Plywood Prices Guide: Typical Prices for Estimating the Cost of Plywood Panels

Lumber Calculator - perfect for estimating board feet, board length, and lumber prices.

OSB/OSD plywood prices

This type of plywood is made from a sticky mix of wood chips and glue. The sheet is actually baked in an oven– sort of like a sheet of brownies – to produce a very sturdy and inexpensive building material (but probably not your best choice for designing workbench plans). It’s easy to spot in the store – it sort of looks like brown Styrofoam. Without the extra trouble and expensive to layer veneers (as is done with other types of plywood) OSD is often priced nearly fifty percent below the cost of more conventional types of plywood. The real benefit of OSD plywood is that all the glue and resin consequentially makes the material water resistant. That means it’s perfect for exterior walls – especially when building an outdoor shed or designing playhouse plans .

CDX plywood prices

CDX is probably the most common inexpensive plywood you will find at places like Home Depot or Lowes. Most CDX plywood is made from pine and fir. Pine tends to be cheaper – and is somewhat softer than fir. Both types are typically used for house construction sheathing – under roof shingles, in walls, and the sub flooring in your house. The letters “C” and “D” indicate that both sides of the sheet are rough – which accounts for its low price. The “X” in the name is sometimes mistaken as meaning “exterior” – however , the more accurate definition of X is “exposure” – which means the panel can be exposed to moisture temporarily (exposure 1 panels), as in the case where a roofing contractor might be delayed for a couple days between applying roof sheathing and laying the shingles. Ultimately, CDX plywood must be covered by another waterproof material if the sheet is to be used outdoors.. The easiest way to spot CDX plywood (besides its low price) is the unmistakable knots and defects you’ll see on both sides. In most cases, you’ll never see the CDX plywood after it’s covered, so it doesn't need to have a nice finish.

Design Your Own Workbench Plans

T&G Plywood prices

T&G stands for “tongue and groove” – which makes this type of plywood sheet perfect for laying sub flooring in a house – or creating walls where you want a tight fit between each sheet. As the name implies, a “tongue” edge cut on side of the panel fits snuggly into a “groove” cut in the edge of an adjoining panel.

T1-11 or Texture 1-11 prices

This is an exterior grade plywood with a rough (textured) face. Sometimes you’ll see it used as an inexpensive siding for outdoor sheds. Usually comes in 4 x 8 sheets with the long side of the panel featuring a small lip for overlapping panels. milled to allow lapping.