Approximate Lumber Weight: 0 lbs
Density: 0 lbs/ft3
Total Board feet: 0 ft3
While the weight of the type of wood or lumber you choose may not impact the outcome of a project, it can impact other factors. Lumber weight can influence the shipping cost for your project.
Very heavy lumber may also require additional workers to help load and move it, as well as additional help when building. In addition, very dense and heavy lumber may be more difficult to work with.
Therefore, understanding the weight of the lumber you are choosing and being able to apply that weight for the entire load can help you plan better for delivery costs and how many people you may need on the job.
The weight of wood varies by the species of wood and the moisture content of the lumber. Green lumber will weigh significantly more than kiln-dried boards due to its higher density and water content.
To find how much wood weighs, start by finding the density of the wood. Use the wood density chart below to find the approximate density for different species of wood.
Once you have the density of the wood, find the volume of the wood in cubic feet or cubic meters. If you know the board footage of the lumber, divide it by 12 to find the volume in cubic feet. Our board footage calculator can help find the volume of your wood in board feet.
You can also calculate the volume of lumber by measuring the length, width, and thickness in inches and multiplying them together. This will get the volume in cubic inches. Divide the volume in cubic inches by 1,728 to find the volume in cubic feet. Our cubic inches to cubic feet conversion calculator can help with this.
After you have the density and the volume, multiply them together to find the total weight of that specific piece. To find the weight of the total load, you will need to get the number of pieces of lumber, then multiply this against the weight of a single piece of lumber.
The density or hardness of wood varies by species, and the value is necessary to approximate the weight of lumber by volume. In this table, the density of different species of wood is expressed as weight in pounds per cubic foot and kilograms per cubic meter.
The density will vary based on the moisture content of the wood.