SPECIES · DIMENSIONS · MOISTURE
How much does your lumber weigh?
From a single board to your whole project. Compare 30 woods, check dry, green or treated lumber, and plan everything from sheet goods to a mixed load.
Have a length tally or sheets? Linear feet · Sheet goods · Quick charts
Switch units to convert the same quantity. Nominal size is a product label; weight uses actual dimensions.
- Per piece
- 16.67 lb
- Per linear foot
- 2.08 lb/ft
- Solid volume
- 3.33 ft³
- Actual volume equivalent
- 40 bd ft
- Excluded tare
- Not added
Use documented density and measured dimensions for your material. The initial 50 lb/ft³ example is hypothetical.
Formula and limitations
US volume = actual thickness (in) × actual width (in) × length (ft) ÷ 144 × count. Weight = volume × density. Metric inputs use mm, mm and m. Nominal presets provide a reference section, not a deduction applied to every product. The model assumes a solid rectangular section; grooves, hollows and packaging are excluded.
MORE WAYS TO FIND YOUR WEIGHT
One board. A stack. The whole load.
Linear feet to lumber weight
Estimate a single section from total running feet, with dry, green, treated or species-based inputs.
Open resource ↗Lumber weight charts by size and length
Compare 2×4, 2×6, 2×8, 2×10, 2×12 and posts at common lengths, in pounds or kilograms.
Open resource ↗Plywood, MDF and particleboard weight calculator
Calculate per-sheet and stack weight using thickness-specific panel factors or your manufacturer’s weight per area.
Open resource ↗Rough and S2S lumber shipping weights
Convert selected commercial board-foot tallies using surfaced or rough shipping factors at their stated moisture basis.
Open resource ↗Lumber hauling and disposal planner
Compare estimated load weight with your documented cargo or debris allowance. Keep container volume and vehicle constraints separate.
Open resource ↗Lumber weight questions, answered
Quick answers for boards, sheets, moisture, pressure treatment, board-foot conversions and project planning.
Open resource ↗ONE BOARD · SIX REFERENCE WEIGHTS
Same dimensions.
Different mass.
One 8-foot board, ¾ inch thick and 5½ inches wide. These estimates use the published 12% moisture reference for each wood.
Compare all 30 woods and change the size ↗SAME SIZE · DIFFERENT WOOD
Compare species weights
Domestic hardwoods, construction softwoods and imported decking woods. This is a practical reference selection, not a sales-ranked top 30. Compare equal quantities at the stated 12% moisture reference condition.
Decking 1×6 nominal → 0.75 × 5.5 in actual (19.05 × 139.7 mm). Same rectangular geometry for every row; not a claim that each species is sold in this profile. Size reference.
| Wood | Density lb/ft³ (kg/m³) | Example lb (kg) | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black walnutDomestic hardwood | 38608.7 | 8.713.95 | USDA average ↗12% moisture basis |
| Coast Douglas-firSoftwood | 34544.63 | 7.793.53 | USDA average ↗12% moisture basis |
| GarapaImported hardwood | 49.32790 | 11.35.13 | Study sample ↗12% moisture basis |
| IpeImported hardwood | 65.551,050 | 15.026.81 | Study sample ↗12% moisture basis |
| Western red cedarSoftwood | 23368.42 | 5.272.39 | USDA average ↗12% moisture basis |
| White oakDomestic hardwood | 48768.89 | 114.99 | USDA average ↗12% moisture basis |
USDA entries use the density column in Wood (2007), Table 6.7.2, not the specific-gravity column. Ipe, Cumaru and Garapa use the sample densities in Coatings (2020), Table 2. Metric values and board weights are calculated conversions; rounded outputs do not imply precise product weights.
NOMINAL → ACTUAL → VOLUME
A 2×4 is a name.
1½ × 3½ is a section.
For the dry surfaced Southern Pine reference, nominal 2×4 loads a 1½ × 3½ inch actual section. An 8-foot piece contains about 0.292 ft³ of wood—not the 0.444 ft³ implied by treating the name as measurements.
At an illustrative 40 lb/ft³, that is 11.67 lb rather than 17.78 lb.
Sizing source and scope ↗What are you working out?
A NUMBER NEEDS A BASIS
Show your inputs.
Keep the uncertainty.
Two boards with the same product name may not share the same dimensions, moisture condition or weight. Species presets retain their source and moisture basis; use measured dimensions and product evidence when available.
Understand density and specific gravity ↗The essential field notes
View the library ↗Measure what is actually there
Why product names are not measurement inputs.
↗02Water changes the number
Separate moisture condition from a species label.
↗03Why woods weigh differently
Understand the density behind a species comparison.
↗04When an estimate is not enough
Prepare for a weighing or supplier confirmation.
↗Shipping and handling lumber?
Start with lumber weight, then account for packaging and confirm the information needed for transport.
Lumber weight questions
Quick answers with the input basis attached.
How do I calculate lumber weight?
Multiply actual solid volume by density at the relevant condition. In US units: thickness (in) × width (in) × length (ft) × pieces ÷ 144 × density (lb/ft³). In metric units: thickness (mm) × width (mm) × length (m) × pieces ÷ 1,000,000 × density (kg/m³). Use the main calculator for both unit systems.
Use the related tool or guide ↗How much does an 8-foot 2×4 weigh?
A dry surfaced 2×4 normally uses a 1.5 × 3.5 in reference section. At this site’s 12% reference densities, an 8 ft piece is about 7 lb for eastern white pine, 9.92 lb for coast Douglas-fir, and 10.5 lb for shortleaf pine. These are species examples, not limits for every pine or framing product.
Use the related tool or guide ↗What do 2×6, 2×8, 2×10, 2×12 and 4×4 boards weigh?
Choose species or a generic condition in the chart, then read the per-foot or 8, 10, 12, 16 and 20 ft columns. A 2×6 is not twice the material in a surfaced 2×4: its reference section is 1.5 × 5.5 in rather than 1.5 × 3.5 in. Confirm actual sections before scaling.
Use the related tool or guide ↗What does a 4×4 oak post, 6 feet long, weigh?
At the white-oak reference density of 48 lb/ft³, a surfaced 3.5 × 3.5 in section × 6 ft is 24.5 lb. A full rough 4 × 4 in section × 6 ft is 32 lb at the same density. The dimension convention must be stated before comparing answers.
Use the related tool or guide ↗Why do online calculators give different answers?
References may use different species, moisture levels, nominal or actual dimensions, rough or surfaced tallies, and packaging scopes. Even a technically correct equation gives a different answer when its density basis changes. Compare inputs before comparing totals.
Use the related tool or guide ↗Is green lumber heavier than dry lumber?
Water adds mass to the same dry wood. Green is a condition, not one universal moisture percentage. This site offers generic condition scenarios for preliminary comparisons and a separate moisture calculator for a known initial mass. A moisture change alone does not predict shrinkage or drying time.
Use the related tool or guide ↗