How to Compute the Weight of a Tree

Finding the weight of a tree is very important to professional foresters who need to understand the economic return possible from cutting down a specific tree. It is also important to those who live far from a city or town and need wood for a stove or fire. Whatever the purpose, it is possible to calculate the height and weight of a tree without climbing it or putting the tree onto a large scale.

• 1

  Measure the tree 55 inches above the ground to determine the circumference at breast height. Divide the circumference by pi (3.14 or the pi symbol on your calculator) to get the diameter at breast height (DBH).

• 2

  Place a tape measure at the base of the tree and walk away from the trunk. Bend over every few feet and look through your legs. Once the top of the tree is visible from between your legs when looking straight behind, take the measurement from the measuring tape. This is the estimated height of the tree.

• 3

  Call your local university extension service to have an expert come out and estimate the volume of your tree. This takes expert precision.

• 4

  Estimate the density of the tree according to the tree type. Use the wood species chart (see Resources) to estimate the density.

• 5

  Multiply the volume of the tree by the density to get the weight of the tree without leaves or needles.