Wood Weight Calculator

1. Enter the length, width and thickness of the piece in inches.
2. Choose the wood species to set its density.
3. Read the weight in pounds and kilograms.
4. Check the volume in cubic feet and board feet alongside.

Wood weight is how heavy a piece of timber is, found from its volume and the density of the species. Density varies enormously between woods, from featherlight balsa to dense tropical hardwoods that barely float, so the same size board can weigh very differently.

Knowing the weight helps you plan lifting, transport and the load a shelf or structure must carry. It matters most for slabs, worktops and large panels, where an innocent-looking board can be surprisingly heavy. Anyone who has tried to carry an oak worktop alone knows the feeling of badly underestimating a board, and a quick weight check beforehand is the difference between a comfortable two-person lift and a trip to the physiotherapist.

1. Multiply length by width by thickness in inches for the volume in cubic inches.
2. Divide by 1728 for cubic feet.
3. Multiply by the density in pounds per cubic foot for the weight.
4. Multiply pounds by 0.4536 for kilograms.

The densities used here are typical seasoned values. Green, freshly cut wood is heavier because it holds far more water than dry timber. This is why a freshly milled board can feel noticeably heavier than a kiln-dried one of the same size, and why the weight of a piece slowly drops over the months it takes to season in the workshop.

An oak slab is 2 inches thick, 12 inches wide and 96 inches long. That is 2304 cubic inches, or 1.33 cubic feet. Oak has a density around 44 pounds per cubic foot, so the slab weighs about 59 pounds, roughly 27 kilograms. The same slab in pine, at 28 pounds per cubic foot, would weigh only about 37 pounds, showing how much the species matters. That difference of over 20 pounds for an identical-looking board is exactly the kind of surprise the calculator is meant to catch before you plan how to move or support it.

Species Density

Density is the biggest factor, from balsa near 9 pounds per cubic foot to dense exotics above 55.

Moisture Content

Green wood holds much more water and can weigh far more than the same board once seasoned.

Size

Weight scales with volume, so thickness, width and length all raise it in proportion.

Grain and Growth

Even within a species, denser slow-grown wood weighs a little more than fast-grown stock, which is why two boards cut from different trees of the same species can still differ a little on the scales.

Typical seasoned densities and the weight of a 2 by 12 by 96 inch slab.

Values are approximate and for seasoned wood; check a species chart for a precise figure.

Planning a Lift

Know whether a slab needs two people or a trolley before you move it.

Sizing a Structure

Work out the load a shelf, bracket or frame must carry.

Shipping and Transport

Estimate the weight for postage, a vehicle load or a mailed project.

1. Ignoring Species

Using one density for all woods can be out by three or four times between balsa and oak.

2. Forgetting Moisture

Green wood is much heavier than seasoned; these figures assume dry timber.

3. Mixing Units

Keep all three dimensions in inches, or the 1728 conversion will be wrong.

4. Using Nominal Sizes

For weight, use the real, finished dimensions, not the nominal lumber size.

The volume maths is exact, and the density is a typical seasoned value. Real weight varies with moisture and the individual piece.

Multiply length by width by thickness in inches, divide by 1728 for cubic feet, then multiply by the species density in pounds per cubic foot.

Seasoned oak is about 44 pounds per cubic foot. A 2 by 12 by 96 inch oak slab weighs roughly 59 pounds.

Balsa is the lightest common wood at around 9 pounds per cubic foot, several times lighter than typical hardwoods.

Yes, a lot. Green, freshly cut wood holds far more water and can weigh well above the same board once seasoned.

Because density varies hugely between species, from light balsa and pine to dense oak and tropical hardwoods.

Multiply the weight in pounds by 0.4536. A 59 pound oak slab is about 27 kilograms.

Use the real, finished dimensions for weight, not the nominal lumber size, which is larger than the planed board.

No. It is the bare wood. Paint, oil and hardware add a little more weight on top.

No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser and nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.

• Wood density (Wikipedia).
• Lumber (Wikipedia).
• Density (Wikipedia).