Freight Class for Windows & Doors
Windows and doors are large and light for their size, shipping at roughly freight class 100 to 175.
What is the freight class for windows?
Glazed windows and panel doors take up a lot of space relative to their weight, raising the class, and their fragility adds a handling premium. Solid-core doors and crated, palletized units rate lower than loose, oversized pieces.
Because freight class is density-driven, there isn’t a single fixed number for windows — class 100–175 is the common range. Run your actual dimensions and weight below to pin it down.
Big, light, and breakable — the double penalty
Windows and doors carry two freight penalties at once. First, they're large and light: a glazed window is a thin frame around a big pane, mostly void by volume, so it rates in the light classes (100–175). Second, they're fragile: glass and finished panels need crating, edge protection and careful handling, which adds cube on top of an already-bulky unit. Few commodities combine low density and high fragility the way glazing does.
That combination means the packaging can't just chase the cheapest class — it has to protect the glass first. A snug crate that measures well but lets a pane flex is a claim waiting to happen; a generous crate protects the glass but bills more cube. The art is a rigid, close-fitting crate that supports the pane at its edges (where glass is strongest) without adding needless clearance. Solid-core doors are the easier end — dense, less fragile, and they rate lower than hollow or glazed units.
Windows & Doors freight class: worked examples
Density is weight ÷ volume (cubic feet = L × W × H in inches ÷ 1,728). Here is how typical windows shipments measure out:
Crated vinyl windows — class 110
Vinyl windows banded upright in a crate, 60" × 48" × 30", 400 lb.
60 × 48 × 30 = 86,400 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 50.0 ft³. Density = 400 lb ÷ 50.0 ft³.
8.0 lb/ft³ → inside 8–9 → class 110.
Patio door, crated flat-ish — class 110
A sliding patio door in a protective crate, 80" × 40" × 12", 180 lb.
80 × 40 × 12 = 38,400 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 22.2 ft³. Density = 180 lb ÷ 22.2 ft³.
8.1 lb/ft³ → class 110.
Large light glass panels — class 150
Storefront glass panels edge-crated, 72" × 48" × 20", 250 lb.
72 × 48 × 20 = 69,120 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 40.0 ft³. Density = 250 lb ÷ 40.0 ft³.
6.25 lb/ft³ → class 150 — big, light glass rates toward the top of the window range.
Crate to the edge, ship on edge
Glazed units ship standing on edge, like countertops and mirrors, because glass resists load best in that orientation and flat-stacking invites cracks. That fixes one dimension and makes the footprint the variable you manage — crate to the unit's real size, not a stock crate with a foot of clearance that bills as air. A-frames and edge-protected crates are standard for larger glass.
Consolidate where you can without stacking risk: multiple windows banded upright in one crate share a footprint and protect each other better than singles, as long as they're separated and can't rub. Watch the measured height on tall patio doors and storefront glass — an inch of crate overbuild on an 8-foot door is real, repeated money. And confirm the destination can handle glass on edge; like slabs, oversized glazing needs the right equipment at delivery.
What affects windows freight class
- Glass/glazing and fragility
- Size and void space
- Crating and palletization
- Solid vs. hollow
Common windows shipments include vinyl and aluminum windows, patio and entry doors, glass panels, skylights.
Class guides covering the 100–175 range:
Calculate the freight class for your windows
Enter dimensions and weight to get the density-based class for your exact shipment.
Density-based estimate. Some commodities carry a fixed NMFC class — check our freight class by commodity pages.
Estimated Freight Class
Density
9.75
lb/ft³
Volume
53.33
ft³
Weight
520
lb
9–10.5 lb/ft³ → Class 100
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Estimates only — verify freight class/NMFC and chargeable weight with your carrier.
How freight class is calculated (density scale)
Freight class is set by density = weight (lb) ÷ volume (ft³). Higher density → lower class → typically lower cost. Volume here is L × W × H × quantity.
| Density (lb/ft³) | Class |
|---|---|
| 50+ | 50 |
| 35 – 50 | 55 |
| 30 – 35 | 60 |
| 22.5 – 30 | 65 |
| 15 – 22.5 | 70 |
| 13.5 – 15 | 77.5 |
| 12 – 13.5 | 85 |
| 10.5 – 12 | 92.5 |
| 9 – 10.5 | 100 |
| 8 – 9 | 110 |
| 7 – 8 | 125 |
| 6 – 7 | 150 |
| 5 – 6 | 175 |
| 4 – 5 | 200 |
| 3 – 4 | 250 |
| 2 – 3 | 300 |
| 1 – 2 | 400 |
| 0 – 1 | 500 |
Frequently asked questions
What freight class is windows?
Windows & Doors typically ships at freight class 100–175. The exact class is set by density — weight divided by volume — so packaging and dimensions can move it within that range.
What affects the freight class of windows?
The main factors are glass/glazing and fragility, size and void space, crating and palletization, solid vs. hollow. Denser, tightly packed loads rate a lower class and cost less to ship.
How do I find the exact freight class for windows?
Measure your shipment and divide weight by volume to get density, then match it to the NMFC scale — the calculator above does this. Confirm the final class and NMFC item number with your carrier before booking.
What freight class are windows and doors?
Crated vinyl and aluminum windows measure ~8 lb/ft³ → class 110; large light glass panels rate up to class 150–175; dense solid-core doors rate lower, near class 100. Fragility drives the packaging as much as density drives the class.
How are glass windows shipped safely?
Standing on edge in rigid, close-fitting crates that support the pane at its edges, with separation between units so they can't rub. Glass resists load best on edge; flat-stacking invites cracks. Oversized glazing needs A-frames and the right equipment at delivery.
Do solid doors ship cheaper than glass doors?
Yes — solid-core doors are denser and far less fragile, so they rate near the bottom of the range (class 100) and need less protective crating. Glazed and hollow doors are lighter, more fragile, and rate higher.