Hardwood lumber grades are a standardized classification system that measures how much defect-free wood a board can yield. It tells you the number of usable clear cuttings, but it does not indicate a board's overall strength. Knowing the grade matters for a lumber distributor verifying an incoming truckload, a furniture manufacturer specifying stock for a tabletop versus a drawer front or a landowner trying to understand what their timber is actually worth.
Once you understand what a grade measures, you can stop guessing and order exactly what a project requires. You'll also avoid overspending on wood you don't necessarily need.
Who Sets Hardwood Grading Standards?
The National Hardwood Lumber Association has governed lumber grading standards since 1898, giving American mills, distributors and manufacturers a shared language for describing quality. It publishes and maintains the official guidelines governing the measurement, inspection and grading of hardwood boards, titled Rules for the Measurement and Inspection of Hardwood and Cypress.
NHLA periodically updates the rulebook, releasing versions in multiple languages. Thanks to these standards, an overseas distributor and a manufacturer in the Midwest can order specific grades and expect their boards to meet the same baseline.
Specific Grading Factors
Lumber grades measure clear yield rather than structural strength, so a higher grade merely ensures more clear wood for cutting. These rules apply across species, though some exotic species may follow custom mill rules.
- Clear-cutting yield: Graders calculate what percentage of a board's surface they can cut into rectangular, defect-free pieces. Each grade has a minimum size requirement, so a small board can fail to qualify for a specific grade despite having plenty of clear wood. For instance, FAS lumber requires the highest yield, followed by No. 1 Common, then No. 2 Common.
- Defects, knots and wane: Grading accounts for knots, checks, splits and rot, since they limit clear yield. While color transitions and mineral streaks don't count against a board, wane or missing wood along an edge reduces usable width.
- Straightness and warp: Grading weighs bows, crooks and twists, since a board that won't lie flat is harder to use. A warp or cup can be acceptable if it's still possible to smooth the board to a standard thickness.
Hardwood Lumber Grades
There are eight standard grades of lumber with the following differences:
| Grade | Minimum Board Size | Minimum Clear Yield | Minimum Cutting Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firsts and Seconds (FAS) | 6 inches by 8 feet | 83.33% | 4 inches by 5 feet or 3 inches by 7 feet |
| FAS One Face (F1F) | 6 inches by 8 feet | FAS standards for the better face and No. 1 Common standards for the other face | FAS standards for the better face and No. 1 Common standards for the other face |
| Select | 4 inches by 6 feet | FAS standards for the better face and No. 1 Common standards for the other face | FAS standards for the better face and No. 1 Common standards for the other face |
| No. 1 Common | 3 inches by 4 feet | 66.67% | 4 inches by 2 feet or 3 inches by 3 feet |
| No. 2A Common | 3 inches by 4 feet | 50% | 3 inches by 2 feet |
| No. 2B Common | 3 inches by 4 feet | 50% | 3 inches by 2 feet |
| No. 3A Common | 3 inches by 4 feet | 33.33% | 3 inches by 2 feet |
| No. 3B Common | 3 inches by 4 feet | 25% | Not less than 1.5 inches wide, containing 36 square inches |
FAS
The FAS lumber grade is the highest standard hardwood grade, providing long and clear cuttings. A board earns it by meeting the minimum size and clear wood requirements. Its premium quality can make it worth the investment, depending on your specific application. For instance, you may use it to create luxury furniture if you need to showcase the color and grain.
F1F and Select
F1F requires the better face of a board to meet full FAS standards, while the reverse only needs to clear No. 1 Common. Buyers often use it for cabinet sides and drawer fronts that only show one face of the lumber. Select-grade lumber follows the same two-faced structure, but with a smaller minimum board size. Its characteristics typically include consistent color and grain, making it appropriate for cabinet fronts and molding.
No. 1 Common
No. 1 Common, also called cabinet grade, accounts for the largest share of the hardwood market, appearing in cabinet frames, drawer parts, furniture components, flooring and door panels. It comes from the trees' knotty core. Usually, only the newest wood, the outer parts of a log, meet the requirements of the higher grades.
No. 2A and 2B Common
No. 2A Common, sometimes called the economy grade, shares the same minimum board size as No. 1 Common but drops the minimum clear yield to 50%. Boards carry more knots, which are not defects — they add acceptable character and charm to hardwood flooring and rustic furniture.
No. 2B Common carries the same size and yield requirements as 2A, but its cuttings only need to be sound rather than fully clear, so you can stain them. That requirement makes it well-suited to finished applications where paint and stain can make flaws unnoticeable.
No. 3A and 3B Common
No. 3A Common drops the minimum clear yield to roughly 33.33% while keeping the same minimum board size as the grades above it. Mills consider this a utility grade, often combined with No. 3B and sold as No. 3 Common for pallets and crating.
No. 3B Common sits at the bottom of the standard scale. Unlike the grades above it, professionals evaluate boards on sound cuttings instead of clear ones.
How Grading Affects Price
Hardwood lumber grades translate directly into price because pricing tracks clear yield percentage. That's what buyers will pay for when ordering a higher grade, not the wood's structural quality.
FAS often comes with the highest price per board foot, followed by Select and F1F, then No. 1 Common. Lumber is typically available by the thousand board feet, with price reflecting grade, thickness in quarters and species. Walnut, cherry and white oak often sit at the premium end, while poplar represents the value tier.
Matching the appropriate grade to your cutting pattern will save you money while ensuring you get the correct fit for your project. A cabinet door manufacturer cutting parts under 4 feet long extracts the same clear yield from No. 1 Common as from FAS, so specifying FAS there will result in paying for length the pattern won't use. FAS still earns its price for long, clear pieces like tabletops, while No. 2 Common can work at a fraction of the cost for painted trim, which will hide defects.
Get Quality Hardwood From Beiler's Sawmill
Beiler's Sawmill has operated our Quarryville, Penn., facility since 1978. We produce roughly 10 million board feet annually from our mill located 15 miles southeast of Lancaster, giving us the capacity to fill large orders without sacrificing consistency.
Our lineup ranges from FAS-quality domestic hardwood lumber down through precut pallet stock, timber mats and beams, so you can select the ideal grade instead of choosing whatever's on the truck by default. If you're a landowner, we are also happy to help you calculate the value of your standing timber.
Call us at 717-284-5271 to talk through your order, or request a quote through our online form today.