Have you ever wondered how much an average house weighs? It may surprise you. Read on to find out how much and how it is calculated.
You may have an awareness that your house, or any house, is heavy. However, you probably do not know just how much it actually weighs. Therefore, it is probably going to be a surprise when you learn just how much does an average house weigh.
As a general rule, the average house weighs between 80,000 pounds and 160,000 pounds. However, the weight of the house is dependent on the square foot, the house contents, and the building materials used for the house. A calculation to use is 200 pounds for each square foot times 2,000 feet to determine the weight.
If you are interested in finding out more about the weight of your house, this is the right article for you. We will discuss the weight of different types and sizes of homes, as well as how to calculate the weight.
How Much Does A House Weigh Per Square Foot?
For an average house weight, the general rule of thumb is that a one-story house is 200 pounds per square foot. So if you have a home that is 1,500 square feet, that is 300,000 pounds. This is the weight the construction industry uses as its standard.
There are several different ways to determine how much a house weighs. The first thing you need is to know the square footage of your home. If you do not know that already, you will have to take some measurements.
If you have a basic house with a simple rectangular plan, you can measure the length and the width. You can then multiply the two numbers. For example, if your house is 60 feet by 40 feet long, the total square footage is 2,400.
Most houses are not that basic or simple. For a house that is a little complex, you can sketch your home. Make every space its own room because that will be easier. Be sure to include hallways and those little spaces that you do not consider a room.
With a tape measure, determine the width and length of each room. Then, for each room, determine the square footage by multiplying the width by the length and put that number in the appropriate space on your sketch. Once you add up all the square footage numbers, you have the square footage of your house.
When you have the square footage of your house, you can determine how much it weighs. Knowing how much your house weighs can help you if you are adding an extension or renovating. In addition, the weight lets you know what kind of materials work best.
The first method to determining the weight of your house uses the standard rule of thumb that the average one-story house weighs 200 pounds per square foot. A two-story house weighs 275 pounds per square foot, and a three-story house weighs 350 pounds per square foot.
These numbers do not include the basement floor or concrete garage. However, it does include the weight of the foundation. A typical foundation weighs between 160,000 pounds and 200,000 pounds.
Another method determines the weight of a house by weighing each of the components of the house, including common building materials. This includes the floors, walls, and roof. The individual components used in the house are different based on when the house was built. The older the house is means the sturdier and heavier the components are.
As you can imagine, this way of determining the weight of the house is more challenging because you have to know the exact materials that were used in the house. If you built the house or selected the material, that is much easier to accomplish.
How Much Does A 2 Story House Weigh?
An average two-story house weighs 275 pounds per square foot. Keep in mind this is an average weight per square foot. You must know the square footage of your home to determine the actual weight. Therefore, it is essential to know how the weight within your house is calculated.
Depending on the age of your home, the component will differ. For example, older houses use floorboards for flooring, whereas more modern houses use plywood. Hard plywood is heavier, weighing about 67 pounds for a 4 x 8 feet sheet.
One sheet of hard plywood is three pounds per square foot per inch of thickness. Softer plywood weighs 61 pounds for a 4 x 8 feet sheet. A sheet of soft plywood is less than two pounds per square foot for every inch of thickness.
If you have plaster walls, they are heavier than drywall. Plaster is about 11 pounds per square foot. Drywall comes in different thicknesses. A 1/4 inch sheet of drywall weighs about one pound per square foot. A 5/8 inch sheet of drywall, which is the thickest drywall, weighs about two pounds per square foot.
Roofs are another large factor when it comes to weight. Tile roofing is made from slate, concrete, or clay. They are natural materials but also heavier than other roofing options. There are synthetic tile roofing options, which are lighter.
Concrete roof tiles average around 650 pounds per square foot. However, they can get as heavy as 1,000 pounds per square foot. Aluminum and steel roofing tiles are a lighter option.
A metal roof panel that is 26 gauge metal weighs about one pound per square foot. A 29 gauge metal tile is lighter than that. So it comes in a little more than a half pound per square foot.
Your household contents matter, too, when it comes to weight. There is a standard for measuring the weight of all your contents. You determine the number of rooms in your house and multiply that number by 1,000 pounds. If you have seven rooms multiplied by 1,000, that equals 7,000 pounds. This number is added to all the other numbers you calculated.
How Much Does A Brick House Weigh?
All of the other measurements related to the weight of the house are in play with a brick house, except now you must factor in the weight of the brick. Bricks are often used in extensive masonry work.
It is hard to find two bricks that weigh the exact same amount, which is why masonry standards use the average weight of bricks. The earliest bricks were made of clay, just like they are today. There are many different types and styles of bricks.
The most common and average brick is the red brick, which is the one this article will focus on. Most bricks are rectangular with an average size of 2.25 inches high, 7.75 inches long, and 3.5 inches deep. A typical brick can fit in the palm of an average adult’s hand.
What we know as the red brick does not start that way. It becomes red after baking in the oven. It has a high amount of clay that turns a red rust color when exposed to heat. This brick can be dyed any color during the manufacturing process. Most people think of it as red when they hear the word brick.
The average red brick weighs about 2.5 pounds. A typical pallet holds about 500 bricks and weighs 2,250 pounds. When bricks are constructed under poor conditions, they have can pits, or air pockets, in them, which impacts the dimensions and weight of the bricks.
There are many different bricks that can be used for building a house, which impacts the total weight of the bricks and the house.
Here is a chart of common bricks and their dimensions and weight:
|
Brick Type |
Dimensions |
Average Weight |
|
Modular |
3-5/8″ x 2-1/4″ x 7-5/8″ |
4.2 lbs (1.9 kg) |
|
Standard |
3-5/8″ x 2-1/4″ x 8″ |
4.5 lbs (2.04 kg) |
|
Jumbo Modular |
3-5/8″ x 2-3/4″ x 7-5/8″ |
5.1 lbs (2.31 kg) |
|
Jumbo Standard |
3-5/8″ x 2-3/4″ x 8″ |
5.9 lbs (2.68 kg) |
|
Slim Jumbo Modular |
3-1/8″ x 2-3/4″ x 7-5/8″ |
4.1 lbs (1.86 kg) |
|
Queen |
3-1/8″ x 2-3/4″ x 9-5/8″ |
5.6 lbs (2.54 kg) |
|
Roman |
3-5/8″ x 1-5/8″ x 11-5/8″ |
4.7 lbs (2.13 kg) |
|
Norman |
3-5/8″ x 2-1/4″ x 11-5/8″ |
6.5 lbs (2.95 kg) |
|
Jumbo Norman |
3-5/8″ x 2-3/4″ x 11-5/8″ |
6.4 lbs (2.9 kg) |
|
Modular Economo |
3-5/8″ x 3-5/8″ x 7-5/8″ |
6.8 lbs (3.08 kg) |
|
Utility |
3-5/8″ x 3-5/8″ x 11-5/8″ |
10.2 lbs (4.63 kg) |
|
Monarch |
3-5/8″ x 3-5/8″ x 15-5/8″ |
12.5 lbs (5.67 kg) |
|
Quad |
3-5/8″ x 7-5/8″ x 7-5/8″ |
14.1 lbs (6.4 kg) |
|
Ambassador |
3-5/8″ x 2-1/4″ x 15-5/8″ |
8.8 lbs (4 kg) |
|
Double Utility |
3-5/8″ x 7-5/8″ x 11-5/8″ |
21 lbs (9.53 kg) |
|
Double Monarch |
3-5/8″ x 7-5/8″ x 15-5/8″ |
25.5 lbs (11.57 kg) |
How Much Does A Small House Weigh?
A house must be less than 1,000 square feet to be considered a small home. The average weight of a small home is about 50,00 to 100,000 pounds. There are also tiny homes. It is difficult to say just how much a tiny house weigh because they range in size and do not have all have the most common building materials.
In general, a tiny house is one that is less than 600 square feet. However, the average size of a tiny home is around 225 square feet. Therefore, the maximum size of a tiny home is 40 feet long, 13.5 feet tall, and 8.5 feet wide. This is significantly smaller than a typical home.
The dry weight of a tiny house is typically about 10,000 pounds. However, a tiny house weigh as little as 3,000 pounds or as much as 10,000 pounds. Dry weight refers to the weight of the house itself without any personal belongings or other items in the house.
How Much Does A 3 Bedroom House Weigh?
When considering the average weight of a three bedroom house, you use the number of all the rooms in your house to get the weight. For example, if you have three bedrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, a dining room, and a living room, that equals eight rooms.
You multiply the number of rooms by 1,000 pounds. For example, if you have eight rooms multiplied by 1,000, that equals 8,000 pounds. That is just the weight of the rooms in your house. It does not account for the foundation, walls, floor, garage, and roof. It also does not factor in materials or personal belongings.
You should expect the overall weight of the house to be 80,000 pounds to 160,000 pounds. This is, of course, after you have factored in everything in the entire home. This includes concrete floor slabs, interior walls, and concrete foundation. All those materials, asphalt shingles, plus the concrete slab foundation can help determine what the home weighs.