How much does a board foot of oak weigh?

Red and white oak weigh roughly 3.7 to 3.9 pounds per board foot kiln-dried. Green oak is noticeably heavier because of its water content.

Does moisture content change weight a lot?

Yes. Water is heavy, so green lumber can weigh 40 percent or more above its kiln-dried weight. Estimate for the condition of the wood you actually have.

Where do the density numbers come from?

Average densities at 12 percent moisture content published in the USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood Handbook, a public domain reference.

Lumber Weight Calculator

Estimate how much your lumber weighs by species and moisture content, using USDA Wood Handbook densities.

Wood speciesBoard feetCondition

Estimated weight63.3 lb

Weight per board foot3.2 lb

Density used38 lb/ft³

Kiln-dried weight uses the average density for Black Walnut at 12% moisture content from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood Handbook. Air-dried and green figures multiply that baseline and are rough estimates only. Real weight swings with density variation within a species and how wet the wood is, so treat this as a shipping and handling planning number.

Why lumber weight matters

Weight decides whether a load fits in your truck, whether one person can carry a slab, and what a shipment costs. Green (freshly sawn) wood can weigh far more than kiln-dried wood of the same species because water is heavy, so the same board feet can swing hundreds of pounds depending on how dry the wood is.

How the estimate works

Every board foot is one twelfth of a cubic foot. Multiply the board feet by one twelfth to get cubic feet, then multiply by the wood's density in pounds per cubic foot. This calculator uses average densities at 12 percent moisture content from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood Handbook, then applies a rough multiplier for air-dried or green stock.

Reading the numbers

Density varies inside a species, so treat the result as a planning figure, not a certified weight. A dense hardwood like hickory or white oak runs close to 50 pounds per cubic foot dry, while a light softwood like western red cedar is closer to 23. Green lumber of the same species can be 40 percent heavier or more.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a board foot of oak weigh?: Red and white oak weigh roughly 3.7 to 3.9 pounds per board foot kiln-dried. Green oak is noticeably heavier because of its water content.
Does moisture content change weight a lot?: Yes. Water is heavy, so green lumber can weigh 40 percent or more above its kiln-dried weight. Estimate for the condition of the wood you actually have.
Where do the density numbers come from?: Average densities at 12 percent moisture content published in the USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood Handbook, a public domain reference.