PCS Weight Allowance Calculator

What Is a PCS Weight Allowance?

A Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move is a routine part of military life. When you receive PCS orders, the government pays to ship your authorized household goods (HHG) up to a maximum weight. That maximum is called your PCS weight allowance.

PCS weight allowances are not the same for every service member. They vary mainly by:

• Rank (enlisted vs. officer, and seniority within each grade)
• Dependency status (whether you are moving with authorized dependents or not)

The goal of the allowance system is to control government moving costs while recognizing that more senior members and those with families typically own more furniture, clothing, and household items. Your actual entitlement is governed by current service regulations and Joint Travel Regulations (JTR), but a good planning estimate helps you decide what to ship, store, sell, or donate before moving day.

How the PCS Weight Allowance Calculator Works

This calculator uses a simplified internal table that pairs every supported rank with two approximate weight limits:

• a value for a member with dependents, and
• a value for a member without dependents.

When you choose your rank and indicate whether you have dependents, the tool looks up the corresponding estimated allowance and displays it in pounds.

In simplified terms, the relationship between the factors can be written as:

Behind the scenes, both BaseAllowanceByRank and DependentAdjustment are implemented as lookup values instead of live formulas. For each rank, the calculator stores two fixed numbers: an approximate allowance for a member with dependents and an approximate allowance for a member without dependents. When you run the calculation, it simply returns one of those stored values.

Approximate PCS Weight Allowance Table

The full internal table covers a range of enlisted and officer grades. To illustrate how the values scale, the sample below shows a subset of the ranks and their approximate planning weights in pounds (lbs):

These values are for planning only. Your branch may use slightly different numbers, and the official tables can change over time. Always verify the current official allowance before you finalize packing decisions.

How to Use the PCS Weight Allowance Calculator

1. Select your rank. Use the drop-down menu to choose your current paygrade (for example, E-4, E-6, O-1, or O-5).
2. Indicate whether you have dependents. Choose the option that matches your authorized dependency status for this move. Generally, this means a spouse and/or children who are moving with you under orders.
3. Run the calculation. Click the button to see your estimated maximum household goods weight allowance in pounds.
4. Compare with your actual belongings. Gather your current weight estimates from past moves, scale tickets, or mover estimates, and check how close you are to the allowance number.

The calculator output is intentionally simple: a single weight value representing the approximate upper limit that the government will cover at no cost, assuming you stay within the rules for your particular move.

Interpreting Your Results

Once you see your estimated allowance, use it as a high-level planning target:

• Well under your allowance: If your expected shipment weight is significantly lower than the estimate, you have enough margin to include most essential household items. You might be able to keep bulkier furniture pieces without concern.
• Close to your allowance: If your expected shipment is near the estimate, consider trimming heavier items, such as multiple bookcases, non-essential appliances, or large exercise equipment, to reduce the risk of going over.
• Over your allowance: If your estimated shipment exceeds the allowance, you are likely to pay out-of-pocket for the extra weight. In that case, prioritize deciding what to sell, donate, or place in non-temporary storage.

Remember that your shipment weight is based on net household goods weight, usually measured on certified truck scales. Packing materials and some special items might be treated differently depending on current rules and service policies.

Worked Example: E-5 With and Without Dependents

Consider two service members at the same rank but with different dependency statuses.

Scenario 1: E-5 Without Dependents

Suppose an E-5 without dependents is preparing for a CONUS-to-CONUS move. Using the approximate table, their planning allowance is about 8,500 lbs. They collect weight estimates from previous moves and movers, and find that their typical shipment—bedroom furniture, living room set, kitchen items, clothing, and small hobby gear—totals around 7,200 lbs.

In this scenario, they are roughly 1,300 lbs under the planning allowance. That margin means they likely will not incur excess weight charges if their estimates are reasonably accurate. They might choose to bring a few optional items, such as a second bookcase or additional outdoor furniture, while still staying within the expected limit.

Scenario 2: E-5 With Dependents

Now consider an E-5 with a spouse and two children moving to an overseas duty station. The approximate allowance from the table is 12,500 lbs. Their current household goods include:

• Furniture for three bedrooms
• A larger dining set
• Children's toys and sports equipment
• Extra clothing and seasonal gear
• Outdoor items, such as a grill and patio set

After rough estimates and a conversation with the transportation office, they project the shipment at around 13,800 lbs. Compared with the approximate 12,500 lb allowance, this suggests they are likely over the planning limit.

Armed with this information, they can:

• Identify heavy, low-priority items to sell before the move (for example, older couches or excess bookshelves).
• Ask whether some items can be placed into non-temporary storage rather than shipped.
• Request updated, official numbers for their exact situation to find out how much excess weight, if any, would be at their expense.

In both scenarios, the calculator result does not replace the official entitlement, but it helps each member gauge whether they are comfortably under, close to, or well above the likely limit.

Rank and Dependency Comparison

The table below highlights how rank and dependency status interact and why two members at different grades may have very different planning allowances.

Across all profiles, the pattern is consistent: as rank increases, the planning allowance estimate tends to rise; as dependency status changes from “no” to “yes,” the allowance increases further.

Practical Tips for Staying Within Your PCS Weight Allowance

• Start early. As soon as you receive orders, run the calculator and begin estimating your current household goods weight.
• Prioritize essentials. Focus on items that would be expensive or difficult to replace at your new duty station.
• Use past move data. If you have weight tickets from a previous PCS, use them as a baseline and adjust for additional items you have acquired since.
• Talk to transportation. Your local transportation or personal property office can provide current official allowance tables and guidance on items that count against your limit.
• Consider storage and sale options. For items you rarely use, weigh the cost of shipping versus storage, sale, or donation.

Limitations and Assumptions

This PCS Weight Allowance Calculator is designed as a planning tool, not an official entitlement source. It operates under several important limitations and assumptions:

• Simplified values: The calculator uses a simplified approximation of published PCS weight allowance tables. For clarity and usability, some ranks are grouped or rounded to easy-to-read numbers.
• No branch-specific nuances: Official allowances can differ slightly among the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, Coast Guard, and other uniformed services. The tool does not model every branch-specific rule.
• No special item handling: Certain items (such as professional books and equipment, or unusually heavy specialty items) may be treated differently under current regulations. This tool does not separately account for those categories.
• Static data: Regulations and entitlement tables change over time. While the calculator aims to reflect typical ranges, it may not always match the most recent official figures.
• Not an orders document: Your actual entitlement comes from your PCS orders, current Joint Travel Regulations, and guidance from your transportation office, not from this calculator.

Because of these limitations, you should always confirm your current, official PCS weight allowance with your servicing transportation or personal property office before making final shipping decisions.

Next Steps and Related Planning Tools

After using this calculator, consider the following next steps:

• Contact your installation's transportation or personal property office with your rank, dependency status, and orders in hand.
• Ask for your current official PCS household goods weight allowance and any exceptions that may apply.
• Use a separate PCS moving cost or allowance estimator, if available, to estimate potential out-of-pocket costs if you approach or exceed your limit.
• Create a room-by-room inventory to decide what to ship, store, sell, or donate.

By combining this approximate PCS weight allowance estimate with official guidance and your own inventory, you can reduce surprises on moving day and better manage the financial side of each PCS move.