Last Updated on January 31, 2021 by
Knowing how much a house weighs is essential since it can help you plan the overall construction or moving the house. You will also get to understand how much weight the home exerts on the foundation soil. Determining a house’s weight can be challenging, but the figure depends on the type. On average, a home weighs between 80,000 and 160,000 pounds, according to movers.
Knowing a house weight also reduces the risks of harmful effects on your compound caused by a very large home.
How To Determine The Weight Of A House
Unlike other items that can be weighed on a scale weighing a house can be quite challenging. You cannot just pull a large scale and come up with the figures. Before determining the weight of a home, the first step would be to know what the term ‘house’ includes. But generally, in today’s society, an average house is two times larger than it was 50-years ago.
Depending on the age, older homes have concrete lumber wall sheathing and floorboards instead of plywood. Most of the houses also have plaster and large lath walls instead of plywood and more masonry work. The term house in this context includes a heavy concrete foundation, basement level, garage, and interior contents.
There are two ways of determining a house weight;
Construction Industry Rules Of Thumb
The weight of different houses varies depending on the method of construction and materials used. For example, a home with tile roofing or concrete weighs more than a similar one with composition shingle roofing. Generally, in the construction industry, a single-level home weighs about 200 pounds per square foot, a two-level home weighs 275 pounds per square foot, and a three-level house weighs 350 pounds per square foot.
| Level | Weight Per Square Foot |
| Single-level | 200 pounds |
| Two-level | 275 pounds |
| Three-level | 350 pounds |
However, these numbers do not include any heavier features like extensive masonry work or roofing, but they include the weight of a solid foundation.
Load Study
It is also possible to measure a home’s weight using a ‘load study‘. This process involves adding up all individual components in the house. You will start by measuring the full structure to come up with its square footage then calculate the weight of each material in the structure. This calculation includes the number of concrete slabs or foundation per cubic yard. It also includes the number of walls and ceilings per square foot.
To make the process easy, you can refer to the online engineering tables that list the building materials’ general weight. You can then add the weight of all materials used in constructing the home.
How To Determine The Weight Of A Home’s Contents
If you want to know the exact weight of a home, you need to know all its contents’ weight. This number varies from house to house depending on the type of appliances, furniture, and other personal belongings. The number could go even higher if the home has such features as a private library or a gym.
To come up with your contents’ weight, you have to multiply the number of complete rooms by 1000-pounds each. For example, for a home with one living room, four bedrooms, one kitchen, and one dining room, you will multiply seven by 1000-pounds. Its total weight will be 7,000-pounds.
How To Calculate A Home’s Square Footage
It is necessary to know your home’s square footage since this establishes the rules of thumb. This number helps you to determine a house weight. If your home’s floor is rectangular, determine its length and width then multiply the two. For example, if the floor measures 80-feet long by 60-feet wide, its footage will be 60×80=4800 square feet.
However, in most cases, a home’s floor is not a perfect rectangle, and measuring it isn’t effortless. If this is the situation in your home, you can follow these simple steps;
Sketch A Rough Outline
You need to sketch a rough outline of your whole home and include every room you need to measure. For simplicity, make sure that all hallways and other non-rooms appear as different rooms.
Measuring The Dimensions
Use a tape measure to calculate the length and width in feet of all rooms and record them. Calculate the square footage of each room by multiplying the length by width. Mark this square footage on your sketch. You will then need to add up the square footage of all the rooms to get the total for the entire house.
If you feel like the work is too much for you, consider hiring an expert appraiser. The professional will charge you depending on your property’s size. This cost could start from as little as $100 and rise to several hundred dollars.
How To Calculate The Total Weight Of A Particular House
After determining the weight of the different contents, you will want to add them up. For example, to calculate the weight of a one-storey, 2000-square foot house, you need to do the following. According to construction rules of thumb, a one-storey home weighs 200 pounds per square foot. This weight includes that of a concrete slab foundation. Proceed as follows;
2000sq ft x 200 pounds = 400000 pounds (weight of house + foundation)
Note that this weight does not include the home content’s weight. Multiply the total number of full rooms by 1000 pounds to get the weight of the contents. So if this 2000-square feet house has six full rooms, you will multiply six by 1000 pounds i.e.
6 rooms x 1000 pounds = 6000 pounds
To get the total weight of the house, contents, and foundation, you need to add all previous calculations
400000 pounds + 6000 pounds = 406,000
How Much Does A 4-Bedroom House Weigh?
A 4-bedroom house weighs around 6000 pounds on average. This weight does not include large devices like dishwashers, refrigerators, or ovens. It does not also account for those rooms that could be overly full.
If you are planning to move your home, it is essential to calculate the footage of your items and their volume. The size of your belongings is based on the space that they take up. You can use a tape measure to get the dimensions, then multiply the length x width x height.
What Is The Weight Of A Tiny House?
A ‘tiny house’ refers to a structure that is less than 500-square feet. Most of the tiny homes weigh around 8000 to 12000 pounds on average, but this weight excludes household items. While this weight varies for different houses, the contents weigh between 2000 and 3000 pounds in most cases.
Together with its contents, a tiny house will weigh an average of 10000 to 15000 pounds.
What Is The Weight Of A Mobile Home?
A mobile home’s weight depends on several factors, including the year of construction. For example, houses built before 1980 weigh less than modern homes due to building materials. Mobile homes built after 1980 weigh about 50-pounds per square foot on average.
A mobile house measuring 16 by 80 feet weighs 64000 pounds, excluding the weight of its contents.
What Is The Weight Of A House In Tons?
After calculating the weight of your house in pounds, it is possible to convert it to tons. Divide the total number of pounds by 2000. For example, if your house weighs 400000 pounds, this will be equivalent to
400000/2000 = 2000 tons. You can also use the same method to convert the contents weight to tons.
Approximate Weight Of Common Building Materials
A house may weigh much or less depending on the material used in its construction. The following are the approximate weight of materials that are commonly used;
Asphalt And Concrete
Both concrete and asphalt have the same densities, and they will weigh the same. Each cubic yard of concrete weighs around 2-tons or 4,000 pounds. One cubic foot of this material will weigh approximately 150 pounds.
Plaster
Plaster can be light or heavy depending on how many coats one applies. The weight also varies according to how much plaster is behind lath keys. But on average, plaster weighs an estimate of 11-pounds per square foot. However, this estimate will apply if the application is dry. If the material is water-soaked, the weight will go up.
Lumber
It can be challenging to estimate lumber’s actual weight since the wood type and water-density need to be factored in. For example, a 100-square feet deck built with southern yellow pine (pressure-treated) will weigh around 950 lbs.
Carpet
The weight of a carpet will also depend on whether the material is water-soaked or dry. But on average, the weight of a 1500-square feet carpet is approximately 2500lbs.
Conclusion
Knowing the weight of your house is essential since it helps you to plan well when you want to move it. The information is also helpful if you plan to build a home and know the exact weight you need.
