there are always exceptions, but generally you should never need to move more than a frame or two and that, not to often.
as the bees store honey, they move down. in fall and winter, they eat their way up. they should naturally end up toward the top and then they start over. people get hasty or do not realize that the number of bees is to small to cover the space and they swap boxes to "move the bees up". all that does is break up the brood nest, and if you are inexperienced and put honey in the middle, you mess them up until they can eat or move what you have misplaced.
generally, if you find your bees in the bottom and an empty box above, they have to much room in the first place. if you find the bottom box is crowed and they won't move up...and that happens sometimes, you need only move a couple of frames of brood up and the bees will be encouraged to go with the brood. much easier and much less disruptive.