Weight per unit area (load) estimates of Down Woody Material (DWM) are the most common requests by users of the USDA Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program's DWM inventory. Estimating of DWM loads requires the uniform compilation of DWM transect data for the entire United States. DWM weights may vary by species, level of decay, woody material type, and size. Additionally, weight estimates may vary by compilation constants and methods. To better facilitate DWM compilation routines, the effect of the variation in fuel processing routine constants and measurement error of variables on the resulting DWM load estimates was examined. Sensitivity analysis indicated that some compilation constants and measurement variables disproportionately influenced load estimates of DWM. More accurate and efficient estimates of DWM components may be acquired by identifying compilation constants and measurement variables that are the largest sources of variation in weight estimates.