Log Weight Calculator

Weight of wood and the wood density chart

The weight of wood mainly depends on three factors: the wood species, the volume of the log, and its moisture content. The wood species tells us the density of the wood. However, the density of the wood varies depending on its moisture content.

The moisture content of wood is the amount of water within the wood. It ranges between 150% or more for fresh wood and as low as 5% for processed and dried wood. For wood, we determine its moisture content by taking the percentage of the water’s weight in freshly-cut wood to the same wood’s oven-dry weight. A 250-kg freshly-cut wood weighing 100 kg after oven-drying would have a moisture content of 150%. The higher the moisture content is, the heavier the wood weighs. In this calculator, we consider the “green” density of wood, which is the density of a piece of freshly cut wood.

The green density varies from tree to tree and does not pertain to a particular moisture content for each tree species. As a reference, you can check the wood density chart below, which is also sometimes called the green log weight chart, for the green density of the most common tree species found on the market today:

Species	Density lb/ft³	Species	Density lb/ft³
Alder, red	46	Magnolia ev.	59
Apple	55	Maple, red	50
Ash, green	47	Maple, silver	45
Ash, Oregon	48	Maple, sugar	56
Ash, white	48	Oak, black	62
Aspen, quaking	43	Oak, Cali. black	66
Bald cypress	51	Oak, English	52
Basswood	42	Oak, live	76
Beech	54	Oak, pin	64
Birch, paper	50	Oak, post	63
Birch, Yellow	57	Oak, red	63
Butternut	46	Oak, scarlet	64
Cedar, incense	45	Oak, white	62
Cedar, western red	28	Osage orange	62
Cherry, black	45	Pecan	61
Chestnut	55	Persimmon	63
Chinaberry	50	Pine, loblolly	53
Cottonwood	49	Pine, lodgepole	39
Elm, American	54	Pine, longleaf	55
Fir, Douglas	39	Pine, ponderosa	46
Fir, noble	29	Pine, slash	58
Fir, white	47	Pine, sugar	52
Gum, black	45	Pine, white	36
Gum, red	50	Poplar, yellow	38
Hackberry	50	Redwood coastal	50
Hemlock eastern	49	Sassafras	44
Hemlock western	41	Spruce, Red	34
Hickory Shagbark	64	Spruce, Sitka	32
Honey locust	63	Sweetgum	55
Horse chestnut	41	Sycamore	52
Larch	51	Tamarack	47
Locust, black	58	Walnut, black	58
Locust, honey	61	Willow	32

Even though it shows the density, this is also known as the green log weight chart because it instantly shows us the green weight of wood per cubic foot of volume.

Using our log weight calculator

Determining the weight of wood in the shape of a log or board is made easy using our log weight calculator. Here are the instructions on how to use our calculator:

Choose the shape of wood you have – either a log or board.
Select the tree species that you are considering from the drop-down selection in the “Species” field. Choosing a species locks in the density value of your wood. You can view the weight of wood per cubic foot value in our calculator’s advanced mode if you want to check or change it.
Input the dimensions of your wooden log or board. Entering these values automatically finds the volume of the wood. At this time, the weight per piece of log or board will also be already displayed.
If you have multiple wood quantities with the same dimensions, enter their quantity to calculate their total weight.

The importance of knowing how to calculate the weight of a log

As with other materials in construction, knowing the weight of a material aids in logistical considerations and in assessing whether or not equipment can carry the load.

Since we cannot always have a weighing scale around us, knowing how to calculate the weight of a log using the measurements we can find on-site, whether with the help of our wood weight calculator or through manual calculations, can sometimes save the day.

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Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Bedfordshire

Log Weight Calculator