 30-bin rental is $132 for 7 days, delivered and picked up. Factor in your time to drive to the store, assemble boxes, and haul the empties away — and bins are clearly the better deal.
Free boxes are genuinely free — but they take time to track down, pick up, and sort. They're also used, which means varying sizes, possible pests, and weakened structural integrity. If time is money, rental bins make more sense. And you still need tape, which isn't free.
No. Our bins snap shut with a lid — no tape required. You'll still want packing paper or bubble wrap for fragile items, but that's a fraction of what you'd spend on tape for cardboard boxes.
Every bin comes with a dry-erase label panel. Write the room or contents in marker, and wipe it off after you unpack. No sticky labels, no marker bleedthrough, no guessing which box is which.
We schedule a pickup at a time that works for you. Leave the empty bins on your porch or in your garage — we come get them. You don't break anything down, make a store run, or deal with recycling. Done.
Yes — better than cardboard for most fragile items. Rigid plastic walls don't flex or collapse the way cardboard does under pressure. You'll still want to wrap breakables in packing paper, but the bin itself won't fail mid-carry the way an overloaded cardboard box can.
Same price. Delivered to your door. Picked up when you're done. No tape, no boxes to break down, no store runs.
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