Lumber Sizes

When you purchase lumber from the store, you’ll notice that the actual wood dimensions are slightly smaller then what’s on the tag. For example, if you see 2” x 4” tag and you’ll measure the actual size of the wood its 1 ½” x 3 ½”. Originally, 2×4 is cut exactly as 2×4, but after the wood is dried it shrinks in size. After it’s dried, the 2×4 is then planed to the standard 1 ½” x 3 ½”. See list below of common wood sizes that are used on most of the DIY projects.

Nominal SizeActual Size
1×23/4 x 1 1/2
1×33/4 x 2 1/2
1×43/4 x 3 1/2
1×63/4 x 5 1/2
1×83/4 x 7 1/4
1×103/4 x 9 1/4
1×123/4 x 11 1/4
2×21 1/2 x 1 1/2
2×31 1/2 x 2 1/2
2×41 1/2 x 3 1/2
2×61 1/2 x 5 1/2
2×81 1/2 x 7 1/4
2×101 1/2 x 9 1/4
2×121 1/2 x 11 1/4
4×43 1/2 x 3 1/2
4×63 1/2 x 5 1/2
6×65 1/2 x 5 1/2