Board feet and lumber cost for one board or a whole cut list, nominal or actual size
Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. Checked against sources on 29 Sept 2026.A board foot is 144 cubic inches of wood: thickness in inches times width in inches times length in feet, divided by 12. A 2x6 that is 8 feet long is 2 x 6 x 8 / 12 = 8 board feet, so four of them are 32 board feet, or $144 at $4.50 a board foot.
For each board, enter the Thickness and Width in inches, the Length, and the number of Pieces.
Set Length in to Feet or Inches to match how you measured.
Press Add a board for every other size on your cut list.
Read the total Board feet, Cubic feet and Cubic meters, and open Board by board for each line; Share result copies a link.
Lumber yards, sawmills and hardwood dealers price wood by the board foot, a volume of 144 cubic inches: a piece 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide and 1 foot long. This calculator adds up the board feet in a cut list, applies your price per board foot and a waste allowance, and shows the total cost.
The formula. Board feet = thickness (inches) x width (inches) x length (feet) / 12. Lengths can be entered in feet or inches. Add a row for each size of board, with the number of pieces, and the calculator totals the board feet, the pieces and the linear feet.
Nominal or actual size. The American Softwood Lumber Standard (PS 20) defines board measure on nominal sizes, the names on the tag. A 2x4 is tallied as 2 by 4 even though a dry, planed 2x4 measures 1-1/2 by 3-1/2 inches. So for construction softwood, type the nominal size and the tally will match the yard's. Each row shows the dry dressed size from the standard's table, so you know what will actually arrive.
Hardwood by the quarter. Hardwood is usually sold rough and described in quarters of an inch: 4/4 is 1 inch, 5/4 is 1-1/4, 6/4 is 1-1/2 and 8/4 is 2. Type the thickness the dealer quotes, as a decimal. Width is often random in hardwood, so measure it or use the average the dealer gives.
Waste. Knots, splits, planing and offcuts all cost wood. A waste allowance of 10 to 20 percent is common for furniture; enter the figure you plan for, and the calculator adds it to the board feet to buy and to the cost.
What this calculator does not do: it does not look up lumber prices, which vary by species, grade, region and week, and it does not plan cuts or optimize a cut list. Sheet goods such as plywood are sold by the sheet, not the board foot.
Volumes are also shown in cubic feet and cubic meters.
Multiply the thickness in inches by the width in inches by the length in feet, then divide by 12. A board 1 inch thick, 10 inches wide and 6 feet long is 1 x 10 x 6 / 12 = 5 board feet. If the length is in inches, divide by 144 instead of 12.
A 2x4 that is 8 feet long is 2 x 4 x 8 / 12 = 5.33 board feet, counted on its nominal size as the softwood lumber standard specifies. Its actual dry size is 1-1/2 by 3-1/2 inches, so the wood itself is 3.5 board feet, but yards tally and price on the nominal figure.
For softwood construction lumber, use the nominal size, the 2x6 on the tag, because the American Softwood Lumber Standard defines board measure that way and yards price it that way. For rough hardwood sold in quarters, use the thickness the dealer quotes, such as 4/4 for 1 inch or 8/4 for 2 inches.
Hardwood thickness is described in quarters of an inch. 4/4, said four quarter, is 1 inch of rough lumber; 5/4 is 1-1/4 inches, 6/4 is 1-1/2 inches and 8/4 is 2 inches. Enter those as 1, 1.25, 1.5 and 2 in the thickness box. Planing removes some of it before use.
Woodworkers commonly add 10 to 20 percent for knots, splits, planing and offcuts, and more for figured or low-grade stock. Rough framing with standard lengths often needs less. Enter your own allowance, and the calculator adds it to the board feet to buy and the total cost, while still showing the board feet in your cut list.
A cubic foot is 1,728 cubic inches and a board foot is 144 cubic inches, so a cubic foot holds exactly 12 board feet. In metric, one board foot is about 0.00236 cubic meters, and one cubic meter is about 424 board feet. The calculator shows the total in both units.
Rates and rules change; check the source before you rely on a figure.
Still stuck? Ask about Board Foot Calculator and anybody who knows can answer. No account needed.
Same job, other tools: Inverter Battery Size Calculator – Battery Ah needed to run a given load for a chosen number of hours · GST Inclusive Calculator – Split a price that already includes GST into value and tax.
On the related tools: Step-up SIP Calculator – See how raising your SIP every year changes the final corpus.