Title: LVL beam: sizing, uses, and ordering | Cercha
Description: Learn what an LVL beam is, where it fits in a house, who sizes it, and what builders and suppliers must confirm before ordering or installation.
Canonical: https://cercha.pages.dev/guides/lvl-beam/
# What is an LVL beam?
Trusses and structure
An LVL beam is a specified structural product. Its grade, dimensions, supports, connections, and installation details belong in one coordinated order.
You need to price or order an LVL beam for an opening or floor. Start with the specified product and design. Do not choose beam depth from the opening width alone.
LVL means laminated veneer lumber. APA describes it as wood veneers bonded together, primarily along the member's length, for structural use.
An LVL beam belongs to the [structural composite lumber family](https://www.apawood.org/engineered-wood-products/structural-composite-lumber-scl/). Its name identifies a product category, not a complete beam specification. The order also needs the manufacturer, grade, dimensions, ply arrangement, and the details that make it work in the building.
## Where LVL appears in a house
LVL can serve as a beam or header in the structural design. Weyerhaeuser identifies [window openings and garage-door headers](https://www.weyerhaeuser.com/woodproducts/engineered-lumber/microllam-lvl/) among its Microllam LVL applications. The product on your job must match the specified use and design conditions.
Find the member mark on your drawings. Check its entry in the schedule and the details that apply. Ask which loads it supports and where the ends bear. Then check that the order refers to that same member and current drawing revision.
A floor package may use LVL with [floor trusses or I-joists](/guides/floor-trusses-vs-i-joists/). Coordinate those pieces together. Ask the designer to resolve any disagreement between the floor layout and the beam schedule before material is cut.
Do not call every engineered wood beam an LVL. APA distinguishes LVL from other structural composite lumber products. Record the exact specified product rather than accepting “engineered beam” as the purchase description.
## Who sizes the beam
Ask the building designer or responsible structural professional to identify the design basis. A supplier may provide calculations or layout services within its contract. Name who checks that the selected beam works with the rest of the building.
Weyerhaeuser's [beam design and installation guidance](https://www.weyerhaeuser.com/blog/wood-beam-design-and-installation-considerations/) explains that selection involves more than finding a member in a table. Bearings, connections, and lateral stability require attention. Ask the designer to show the applicable details beside the selected member.
Use this review list before accepting a size:
- Span and support arrangement used in the calculation.
- Loads and the locations where they reach the beam.
- Exact product, grade, and permitted use conditions.
- Required bearing and supporting structure.
- Connections between plies and at supported members.
- Bracing and other installation details.
Use this checklist to review the design, not to size the beam. If the design uses a manufacturer's table, ask which table and limitations apply to the actual condition.
## Put the complete specification on the order
Ask for a schedule that lists all ordering details for each member mark. Avoid sending a supplier only the rough opening measurement. Ask for clarification when the schedule and detail use different product descriptions.
| Order field | What to confirm |
| --- | --- |
| Project and member mark | The location on the current drawings |
| Manufacturer and product | The specified LVL line and accepted substitution process |
| Grade or design designation | The exact designation used in the design |
| Thickness and depth | Finished specified dimensions with units |
| Length and quantity | Required supply lengths and cutting responsibility |
| Ply count | Number of members acting together in the assembly |
| Installation information | Bearing, connections, bracing, and applicable restrictions |
| Delivery plan | Receiver, unloading arrangement, and storage instructions |
Ask the supplier to repeat the final specification on the acknowledgment. Compare it against the design before releasing the order. Flag any difference and resolve it before accepting the order.
## Get connection details for multiple-ply beams
When the design calls for several plies, request the connection detail that makes them act together. Do not let a material list replace that detail. Ask the crew to confirm the fasteners and installation arrangement before assembly.
Weyerhaeuser's [TJ-9000 specifier's guide](https://www.weyerhaeuser.com/woodproducts/document-library/document_library_detail/tj-9000/) provides design information for its beam products. Use the current guide and project-specific direction for the selected product. A detail for one manufacturer or loading condition is not a universal fastening schedule.
Ask how supported joists or other members connect to the beam. Check the required hanger and fastener information with the accepted drawings. Return any conflicting detail to the design team before installation.
Keep side-loaded and top-loaded conditions identified in the design review. If site conditions change where a load enters the beam, ask the designer to review the change. Do not assume that the original ply count settles every connection question.
## Confirm bearings and the load path
Ask the designer to show what supports each end of the beam. Review the support below those points through the rest of the structure. Record any required wall, post, or connection change before the framing crew arrives.
Mark the beam location, support points, and relevant detail references on a plan. Ask the supplier whether its calculation assumes the same conditions.
The responsibilities behind component packages are discussed in [roof truss design](/guides/how-roof-trusses-are-designed/). Apply the same habit here: name the person coordinating the building, then name the supplier's contracted work. Get a written answer about any work neither party has agreed to cover.
For a remodel, ask the responsible professional to specify temporary support and the installation sequence. Do not remove a wall because the replacement beam has been delivered. A delivered beam does not authorize structural changes.
## Have the designer review substitutions before ordering
Weyerhaeuser directs purchasers to [dealers for quotes, pricing, and availability](https://www.weyerhaeuser.com/woodproducts/engineered-lumber/microllam-lvl/). Ask the serving supplier about the specified product, lengths, and delivery conditions. Confirm availability for the complete order before booking the installation crew.
Suppliers may offer [engineered-wood layout and estimating services](https://www.bldr.com/services/truss-ewp-design). Ask which services are included and which calculations or reviews remain open. Ask who checks the order against plan changes after the quotation.
If the specified product is unavailable, submit the proposed substitution to the responsible designer. Include the complete replacement designation and supporting documents. Do not approve it because the depth matches or someone says it is stronger.
## Protect the member until installation
Arrange storage and handling before delivery. APA's [I-joist and LVL technical note](https://www.apawood.org/guides-tools-training/technical-document-library/technical-notes/proper-storage-and-handling-of-i-joists-and-lvl/) addresses physical damage and moisture effects. Obtain the manufacturer's instructions for the actual product and site arrangement.
Check labels and condition on receipt. Report damage with the member mark, photographs, and delivery reference. Ask for a written decision before installing a questionable member.
Keep proposed holes, notches, or other alterations in the design-review process. Ask the product manufacturer and responsible designer for the applicable restrictions. The [damaged truss guide](/guides/damaged-roof-truss/) demonstrates the evidence to collect, but an LVL requires its own product-specific response.
Before covering the assembly, file the final specification and required completion records. Ask the superintendent to check that the installed member mark, ply count, and connection details agree with the current documents. Resolve differences while access remains available.
## Where Cercha fits
Cercha supplier profiles list brands carried, which helps you start a relevant material inquiry. Messages lets you contact the supplier, while portfolios and endorsements provide relationship context. Confirm beam specifications, calculations, stock, and ordering directly with the contracted parties.
Published 2026.10.14. Updated 2026.10.14.
[More guides: Trusses and structure]()
## Related guides
- [Floor trusses vs I-joists]()
- [How roof trusses are designed: who owns what]()
- [Roof truss vs rafter framing]()
- [Damaged or cut truss: who to call before you fix it]()
## Build your connections
[Ask about the beta]()
## Sources
1. APA - The Engineered Wood Association. (n.d.). *Structural Composite Lumber (SCL)*. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://www.apawood.org/engineered-wood-products/structural-composite-lumber-scl/
2. Weyerhaeuser. (n.d.). *Microllam LVL*. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://www.weyerhaeuser.com/woodproducts/engineered-lumber/microllam-lvl/
3. Jerad Bankston. (2016, October 3). *Wood Beam Design and Installation Considerations*. Weyerhaeuser. https://www.weyerhaeuser.com/blog/wood-beam-design-and-installation-considerations/
4. Weyerhaeuser. (2026, July). *Specifier’s Guide for Trus Joist Beams, Headers and Columns*. https://www.weyerhaeuser.com/woodproducts/document-library/document_library_detail/tj-9000/
5. Builders FirstSource. (n.d.). *Truss and EWP Design*. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://www.bldr.com/services/truss-ewp-design
6. APA - The Engineered Wood Association. (2005, March 1). *Proper Storage and Handling of I-Joists and LVL*. https://www.apawood.org/guides-tools-training/technical-document-library/technical-notes/proper-storage-and-handling-of-i-joists-and-lvl/