WoodBoard2.5 board feet

1x3x10 — Weight and Board Feet

A 1x3 cut to 10 ft: 2.5 board feet of nominal section, and 0.1302 cubic feet of actual material to carry. Weight depends on the species, so it is tabulated below.

Quick specification1x3x10

Nominal size1 × 3 in
Actual size (dry)0.75 × 2.5 in (19.05 × 63.5 mm)
Length10 ft (120 in)
Board feet2.5 bd ft
Actual volume0.1302 ft³
Weight (Spruce (Sitka))3.5 lb (1.59 kg)
Weight per foot0.35 lb/ft

Board feet is a nominal-section convention; volume and weight use the actual section. The two are not interchangeable and are not meant to agree.

Weight by speciesall species in the database, lightest first

Wood database
SpeciesDensity1x3x10 weight
Balsa0.16 g/cm³1.3 lb · 0.59 kg
Cedar (Western Red)0.37 g/cm³3.01 lb · 1.37 kg
Poplar (Yellow)0.42 g/cm³3.41 lb · 1.55 kg
Basswood0.42 g/cm³3.41 lb · 1.55 kg
Redwood0.42 g/cm³3.41 lb · 1.55 kg
Spruce (Sitka)0.43 g/cm³3.5 lb · 1.59 kg
Cedar (Eastern Red)0.47 g/cm³3.82 lb · 1.73 kg
Hemlock (Western)0.47 g/cm³3.82 lb · 1.73 kg
Cypress (Bald)0.48 g/cm³3.9 lb · 1.77 kg
Fir (Douglas)0.53 g/cm³4.31 lb · 1.95 kg
Pine (Southern Yellow)0.55 g/cm³4.47 lb · 2.03 kg
Mahogany (Honduran)0.55 g/cm³4.47 lb · 2.03 kg
Cherry (Black)0.56 g/cm³4.55 lb · 2.06 kg
Larch0.58 g/cm³4.71 lb · 2.14 kg
Teak0.63 g/cm³5.12 lb · 2.32 kg
OSB (Oriented Strand Board)0.65 g/cm³5.28 lb · 2.39 kg
Walnut (Black)0.66 g/cm³5.36 lb · 2.43 kg
Ash (White)0.67 g/cm³5.45 lb · 2.47 kg
Birch Plywood0.68 g/cm³5.53 lb · 2.51 kg
Birch (Yellow Birch)0.69 g/cm³5.61 lb · 2.54 kg
Bamboo0.7 g/cm³5.69 lb · 2.58 kg
Maple (Hard Maple)0.705 g/cm³5.73 lb · 2.6 kg
Beech (American)0.72 g/cm³5.85 lb · 2.65 kg
Oak0.75 g/cm³6.1 lb · 2.77 kg
MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard)0.75 g/cm³6.1 lb · 2.77 kg
Hickory0.82 g/cm³6.67 lb · 3.03 kg
Rosewood (East Indian)0.85 g/cm³6.91 lb · 3.13 kg
Ipe1 g/cm³8.13 lb · 3.69 kg

Weights are derived, not quoted: density at about 12% moisture content × actual volume. Treat them as a floor — green stock stays heavier until it dries. The spread across species is roughly six to one, so a freight or support estimate that assumes one figure for “a 1x3” can be wrong by a large margin.

Board feet explainedhow 2.5 bd ft is arrived at

A board foot is 144 cubic inches of nominal section — a board an inch thick, a foot wide and a foot long. Lumber is bought and sold on that basis, so the calculation uses the nominal thickness and width rather than the dressed ones:

(1 × 3 × 10 × 12) ÷ 144 = 2.5 board feet

The rated price therefore covers more wood than is delivered, which is the long-standing convention rather than an error. The actual volume of material in the same piece is 0.1302 cubic feet.

Lengthhow 10 ft compares with the rest of the table

LengthBoard feetActual volumeWeight (Spruce (Sitka))
1x3x61.50.0781 ft³2.1 lb
1x3x820.1042 ft³2.8 lb
1x3x102.50.1302 ft³3.5 lb
1x3x1230.1562 ft³4.19 lb
1x3x143.50.1823 ft³4.89 lb
1x3x1640.2083 ft³5.59 lb

Frequently asked questionsabout a 1x3x10

How much does a 1x3x10 weigh?

In Spruce (Sitka), about 3.5 lb (1.59 kg). Across the species in this database it ranges from 1.3 lb in Balsa to 8.13 lb in Ipe.

How many board feet is a 1x3x10?

2.5 board feet, calculated from the nominal section: (1 × 3 × 120) ÷ 144.

What are the actual dimensions of a 1x3x10?

0.75 × 2.5 inches in section, 10 ft long — 19.05 × 63.5 millimetres by 10 feet. The nominal 1 × 3 inch call size is the rough green section.