Dimensional lumber product attributes

Dimensional lumber looks like the easiest category to catalog, and it is where small shortcuts cost the most. A 2x6 is 1-1/2 by 5-1/2 inches only when surfaced dry, and green or rough stock is larger. Species group and grade together set the design values an engineer relies on, but mill tallies and supplier item names often abbreviate both until SPF South and SPF, or No. 2 and No. 2 & Better, blur together.

Treated lumber adds three separate facts that are often squeezed into one word. The preservative, the AWPA use category and the retention decide whether a board can touch the ground, sit above grade or go into a permanent wood foundation. Those values are printed on the end tag, not in the item description, so they vanish during import unless someone captures them.

Selling units are another trap. Yards stock by the piece in fixed lengths, trade price by the thousand board feet, and some stud lengths are precision end trimmed rather than nominal. Storing nominal size, actual size, length and selling unit as separate fields keeps pricing, takeoffs and substitution checks honest.

The dimensional lumber attribute template

18 candidate fields in 4 groups, ordered the way a record gets built: identify the item, capture its specifications, then record fit and the evidence behind any claim. 11 are marked Core: without them the item cannot be identified or filtered. Example values show the expected format only; they do not describe a real SKU.

Identity

Which exact item, variant and pack this record describes.

Check before use: Preserve leading zeros and punctuation, validate against the manufacturer record, and check the GTIN check digit and packaging level before linking.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Selling Unit of Measure selling_unit_of_measure	Controlled list	Core	PC (piece); price basis MBF
Manufacturer Part Number manufacturer_part_number	Identifier	Core	LBR-2616-SPF-2B
GTIN / UPC gtin_upc	Identifier	Core	00614141320035

Technical specifications

Measured or rated values that must travel with their unit and test conditions.

Check before use: Store the number and unit separately. Convert only when the source unit and test conditions are known.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Nominal Size nominal_size	Controlled list	Core	2x6
Actual Dressed Size actual_dressed_size	Text · in	Core	1-1/2 in x 5-1/2 in (dry, S4S)
Length length	Number · ft	Core	16
Preservative Retention preservative_retention	Number · pcf	Buyer decision	0.15
Bending Design Value (Fb) bending_design_value_fb	Number · psi	Buyer decision	875
Modulus of Elasticity (E) modulus_of_elasticity_e	Number · psi	Buyer decision	1400000

Selection attributes

The type, material and option choices buyers filter and compare on.

Check before use: Map supplier wording to a governed vocabulary only after checking the source text and which variant it applies to.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Species / Species Group species_species_group	Controlled list	Core	Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF)
Grade grade	Controlled list	Core	No. 2 & Btr
Grade Category (NGR Size Classification) grade_category_ngr_size_classification	Controlled list	Core	Structural Joists & Planks (2x5 and wider)
Seasoning / Moisture Designation seasoning_moisture_designation	Controlled list	Core	KD-HT (MC 19% max)
Surfacing & Edge Profile surfacing_edge_profile	Controlled list	Core	S4S, eased edges
Preservative Type preservative_type	Controlled list	Buyer decision	MCA (micronized copper azole)

Evidence & compliance

Listings, standards, classifications and origin claims that need a document behind them.

Check before use: Link the manufacturer document or label with its edition or date. Never copy a certification from a neighboring SKU.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
AWPA Use Category awpa_use_category	Controlled list	Buyer decision	UC4A (ground contact, general use)
Grading Agency & Mill Number grading_agency_mill_number	Identifier	Channel / evidence	Grading agency mark / Mill 000
Country of Origin country_of_origin	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	Canada

Normalize supplier values

The same value arrives in many spellings. Map each raw string to one governed value, and keep the raw text beside it so a reviewer can see what the supplier actually wrote.

Often missing from supplier files

These fields are commonly absent from price lists and basic feeds, even though the information usually exists in a datasheet, label or installation manual. Treat an empty value as a request for evidence, not as permission to fill it from a similar model.

• Actual Piece Length / Precision End Trim (PET)
• AWPA Use Category and Retention
• Design Values (Fb, E, Emin)
• Grading Rules / Design Value Edition
• Chain-of-Custody Certification

Questions the record must answer

Buyers and counter-sales reps choosing dimensional lumber ask questions like these. Each one needs a specific field, sourced for the exact variant.

• Is this a true 16-foot piece, or precision trimmed a little short?
• Is the treatment rated for ground contact, or only above ground?
• What species group and grade is it, so the engineer's span table applies?
• Is this priced per piece or per thousand board feet?

From supplier file to record

1. Resolve identity first. Link the supplier SKU, manufacturer part number and packaging identifiers without merging distinct variants or pack sizes.
2. Extract with the source attached. Pull values from rows, tables and datasheets, keeping the raw text, unit and page or row reference.
3. Map to your classification. Assign the ETIM, ECLASS, UNSPSC or internal class your company licenses, and keep the supplier's original terms.
4. Review, sync and watch. Hold conflicts and safety-related values for a category expert, write approved values to ERP or PIM, and recheck when the supplier sends a new file.

For the full method, see how to build a category attribute template and the category catalog gap audit.

FAQ