How to Use the Calculator
Decide if you want to calculate or estimate the weight, board footage, specific gravity, volume, and density of any species of wood.
For the weight of wood, select whether or not it’s treated. Pressure-treated lumber is slightly heavier.
Lumber treated for ground contact has 0.15 pounds per cubic foot chemical retention compared to standard treated wood’s 0.06 pounds/cubic foot.
Finally, enter the moisture content and press “calculate”
Lumber Size
Nominal Dimensions (inches) | Actual Dimensions (inches) |
| 1 x 2 | 3/4 x 1 1/2 |
| 1 x 3 | 3/4 x 2 1/2 |
| 1 x 6 | 3/4 x 5 1/2 |
| 1 x 10 | 3/4 x 9 1/4 |
| 1 x 12 | 3/4 x 11 1/4 |
| 2 x 2 | 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 |
| 2 x 4 | 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 |
| 2 x 6 | 1 1/2 x 5 1/2 |
| 2 x 8 | 1 1/2 x 7 1/2 |
| 4 x 4 | 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 |
| 4 x 6 | 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 |
| 6 x 6 | 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 |
Length
It is important to note that the board feet and volume are calculated using the lumber nominal dimensions rather than actual sizes. If a 1×12 is 1 foot long, it will be equivalent to 1 board foot and 0.0833 cubic feet.
Width
A lumber weight calculator will require the actual width of the lumber as measured in inches and fractions of an inch.
In most cases, rough sawn lumber is sold by the “board feet,” so you can easily determine the length.
Thickness
1-inch thick lumber is referred to as 4/4, 1-1/2 inches thick lumber as 6/4, 2-inch thick lumber as 8/4, etc. However, these are nominal sizes and not the actual thickness.
Read Next: Actual Sizing of 2×8 Boards
Density and Moisture Content
To make it easier for you to use the lumber weight calculator, here is the average moisture content of various wood species:
Untreated
- Fresh from the store: 15%
- Wet: ~30 %
- Very dry: 5% humidity [1]
- Average equilibrium for interior wood: 8 percent
Treated Lumber
- Store-bought produce 35-75 percent
- Home stores sell mostly kiln-dried lumber with 19% and below
You can use a moisture meter to test out common wood species’ moisture content.
To know the specific measurements of wood density per type, here is a quick guide:
The Most Common Types of Lumber
Oak, Brown Maple, Pine, Walnut, Cherry, Quarter Sawn White Oak, Hickory, Elm, Douglas Fir are the most common types of hardwood used for furniture. In contrast, different species of softwoods such as red spruce, jack pine, lodgepole pine, etc., are usually used for construction.
Interesting Read:
- Learn more about the S4S, S32, and S2S lumbers
- Know the differences between spruce, pine, and fir lumber
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