LVL Beams Cost Guide: Prices, Types, and Buying Tips (2026)

Quick Answer: LVL beams typically run $6 to $20 per linear foot (LF) for common residential sizes as of 2026, with deep and long spanning beams reaching $30 to $60 per LF. A 1.75 x 9.5 inch LVL runs $7 to $11 per LF, a 3.5 x 14 inch LVL runs $22 to $34 per LF, and a 5.25 x 18 inch girder LVL runs $45 to $65 per LF. Your real cost moves with depth, ply count, length, manufacturer, and the engineered lumber market, so price every bid from current supplier quotes, not a list price.

What Drives the Price

LVL (laminated veneer lumber) is an engineered wood beam product. It is bought per LF, but the number on your quote moves with six variables that every estimator should understand.

• Depth: Depth is the dominant price driver. LVL is produced in standard depths of 5.5, 7.25, 9.25, 9.5, 11.25, 11.875, 14, 16, 18, and 24 inches. A 14 inch LVL costs roughly 2 to 3 times a 9.5 inch LVL of the same thickness because it uses more veneer and is cut from larger billets.
• Thickness and ply count: LVL comes in 1.75 inch (single ply), 3.5 inch (two ply), 5.25 inch (three ply), and 7 inch (four ply) thicknesses for built up girders. A 3.5 inch beam is roughly twice a 1.75 inch beam of the same depth. Multi ply girders are often bolted or nailed together on site, which adds labor cost per LF on top of the material.
• Length: LVL is produced in lengths of 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 32, 40, 48, and 60 feet. Long lengths (24 foot and up) cost more per LF because they are cut from longer billets and ship in special bundles. A 60 foot LVL column or piling grade beam can run 50% to 100% more per LF than the same depth at 16 feet.
• Manufacturer: The major north american producers are Boise Cascade (Versa Lam), Weyerhaeuser (Microllam), LP (SolidStart), Roseburg, and Murphy. Pricing between manufacturers varies 5% to 15% on the same size in the same market. Availability varies more: one manufacturer may have a 6 week backlog while another has stock in the local reload.
• Grade and certification: Standard LVL is grade 2900Fb for beams. Higher grade 3100Fb and 3200Fb products for long spans and heavy loads run 10% to 25% more. FSC certified and fire retardant treated LVL run higher still.
• Market and lead time: LVL moves with the engineered lumber market and with mill capacity. During the pandemic boom, LVL lead times stretched to 16 weeks and prices doubled. In a normal market, lead times run 1 to 4 weeks. A quote older than 30 days is a guess, and a delivery date older than the actual lead time is a lie.

Typical Price Ranges by Size

Use these as a typical range in most US markets as of 2026 for 1.75 inch (single ply) LVL. Two ply, three ply, and four ply girders are multiples of the single ply price.

• 1.75 x 5.5 inch LVL, 8 to 16 ft: $6 to $9 per LF.
• 1.75 x 7.25 inch LVL, 8 to 16 ft: $7 to $11 per LF.
• 1.75 x 9.25 or 9.5 inch LVL, 8 to 16 ft: $9 to $14 per LF.
• 1.75 x 11.25 or 11.875 inch LVL, 8 to 16 ft: $11 to $18 per LF.
• 1.75 x 14 inch LVL, 8 to 16 ft: $14 to $22 per LF.
• 1.75 x 16 inch LVL, 8 to 16 ft: $18 to $28 per LF.
• 1.75 x 18 inch LVL, 8 to 16 ft: $22 to $34 per LF.
• 1.75 x 24 inch LVL, 8 to 16 ft: $35 to $55 per LF.
• 3.5 x 14 inch two ply LVL: $28 to $44 per LF.
• 5.25 x 18 inch three ply LVL girder: $66 to $100 per LF.
• 24 to 60 foot long LVL: add 25% to 80% over the 16 foot price of the same depth.

For comparison, a steel W beam or a PSL beam in the same span runs higher still, but LVL usually wins on price per LF for residential and light commercial spans up to about 24 feet.

How to Buy Smarter

LVL is bought from a lumberyard or directly from a reload facility that stocks engineered lumber. The unit price is the headline, the loaded cost is what kills margin.

• Get three quotes dated within the bid week. Yard prices vary 10% to 30% on the same size because of manufacturer, freight, and backlog. A quote older than 30 days is a guess.
• Order in stock lengths and minimize cuts. A 16 foot LVL cut to 14 feet wastes 2 feet. A 14 foot LVL ordered direct wastes nothing. Match the order length to the cut list to the foot where the mill supports it.
• Specify manufacturer, grade, and length. A vague "LVL header" line item lets the yard bid the cheapest compliant beam. If you need 2900Fb, 16 foot, or a specific manufacturer, write it into the quote request so every yard prices the same thing.
• Lock the price and the delivery date. On bids with framing 60 to 120 days out, ask the yard to hold price for 30 days and confirm the lead time. Vague "subject to market" language is where estimates leak, and vague "we will deliver" language is where the schedule breaks.
• Consolidate depths. A frame that uses five LVL depths costs more than a frame standardized on two depths, because each depth ships as a separate bundle and breaks the volume discount. Standardize where the design allows.
• Price connections and hangers separately. LVL girders need steel connectors, beam seats, and hangers from Simpson, USP, or MiTek. These add $5 to $30 per connection and are a separate line item, not part of the LVL price.

Where Estimators Get It Wrong

The classic mistake is pricing LF and forgetting the rest of the package. You bid 200 LF of LVL at $14 and feel smart, then the multi ply bolting, the connectors, the hangers, the long length premium, and the crane add 15% to 30% to the installed beam cost. LVL is cheap per LF and expensive per beam installed once you load it.

The second mistake is using last month's LVL price on a job that frames next quarter. Engineered lumber moves with the market and mill capacity. Refresh quotes within 30 days of the framing window.

The third is ignoring lead time. An LVL order placed 4 weeks before the framing window, with a 6 week lead time, breaks the schedule. Confirm the lead time in writing and price a backup if the mill slips.

The fourth is underestimating waste. A 5% waste factor is the minimum for LVL beams. Long spans, field cuts for tight openings, and damaged plies push it to 8%. A cheap unit price with a tight waste factor loses money. A slightly higher unit price with an honest waste factor makes money.

Putting It Together

Build your LVL line item from the ground up: LF by size and depth from the takeoff, plus a 5% to 8% waste factor rounded up to stock lengths, times the current delivered unit price for the exact depth, thickness, and manufacturer you specified, plus the connectors and hangers as separate line items, plus the crane and multi ply bolting labor. That is your installed LVL cost per beam, and it is the only number that matters on buyout day. Get three quotes dated this week, specify the manufacturer and length, lock the price and delivery date, and refresh before the framing window opens. Do that and your LVL budget holds.