What Size Does Plywood Come In?

Plywood is such a versatile material its used for projects of all sizes: constructing skyscrapers and single-family homes, manufacturing cabinetry and furniture, building boats, tree houses, dog houses, bird houses, doll houses – you get the point.  Given the breadth of applications, plywood is manufactured from many species of wood across a range of standard panel sizes, thicknesses and grades.

For most construction projects, plywood made from softwoods like Southern Yellow Pine, Douglas Fir, or a mix of spruce, pine and fir are used for structural elements, while hardwood panels are primarily used for decorative finishes.

The following guide focuses on softwoods-based panels.

Standard Sizes

In the United States, APA-The Engineered Wood Association is one of the primary standards-setting bodies for the manufacture of softwood plywoods and other engineered wood products. These standards guide the manufacture of plywood panels to ensure consistency of product size and performance in the marketplace, regardless of who produces the panel.

Widths and Lengths

The standard and most common size of plywood measures 4-feet wide by 8-feet long. Some mills in the western U.S. have the capability of producing 9-foot and 10-foot-long panels, but these longer, specialty panels are not as readily available in Eastern U.S. markets where the mills are dedicated to standard, 4×8 panels. Getting oversized panels in these eastern markets can require relatively large minimum quantities, long lead times and an expectation of higher cost compared to standard 4×8-foot panels.

Thickness — Nominal and Actual

Like softwood lumber dimensions, softwood plywood thicknesses are typically referred to by their nominal thickness, rather than their actual thickness. The difference between nominal and actual thickness is the result of sanding that takes place during panel finishing.

Industry standards allow for slight variations in the length, width and thickness of plywood. Actual panel width and length must be within +1/16” of its nominal values (e.g., 4’ x 8’). Actual panel thickness must be within +1/32” of its nominal thickness.

The most common, readily available thicknesses range from ¼-inch to ¾-inch (nominal), though this can vary by the grade and species of plywood, region and lumber dealer. Table 1 shows actual thickness for each nominal thickness, with the thicknesses that should be most readily available across panel grades and thicknesses shown in bold.

One exception to the above is Marine Grade plywood. It’s actual thickness is the same as it’s nominal thickness.

Available to Lumber Retailers

Curtis Lumber & Plywood maintains a large inventory of the following panel products to support the job lot and stocking quantity needs of retail lumber dealers. All panels below are 4’ x 8’ and made from Southern Yellow Pine (unless otherwise indicated) veneers using exterior rated adhesives.

 

Panel Grade	Durability Classification	Thickness
		¼	⅜	½	⅝	¾	1
Rated Sheathing (aka “CDX”)	Exposure 1		✔	✔	✔	✔
AB Marine Grade (Doug Fir)	Exterior	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
AC Doug Fir	Exterior	✔					✔
AC Radiata Pine	Exterior	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
AC SYP	Exterior			✔		✔
BC Radiata Pine	Exterior			✔		✔
BC T&G Underlayment	Exterior					✔
Beaded Panel 1.6” O.C.	Exterior		✔
CC / CC Struct1 (SYP)	Exterior	* Call
T&G Rated Sheathing (RS-T&G)	Exposure 1					✔
T&G Underlayment (T&G U/L)	Exterior				✔	✔
T1-11 4” & 8” O.C.	Exterior				✔
MDO – Medium Density Overlay	Exterior		G1S Primed	G1S P1S G1S Unprimed G2S Unprimed		G1S P1S G1S Unprimed G2S Unprimed

 

We also stock preservative- and fire retardant-treated panels. Please contact us for current pricing and availability.

About Curtis Lumber & Plywood

Curtis Lumber & Plywood, founded in 1957, is an independently owned and operated wholesale lumber dealer exclusively serving premier lumber retailers throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions of the United States.

Based in Northern Virginia, we specialize in fire-retardant and preservative-treated lumber and plywood for indoor and outdoor applications.

If you are a lumber retailer with questions about plywood or treated wood products or need to order by the trailer load, unit, or piece, contact Curtis Lumber & Plywood at 703-552-5778.