Use the free Lumber Weight Calculator below: your data never leaves your browser — all work happens on your device, and nothing is uploaded to any server.
What this tool does
A stack of lumber that looks manageable can weigh far more than expected, and that matters when you load a vehicle, carry boards upstairs, or check whether a shelf, floor, or trailer can hold them. This free lumber weight calculator estimates weight from board feet and species, using approximate dry densities for common timbers. It is a planning tool for hauling, handling, and load checks, and it runs entirely in your browser.
First work out your board feet, using the board foot calculator if you need it, then choose the species closest to your timber and enter the board feet. Press Calculate and you will see the estimated weight in pounds and kilograms. The species list covers pine, oak, maple, cedar, walnut, spruce, fir, and poplar, with densities from twenty-three pounds per cubic foot for cedar to forty-seven for oak. If your species is not listed, pick the closest in hardness and density, and treat the result as an approximation.
The formula is simple once board feet are known. One board foot is one twelfth of a cubic foot, so weight equals board feet times density in pounds per cubic foot, divided by twelve. Ten board feet of pine at thirty-five pounds per cubic foot weighs ten times thirty-five divided by twelve, which is twenty-nine point two pounds, or about thirteen point two kilograms. Ten board feet of oak at forty-seven pounds per cubic foot weighs thirty-nine point two pounds, about seventeen point eight kilograms. The same stack in oak is therefore roughly a third heavier than in pine, which is exactly the kind of difference that surprises people at the loading bay.
Take a project using one hundred board feet of oak. The weight is one hundred times forty-seven divided by twelve, which is three hundred and ninety-one point seven pounds, about one hundred and seventy-seven point seven kilograms. In cedar, the same volume weighs only one hundred and ninety-one point seven pounds, about eighty-seven kilograms, less than half. That gap decides whether two people can carry the load, whether a small trailer is overloaded, and whether a wall bracket rated for a modest load is really adequate. Always compare the heaviest realistic species and the wettest realistic condition, not the lightest figures you can find.
Moisture is the biggest source of error. Green, freshly cut lumber can weigh fifty percent or more above its dry weight, and even kiln-dried boards gain weight in a damp store, so weigh a sample board on a bathroom scale if accuracy matters. Actual size matters too: nominal sizes overstate volume after planing, so board feet calculated from nominal sizes will overstate weight slightly. For vehicle loads, check the payload rating including passengers and fuel, distribute weight evenly, strap the load, and never exceed the rating because the timber looked like it would fit.
Is dry weight the same as delivered weight? Not always: delivered boards may be drier or wetter than the textbook density, so treat this as an estimate and add a safety margin for heavy or wet stock. Can I use this for engineered timber? No: plywood, oriented strand board, and laminated beams have their own densities and structures, so use the manufacturer’s data for those products. How much can one person safely carry? That depends on fitness, grip, length, and stairs, so follow manual-handling guidance and local rules, and get help for long, heavy, or awkward boards rather than risking a back injury.
Important limits: an estimate, not a code approval
Every result on this page is an educational estimate only. It is not professional advice and it does not guarantee compliance with any building, plumbing, gas, or safety code. Local rules, soil, climate, pipe material, and the condition of an existing system can change the correct answer, and this tool cannot see any of those things. Gas work must be done by a licensed professional and checked against local gas codes; never size, install, or alter gas pipework from an online estimate. For any real installation, repair, or purchase decision, consult a licensed plumber or carpenter first, and get a second opinion when the job is large, expensive, or safety-critical. Use this tool to plan, compare, and ask better questions — not as a substitute for a qualified person on site.
Also available in Spanish: Spanish version.