LVL beam calculator: what size LVL beam do I need for my span?
9 1/4 in deep LVL
3 1/2 × 9 1/4 in, 2 plies · carries 548 plf total and 372 plf live at 12 ft · bearing 1.5 in at ends, 3.5 in inside · for a 12 ft span, 400 plf total
Run your own numbers
Enter it the way you measured it: 4.5, 4 1/2,
3/8 or 10' 6".
9 1/4 in deep LVL
3 1/2 × 9 1/4 in, 2 plies · carries 548 plf total and 372 plf live at 12 ft · bearing 1.5 in at ends, 3.5 in inside
Source: Weyerhaeuser Trus Joist Beam, Header and Column Specifier's Guide TJ-9000 (July 2026), 2.0E Microllam LVL: Floor—100% (PLF), pages 8 and 9, read October 23, 2026. Data sheet (PDF)
A 12 ft floor beam span carrying 400 plf total and 300 plf live takes a 2-ply 9 1/4 in deep LVL: the Weyerhaeuser TJ-9000 table gives 548 plf total and 372 plf live for 2.0E Microllam.
A worked example
A 15 ft span with 310 plf total and 210 plf live, in 2 plies needs 11 1/4 in deep LVL. 15 ft is not a row of the table, so it is read at the next row up, 16 ft 6 in: 9 1/4 carries 211 plf total and 9 1/2 carries 229, both short; 11 1/4 carries 379 total and 260 live.
How far can an LVL beam span?
It depends on the load: a 2-ply 11 7/8 in 2.0E LVL carries 979 plf total at 12 ft and 185 at 22 ft, by the Weyerhaeuser TJ-9000 floor table. The table runs from 6 to 30 ft; at 30 ft a single ply needs the 14 in depth, which carries 57 plf total.
How wide is an LVL beam?
1 3/4 in per ply: 3 1/2 in for two plies and 5 1/4 in for three, the widths of the TJ-9000 tables. Depths are 5 1/2, 7 1/4, 9 1/4, 9 1/2, 11 1/4, 11 7/8, 14, 16, 18 and 20 in.
What else it is called
LVL is laminated veneer lumber, sold by Weyerhaeuser as Microllam and used as beams and headers in 1 3/4 in plies. Searched as an LVL beam span calculator, LVL beam calculator or LVL beam size calculator.
The full TJ-9000 floor table
| Span · plies | 5 1/2 in | 7 1/4 in | 9 1/4 in | 9 1/2 in | 11 1/4 in | 11 7/8 in | 14 in | 16 in | 18 in | 20 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft · 1 ply, 1 3/4 in | 455 / 305 | 762 / 659 | 1,027 / * | 1,062 / * | 1,324 / * | 1,424 / * | 1,794 / * | — | — | — |
| 8 ft · 1 ply, 1 3/4 in | 153 / 133 | 342 / 295 | 695 / 584 | 731 / 628 | 915 / * | 978 / * | 1,207 / * | — | — | — |
| 9 ft 6 in · 1 ply, 1 3/4 in | 77 / * | 174 / * | 491 / 362 | 517 / 390 | 709 / 624 | 784 / 723 | 968 / * | — | — | — |
| 10 ft · 1 ply, 1 3/4 in | 62 / * | 142 / * | 443 / 313 | 466 / 337 | 639 / 542 | 707 / 628 | 908 / * | — | — | — |
| 12 ft · 1 ply, 1 3/4 in | — | 67 / * | 274 / 186 | 296 / 200 | 442 / 325 | 489 / 379 | 666 / 599 | — | — | — |
| 14 ft · 1 ply, 1 3/4 in | — | — | 173 / 119 | 188 / 128 | 308 / 209 | 358 / 244 | 487 / 390 | — | — | — |
| 16 ft 6 in · 1 ply, 1 3/4 in | — | — | 105 / 73 | 114 / 79 | 189 / 130 | 222 / 152 | 349 / 245 | — | — | — |
| 18 ft 6 in · 1 ply, 1 3/4 in | — | — | 74 / 52 | 80 / 56 | 134 / 93 | 158 / 109 | 257 / 176 | — | — | — |
| 20 ft · 1 ply, 1 3/4 in | — | — | 57 / 41 | 62 / 45 | 105 / 74 | 124 / 87 | 204 / 140 | — | — | — |
| 22 ft · 1 ply, 1 3/4 in | — | — | — | — | 78 / 56 | 92 / 65 | 152 / 106 | — | — | — |
| 24 ft · 1 ply, 1 3/4 in | — | — | — | — | 59 / 43 | 70 / 51 | 117 / 82 | — | — | — |
| 26 ft · 1 ply, 1 3/4 in | — | — | — | — | — | 54 / 40 | 91 / 65 | — | — | — |
| 28 ft · 1 ply, 1 3/4 in | — | — | — | — | — | — | 71 / 52 | — | — | — |
| 30 ft · 1 ply, 1 3/4 in | — | — | — | — | — | — | 57 / 42 | — | — | — |
| 6 ft · 2 plies, 3 1/2 in | 910 / 610 | 1,525 / 1,319 | 2,055 / * | 2,125 / * | 2,648 / * | 2,848 / * | 3,589 / * | 3,919 / * | 3,919 / * | 3,919 / * |
| 8 ft · 2 plies, 3 1/2 in | 307 / 267 | 685 / 591 | 1,391 / 1,169 | 1,462 / 1,257 | 1,830 / * | 1,956 / * | 2,414 / * | 2,885 / * | 2,934 / * | 2,934 / * |
| 9 ft 6 in · 2 plies, 3 1/2 in | 154 / * | 349 / * | 983 / 724 | 1,034 / 780 | 1,418 / 1,248 | 1,569 / 1,446 | 1,937 / * | 2,294 / * | 2,468 / * | 2,468 / * |
| 10 ft · 2 plies, 3 1/2 in | 124 / * | 284 / * | 886 / 626 | 932 / 675 | 1,279 / 1,084 | 1,415 / 1,257 | 1,817 / * | 2,147 / * | 2,344 / * | 2,344 / * |
| 12 ft · 2 plies, 3 1/2 in | 57 / * | 135 / * | 548 / 372 | 593 / 401 | 885 / 651 | 979 / 758 | 1,333 / 1,198 | 1,709 / * | 1,950 / * | 1,950 / * |
| 14 ft · 2 plies, 3 1/2 in | — | 70 / * | 347 / 238 | 376 / 257 | 617 / 419 | 716 / 489 | 975 / 780 | 1,253 / 1,132 | 1,563 / 1,561 | 1,669 / * |
| 16 ft 6 in · 2 plies, 3 1/2 in | — | — | 211 / 147 | 229 / 159 | 379 / 260 | 445 / 305 | 698 / 490 | 897 / 716 | 1,120 / 995 | 1,365 / 1,330 |
| 18 ft 6 in · 2 plies, 3 1/2 in | — | — | 148 / 105 | 161 / 113 | 268 / 186 | 316 / 218 | 515 / 352 | 710 / 517 | 887 / 722 | 1,081 / 970 |
| 20 ft · 2 plies, 3 1/2 in | — | — | 115 / 83 | 125 / 90 | 211 / 148 | 249 / 174 | 408 / 281 | 604 / 414 | 756 / 579 | 922 / 780 |
| 22 ft · 2 plies, 3 1/2 in | — | — | 85 / 63 | 92 / 68 | 157 / 112 | 185 / 131 | 305 / 213 | 455 / 314 | 622 / 441 | 759 / 596 |
| 24 ft · 2 plies, 3 1/2 in | — | — | 63 / 48 | 69 / 52 | 118 / 86 | 140 / 102 | 234 / 165 | 350 / 244 | 497 / 343 | 634 / 465 |
| 26 ft · 2 plies, 3 1/2 in | — | — | — | 52 / 41 | 91 / 68 | 108 / 80 | 182 / 130 | 274 / 193 | 390 / 272 | 534 / 370 |
| 28 ft · 2 plies, 3 1/2 in | — | — | — | — | 71 / 55 | 84 / 64 | 143 / 105 | 217 / 155 | 311 / 219 | 427 / 298 |
| 30 ft · 2 plies, 3 1/2 in | — | — | — | — | 55 / 44 | 66 / 52 | 114 / 85 | 174 / 127 | 251 / 179 | 346 / 244 |
| 6 ft · 3 plies, 5 1/4 in | 1,366 / 916 | 2,287 / 1,978 | 3,082 / * | 3,188 / * | 3,972 / * | 4,272 / * | 5,384 / * | 5,878 / * | 5,878 / * | 5,878 / * |
| 8 ft · 3 plies, 5 1/4 in | 461 / 401 | 1,028 / 887 | 2,086 / 1,753 | 2,193 / 1,886 | 2,745 / * | 2,935 / * | 3,621 / * | 4,328 / * | 4,402 / * | 4,402 / * |
| 9 ft 6 in · 3 plies, 5 1/4 in | 231 / * | 524 / * | 1,475 / 1,086 | 1,551 / 1,171 | 2,128 / 1,872 | 2,354 / 2,170 | 2,905 / * | 3,441 / * | 3,702 / * | 3,702 / * |
| 10 ft · 3 plies, 5 1/4 in | 187 / * | 427 / * | 1,330 / 940 | 1,398 / 1,013 | 1,919 / 1,626 | 2,123 / 1,886 | 2,725 / * | 3,221 / * | 3,516 / * | 3,516 / * |
| 12 ft · 3 plies, 5 1/4 in | 86 / * | 203 / * | 823 / 558 | 889 / 602 | 1,327 / 976 | 1,469 / 1,137 | 2,000 / 1,797 | 2,563 / * | 2,925 / * | 2,925 / * |
| 14 ft · 3 plies, 5 1/4 in | — | 106 / * | 521 / 357 | 564 / 386 | 926 / 629 | 1,074 / 734 | 1,463 / 1,171 | 1,880 / 1,698 | 2,345 / 2,342 | 2,503 / * |
| 16 ft 6 in · 3 plies, 5 1/4 in | — | — | 317 / 220 | 343 / 238 | 569 / 391 | 668 / 457 | 1,047 / 735 | 1,346 / 1,074 | 1,680 / 1,493 | 2,048 / 1,995 |
| 18 ft 6 in · 3 plies, 5 1/4 in | — | — | 222 / 157 | 241 / 170 | 403 / 280 | 474 / 328 | 772 / 529 | 1,066 / 776 | 1,331 / 1,084 | 1,622 / 1,456 |
| 20 ft · 3 plies, 5 1/4 in | — | — | 173 / 125 | 188 / 135 | 317 / 223 | 374 / 261 | 612 / 422 | 907 / 621 | 1,135 / 869 | 1,384 / 1,171 |
| 22 ft · 3 plies, 5 1/4 in | — | — | 127 / 94 | 138 / 102 | 235 / 168 | 278 / 197 | 458 / 320 | 683 / 472 | 933 / 662 | 1,138 / 895 |
| 24 ft · 3 plies, 5 1/4 in | — | — | 95 / 73 | 104 / 79 | 178 / 130 | 211 / 153 | 351 / 248 | 525 / 366 | 746 / 515 | 951 / 698 |
| 26 ft · 3 plies, 5 1/4 in | — | — | 72 / 57 | 78 / 62 | 137 / 102 | 163 / 120 | 273 / 196 | 411 / 290 | 586 / 409 | 801 / 555 |
| 28 ft · 3 plies, 5 1/4 in | — | — | 55 / 46 | 60 / 50 | 106 / 82 | 127 / 97 | 215 / 157 | 326 / 233 | 467 / 329 | 641 / 448 |
| 30 ft · 3 plies, 5 1/4 in | — | — | — | — | 83 / 67 | 100 / 79 | 171 / 128 | 261 / 190 | 376 / 269 | 519 / 366 |
Weyerhaeuser TJ-9000 (July 2026), 2.0E Microllam LVL: Floor—100% (PLF), pages 8 and 9. Each cell is total load at L/240 / live load at L/360, in pounds per linear foot; * means the total load value controls; — means the depth is not listed for that span. Uniform loads, beam weight considered, the more restrictive of simple or continuous span.
Where the numbers come from
- Load table: Weyerhaeuser TJ-9000 Specifier's Guide (July 2026), «2.0E Microllam LVL: Floor—100% (PLF)», pages 8 and 9: allowable total load at L/240 and live load at L/360 in pounds per linear foot, by span from 6 to 30 ft, 1 3/4 in plies (one ply 5 1/2 to 14 in deep, two and three plies 5 1/2 to 20 in), with the minimum end and intermediate bearing. Its own method: work out total and live load in plf, pick the span, and take a depth whose capacity exceeds both. Uniform loads, beam weight considered, the more restrictive of simple or continuous span. Read October 23, 2026. TJ-9000 guide (PDF)
- A span between two rows of the table is read at the next row up, the longer span; the table is not interpolated here.
The loads in plf are yours to work out from the floor or roof the beam carries; this page reads the floor table, at 100% load duration, and not the snow or roof tables of the same guide. Beams 16 in deep and over come in two or more plies only.
By Javier Miralles · Last updated . How this site is made.
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