Board Foot Calculator
Price a lumber cut list by the board foot.
Cut list
Boards (1×)Dimensional (2×–3×)Timbers (4×+)One row per stick of stock. Pick a size from the menu — framing sizes, hardwood quarter thicknesses (4/4 sets the thickness and leaves the width yours), or type your own dimensions. Type dimensions that match a stock size and it’s called out as a true size — a full-sawn 2×6, not the inch-and-a-half kind. Set the species (it drives the weight), the length in feet, the count, and the price. Quoted by the stick instead of per board foot? Flip the price unit on that line to /pc and the tool converts it.
Breakdown
≈ 880 lb on the truck — kiln-dried weights by species.
| Board | Qty | BF ea | BF | $/BF | Cost | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2×4 · 8′SPF | 24 | 5.3 | 128.0 | $0.75 | $96 | 21% |
| 2×10 · 12′SPF | 8 | 20.0 | 160.0 | $1.10 | $176 | 39% |
| 1×6 · 10′SPF | 12 | 5.0 | 60.0 | $2.25 | $135 | 30% |
| Waste allowance (10%) | — | 34.8 | $41 | 9% | ||
| Total | 44 | 382.8 | $448 | 100% |
Cheat sheet — board feet per lineal foot
Multiply by a stick’s length in feet to get its board feet — handy for checking a yard quote on the tailgate. A 2×6 runs 1 BF per lineal foot, so a 12-footer is 12 BF.
How it works
A board foot is the standard unit lumber is sold and priced in: one board foot is a piece 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 1 foot long — 144 cubic inches of wood. To calculate board feet, multiply nominal thickness (in) × width (in) × length (ft) and divide by 12, then multiply by quantity. This calculator runs that math across an entire cut list and totals the cost at your yard's price per board foot.
Add each board to the cut list
Pick a nominal size (a 2×4 is figured as 2 by 4, even though it dresses smaller), a hardwood quarter thickness like 4/4 or 8/4, or type true dimensions for full-sawn and rough stock. Set the species on each line — it drives the weight estimate.
Enter length, quantity, and price
Set the length in feet, how many sticks of that size you need, and the price — per board foot, or flip the line to per-piece if the yard quotes by the stick and the tool converts it to an effective $/BF.
Set waste and stock-length rounding
Add a waste percentage for offcuts, culls, and mistakes — 10% is typical, 15%+ for finish work — and optionally round each stick up to the next stock length the yard sells (8′, 10′, 12′…), so a 7-foot need is figured as the 8-foot stick you'll actually buy. Both are carried in the open, never hidden inside unit prices.
Read the board feet to order and total cost
The breakdown shows board feet per item, the net and to-order board feet, each line's share of the cost, and a blended $/BF across the whole mix.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you calculate board feet?
- Board feet = thickness (inches) × width (inches) × length (feet) ÷ 12. For example, a 2×6 that is 12 feet long is (2 × 6 × 12) ÷ 12 = 12 board feet. Multiply by the number of pieces for the total.
- Do I use nominal or actual dimensions?
- Board feet are figured off nominal dimensions — the size the lumber is called, not its dressed size. A 2×4 actually measures about 1.5 × 3.5 inches, but it's counted as 2 × 4 for board-foot pricing. Use the Custom size only for rough-sawn stock that is sold at its true dimensions. If you're working full-sawn stock, type the actual dimensions — when they match a stock size the calculator calls the line out as a true 2×6 rather than lumping it in as custom.
- What is a board foot vs. a linear foot?
- A linear (running) foot measures length only. A board foot measures volume — it accounts for thickness and width too. A 1×12 has 1 board foot per linear foot; a 2×6 also has 1 board foot per linear foot; a 1×6 has half a board foot per linear foot.
- How much waste should I add for lumber?
- For framing and general carpentry, 10% is a common allowance for offcuts and defects. For trim, flooring, and finish work where you cut around knots and match grain, plan on 15% or more.
- What do 4/4, 5/4, and 8/4 mean in hardwood lumber?
- Hardwood thickness is called out in quarters of an inch: 4/4 ("four-quarter") is 1 inch nominal, 5/4 is 1¼, 6/4 is 1½, and 8/4 is 2 inches. Pick the quarter thickness in the calculator and enter each board's width — hardwood comes in random widths, so every board is measured individually.
- My yard prices lumber per piece, not per board foot. How do I use this?
- Switch the price unit on that line from /BF to /pc and enter the sticker price per stick. The calculator divides it by the board feet in each piece, so the line's cost, the blended rate, and the cost shares stay comparable across the whole list.
- What lengths does lumber come in?
- Dimensional lumber sells in even two-foot steps — most commonly 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 feet, with some yards stocking 6′ and up to 20′. If your cut list calls for a 7-footer, you're buying an 8′ stick. Turn on stock-length rounding and the calculator figures every line at the length you'll actually purchase. Hardwood is the exception: it's sold at its measured length.
- How much does a board foot of lumber weigh?
- Kiln-dried softwood framing runs roughly 2–3 pounds per board foot; kiln-dried hardwoods run about 3–4½ depending on species. The calculator figures order weight from the species on each line — kiln-dried numbers, close enough to know whether the order rides in the pickup or needs delivery.