LVL Beam Calculator

1. Pick single ply or double ply.
2. Pick the beam depth.
3. Pick the tributary width (the floor area the beam supports).
4. Optionally enter your actual span to check whether it fits.

Here is what each result line means:

For solid wood beams, see the wood beam span calculator.

Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is an engineered wood product made by bonding thin wood veneers under heat and pressure. LVL beams are stronger and more consistent than solid sawn lumber, allowing longer spans in floor and roof framing.

Builders use LVL beams as floor girders, headers over wide openings and ridge beams. They come in standard depths from 7-1/4 inches to 18 inches and can be doubled or tripled for heavier loads.

The calculator reads a span table for 1.9E grade LVL under standard residential floor loads (40 psf live plus 10 psf dead, L/360 deflection). There is no single formula; the spans come from engineering analysis of the LVL product properties.

1. Select the ply count (single or double).
2. Select the beam depth.
3. Select the tributary width (floor area supported by the beam).
4. Look up the maximum span from the table.
5. Compare against your actual span if entered.

The 1.9E grade refers to the modulus of elasticity (1,900,000 psi). Most residential LVL products are 1.9E or 2.0E; the values here are conservative for 2.0E products.

You need an LVL beam to span 12 feet supporting floor joists with an 8-foot tributary width on each side.

Result: A single-ply 11-7/8 inch LVL beam spans up to 12 ft 11 in (155 inches) at 8 ft tributary width. Your 12-ft span (144 inches) is within the limit, so a single 11-7/8 in LVL works. A single 9-1/4 in LVL spans only 10 ft 2 in (122 inches), which would be too short.

Beam Depth

Deeper beams resist bending more effectively. Going from 11-7/8 to 14 inches adds roughly 18 percent more span capacity.

Ply Count

Doubling the plies roughly doubles the load capacity. A double-ply 14-inch LVL at 10 ft tributary spans about 17 ft 2 in compared to 13 ft 7 in for a single ply.

Tributary Width

A wider tributary area means more floor load on the beam. Increasing from 8 to 12 feet tributary can reduce the allowable span by 15 to 20 percent.

LVL Grade

The 1.9E grade (modulus of elasticity 1,900,000 psi) is the most common residential grade. Some manufacturers offer 2.0E or 2.1E products that span slightly farther.

Deflection Criteria

The table uses L/360 for live load deflection. Some applications or floor coverings require L/480, which reduces the allowable span.

Maximum spans for single-ply 1.9E LVL at 8-foot tributary width (40 psf LL + 10 psf DL, L/360).

Sizing a Floor Girder

Pick the smallest LVL that spans the basement or crawlspace before ordering or submitting plans.

Replacing a Load-bearing Wall

When you open up a floor plan by removing a wall, the replacement beam is often LVL. This calculator helps you start with the right size.

Sizing a Header Over a Wide Opening

Garage doors, sliding glass doors and other wide openings often need an LVL header. Use the tributary width to size it.

Comparing Single Versus Double Ply

See whether a deeper single-ply beam works instead of doubling, or confirm that doubling a shallower beam meets the span.

1. Using Solid-lumber Tables for LVL

LVL is stronger than solid sawn lumber. The IRC solid-wood beam tables underestimate LVL spans, leading to oversized beams and wasted cost.

2. Ignoring Tributary Width

The beam span depends on how much floor it supports. A center beam in a wide room carries more load than one near a bearing wall.

3. Forgetting Point Loads

A column or post bearing on the beam adds a point load that the uniform-load table does not account for. Point loads require separate engineering.

4. Not Checking the Product Grade

LVL comes in 1.9E and 2.0E grades. Using a 2.0E table for a 1.9E product overestimates the span.

5. Skipping the Manufacturer Table

This calculator uses generic 1.9E data. The actual product you buy may have different allowable spans. Always check the manufacturer table before ordering.

The calculator uses span values for 1.9E grade LVL from a third-party reference, not a specific manufacturer. Treat these as preliminary estimates.

A single-ply 14-inch 1.9E LVL beam spans up to 15 ft 3 in at 8 ft tributary width under standard residential floor loads (40 psf LL + 10 psf DL, L/360). Deeper beams and multiple plies span farther.

The 1.9E rating is the modulus of elasticity in millions of psi (1,900,000 psi). A higher E value means a stiffer beam that deflects less under load. Most residential LVL is 1.9E or 2.0E.

Yes. LVL has no knots, checks or grain slope defects. A 1.9E LVL beam typically spans 20 to 40 percent farther than a #2 grade solid-wood beam of the same depth.

Use double ply when a single ply does not span far enough or when the beam needs to be wider to match a 2×4 wall thickness (3.5 inches). Double ply also reduces lateral bracing concerns.

Tributary width is the total floor width supported by the beam. For a center beam in a 20-foot-wide room, each side contributes about 10 feet of floor, so the tributary width is 10 feet.

Yes, builders commonly triple LVL beams for heavy loads. This calculator covers single and double ply. For triple ply, consult the manufacturer span table.

Bolt or nail the plies together with a staggered pattern per the manufacturer installation guide. Construction adhesive between plies is common but not a substitute for mechanical fasteners.

Standard LVL is not rated for ground contact or weather exposure. Treated LVL products exist for deck beams and other exposed applications.

Yes. This calculator uses generic third-party data for preliminary sizing. A structural engineer or the LVL manufacturer table should confirm the final beam size.

No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser and nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.

• TradeMasterCalc LVL Beam Span Chart (1.9E LVL span values for single and double ply, 40 psf LL + 10 psf DL).
• APA – The Engineered Wood Association, LVL Overview (laminated veneer lumber manufacturing and grading standards).
• Weyerhaeuser Microllam LVL Specifier Guide (manufacturer product specifications and installation guidance).
• Konstruction.ca LVL Beam Span Chart (additional span reference for Microllam 1.9E LVL at 12 ft tributary).