Softwood Lumber Grading

Lumber grading is the practice of separating the products of the saw log according to quality and intended use.

The grading of lumber is the application of the grading rule to lumber for the purpose of determining the grade of a piece of lumber based on inspection and/or on non-destructive mechanical methods.

A lumber grade is a minimum standard describing the extent and limitations of the characteristics permitted in a piece of lumber having regard to the end use for which the grade is intended. Since no two pieces of lumber are identical, complete uniformity in grades or shipments is impossible. A shipment of a specific grade shall not be made up only of pieces containing characteristics of the maximum number of size permitted. It is recognized that grades or specifications many overlap and that producers of lumber many utilize other grading rules or specifications and may sort their lumber accordingly; and therefore, nothing in the grading rules precludes or prohibits the selection of pieces of lumber meeting the requirements of more than one grade or specification for use in any of the grades or specifications for which it qualifies.

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