How Much Does Wood Weigh Per Cubic Metre?
Quick Answer
Oak ≈ 720 kg/m³, pine ≈ 510 kg/m³, spruce ≈ 430-450 kg/m³
Based on: kiln-dried timber at around 12% moisture content. Freshly felled (green) timber weighs roughly 45% more, and in very wet species up to double.
Timber Density Table (kg per cubic metre)
| Species | Density at ~12% MC (kg/m³) |
|---|---|
| Oak (American white) | 755 |
| Oak (European) | 720 |
| Beech (European) | 710-720 |
| Maple (hard) | 705 |
| Ash (European) | 680 |
| Birch (European) | 660 |
| Walnut | 610-640 |
| Larch (European/Siberian) | 575-590 |
| Cherry (American) | 560 |
| Pine (Scots) | 510 |
| Douglas fir | 470-510 |
| Spruce (European whitewood) | 430-450 |
| Western red cedar | 370 |
| MDF (standard) | 700 |
| Chipboard | 650 |
| Plywood (birch) | 600 |
Where a range is shown, published averages vary between sources. Individual boards vary with growing conditions and grain. For hardness, workability and typical uses of 18 UK species, see the full wood species properties chart.
Moisture Content Changes Everything
The figures above are for kiln-dried timber at roughly 12% moisture content, the standard reference condition and what you normally buy for indoor work:
- Kiln-dried (~12% MC): the table values apply
- Air-dried (~20% MC): add about 4%
- Green, freshly felled (~60% MC): add about 45%, and very wet species above the fibre-saturation point can weigh 50-100% more than their dry weight
So a cubic metre of green oak is roughly 720 × 1.45 ≈ 1,040 kg, comfortably over a tonne, while the same volume kiln-dried is about 720 kg.
Worked Examples
Weight = length × width × thickness (in metres) × density:
- 4.8m length of 47 × 150mm carcassing (spruce/pine): 0.047 × 0.15 × 4.8 = 0.0338 m³. At 450 kg/m³ that is about 15.2 kg; at 510 kg/m³ about 17.3 kg
- Oak board, 25 × 200 × 2,400mm: 0.025 × 0.2 × 2.4 = 0.012 m³ × 720 = 8.6 kg
The timber weight calculator does this for you with moisture adjustment, and the wood weight calculator covers 18 species and sheet materials including MDF and plywood.
Why It Matters
Density decides whether one person can carry a board, what your roof rack or trailer can take, and how much a finished piece will weigh. It also tracks hardness fairly well: denser timbers are generally harder to work but more durable. As a rule of thumb, most construction softwood is around half a tonne per cubic metre and most furniture hardwood is around three-quarters of a tonne.