Lumber Weight

How much does a Southern Yellow Pine 2×4 weigh?

A Southern Yellow Pine 2×4, 8 ft weighs 10.4 lb (4.7 kg) at 12% moisture content, kiln-dried.

35.5 lb/ft³ · 5.33 bd ft ·

The answer above uses the actual dressed size — a nominal 2×4 of Southern Yellow Pine (Loblolly) measures 1-1/2″ × 3-1/2″ once surfaced dry (PS 20-25) — and the species' basic specific gravity of 0.47 from the USDA Wood Handbook. At 12% moisture content that works out to 35.5 lb/ft³, or 1.3 lb per linear foot.

2×4 nominal vs 1-1/2″ × 3-1/2″ actual
Dashed: nominal 2×4. Solid: actual dressed size, surfaced dry (PS 20-25).

Southern Yellow Pine 2×4 weight by length

Weight of one Southern Yellow Pine 2×4, by length and moisture condition
Length12% MC15% MC19% MC (KD max)GreenBoard feet
6 ft 7.8 lb 7.9 lb 8.0 lb 9.1–14.3 lb 4.00 bd ft
8 ft 10.4 lb 10.5 lb 10.7 lb 12.1–19.1 lb 5.33 bd ft
10 ft 12.9 lb 13.1 lb 13.3 lb 15.1–23.8 lb 6.67 bd ft
12 ft 15.5 lb 15.7 lb 16.0 lb 18.1–28.6 lb 8.00 bd ft
14 ft 18.1 lb 18.4 lb 18.7 lb 21.1–33.3 lb 9.33 bd ft
16 ft 20.7 lb 21.0 lb 21.3 lb 24.1–38.1 lb 10.7 bd ft
20 ft 25.9 lb 26.2 lb 26.7 lb 30.2–47.6 lb 13.3 bd ft

Green weights show the heartwood-to-sapwood moisture range (33%–110% MC for this species) — a fresh-cut board lands somewhere inside it. Board feet use nominal dimensions, as lumber is priced; weight uses actual dimensions. Expect ±10-15% piece-to-piece variation in any stack. How these are computed.

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